I Hope Not
080906 1427 hrs
Interesting how much a phrase made up of only 3 words can say. Primary deductions from this phraseology would always be that you're hoping that something won’t happen.
But I hail from a new school of thought, I propagate a philosophy that am sure, most readers of this blog will identify with and am just as certain, is an ideology that everybody has felt and imbibed but never worded. I call it the philosophy of the "warrior".
I have realised from looking at my past writings that this is what has been driving me through life, something that I've always attempted to put into words but never quite got to it. It is the philosophy that can be encapsulated in these three words…in this phrase alone "I hope not"
This is the philosophy that tells me that I shall not rely on compelling signs of mediocrity such as hope. Cogito Ergo Sum, they say, but that’s all that the intelligentsia seem to do.
The primary driving proclivity is perennially to think. But as a warrior, we take this a step further, we think……..and we act on the basis of intelligent thought. This philosophy propagates that you don’t hope; you do!
This is the philosophy of the new age outsider that I've spoken of in my previous blog; it’s the philosophy of the warrior.
The fundamental premise is that hope is a sign of weakness, an excuse for mediocrity. Only the weak will make statements in the nature of "But am trying my best". Well hard luck my friend, but "you're best" just don’t cut it!
The average (note that I say average) warrior is man/woman whose every action reflects intelligent thought. They could be writers, musicians, dancers, carpenters or astronauts; but certain traits will be fundamental:
1. They will be serious thinkers despite any frivolity of their vocation (they will tend to be pragmatic about it and will be able to look at it as a means to an end!).
2. They will be studious readers and as a result of an innate intelligence, will also be serious thinkers
3. They will be super-achievers at their chosen vocation or will consciously be mediocre as a choice (but they will always have an alternative avocation where they will tend to be spectacular).
4. They will be all-rounders with varied interests, sometimes as diverse as theosophy and nuclear physics (but that again will be a characteristic of most warriors, an interest spectrum that is curtailed by what would seem to be polar opposites to the normal civilian).
5. They will be go-getters, with a driving tendency to things fast, and do them brilliantly at the same time.
To drive the last point home, I remember an incident in Ayn Rand's Atlast Shrugged, describing a scene where the great Francisco Di Anconia takes over a motor boat for the first time in his life from James Taggart who is learning to drive one and drives away fast with seemingly superlative control.
Well, I think Francisco Di Anconia, to me, is the ultimate warrior……but that is a subject for another day, maybe my brother will write that one up!
But anyways, returning from that tangential deviation, a warrior is easy to identify anywhere. He/she will usually be the one driving the self with what would seem to be a fire seething deep within, driving the self ruthlessly.
There are not that many of them around, but when you see one, you will know. Their walk reflects a deadly confidence in the self; their talk may be polite but will tell you that they are in control; their attitude to life will be of (for want of a more phonetically charged word in English) "josh"; they will tend to drive themselves at whatever they do.
Go to your gym, they guy trying to take himself to 200 rpm on the exercycle, the guy walking on the max incline on the treadmill; the girl trying to sneak in a third flip when diving off the board, the executive clearly working super fast, but very evidently super-efficient and economical in all movements, these are the real warriors. They are the warriors of the light, they are the champions of today and tomorrow, for they "Hope not"
Interesting how much a phrase made up of only 3 words can say. Primary deductions from this phraseology would always be that you're hoping that something won’t happen.
But I hail from a new school of thought, I propagate a philosophy that am sure, most readers of this blog will identify with and am just as certain, is an ideology that everybody has felt and imbibed but never worded. I call it the philosophy of the "warrior".
I have realised from looking at my past writings that this is what has been driving me through life, something that I've always attempted to put into words but never quite got to it. It is the philosophy that can be encapsulated in these three words…in this phrase alone "I hope not"
This is the philosophy that tells me that I shall not rely on compelling signs of mediocrity such as hope. Cogito Ergo Sum, they say, but that’s all that the intelligentsia seem to do.
The primary driving proclivity is perennially to think. But as a warrior, we take this a step further, we think……..and we act on the basis of intelligent thought. This philosophy propagates that you don’t hope; you do!
This is the philosophy of the new age outsider that I've spoken of in my previous blog; it’s the philosophy of the warrior.
The fundamental premise is that hope is a sign of weakness, an excuse for mediocrity. Only the weak will make statements in the nature of "But am trying my best". Well hard luck my friend, but "you're best" just don’t cut it!
The average (note that I say average) warrior is man/woman whose every action reflects intelligent thought. They could be writers, musicians, dancers, carpenters or astronauts; but certain traits will be fundamental:
1. They will be serious thinkers despite any frivolity of their vocation (they will tend to be pragmatic about it and will be able to look at it as a means to an end!).
2. They will be studious readers and as a result of an innate intelligence, will also be serious thinkers
3. They will be super-achievers at their chosen vocation or will consciously be mediocre as a choice (but they will always have an alternative avocation where they will tend to be spectacular).
4. They will be all-rounders with varied interests, sometimes as diverse as theosophy and nuclear physics (but that again will be a characteristic of most warriors, an interest spectrum that is curtailed by what would seem to be polar opposites to the normal civilian).
5. They will be go-getters, with a driving tendency to things fast, and do them brilliantly at the same time.
To drive the last point home, I remember an incident in Ayn Rand's Atlast Shrugged, describing a scene where the great Francisco Di Anconia takes over a motor boat for the first time in his life from James Taggart who is learning to drive one and drives away fast with seemingly superlative control.
Well, I think Francisco Di Anconia, to me, is the ultimate warrior……but that is a subject for another day, maybe my brother will write that one up!
But anyways, returning from that tangential deviation, a warrior is easy to identify anywhere. He/she will usually be the one driving the self with what would seem to be a fire seething deep within, driving the self ruthlessly.
There are not that many of them around, but when you see one, you will know. Their walk reflects a deadly confidence in the self; their talk may be polite but will tell you that they are in control; their attitude to life will be of (for want of a more phonetically charged word in English) "josh"; they will tend to drive themselves at whatever they do.
Go to your gym, they guy trying to take himself to 200 rpm on the exercycle, the guy walking on the max incline on the treadmill; the girl trying to sneak in a third flip when diving off the board, the executive clearly working super fast, but very evidently super-efficient and economical in all movements, these are the real warriors. They are the warriors of the light, they are the champions of today and tomorrow, for they "Hope not"
posted by Infinity at 19:48
2 Comments:
Firstly, if I was to presume that your blog entry has anything to do with the debate you and I were having about hope, then I would be truly honoured that you found a topic of mine worthy of an essay. Secondly, the point I was trying to make in that discussion is that hope is not a sign of weakness, but a belief that something positive will occur, which in itself is a source of power and inspiration. I recall the word I used with you is "optimism."
Hope is rooted in conviction and in the orientation of one's spirit* that a goal is achievable not impossible, that the state of affairs one finds oneself in has the potential to be improved upon. Sure, we may "think and take intelligent action" as you say, but if there was no hope that our actions will bear fruit, we would not expend the effort on a futile crusade.
It does not have to be ostensible or exaggerated and can NEVER replace the taking of action, but without it, we would lead impassive lives saturated with a dragging inertia. It does not have to be the excuse for indolence and it is certainly not "sitting back and hoping for the best."
For those of us who do take action [the "go-getters" from your blog], there can never be a situation where EVERY SINGLE variable is within our control. Hope is what enables us to believe these factors will be conducive to our objective. It is not always possible to control these factors; to reduce them until their importance is rendered insignificant. One may be restricted by time, finances or human, mechanical, meteorological or other resources. Hence control over these circumstances remains recalcitrant and we resort to hoping that these elements will favour us.
We live in a world frought with dystopia; it takes courage to hope that it will not be so in perpetuity and THAT hope drives our actions. A quote from a wise man comes to mind: "I do not give up the world as hopelessly lost, but that which can be hopefully saved' and I unequivocally share his feelings.
Hope prepares one to be unyielding in the face of defeat. I do not know who coined the following phrase, but to me, it is the quintessential hope: "Never say die!"
* = Not a direct quote, but I remember something along these lines being written by Havel.
By the way, if memory serves, I think the name of Ms. Rand's book was: "Atlas Shrugged."
Point 5 : with a driving tendency to things fast - the "do" is missing before things. Do not publish this - my edit is just an appreciation of your ability to pen down your thoughts. - angel soul
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