Artistic Footprint

Relativity.

Einstein’s two theories on relativity are combined to relate space and time, a strangely philosophical scientific theory. My idea of relativity is more of human and less of science, but has little to do with Einstein. “Life is relative” Regardless of our genetic similarities, every human has a totally unique mind, and from birth developes a spacial, relatable concept of the world using their five known senses. This amounts to things larger than grouped ideas about theology, nationalism, or political or economic systems. Have you ever thought that what you see as the pigment of blue might be a completely different pigment to someone else? for example, a pink and blue maple tree. But they’ve had those pigment differences since birth, and those arrangements look natural. The same must apply for time, culture, values both numerically and morally, and spacial sense.

Time: To many, we don’t have enough of it. Life is too short and we must make each second worthwhile. To some, life is too long. Things aren’t working out and we’d just like the pain to end. Some have abolished the invention of time as a whole and live their lives freely. Some categorize the history of mankind as one generation, another perhaps dates as far back as the industrial revolution or medieval times. Others see history as time from the very beginning to now, and occasionally have the mental capability to make it relative and answer the “how did this happen?” with stunning perspective.

Value: What makes us valuable? How do we make our lives valuable? We’ve numerically calculated value with GDP and dollars, but this is merely an invention, and really has nothing to do with value. A teddy bear can be more valuable than the home it sits in, yet the dollar value and time spent obtaining such commodities is incomparible. True, inherent values are those which make time better used to add value to our lives. And of course, those values to one person may be the dollars and the salaries. To others its the fine wines and ballet concerts. To some it’s the notches on their belts and the lives in their grasps. Perhaps the size of a family and large home-cooked meals, or a collection of photos from countless adventures. To many, it’s the closeness of death that adds value.

Time with little value is wasted time – a long time
Time with much value is used time – a short time.

With added value, time decreases. “time flies when you’re having fun”

Spacial sense: No number exists without a value. You don’t just have the number three or 30. You have three apples or 30km. And again those numerical values mean nothing if you haven’t experienced them. You don’t know what 3 apples looks like in comparison to one, just like you don’t know how far 30km is, let alone travelled that distance. What you would describe as a “long distance” say, across town, would be a small increment of another’s concept of distance, because they are used to longer travels, say – across a country. But even then, that is infinitely small in comparison to an astronomer’s concept of distance, measured in light years. Could you relate to a light year? Can you look at two stars through a telescope and say: “oh yea that one’s about 3 light years, and the other one is about 70.” Even if you could, does it make sense in your mind? This is the reason why we don’t understand what some people are talking about. It literally is a different language between minds, regardless of the international concept of numbers. Everything you sense, be it speed, distance, brightness, loudness, texture, palatteability, good and evil, is relative to your mind, and coincidentally is relatable to your species. Specifically those that think the same way you do. It is the same reason why a picasso is a work of genius to one group of people vs. a hideous combination of colour and shape to others. Because their minds do not agree.

In retrospect, ticking clocks, dollar signs, and numerical values are a true language invented by us, and used to relate to one another, but are organized too simply by us to be universal, and unaccomodating to the individual.

We are not giving ourselves enough credit. We have grimly defined ourselves as gluttonous evil and doomed creatures ill-fitted to survive on this undeserved planet.

Every species tempts fate by becoming too successful. The pasture fence is reached and extinction is imminent.

Humans are the only species with special talent that has predicted their own demise. And not only that, were making changes to prevent it. Never before have people decided to ride a bicycle or say no to a plastic bag or buy sustainable, local products. I have understood the term “pride” in my own words: you can be proud of the hoardes of inexpensive, use-once and store products, and am beginning to understand that less is more. Purchasing sustainable, locally-produced, rare, high quality products are harder to afford, but they come with an increased level of purchaser’s pride. I can feel the different I am making, and learn to appreciate the things that make my life comfortable. For the final push, we need to acknowledge our shortfalls and eradicate them. Replace greed and entitlement with fairness and community  – ignorance with awareness and understanding- automation and blind obedience with appreciation and opinion.

Secondly, we need to stop beating ourselves up for the things we’ve done and start thanking each other for the monumental achievements we’ve made in the fight against climate change and resource depletion. We haven’t even seen what good repercussions will come out of changes like the invention of computuerized combustion nor hybrid technology nor electronic information or even wind generation.

Every morning I wake up fearing the end of my unfinished life because we single-handedly shat where we ate, and yes it seems now that we are destined for demise but I urge us all to realise that this is not an option. Survival is the only card left and shame on you if you give up. Because we are living in such an interesting time! We could verywell be the generation that sees the tipping point of civilisation. To survive or to perish. We will see the old-fashioned, traditionally-viewed babyboomers to their graves along with their politicians, taking their lifestyle of greed, power, and one-way or the highway mindsets with them. We will see the end of the oil age, We will see governments actually being held accountable because we understand and care about the decisions being made. We will see complete strangers come together to save themselves. We are the green generation.

http://www.ted.com/talks/nic_marks_the_happy_planet_index.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/johan_rockstrom_let_the_environment_guide_our_development.html

This is a continuation of the Unknown series: The Unknown 2 and the Unkown 1

Most westerners think religion is separate and a small entity in their lives, but fail to notice how it encompasses everything. Theocracies, nightly prayer, Church donations, door-to-door witnesses, religious war, priestly sin. – all in the name of pleasing an unproven diety with confusing instructions, to cure our fear of death. Nations have fought endless wars over who goes where when they die, and over who disgraced another’s holy land, Never knowing as fact that it was holy in the first place. Grow the fuck up I say, stop being so immature! I hold humans to a higher intellectual standard.

Why do people seek to question another’s beleifs? Is it because of age-old vengeance? Or to “save” an individual from a mortal plight? Is it to secure their own endless bliss in a fabled heaven? Why can’t people keep their own concepts of spirituality to themselves? Why can’t my definition of life after death be different from yours without you hating me? This is abhorrent discrimination at the roots of our largest, most deluded, most historic human shortfall – And all because we’re so caught up in our fear of what we do not know – Death. We would not care about our gods and our devils and our prayers and our preachings if our memory wasn’t at the hands of one divine creature.

My vision of a creator is ourselves. We created the idea of god and heaven because we were ghost-white in fear of our demise. I’ve felt that fear just like you. When I closed my eyes at night I wondered if I would wake up, and had nightmares about how I would handle my death tomorrow. But finally, I have acknowledged and understood my fear. I’m looking it in the eyes now. Death to me is a question, the same way I don’t know what it will be like to get married or have children, what my country will look like in 10 years. It is the same question as why do the stars come out at night. My brain works on evidence, research, and instinct. I am just as scared of death as I am excited to have it answered.

Do you think Neil Armstrong knew what was going to happen when he rocketed into space to put his footprint on the moon? I invite you to burn the operator’s manual to your conscience and let it run free. Why limit yourself by anything? Why do you govern yourself with such petty rules? Why do you not trust yourself to be naturally moral? Why are you afraid of death? There’s no telling what you can do when you eradicate these fears.

To overcome the fear of death is to understand that life can exceed structural, material values and enter the supernatural. An incomprehensible dimension that begs natural questioning.

I think that no life should be incomplete, anything less is a tragedy. Everyone should have someone they can’t live without. Everyone should have kids to leave the world better in their absence. Everyone should love what they do. Everyone should be able to create their own way of life. Everyone should embrace their natural curiosity, to satisfy it and let it flourish. Everyone should have the opportunity to be remembered for eternity. Whether they succeed or not is up to them. I will know that my life is complete when the material evidence of it is destroyed. Comfort in my ultimate fear.