Friday, October 23, 2009

Aspects of Hopelessness

Man on the streets: Mors of Ardea?

-looks up from contemplation-

Mors: Aye?

Man: Do you have time to answer a few questions for me? It would only take a moment of your time...

Mors: My friend, all I have is time. Please, sit down.

-the man sits down on the bench in the park-

Mors: Now, what may I aid you with?

Man: When does one know when to stop?

Mors: Stop what?

Man: Everything.

-a small hesitant pause-

Man: Not necessarily life, but the will to live...

-Mors nods as the man trails off, and he considers-

Mors: When they no longer believe there is a way out.

Man: ...When they no longer believe? But that changes for every per---

Mors: When they no longer believe /there is a way out/. When they no longer think they can improve their life... and when they no longer think anyone else can help them.

Man: Isn't there usually a way out, though?

Mors: Usually.

-pause as he collects his thoughts-

Mors: as long as there is still something that can be tried... you cannot stop yet.

Man: So what if there is still a way out, and the person doesn't believe they have one? What do they do?

Mors: As the philosophers Lennous and Mcartnian once wrote, "One must always remember what friendship means, and seek council from those who you treat as so in times of need, as they have sought council in you."

-the man considers for a long while-

Man: I will think on these things for many years to come. Thank you.

-the man bows graciously and leaves. Mors nods after him and returns to his own thoughts-


Thursday, October 22, 2009

Aspects of Death

Setting: A stone bench near the rear of an empty, cold church.


Mors: A funeral has just passed. The mother and sisters were crying. The men had set their expressions grim, jailing their own emotions til the safety of solitude. A single little boy asked a question to his father, a question that made this fierce looking man break down and sob like the women.

-pause-


A simple question, really, "Why?" One that has so many answers, so many direct solutions, but none that people can comprehend.


-pause, as he collects his thoughts once more-


I believe that one of my colleagues holds that death is a necessity, simply another stage in life, another stop on the path. Another believes that those who die had been weighted down by their sins and evils until their will to live simply broke.


-a long pause as he looks at the body of the young girl on the alter, no more than fifteen, surrounded by flowers and pools of scented oils as she awaits her final caretaker to tuck her into her final bed. he sighs-


What, then, when life is not truly lived? What evils could one such as this have done, I wonder, to cause her death?


A thought occurred to me some time ago, sitting here in this chapel, watching all the lonely people go through their day, listening to the preacher's words on life. It is a thought that scares me and gives me strength all at once, as I walk through the trials of life.


-a pause. he looks away from the corpse and down at his hands-


What if people simply die?

Complaints

Anonymous Worksman:
Zate, teacher of Colonius, I hope you would not mind me asking a question.

Zate:
I always have time for the seekers of wisdom. What is it, my good man?

Anonymous Worksman:
When do you think it is right for someone to complain?

Zate:
When life gets so hectic and crazy they have nothing left to do but complain.

Anonymous Worksman:
So, the worst thing thats ever happened to them, right?

Zate says:
Quite.

Anonymous Worksman:
Okay, so how about this? Two families; family A is a wealthy happy family, with a teenager who has everything he wants - friends, money, courage, whatever he wants.

Family B is a single mother trying to support her two small children, on a poor wage.
Let's say while the teenager is doing some sports he breaks his arm and is put off the team. This is the worst thing that has ever happened to him.

On family B's side, however, the mother is trampled by a horse while trying to get groceries. The two kids are left at home because the older one said that she could take care of the younger one
Hours pass, and they get hungry, so they try making food on the stove, despite their mothers warning about the stove. They start a fire and the older child burns to death while the younger child barely survives. This is obviously the worst moment of his life.

Does this still give the teenager a right to complain?

Zate:
Hrm... Yes. It does.

Anonymous Worksman:
How so?

Zate:
Him breaking his arm is the worst thing that has happened to him. While the whole situation with the younger child is the worst thing that has happened to him.

In a sense, the teenager has no right to complain, because the childs life is worse. But as I doubt this teenager is aware of his surroundings, like most teenagers these days, he wouldn't know about the bad situation the child was put in. So unless the teenager knows about what happened to the child, he has a right to complain. It's all about perspective, my friend.

Anonymous Worksman:
So, all because he doesn't know anything about the other family, this gives him the right to complain?

Zate:
Precisely, as the teenager doesn't have any knowledge of it or any knowledge that someones life is worse. If you know that someones life is worse than yours, you have no right to complain.

Anonymous Worksman:
But he doesnt know, that he has a right to complain. Now, does this lack of knowledge make it right?

Zate:
Hrm... From the perspective of someone who knows of both, like ourselves, no.

Anonymous Worksman:
Thank you for your answer, Zate.

Zate:
Do you find my answer to be just?

Anonymous Worksman:
I'm not a moral compass

Zate:
Haha. In your opinion, my friend.

Anonymous Worksman:
Do you?

Zate:
Ah, but I said it, I have no right to judge it.

Anonymous Worksman:
Right... Thank you for your time, Zate.

Zate:
May the gods be with you.

Wisdom

Colonius:
I am not a wise man, Zate. I do not claim to be. I am a man, however, whom makes other men think.

Zate:
You are wise because you acknowledge that you know nothing.

Colonius:
Ah, that is true. But what is wisdom without knowledge?

Zate:
And what is knowledge without wisdom? For neither would exist without the other.

Colonius:
Quite. So then, my acknowledgement of my lack of knowledge would make me unwise, yes?

Zate:
But at the same time, it would make you the wisest man in Rome.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Introduction

Hello. Zate here. Me and my teacher, Colonius, have been talking for quite a while. Some matters trivial, and some matters significant. The significant topics will be what's covered here, although the trivial topics might be posted to lighten the mood occasionally. The significant topics will occasionally be of insignificant matters, however. This may not make sense at this exact moment. That is not the intention at all. The intention is to spark philosophical discussion, which shall be posted here. Most usually they will be of our conversations over Windows Live Messenger. We will occasionally colaborate on a passage of literature, however. Perhaps.