thought Thought, a manifestation of the human conscience. A heaven where we thrive, a graveyard where we die. Cliche, in a good way? Like the Red Hood’s Sleigh? Or a wasteland of anxiety, Wasting away? Depression at bay, Languishing as prey?
regret The obnoxiously green monster-man before me raised his beefy arm and roared something unintelligible. Even though I had no clue what he said, the suggestive aggresiveness emanating from his sickly visage informed me of an unmistakable war tone.
isolation v. solitude I associate the word or feeling isolation with a burning sensation. Pain isolates you because you completely forget where you are, who you are. I imagine the horrors of an uncontained flame, the dripping of melting human skin, and worst of all, a melting identity.
nietzsche:
“Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings – always darker, emptier, and simpler.” EXT. The Forest The trees are twisted, old, gnarly or grand, golden, and shining. A creature emerges from a bush. It appears to be an animal that has undergone some horrible surgery performed by a mad scientist.
vonnegut: “I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can’t see from the center.” “Living life on the edge” is a common phrase that is rather synonymous with the time old “Carpe Diem,” said Nate Rose in a professorial voice. His friends laughed. They fell silent when they saw the serious expression on his face. Nate continued. This time, however, he dropped his pedantic tone. He looked each of his friends in the eyes. “I think that living life on the edge is indeed smart. Not dangerous, but smart.”
e. roosevelt:
“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.� The silver droplet flew through the air. Its movement was blurred but its reflection was sharp. Zoom out. Observe that the droplet will eventually stop. It will merge with other individuals to become whole. How? Who knows?
angelou: “One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.” Courage, much like risk taking, is an attribute that can’t be taught. It can, however, be learned. How is this possible? Well, leadership is an improvised reaction that is perceived by others as bravery. You can’t simply decide to lead. It’s a reaction. Courage, similarly, is a reflex that ignites at the most deepest level of our conscience.
burke:
“The Beautiful, is what is well formed and aesthetically pleasing, whereas the Sublime is what has the power to compel and destroy us.� The feeling of false security can cost us our lives. We may never know the power we are able to harness and unleash; foreign to the fact that humans can do as much damage to the world as machines. But if we created machines, are we no less at fault?
anticipation It is beyond our grasp. Anticipation brings forth the worst in ourselves in the face of possible failures. We console ourselves in the moment of weakness; is that a primal instinct that we must do so? Or is it merely a way to return ourselves to normalcy in the case in which we do fail. Alas, this is impossible to answer because we simply won’t admit it! Anticipation is the horror realm that separates sanity from corruption.
amplified The voracious voice, the voluptuous void; March forward, he cries, quite valiantly he does. Dear Leader, Great Leader, Bright leader! Following others is the last choice you have, Initially glad, but fearfully you realize, That the last laughthe last laugh is mine to be had.