by Nats Barretto
Last Thursday's philosophy class was probably the best philosophy class for me so far.
"Time is not a line, it's an instant. Every instant is created anew with every instant."
This is an instant. And so is this. And so is this. Get it?
Fuck.
"The future is a promise. Whatever I have done in the past, I can still change meaning by what I do in the future."
Writing that word "fuck" up there was a mistake from the past. But I was able to change its meaning by using it as an example for a concept.
"Whenever I'm still alive, there's still hope."
True.
I think that line was the point of last Thursday's discussion. I'm still alive, there's still hope. We do not know what the future holds.
We can choose to believe that the future holds sadness and despair.
But why believe that? We can believe that the future holds beauty and joy.
There are many beautiful and joyful things in life, which the future can hold. And the first step in attaining those beautiful and joyful things is believing that you can attain those beautiful and joyful things.
So that you'd have the motivation in working for those beautiful and joyful things.
"Appreciation of time as very precious. It's poignant: it's beautiful, but it won't last forever."
Isn't it sad?
Nothing lasts forever, but that's just how life works. Beautiful and joyful things in the past must give way to other beautiful and joyful things that will come in the future.
"The best is yet to come."
Last Thursday's philosophy class was probably the best philosophy class for me so far. But I believe that the best is yet to come.
I would really like to think that this is the case. But, it's as if it isn't for a lot of people. I mean, most of us have no problem firmly believing in this idea of the best is yet to come. But, ask the impoverished, tortured, raped and all those other people who have had their dignity stripped from them. Unfortunately, I don't get such an optimistic outlook from them. Some statistics don't either. Look at the nurse that committed suicide due to a phone prank played by two Australian dj's. She clearly didn't believe things would turn for the better and thus, she ended her life.
ReplyDeleteThis comment isn't supposed to be pessimistic but we the privileged people, should also be reminded that we can't just sit and wait for our future, a future that centers on myself. There is also the urgency to provide a better future for others, to make the less fortunate believe in at least a future, not necessarily better, but one that still sees them living and working for themselves and their loved ones. The best is yet to be (come) not only for myself but to others as well.
I guess there are really instances wherein people find it hard to hope, or to believe that the "best is yet to come". It's a silly thing sometimes, hoping and believing, especially when we're almost certain of cloudy skies and bumpy roads ahead. As Dr. Garcia saud, we can never really be sure of the future. We can be "almost certain" of cloudy skies and bumpy roads, but we can never be "certain" of cloudy skies and bumpy roads. So why not just believe that the future holds better things?
DeleteMaybe it's easy for me to say that, for I haven't had any extreme experiences of sadness and despair. But not believing and not hoping aren't really gonna help in times of sadness and despair--extreme or not. Whether the cause of your sadness and despair is as trivial as a forthcoming math exam, or as heavy as trauma from rape, not believing and not hoping aren't gonna make you feel better. So why not believe that you can ace your forthcoming math exam, or believe that you can someday get over your trauma? That way, you may be able to work better for your future--for your math exam and for your trauma.
Sometimes, it actually feels funny. When you're so down and gloomy and you feel like nothing's gonna work out well, then you remember quotes like "the best is yet to come". And then you're gonna laugh at the thought because you're thinking, "That's just something people say to make themselves feel better." But I guess that's the point of these quotes, of these insights--to make us feel better. The future holds many possibilities: good ones, bad ones, and neutral ones. These insights simply remind us of the good ones. :)
And I do agree that we should help in providing a good future for others. :)
Nats Barretto
I think what's most appealing about Levinas' notion of time is the idea of redemption. As you've quoted here "Whenever I'm still alive, there's still hope", I think it's this concept of being able to renew yourself, in spite of your past, that made many of us during the discussion snap back to attention and listen. In a sense it sounds very much like what the Church teaches about forgiveness and salvation, which is also what made Christianity so appealing to people centuries ago. I guess it's natural for us to feel like we haven't exhausted all our options yet, that there is always the choice of a second chance. Although at times it may be hard to hope, there are instances when all a person needs is the option to hope which more often than not, draws the line between believing in something better or resigning yourself to regret.
ReplyDeleteMaria Justine N. Dinglasan
PH102-A
Your entry is short and simple. I like it because it is very applicable to us college students and especially those who are graduating this school year. We all hope for a better future, but it doesn't necessarily mean that all of us work hard to make the future bright. We sometimes expect it to fall upon us, so that we don't have to go the extra mile. But doesn't that make life easy?
ReplyDeleteRemember, "success is a journey, not a destination." :)
Hokulea Cabrera
PH102-A
I like how time is conveyed here, where time is an instant. Although the past and future are connected by the present, these things do not influence the future. All along, I've been scared that my past and present entirely defines my future. I've always been preparing for what will happen, so I can control it. But all this time, I've been wrong. I remember a quote in the movie Kung Fu Panda,
ReplyDeleteYesterday is History; Tomorrow is a Mystery; Today is a Gift, that's why its called a Present!
We can never control what will happen in the future, whether we like it or not. We have to accept that the future is always a surprise and it will eventually happen. We cannot focus our present on trying to control our future. We have to live life as it is, in the now. That way, we create more value in the life we live.
-M. Cua, Ph102 A
What I like about viewing time as an instant, rather than a line, is that it emphasizes that time is fleeting. Every second we let pass, is another instant that will never come back. We should all strive to stop living in the past and stop worrying about the future, because when we do, we lose focus on the present, and instances fade away. Think about what you can do today instead of what you could have done or what you might do.
ReplyDelete-Alex Chua PH102A
Viewing time as an instant is indeed interesting. But in my opinion, I think this may not necessarily be a good thing. Yes, by viewing time as an instant, we are not weighed down by our past. We are not defined by our past.
ReplyDeleteBut at the same time, this is not always true. "...Whatever I have done in the past, I can still change meaning by what I do in the future." Really? When I break someone's trust, can I ever fully regain that trust once more? When I break someone's heart, can I ever un-break it? True, someone else may come along and make that person whole again, but the fact that I broke that person will never change. I can never change the pain I already caused. Words said can never be unsaid. Actions done can never be undone.
Lica Lee
PH102 A