April 9 2010
Our reward for helping out with kids ed was having off Friday and Saturday. We combined our free weekend with a celebration of my birthday. Perfect timing. Instead of heading to San Fran we decided to stay a little closer to home. We headed to the Vichy Hot Springs in Ukiah. We have three natural hot spring areas in Mendocino County but I chose the one that had actual hotel and cottages available for rent. My real motivation and gift I wanted for my birthday was one night with indoor plumbing!!! Also, this resort was only 20 minutes away and we needed to be back on Saturday because we are taking a biodynamic gardening workshop on Sunday.
After our community meeting with the interns Friday morning we packed up the car and headed out. God was on our side because the sun was shining and had 70 degree weather. I was in heaven. On the way we stopped for some lunch and necessities (wine and cheese) for our poolside soakings. When we arrived we were welcomed by the lush green grounds and babbling stream running through the site. The resort was founded in 1858 and frequented by FDR, JFK, and Jack London. Once we checked into our room fully equipped with a real bed and bathroom we checked out the pools. Before taking a soak we decided to get in a hike to the waterfall. About 30 minutes we traipsed through the woods on a well marked path along the perennial stream. All we had to look out for were rattle snakes and poison ivy!! Good thing I had on long pants and shirt because I am deathly allergic to it. The hardest part was making sure where you put your hands. In many spots we were walking at elevation and it was narrow and a bit slippery from the rain. The first instinct is to use your hand for balance. Thankfully I can say I did not mistakenly put my hand in a bunch of poison ivy or a snake hole!! With the snow runoff and the tremendous amount of rain we have had, the five stream crossings we had to make proved challenging to try and stay dry. Unfortunately my luck ran out on the return trip. I slipped off one of the boulders in the stream and proceeded to test out the icy water. The balance of the hike I had two cold feet!
I knew all was good because I would be heading to the heated springs to warm up. We started in the hot tub and quickly felt like we were in heaven. Although it was still rather warm outside the water felt incredible. No chlorine or chemicals so you could sit in there for hours albeit for the pruney skin. While soaking we met some very interesting people from neighboring communities and had a lively conversation. Once they took off, Roby and I headed to the only naturally carbonated springs in California similar to the ones in "Vichy" France. The water flows from the upper hillside into these 150 year old soaking tubs. We wanted to sit outside but they were all taken so we got an indoor private room with two tubs. Once you remove the stopper the fresh water continuously flows and continuously drains through a hole near the top of the tub so it never empties on you. We jumped into our tubs and immediately noticed the "champagne" bubbles on our body. I learned the water creates carbon dioxide which has a curative effect. Many people drink it and it helps alleviate stomach ulcers or soak in the tubs to alleviate arthritis. The carbonation releases and opens up your capillaries and stimulates blood flow. It was a cool experience dunking our heads under the water and feeling the bubbles on our faces. Invigorating. We ended the evening with a second soak in the hot tub. After a quick shower we headed into town for a great sushi dinner. Then we snuggled up in our bed under the warm down comforter and had visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads!!
I was so excited when I got up at 3:00 am and I did not have to put on clothes and shoes and climb down the ladder and pray it was not raining outside; instead I could jump out of bed take two steps and be back in bed likety split. What a great birthday present!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Kids, Kids and More Kids
April 8 2010
Roby and I gave up our day off to help the interns out with their educational tours. Every other Thursday in April and May several schools come to our campus for a 2 hour educational program about renewable energy and sustainable living. We set up 7 different stations and we each man one of them and spend 10 minutes with each group before we rotate them to the next one. These are 8 and 9 year olds so you can only hold their attention for so long, and when there are almost 100 of them total your goal is not to turn the campus into a free for all. By the time we each got to the 6th and 7th group, we were doing everything to just keep them in the near vicinity. Roby was in charge of the Compost Section, and I operated the one and only solar-powered carousel ride in the world. We also had a photovoltaic, worm composting, chicken husbandry, solar cooker and natural building work station.
Thankfully the weather held off for us and we had a beautiful day for the kids.
Amazing the number of kids who have solar panels on their homes and actually compost their food scrapes. This community in Mendocino County is pretty progressive and an inspiration to see the next generation gets it. Hopefully through our workshops and tours we will be able to spread the word to our visitors and they will take it home to their communities.
We had them roasting marshmallows on a parabolic solar cooker and making their own natural cobb building blocks for a home. We knew mud and sticky things would make the kids happy!!!
Roby and I gave up our day off to help the interns out with their educational tours. Every other Thursday in April and May several schools come to our campus for a 2 hour educational program about renewable energy and sustainable living. We set up 7 different stations and we each man one of them and spend 10 minutes with each group before we rotate them to the next one. These are 8 and 9 year olds so you can only hold their attention for so long, and when there are almost 100 of them total your goal is not to turn the campus into a free for all. By the time we each got to the 6th and 7th group, we were doing everything to just keep them in the near vicinity. Roby was in charge of the Compost Section, and I operated the one and only solar-powered carousel ride in the world. We also had a photovoltaic, worm composting, chicken husbandry, solar cooker and natural building work station.
Thankfully the weather held off for us and we had a beautiful day for the kids.
Amazing the number of kids who have solar panels on their homes and actually compost their food scrapes. This community in Mendocino County is pretty progressive and an inspiration to see the next generation gets it. Hopefully through our workshops and tours we will be able to spread the word to our visitors and they will take it home to their communities.
We had them roasting marshmallows on a parabolic solar cooker and making their own natural cobb building blocks for a home. We knew mud and sticky things would make the kids happy!!!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Old McDonald's Farm
April 2, 2010
The SLI intern program includes field trips to local eco-friendly or sustainable projects to help further the educational curriculum. Our first adventure was to the Magruder Ranch in Potter Valley. We were going to have a brunch on site in the old family farmhouse and then take a tour to check out their operation. The Magruders raise grass-fed cattle and pigs on their beautiful 2400 acre ranch. At lunch they served samples of their beef and pork sausages. Everyone raved about how delicious they were. Amazing how much better the meat is when you don't feed the cattle anti-biotics and GMO grains. Go find some organic meat next time you are at the store!!
During lunch we learned the ranch has been in the family for four generations and the house was built in the 1920's. The kids have come home after college and are helping improve the Ranch. They are implementing agri-tourism which will feature retreats and workshops on sustainable living, organic farming, and art programs for their guests. They want to partner with the SLI and host several of our natural building workshops on site. Roby is going to help them devise a master plan for the project because they have tons of ideas and projects but no clear vision of what it will look like or how it all needs to come together.
How lucky they are to have this land in the family. They are surrounded by Preserves and Mountains. Running through the middle of their property is the Russian River and several of its tributaries. At one location the River has created the perfect swimming hole for summer enjoyment. A bonus is the hiking and mountain biking trails upland in the surrounding mountains. Ben said he would take Roby and me riding but we would have to take a gun along in case we ran into a bear or mountain lion.
We spent the entire day marveling at the natural landscape and giving ideas for new improvements. Roby kept saying, "man I wish my grandparents would have kept heading west before deciding to ranch in southeast New Mexico!!"
The SLI intern program includes field trips to local eco-friendly or sustainable projects to help further the educational curriculum. Our first adventure was to the Magruder Ranch in Potter Valley. We were going to have a brunch on site in the old family farmhouse and then take a tour to check out their operation. The Magruders raise grass-fed cattle and pigs on their beautiful 2400 acre ranch. At lunch they served samples of their beef and pork sausages. Everyone raved about how delicious they were. Amazing how much better the meat is when you don't feed the cattle anti-biotics and GMO grains. Go find some organic meat next time you are at the store!!
During lunch we learned the ranch has been in the family for four generations and the house was built in the 1920's. The kids have come home after college and are helping improve the Ranch. They are implementing agri-tourism which will feature retreats and workshops on sustainable living, organic farming, and art programs for their guests. They want to partner with the SLI and host several of our natural building workshops on site. Roby is going to help them devise a master plan for the project because they have tons of ideas and projects but no clear vision of what it will look like or how it all needs to come together.
How lucky they are to have this land in the family. They are surrounded by Preserves and Mountains. Running through the middle of their property is the Russian River and several of its tributaries. At one location the River has created the perfect swimming hole for summer enjoyment. A bonus is the hiking and mountain biking trails upland in the surrounding mountains. Ben said he would take Roby and me riding but we would have to take a gun along in case we ran into a bear or mountain lion.
We spent the entire day marveling at the natural landscape and giving ideas for new improvements. Roby kept saying, "man I wish my grandparents would have kept heading west before deciding to ranch in southeast New Mexico!!"
Saturday, April 3, 2010
America's Dirtiest Jobs
April 3, 2010
April has arrived, although with the cold weather you would not know it, and it is time for some spring cleaning of the site. The first major job to tackle was the cleaning of the flow form system which is an integral part of our water supply throughout the landscape. It begins at the high point of the site with a large 8 foot deep wine barrel suspended in a basin to allow for overflow. This excess water from the basin spirals down the slope of the hillside and cascades through several concrete flow form basins which are shallow pools designed to circulate and aerate the water. From the flow forms it enters a stream which carries it to the ponds. Part of the water is diverted from the stream to a large central oasis in the middle of the courtyard and becomes part of the main water feature. Unfortunately algae has overtaken the ponds and flow forms preventing them from working. Call in the HazMat team and remove it.
Our plan of attack was to rake out as much of the loose algae as we could. No matter how much force we used this stuff was stubborn and would not release its grip on the basins and flow forms. Not letting it have the upper-hand we pulled out the pressure washer and blasted it with a few thousand pounds of water pressure. We outfitted ourselves in the attractive yellow plastic construction rain gear and went to work. Good thing because as you were blasting the side of the pools the water pressure was so intense the spray came back on you. As I slaved away on the basin, Roby was scoping out the wine barrel and discovered the ladder on the side. Being a boy he had to climb it. Inside he discovered a crystal clear 8 foot deep pool of water. He envisioned a hot summer day basking in a floaty inner tube. Just like Petticoat Junction!!
Summoning him back down, it was his turn to fight the algae. We worked our way through the flow forms but it was definitely taking longer than anticipated. We had to recruit Cuatro to help us. After five hours we had barely made a dent but it was quitting time. We had hoped Cuatro would get it finished while we took our two day Off Grid Solar Class but he decided to leave the dirtiest job for us.
The rain has not stopped for four days straight and it is freezing cold on top of it. In fact we had snow at the 800 foot level a bit too close for comfort. Begrudgingly we put back on our rain gear and headed out to clean the 40' diameter, 3' deep main water feature. We placed the sub-pump in the fountain to remove the water so we could clean out the debris and dirt that had accumulated on the bottom. Unfortunately the pump was not powerful enough to remove the silt along with the water nor did it get all the water out. Due to the limited capability of the pump we were faced with a dilemma. How were we going to get the muck out of the fountain. There was no bottom drain nor was it level so we had high and low spots. This prevented us from separating the mud from the water. We could not allow it to sit and dry out because it was raining and overcast. Plus the flow forms kept sending water into the fountain continuously. So our only option was to squeegee the liquidy black stinky muck to the high spots and then shovel it out into a wheelbarrow. Although good in theory it was only marginally successful. First it was like slop so the majority of it sloshed off the shovel back onto us. If we managed to keep any of it on the shovel we had to lift it above our head because we were down in the fountain several feet below the wheelbarrow so most of it ended up on the deck. After several attempts we eventually got into a rhythm and figured out how to sling it into the wheelbarrow. The next fun part was trying to move the wheelbarrow and dump its contents. Roby did a good job of staying steady except when he found the hole in the sidewalk catching the front tire proceeding to dump the slimmy dark goop all over the concrete deck. We should have been on a Laurel and Hardy episode.
Although we were getting good exercise we did not seem to be getting anywhere. Despite filling five wheelbarrows full of this crap the fountain still looked like the black lagoon. The continual water supply trickling in prevented us from stopping the dirt from commingling with the water. After four hours of doing our best to get it reasonably clean, we decided to give up and proceeded to fill the fountain with water and call it a day!!
April has arrived, although with the cold weather you would not know it, and it is time for some spring cleaning of the site. The first major job to tackle was the cleaning of the flow form system which is an integral part of our water supply throughout the landscape. It begins at the high point of the site with a large 8 foot deep wine barrel suspended in a basin to allow for overflow. This excess water from the basin spirals down the slope of the hillside and cascades through several concrete flow form basins which are shallow pools designed to circulate and aerate the water. From the flow forms it enters a stream which carries it to the ponds. Part of the water is diverted from the stream to a large central oasis in the middle of the courtyard and becomes part of the main water feature. Unfortunately algae has overtaken the ponds and flow forms preventing them from working. Call in the HazMat team and remove it.
Our plan of attack was to rake out as much of the loose algae as we could. No matter how much force we used this stuff was stubborn and would not release its grip on the basins and flow forms. Not letting it have the upper-hand we pulled out the pressure washer and blasted it with a few thousand pounds of water pressure. We outfitted ourselves in the attractive yellow plastic construction rain gear and went to work. Good thing because as you were blasting the side of the pools the water pressure was so intense the spray came back on you. As I slaved away on the basin, Roby was scoping out the wine barrel and discovered the ladder on the side. Being a boy he had to climb it. Inside he discovered a crystal clear 8 foot deep pool of water. He envisioned a hot summer day basking in a floaty inner tube. Just like Petticoat Junction!!
Summoning him back down, it was his turn to fight the algae. We worked our way through the flow forms but it was definitely taking longer than anticipated. We had to recruit Cuatro to help us. After five hours we had barely made a dent but it was quitting time. We had hoped Cuatro would get it finished while we took our two day Off Grid Solar Class but he decided to leave the dirtiest job for us.
The rain has not stopped for four days straight and it is freezing cold on top of it. In fact we had snow at the 800 foot level a bit too close for comfort. Begrudgingly we put back on our rain gear and headed out to clean the 40' diameter, 3' deep main water feature. We placed the sub-pump in the fountain to remove the water so we could clean out the debris and dirt that had accumulated on the bottom. Unfortunately the pump was not powerful enough to remove the silt along with the water nor did it get all the water out. Due to the limited capability of the pump we were faced with a dilemma. How were we going to get the muck out of the fountain. There was no bottom drain nor was it level so we had high and low spots. This prevented us from separating the mud from the water. We could not allow it to sit and dry out because it was raining and overcast. Plus the flow forms kept sending water into the fountain continuously. So our only option was to squeegee the liquidy black stinky muck to the high spots and then shovel it out into a wheelbarrow. Although good in theory it was only marginally successful. First it was like slop so the majority of it sloshed off the shovel back onto us. If we managed to keep any of it on the shovel we had to lift it above our head because we were down in the fountain several feet below the wheelbarrow so most of it ended up on the deck. After several attempts we eventually got into a rhythm and figured out how to sling it into the wheelbarrow. The next fun part was trying to move the wheelbarrow and dump its contents. Roby did a good job of staying steady except when he found the hole in the sidewalk catching the front tire proceeding to dump the slimmy dark goop all over the concrete deck. We should have been on a Laurel and Hardy episode.
Although we were getting good exercise we did not seem to be getting anywhere. Despite filling five wheelbarrows full of this crap the fountain still looked like the black lagoon. The continual water supply trickling in prevented us from stopping the dirt from commingling with the water. After four hours of doing our best to get it reasonably clean, we decided to give up and proceeded to fill the fountain with water and call it a day!!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Our First Date
March 27, 2010
Living at the SLI becomes addicting and before you know it you haven't left the site for days. Feeling the itch Roby and I decided to get spiffied up and hit the town. This meant taking a shower and putting on a different pair of jeans and new shirt. No interns just the two of us. We headed into the big town of Ukiah for dinner and a play. As I have mentioned before the small towns in Mendocino County are big into the theater and culture. Every weekend a new event or fundraiser is happening. We decided to check out the local Thai restaurant called Happy Thai. What a coincidence when we walked in we saw several references to Kauai on their bulletin board. We knew we had come to the right place. A quick meal of Pad Thai and we were off to the the theater. We went to see Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors. They had a twist and added their Circus Performers throughout the play. In Mendocino County they have an organization to promote and teach the circus arts ranging from walking on stilts to trapeze type acrobats on aerial hoops or tricks with the aerial silks. It brought a great visual to the play. For a little town they produced an excellent show and even got their Shakespearean English correct.
This evening reminded me of our real first date over twenty one years ago!!
Living at the SLI becomes addicting and before you know it you haven't left the site for days. Feeling the itch Roby and I decided to get spiffied up and hit the town. This meant taking a shower and putting on a different pair of jeans and new shirt. No interns just the two of us. We headed into the big town of Ukiah for dinner and a play. As I have mentioned before the small towns in Mendocino County are big into the theater and culture. Every weekend a new event or fundraiser is happening. We decided to check out the local Thai restaurant called Happy Thai. What a coincidence when we walked in we saw several references to Kauai on their bulletin board. We knew we had come to the right place. A quick meal of Pad Thai and we were off to the the theater. We went to see Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors. They had a twist and added their Circus Performers throughout the play. In Mendocino County they have an organization to promote and teach the circus arts ranging from walking on stilts to trapeze type acrobats on aerial hoops or tricks with the aerial silks. It brought a great visual to the play. For a little town they produced an excellent show and even got their Shakespearean English correct.
This evening reminded me of our real first date over twenty one years ago!!
Life Maps
March 28 2010
The mission statement of the SLI is to promote sustainability through education. The internship program is a vital part of its goal. 50% of their learning is based upon their communal living. They live, work and play in the same environment. After being together for almost a month we all participated in a group session called Life Maps. Kieren assembled us all outside around the fire pit and had us focus on our goals and what inspired us to come to the SLI. She then handed each of us a large sheet of paper and marker, pen or crayon and sent us off to draw our timeline of our life. We could use pictures, words or colors to describe what influenced or had an impact on our life that eventually brought us to SLI. Once we completed the map we each presented our life story to the group. It was a great way for us to get to know one another and feel more comfortable communicating about our feelings and concerns.
Obviously Roby had the best drawing of anyone in the group. Mine consisted of a lot of stick figures but I had a good story to tell. It was amazing on how everyone had his/her own unique style. I cannot reveal what was said during the session but it was a great exercise in objectively looking at your life. After listening to the stories we all seem to be the adventurer or "black sheep" of our family. I think we all have a bit of existentialism in us:
"Who, exactly, are the existentialists and what do they know?
Existentialism is a philosophical movement that came about in the late-19th century. It is not some abstract set of theoretical truths. Rather it is a no-nonsense philosophy that encourages you to take a hard look at your life and ask two essential questions: Who am I and how shall I live?
Its goal is to awaken us from our slumber, have us grab life by the lapels and start living authentically.
Unfortunately, there is no particular school that offers a systematic account of existentialism. Its founders were fierce individualists who avoided labels, detested "-isms," and refused to be lumped into any group.
So there is no grand philosophical system here. Essentially, existentialism exists at the intersection of the essays of Friedrich Nitzsche and Jean-Paul Sartre, the novels of Albert Camus and Fyodor Dostoevsky, the religious writings of Soren Kierkegaard and Paul Tillich, and the plays of Harold Pinter and even William Shakespeare (particularly Hamlet and King Lear.) Clearly, existentialism is older than the term itself.
The philosophy is based on six general themes:
Acceptance of the Absurd. Each of us drops unexpectedly into this world, in a universe where time - at least as we know it - has no beginning, space no end, and life no pre-set meaning. It is an inexplicable mystery. This realization is hardly new, of course. Ecclesiastes kicks off with the words "Vanity, vanity, all is vanity. What does man gain from all his labor and toil here under the sun?" (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3). Existentialists believe that it's only when you confront the fundamental absurdity of life that you begin to live honestly.
Personal Freedom. Life itself may be meaningless, but you give it meaning when you begin making important choices. These, in turn, reveal who you are. With freedom of choice, however, comes responsibility. Taking ownership of your decisions means not blaming your parents, your spouse, your teachers or anyone else for the shape of your life. More responsibility brings greater freedom. And with it: hope.
Individualism. Existentialists are keenly aware that society continually pulls you toward conformity. There are immense social pressures to go along, get along and live pretty much like everyone else. Existentialists challenge you to buck conventional wisdom, express your true nature, and follow your dream, whatever that may be.
Authenticity. Most people are so consumed by desire, guilt, fear or anxiety about what other people think that they find it almost impossible to follow their true calling. However, it's only when you begin to do what you want - and not what others expect - that you begin to live authentically. But expect resistance. Institutions want to mold you. Other people want you to go on their trip. It's far easier to live unthinkingly as part of the crowd. Yet authentic individuals are in control of their own lives.
Passion. Being passionate and engaged is crucial. This doesn't mean acting crazy or hysterical. Quite the opposite, in fact. Existentialists believe you should devote yourself to a cause, one that you're willing to organize your life around, perhaps even die for. For Kierkegaard, that passion was the pursuit of truth. For others it may be artistic expression, healing the sick, or building a business that employs hundreds and serves thousands. In all walks of life, you'll find that passionate men and women are more purposeful.
Acceptance of Death. Life is finite. Yet existentialists don't see this as a reason for pessimism. Facing death is what forces you to take life seriously, use your time wisely and make meaningful choices. It should invigorate your life. As the character Andy puts it in The Shawshank Redemption: "Get busy living or get busy dying."
Nietzsche, the philosopher most closely associated with existentialism, refers to it as the noble ideal.
Your life, he argues, is an unwritten book that only you can write. Or, he says, visualize your life as a kind of artistic project, except that you are both the sculptor and the clay.
This concept runs throughout existentialist works. Martin Heidegger counsels that we should learn to "dwell poetically." Kierkegaard offers that, "to exist is an art."
All existentialists agree that life has the meaning you choose to give it. Sartre even declared that man is "nothing else but what he makes of himself."
This view is fairly widespread in the West today. But it was once considered revolutionary. The Catholic Church, for instance, decided that Sartre's ideas were so dangerous that it placed his entire works on the Vatican Index of Prohibited Books - including those he hadn't yet written!
Ideas can be dynamite. And the proclamation that you should live your life on your own terms rather than according to the dictates of an institution was explosive.
Perhaps that's why existentialism is called the philosophy of freedom. No matter how things stand in your life, you choose how to interpret your situation. You choose how to respond to it. Even if you do nothing, you still have made a choice. There is no escaping the consequences of your actions - or your inaction.
This makes some people profoundly uncomfortable, of course. They don't like facing up to the world as it is. They don't want responsibility. It's easier to blame others, circumstances or "the breaks."
Existentialism, however, is known as "the no-excuses philosophy." You may be old. You may be broke. You may be sick. But existentialists say you start from where you are and move forward. How? By accepting responsibility and making choices.
This isn't always easy. Pursuing authenticity requires relentless self-examination. It exposes you to things about yourself that you may not want to know. It may cause discomfort or friction with others.
But inauthentic lives, by comparison, are shallow, trivial and unsatisfying. They are often marked by the dogged pursuit of material goods, social status or the approval of others.
In many ways existentialism is a return to the roots of philosophy, a return to the ancients' concern with truth, virtue and the art of living well.
Existentialism offers a guide to the perplexed. It shows us not just how to live, but how to flourish, how to create meaning in a senseless world. Those who reject this philosophy often do so not because they don't understand it but because they can't face it.
And that's unfortunate. Existentialism provides a practical way of thinking about the world. It offers personal freedom and empowerment. It is a path to dignity and nobility.
An existentialist doesn't live as though he has forever, frittering away his time and putting off until "someday" the things he really wants to do. He or she recognizes that each day, each moment, is precious and irreplaceable.
Are you an existentialist? Only you can say, of course.
But perhaps you should be."
Carpe Diem,
Patti and Roby
The mission statement of the SLI is to promote sustainability through education. The internship program is a vital part of its goal. 50% of their learning is based upon their communal living. They live, work and play in the same environment. After being together for almost a month we all participated in a group session called Life Maps. Kieren assembled us all outside around the fire pit and had us focus on our goals and what inspired us to come to the SLI. She then handed each of us a large sheet of paper and marker, pen or crayon and sent us off to draw our timeline of our life. We could use pictures, words or colors to describe what influenced or had an impact on our life that eventually brought us to SLI. Once we completed the map we each presented our life story to the group. It was a great way for us to get to know one another and feel more comfortable communicating about our feelings and concerns.
Obviously Roby had the best drawing of anyone in the group. Mine consisted of a lot of stick figures but I had a good story to tell. It was amazing on how everyone had his/her own unique style. I cannot reveal what was said during the session but it was a great exercise in objectively looking at your life. After listening to the stories we all seem to be the adventurer or "black sheep" of our family. I think we all have a bit of existentialism in us:
"Who, exactly, are the existentialists and what do they know?
Existentialism is a philosophical movement that came about in the late-19th century. It is not some abstract set of theoretical truths. Rather it is a no-nonsense philosophy that encourages you to take a hard look at your life and ask two essential questions: Who am I and how shall I live?
Its goal is to awaken us from our slumber, have us grab life by the lapels and start living authentically.
Unfortunately, there is no particular school that offers a systematic account of existentialism. Its founders were fierce individualists who avoided labels, detested "-isms," and refused to be lumped into any group.
So there is no grand philosophical system here. Essentially, existentialism exists at the intersection of the essays of Friedrich Nitzsche and Jean-Paul Sartre, the novels of Albert Camus and Fyodor Dostoevsky, the religious writings of Soren Kierkegaard and Paul Tillich, and the plays of Harold Pinter and even William Shakespeare (particularly Hamlet and King Lear.) Clearly, existentialism is older than the term itself.
The philosophy is based on six general themes:
Acceptance of the Absurd. Each of us drops unexpectedly into this world, in a universe where time - at least as we know it - has no beginning, space no end, and life no pre-set meaning. It is an inexplicable mystery. This realization is hardly new, of course. Ecclesiastes kicks off with the words "Vanity, vanity, all is vanity. What does man gain from all his labor and toil here under the sun?" (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3). Existentialists believe that it's only when you confront the fundamental absurdity of life that you begin to live honestly.
Personal Freedom. Life itself may be meaningless, but you give it meaning when you begin making important choices. These, in turn, reveal who you are. With freedom of choice, however, comes responsibility. Taking ownership of your decisions means not blaming your parents, your spouse, your teachers or anyone else for the shape of your life. More responsibility brings greater freedom. And with it: hope.
Individualism. Existentialists are keenly aware that society continually pulls you toward conformity. There are immense social pressures to go along, get along and live pretty much like everyone else. Existentialists challenge you to buck conventional wisdom, express your true nature, and follow your dream, whatever that may be.
Authenticity. Most people are so consumed by desire, guilt, fear or anxiety about what other people think that they find it almost impossible to follow their true calling. However, it's only when you begin to do what you want - and not what others expect - that you begin to live authentically. But expect resistance. Institutions want to mold you. Other people want you to go on their trip. It's far easier to live unthinkingly as part of the crowd. Yet authentic individuals are in control of their own lives.
Passion. Being passionate and engaged is crucial. This doesn't mean acting crazy or hysterical. Quite the opposite, in fact. Existentialists believe you should devote yourself to a cause, one that you're willing to organize your life around, perhaps even die for. For Kierkegaard, that passion was the pursuit of truth. For others it may be artistic expression, healing the sick, or building a business that employs hundreds and serves thousands. In all walks of life, you'll find that passionate men and women are more purposeful.
Acceptance of Death. Life is finite. Yet existentialists don't see this as a reason for pessimism. Facing death is what forces you to take life seriously, use your time wisely and make meaningful choices. It should invigorate your life. As the character Andy puts it in The Shawshank Redemption: "Get busy living or get busy dying."
Nietzsche, the philosopher most closely associated with existentialism, refers to it as the noble ideal.
Your life, he argues, is an unwritten book that only you can write. Or, he says, visualize your life as a kind of artistic project, except that you are both the sculptor and the clay.
This concept runs throughout existentialist works. Martin Heidegger counsels that we should learn to "dwell poetically." Kierkegaard offers that, "to exist is an art."
All existentialists agree that life has the meaning you choose to give it. Sartre even declared that man is "nothing else but what he makes of himself."
This view is fairly widespread in the West today. But it was once considered revolutionary. The Catholic Church, for instance, decided that Sartre's ideas were so dangerous that it placed his entire works on the Vatican Index of Prohibited Books - including those he hadn't yet written!
Ideas can be dynamite. And the proclamation that you should live your life on your own terms rather than according to the dictates of an institution was explosive.
Perhaps that's why existentialism is called the philosophy of freedom. No matter how things stand in your life, you choose how to interpret your situation. You choose how to respond to it. Even if you do nothing, you still have made a choice. There is no escaping the consequences of your actions - or your inaction.
This makes some people profoundly uncomfortable, of course. They don't like facing up to the world as it is. They don't want responsibility. It's easier to blame others, circumstances or "the breaks."
Existentialism, however, is known as "the no-excuses philosophy." You may be old. You may be broke. You may be sick. But existentialists say you start from where you are and move forward. How? By accepting responsibility and making choices.
This isn't always easy. Pursuing authenticity requires relentless self-examination. It exposes you to things about yourself that you may not want to know. It may cause discomfort or friction with others.
But inauthentic lives, by comparison, are shallow, trivial and unsatisfying. They are often marked by the dogged pursuit of material goods, social status or the approval of others.
In many ways existentialism is a return to the roots of philosophy, a return to the ancients' concern with truth, virtue and the art of living well.
Existentialism offers a guide to the perplexed. It shows us not just how to live, but how to flourish, how to create meaning in a senseless world. Those who reject this philosophy often do so not because they don't understand it but because they can't face it.
And that's unfortunate. Existentialism provides a practical way of thinking about the world. It offers personal freedom and empowerment. It is a path to dignity and nobility.
An existentialist doesn't live as though he has forever, frittering away his time and putting off until "someday" the things he really wants to do. He or she recognizes that each day, each moment, is precious and irreplaceable.
Are you an existentialist? Only you can say, of course.
But perhaps you should be."
Carpe Diem,
Patti and Roby
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)