Knowledge and Creativity

I think the only people who are still capable of saying something are either those who have not been conditioned by education and its notions, or those very few who went through with it and escaped it. If it is creativity and life you desire, you have to dump that baggage at the crossroads and go with what you wanted to say all along.

Education and knowledge have nothing to do with creativity. It took me a long time to realize this. You have to know why you want the answers and what you want to do with them before you cram them down your throat. Being skilled is one thing, being educated is another, and being creative is another. It seems to me that education promises a lot, but delivers little in substance. No wonder most people who invest themselves in education at the expense of all the else end up jaded by it and deal in education for the rest of their lives.

The creative people, the ones actually doing the work, are never to be found within educational and academic circles. Their effect, and especially the influence of the people within it, is so stultifying to the spirit that one must cut all ties with them if one hopes to fly free. The fallacious notion that appears to me to be behind every theoretical analysis of anything (and indeed one must hold this notion to some degree to be true because otherwise the foundation of the whole endeavor collapses) is that something, no matter what it may be or how great, can be understood as the sum of its parts. This raises, for me, two questions: In the first place, why the desire or need to understand it? And second, what effect does one hope this understanding will bring? There is understanding to be had, but this understanding is partial at best, and dubiously related to the actual thing in itself, unless the thing one investigates was made explicitly to be understood through deconstruction, like a puzzle.

What one learns through analysis has more to do with being able to do analysis and less with what one uses the process for. That is to be expected with any kind of standardized method of theoretical understanding. What you learn then becomes a way to deconstruct and understand a particular thing, a method of perception. The scope of this understanding, although useful if used judiciously and with awareness, is very limited. By applying the method, you learn how to apply the method. It becomes more or less and end in itself, unless you are willing to see beyond it. You might know of a way to explain how something works, but you do not know why it does, and without the why you also do not truly know the how, just a how-to. That is because all systems of analysis and theoretical understanding must come necessarily after the fact, and conform to the fact for as long as they can until the new fact, the new art, literature, scientific discovery etc. demand a change in the method of explanation.

A person who goes to university to learn how to become a creative individual, in any field, is sorely deluded. Analysis and theoretical understanding cannot help anyone one bit toward that end. They can only help one "create" work that rises from applying this theoretical understanding and analysis to their craft. In other words, exactly backwards from the way it actually works, from theory to practice, instead of practice to theory. This results in work that has little or nothing to do with creativity, individuality and self-expression and everything to do with clever ways to use theory and knowledge. This, for me, constitutes the fallacy of all educational institutions, a fallacy that is so widespread that almost everyone who is associated with one or wishes to attend one takes as de facto. It is implied within the brochures, through their use of words and so on; "Come to us and we'll tell you all the methods and all the things you need to know to make a great (insert here)".

The problem I see with this is that the more it is propagated, through old institutions and new ones alike and through the majority of the academic world, the more the understanding of what it truly means and takes to be creative is being lost. Pupils imitate their teachers and assume their way of thinking, and pass it on. The industries that deal with creative people conform more and more to this new 'standard' of creative work. People, especially in the States, who want to be musicians or writers or filmmakers are increasingly brainwashed into accepting this sort of propaganda from institutions who in the end exist to make a profit. Most art schools in the US for example are very very expensive, especially music schools. But you know, it's "the place to be" if you wanna "make it". Well about 20%-25% make it with a degree, and out of those about 1%-3% go on to what their institutions promised as a career. Why? Because information is cheap nowadays. You've got institutions churning out thousands of skilled everythings, every year. Thousands of people who have the knowledge and the skills, and are competing for the same kind of work. So the demand for excellence, creativity, individuality and genuine art is on the rise. But 99% of the people who have the skills and the knowledge and can explain to you all of Bach's fugues or write a hundred-thousand word essay on Proust are completely ill-prepared for this demand to be outstanding, to be the originator of truly distinguished creative work. The 1% who figured out that their imagination is their most valuable asset are those who have a shot at being studied and analyzed by the academia later on. These people are visionaries, because they know that, in the words of Keith Jarrett, music does not come from music.

So to come back to my first point, theoretical analysis is very essential and useful in the beginning because it brings together all this vast amount of creative work and filters it through a standard method of deconstruction. It becomes a way of navigating this world of art, or music or literature or whatever it is. But it also has the effect of numbing the senses, of blurring the fine distinctions that are so important and worst of all it can make you think (it certainly made me think) that you really understand something. The only thing you really can come to understand (and therefore apply) is the method. To really understand (which is not exactly the right word for it) that which the method deals with, you have to dump the method altogether or be bound and short-sighted by its limitations. It's just a means to an end, and pretty soon it's not the right means for those who are bursting with creative desire and the spirit of adventure.

The real means are not external, they lie within oneself and, after they have been carefully cultivated they can only be supported by external factors such as knowledge and theory. There are infinite skills one can acquire - the key is to weed through all the "should's" and "have-to's" and only go for those that are absolutely essential to one's creative journey and keep working on them for the rest of one's life, because that's where the true value lies. Everything else is not necessarily superfluous, it's just secondary.

Letting Go?

[...] All I can say is that there is nothing to let go of. It is the illusion that there is something, a "self", a "you" that you believe you are holding on to. So long as you define "you" strictly by your knowledge of your past, your thoughts about the future and your self-awareness in the present moment, you cannot let go. Because the ego cannot let go of itself.

Self-consciousness is the barrier between what is construed as "self" and "other". Self-consciousness, the ego, "yourself" is the dividing line and the root of all fear. The ego is defined by what it separates itself from. The ego is defined by other, and as long as there is the perception of "other", there must be a "self". Fear then, is the resistance of "other".

Fear is what happens when you operate under the illusion of being separate from that which is happening to you. It is only the ego that is afraid. To resist the ego by means of the ego is futile at best and delusional at worst. The ego itself, or the self-consciousness in the present moment, or the sensation of "I" as something that experiences life, instead of being the experience is Resistance. The way it resists is by putting barriers between you and everything else, separating consciousness from Life and blocking experience and action.

When you see all of it is You, and that there is no "other", there is nothing more to fear. There are no barriers, no fears, no effort beyond the "self", beyond the ego.

What you are afraid of is what will set you free. It is the only means of liberation from "self" that has worked for me. It is only through facing fear that you truly come to see that there is no fear, there is no "self", and "you" are not what you think.

When you do what you fear, what goes beyond "yourself", you recognize there is no distinction between "self" and "other" -it was only your thoughts that told you so- and you become liberated from the illusion of control. The intellect cannot serve anything apart from the ego. Only through direct action can this be accomplished. As long as you act through the prism of a "self", whether you are trying to "let go" or not, it makes no difference because for a "self" to be there must be "other" and those two must be different. As long as you remain "yourself" there is the illusion of having to 'let go', which is just another form of Resistance.

There is nothing there to let go of.
There is nobody holding on to anything.

About sound

Sound itself is the instrument.

It seems like most composers today focus much more on the musical content or the process of their compositions and tend to somewhat neglect (or take for granted) all the other sound properties (and 'sound palette' options) that have more to do with sound rather than music.

It must not be forgotten that what is defined as music belongs, ultimately, to the whole realm of sound.

On the other hand, many composers choose to deal with specific sound properties or limit their focus by working with a specific number of compositional devices that they deem most valuable for their own personal concept of composition and/or self expression.

There is huge potential for expression in dealing with the most fundamental qualities of the sonority that constitutes a piece of music, namely dynamics, frequencies, timbres etc.

It is up to the composer (sound architect) to decide to to which degree he/she will become aware of and exert control over all the properties that are inherent in his/hers sound creation, from the choice of pitches and rhythm (that are most immediately associated with the word 'composer') to all the other less obvious properties and devices available to him.

It is useful to be aware for example of the sound properties that make Beethoven Beethoven or that make a certain recording of Beethoven's late quartets 'superior' to another, in one's search for the best execution of one's intentions.

Often times that means reducing unnecessary sound properties that do not support the whole in any essential way but rather detract from it by distracting the listener from the properties that form the backbone of the musical experience.

Some properties will matter more than others depending on the needs of a composition and its composer.

But they are there all the time and, whether they are perceived or not, they constitute the whole of the sound structure, like a tightly knit web.

Dealing with the sound experience of a composition and evaluating its effectiveness and impact according to a more 'holistic' approach where all sound properties are considered equally can provide fresh inspiration that can further augment its 'narrative', build upon it, add or subtract and ultimately make for a more rewarding experience.

Even those sound properties which are not significant in supporting a particular sound structure nevertheless have an effect, and a composer's job is at the least to make sure that none of them detracts from the intended sound structure (of course the 'ideal' would be to optimize all these properties so that they all contribute towards the a sound experience that is as close to the intended/imaginary sound structure as can be).

(e.g. A violinist who uses a particular bowing technique that does not yield a full, round, "cut-through-the-mix sound" when such a sound is required will result in detracting from the composer's intended sound and its intended effect upon the listener. Even the greatest orchestra in the world will provide a vastly different experience for the audience playing the same music in a great concert hall as opposed to a mediocre or poor concert hall.)

I have nothing to say and I am saying it.

In the realm of art, just as in life, you are either a leader or a follower. Leaders make new paths and point toward new ways for artistic expression. They are the minority and the followers the majority. What is new and original and controversial today becomes the standard by which all subsequent art is perceived and created, and if not the standard, then at least a factor. Leaders create art that demands a new perception, a new understanding, new values and a new language to be assimilated. Originality has no known reference point and as such is inaccessible to the majority who do not wish to reconsider their views and expand their perception, who prefer to remain safe in the rehashed predictability of today's art and not be open to art that makes way for the tomorrow. Such is the nature of man. Whatever is not understood must be rationalized, and rationalized in the most convenient way for oneself. All art that looks to the unknown and the untraveled is dismissed in the beginning, until it is (usually reluctantly) accepted, because times change and nothing stays still no matter how much man wishes for things to remain the same. Today's artistic pariah may very well be tomorrow's genius.

Psychobabble

There is nothing to fear.. Situations mean nothing of themselves, we only fear our reaction to them, being weakened, being defeated, being rejected, being afraid.. Living in fear of experience is more dark, horrible and destructive than any of these.. All experience has value, no experience is of no use.. Experience adds, it never subtracts.. Mistakes.. They are your best friend, they show you what you still lack, what you can do better.. Defeat.. Heartbreak.. Frustration.. Disappointment.. They are like a wave, they peak, and then they pass, replaced by a new perspective, a new feeling, a new state of mind.. Ride that wave, the wave of emotion, wherever it takes you, and whatever it may be, comfortable or uncomfortable.. Any emotion is better than no emotion, don't forget..

Perception is everything.

To claim the title 'individual' one must consistently and tirelessly aim to expand his perception of the world that surrounds him. Everything that one thinks and does is directly connected to one's perception. Of course perception can be occasionally affected by other factors, such as one's emotions at a given moment. But generally speaking, if one wishes to enjoy the fullest possible gamut of life's experiences one must seek to escape the mass perception that is, without our own will, instilled in our consciousness by the external sources that surround us; the schools, the media, the people. One must make a conscious effort and direct his will to acquire the knowledge and the experiences that will expand his perception and make him a richer and more individual human being as a result. One must not content himself to simply reject what is generally rejected, or to embrace what is generally embraced. One must question, and seek to develop and refine one's perception to enrich oneself, and be ever truer to one's individual needs and desires. A limited perception will express itself in a limited existence and one should only wish to widen his perception to include as much of life as one can. More so if one is of a creative nature, for creation is only perception expressed through an artistic discipline (but not necessarily what is deemed 'artistic' by the majority). A carpenter might benefit himself by becoming intimate with understanding the scientific principles that create the wood's texture and density for then, even though this knowledge might not be of any practical use, his appreciation and understanding of his material will be greatly expanded, and this might develop a new enthusiasm and creativity in his work. But everyone must seek their way to expand their perception, as no one knows oneself better than oneself. And no one can claim to have 'arrived' at an expanded perception and consciousness, as this is an ongoing and never ending journey through life. And for the so-called 'artist', one of creative disposition, this is a journey one must begin as soon as possible and continue for the rest of one's life. It only requires one to be open-minded, persistent and uninhibited by negative emotions.

LOL OMG WTF?!?!11 :D :D :D

Without fear you are god. You are the master of yourself and the master of your fate.
You are untouchable.

It seems that we most fear about our self-image. We fear situations and experiences that can challenge, or hurt our self-image. We fear so much that we may lose the little happiness and safety we feel with ourselves that we'd rather stay where we are and not do anything that could jeopardize that instead of reaching out for more happiness and more fulfillment. We fear potential failure, because then we automatically assume that we're not good enough. We fear new and unfamiliar situations, because we fear we won't be able to deal with them adequately. Why? Because we tend to nurture egos. And we tend to evaluate ourselves and measure our worthiness by how successful and unsuccessful our actions are. So we shy away from experiences that we might prove unsuccessful at, or even worse, fail altogether. Our ego receives a huge blow when we fail and we experience negativity, low self esteem and unhappiness. This is what we dread most, and not the failure itself. For "failure" acquires meaning and substance only in our minds, and as an event outside of our head it is quite meaningless. Sometimes, in looking and lusting for success, we search frantically for "safe" and "secure" ways to deal with life. But failure is a prerequisite for success. It cannot be avoided, except if we settle and quit trying to be more than we are right now. Some people seem to be completely careless about failure, and they have this go-for-it attitude which I always admired. Some people even go as far as to completely disregard failure, however ego-crushing it might seem, and just keep on going. Some people refuse to label anything as a "failure". I think those people got it right. Measuring yourself by your effectiveness and rate of success and failure is a poor way to deal with life. If you perceive an experience as a failure or as negative to your self-worth then you become a victim of your own ego and you lose your power. Your power? Yes. Your greatest power is your control over yourself and your control and awareness of your actions. That power, which is sometimes labeled "confidence", is always vulnerable and at the mercy of your experiences and the way you perceive them. For perception is everything, and the real world is not outside you but within. And because life is so unpredictable, there might come a time where so-called failures become so abundant that they will cripple you and reduce your ability to succeed to almost zero. Your self-worth will be so low that you won't feel able to accomplish anything. And it will stay that way until something happens that makes you feel a little better about yourself and get you back on your feet. That is one of the commonest ways to sabotage ourselves. I say to hell with that. We need a paradigm shift. I do not accept fear as a part of me. What have I got to fear, and why? The deepest fear is the fear of oneself, and confronting one self's weaknesses and shortcomings, through failure. But I embrace myself right now, with the goods and bads. I am not afraid of failure, of rejection, of difficulties. Because I know that I am better than any circumstance dictates. I can be better than I was today, and I am willing to go through failure to realize that vision. I accept myself as great, and I will let nothing stand in the way of my fulfilling that goal of becoming greater and greater. I will let no failure sabotage my self-worth, because however inefficient or stupid or damning my actions have been I am always certain that I can do better. And I am the only one who judges what stands for failure and what stands for success. I do not adhere to other people's opinions about that. I define myself. I make the rules for my life. And even in great success, I stay humble and remind myself "I can do better than this". The possibilities are infinite when you acknowledge your greatness. Because in reality we are all great, we are all capable of achieving unimaginable amounts of success through the aid of our powerful minds. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think you can, you can. If you think you can handle anything that comes your way, you can. Sometimes you will fail. But that conviction in your abilities will not diminish, and neither will your self-worth. Failure will just be a temporary drawback to eventual success. If you think you can't, then you probably won't attempt it, or attempt it half-heartedly which will almost guarantee you failure, something you won't be able to cope with and your "inability" will be validated. It's all an illusion. It's just a ride. What matters is which illusion you choose for yourself. Which illusion serves you best? Can you, or can't you? Is it easy, or hard? Are you great, or are you not? I say embrace yourself, acknowledge your inherent greatness and strive to manifest it in your life. Forget the "pain" of failure. There's no reason to fear that anymore, because your greatness will not diminish by failure. All the more, you'll probably be wiser because of it, and that will make you more efficient. See the flaws in your self and turn them into greatness by risking and going for it. Try. There is no shame in trying, no matter what the outcome is, no matter what anyone says. Don't cling to safeties of any kind. Be open and kind and sincere with yourself, and with others. Be happy at all times. Take pleasure in the process of refining your greatness. Don't let anything stop you or discourage you from doing that. Use your mind and make the best out of any situation. Where others see problems, you'll see opportunity. Think outside of the box. Don't have any expectations, be happy with the surprises. Know that you don't have anything to lose and everything to gain. Define yourself and your path and watch the world follow.

Live for the challenge.

This is a simple one. There is no point to a life devoid of challenge no matter what anyone says. I pity the fool who thinks the ideal situation is a constant state of carefree enjoyment and pleasure. That is why Shaw and other great thinkers have always painted Hell as a place of eternal indulgence:

A perpetual holiday is a good working definition of hell.
-George Bernard Shaw

The best way to truly live is to constantly challenge and outgrow yourself. Expect frustration, failure, discomfort, unhappiness, doubt and pain. True men are made of blood, sweat and tears. However, know that nothing can replace the fulfillment of reaping the rewards of your own hard work. Live for that fulfillment and don't look for easy fixes. Live for the challenge. Why go for the fool's gold when the real gold is in your grasp?

Dare to dream.

Can a cynic be a dreamer? I believe it is possible. Cynicism should not be confused with pessimism or negativity. Cynicism is the power of accurate observation dressed in wit and delivered with humor, while pessimism is a mental filter according to which everything is interpreted negatively (and thus innacurately) dressed in self-righteousness and delivered with irritation. There is a fine line between the two, but it is a crucial one, one that many people fail to recognize.

The dreamers have always been the ones who shaped the world's destiny. The dreamer will encounter different opinions when he sets out to fulfill his vision:

The pessimist will say: "Forget about it. Impossible. Ludicrous. Too good to happen."

The optimist will say: "Yes! Magnificent idea! You will succeed, I'm sure of it!"

But the cynic will say: "Well... This sure sounds crazy and I'm not certain it's even possible. But if you're going to try, know that the road won't be an easy one. In fact, it will probably be the biggest challenge you'll face in your life, and you might fail. But don't let yourself get discouraged by that fact. As George Bernard Shaw said, "all progress depends on the unreasonable man" -the dreamer. Your vision will keep you going where others would fail if you believe in it with all your heart, and it will be worth every sweat and every sacrifice if you succeed. So assume the burden and prepare to join the ranks of those who have shaped destiny, or stay "reasonable", settle for a life of commodity and fade away into oblivion. The choice is yours, and it will be yours for as long as you are alive. Remember that dreamers are always ahead of their time, their minds are attuned to their utopia, so naturally, "reasonable" people will label them as lunatics. That is to be expected. 150 years ago ideas like the abolishment of slavery or equal rights for all humans would be laughed at and ridiculed by the "reasonable", the "rational" of the time. Yet today these are almost universally accepted ideals, thanks to the efforts of a handful of men who oiled the engines of progress and set fourth the chain of events that raised our consciousness and reshaped our society. So don't be afraid to be called irrational. Take solace in the fact that dreamers have succeeded, and dreamers will continue to succeed for they are the means by which Life eternally renews and sustains itself."

Both the optimist and the pessimist are blind to the truth. The cynic faces it head on with a balanced view, not too optimistic and risk getting disappointed quickly, not too pessimistic and risk betraying his soul. For their souls is what optimists and pessimists will continue to ignore so long as they refuse to remove the blindfolds from their eyes and demand that Life present them with everything it's got.

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. All progress, therefore, depends upon the unreasonable man.

The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.

[..]I dream things as they never were and ask, "Why not?

-George Bernard Shaw

How low can you go?

Staying in the Jesus department..

FUCK David Socha

Straight from the devils mouth:

If you walk down a toy aisle, especially in America there's a lot of toys for boys and girls that glorify evil, glorify Satan and we've become so desensitized in our nation that we need to take a stand again and say, "you know what? let's do what's right" and this isn't a fundamentalist push -this is somebody just saying we want to bring good values back and morals.

Ahh, thank you so much my morally superior fellow human being! What would this putrid and degraded world ever do without you?
Seriously, these people know no limits. They probably know nothing at all. I have to believe that every thinking person reading this statement will be disgusted and appalled by the words of this man. Never mind that he looks like a deranged pedophile.

Let's dissect his statement:

"toys that glorify evil, glorify Satan"

This is just plain Christian propaganda. It implies that "evil" and "Satan" are two self-evident concepts that everyone, including kids of ages 1 to 6 have a concrete understanding of. This attempts to bully people by mentioning Satan which has an immediate emotional impact on most people who have had religious upbringing (which means a lot in the US) because Satan has been traditionally portrayed as the scariest and evilest thing imaginable.

"we've become so desensitized in our nation"

We have a major problem people, but we are a nation so we're all in this, we're all involved, we're all affected so..

"we need to take a stand again and say, "you know what? let's do what's right"

Yes, let's do what's RIGHT people! Do the RIGHT, the MORAL thing, for your CHILDREN! Buy overpriced, God-endorsing Jesus toys for your children! God forbid they play with them! No. They must LISTEN to Jesus telling them what to do over and over until THEY TOO learn what's RIGHT and GOOD and MORAL and then they can raise the next generation with the same God-fearing, GOOD CHRISTIAN ideals! Yes, raise your children to be afraid and stay away from everything WE label evil, satanist and immoral! Raise your children to love and praise OUR God and treat people who don't like EVIL IMMORAL SATAN LOVERS! Raise your children to be afraid of free inquiry, of questioning, of individuality, lest they BURN in a lake of fire for the rest of eternity! Raise them to be the next generation of good-old American consumers who will run to purchase anything we label as "what's right"!

"and this isn't a fundamentalist push"

No, not at all. He obviously believes all the crap that's coming out of his mouth, which makes him the more dangerous because he can't see past his own nose.

"this is somebody just saying we want to bring good values back and morals"

Yes, what I deem as good morals! I'm still amazed that he managed to appeal to patriotism, family values, moral values, religiosity and fear all in one sentence. Again, when someone is throwing in the big words he's trying to fuck you over. Ultimately his disgracing and patronizing allusion that people's morals are corrupted is directly disrespectful to every US citizen. But good morals don't come for free people! So, buy my toys, make me a rich asshole, condemn your child to a deprived existence, take away his joy of playing and replace it with boredom, and redeem yourself in the eyes of the Almighty.

Can't put it better than Bill:

Feminism + Religion - Reason = Brain Damage.

Save for Whoopi, the pretentiousness and know-it-all-I'm-correct-even-if-I-know-shit attitude of these women is enough to make any decent and self-respecting person out there puke his brains out. What kind of a dead-brain person watches a show where scientifically illiterate women discuss their opinion about the world and, of all things evolution?! Also notice the overall feminist air which peaks when one of the guests/hosts remarks "again HE" regarding God. I bet these assholes would harbor secret resentment if God (if he existed) ever revealed his true bearded gender. So fucking self-centered. Wake up and realize that you happen to be conscious in a world that is totally indifferent to human beings and their ridiculous pretensions.

Recommended reading by the one and only Christopher Hitchens.
The Richard Dawkins foundation for Reason and Science.

EDIT(20-09-07): Watching this again today (I lead an empty and vapid existence) I find the fact that the guest defends her self-admitted ignorance by playing the virtuous provider card a truly disturbing indication of the kind of mentality that is hindering our progress. She dismisses and undermines the importance of knowledge by treating it as a matter of priorities (the wellbeing of my child is more important than my ability to raise him to be a conscious and educated human being). I'm not saying that she is to choose "science" over her child -that's the whole goddamn point! She doesn't have to choose! It is emphatically not a matter of priorities! Her argument is so irrelevant that it makes her look even worse. Remember, we're talking "is the world round?" here, not nuclear physics. But I'm sure most people in the audience bought it without a question because she appealed to their morality and made it look like you must choose something. Consequently, it would make anyone completely immoral and irresponsible to 'choose' curiosity, interest and intellect. Be wary when people pull the big emotional words like family, nation, freedom, happiness, equality and so on on you. They're most likely trying to fuck you in the asshole and manipulate you to the point that you're willing to accept anything they say just so you don't feel wrong by their standards.

On Beliefs and Effort.

One thing we can surely say about life is that our choices have a good probability of determining our life's course, at least to some extent. Specifically, we can with certainty assume that our choice of actions, past and future, can be held responsible for some of the conditions of our current and future existence respectively. What conditions those may be, we cannot foretell with the least bit of certainty, because even if we indulge in believing that our actions are solely responsible for any condition we experience or may experience, that would certainly be wrong on the grounds that we are not the only chess piece that moves on the chessboard. Other pieces move simultaneously as well, and to some extent affect our own movement and thus, its outcome.

It is of this fact that many times in our lives we are pleasantly or most of the time, unpleasantly reminded of. In the latter case we most often ask "Why?" and resort to our beliefs about life's way to fill out the answer. Then, in order to protect our already wounded ego, we enjoy in telling ourselves that "It was meant to happen" or that "Everything happens for a reason" or that "It will surely get better". Unfortunately this stance is not only limited to the examination of past events but most of the time it is adopted for future events, too. We like to sometimes think a priori that the dots will connect in our life in a way we don't yet know of or can't bother to figure out. We like to believe that "after the rain comes the sun" -always. In fact, we are comforted by this belief because even if we are struck by unpleasant events such as suffering or "failure", we keep believing that life will once again smile upon us, and reward us for our faith in it.

A common theme among humans of some education and sufficient self-esteem is that they believe that in the future, they will be inhabiting a better version of themselves and as a consequence, their lives will be better as well. People have a variety of reasons to think in such a way, the most common being that in observing their past selves and comparing them to their present selves, they see improvement. Then they make the common error of induction and assume that improvement must be a constant in one's life, something that will keep manifesting itself until the day they die. In fact there is no proof that something like that is actually taking place, and plenty of proof to the contrary. When visible improvements in ourselves and our lives begin to diminish, we justify it with yet another handful of beliefs designed for use in such cases of emergency, beliefs like "Oh, I'm just going through a bad period" , or "There is a reason for this, too" or "I've been too busy" or whatever other form of belief/excuse may apply. This is when we must realize that placing our life's outcome in any other hands than our own has clearly lead us to an unwanted path. We can of course, keep trusting that the path we are currently on must have a positive twist on it somewhere along the way, but on what exactly would we be placing our trust on? Life? The day has yet to come that scientific research justifies and supports these kind of beliefs. Nobody really knows for certain that their future will turn out the way they envision it, or that anything happens for a reason, or that the "sun always comes after the rain". These beliefs are at best described as hypotheses derived from empirical data. This does not make them facts however.

Why then should we keep blindly trusting life to fulfil our vision? There is nothing to support this belief except for our own desire to believe in it. Note that I am not implying that we sit in a chair and wait for life to miraculously manifest improvement into ourselves and our lives. This virtually guarantees a zero percent of change. What can then guarantee us that we can get what we want out of our lives, shape them into what we dream and desire and achieve our personal goals? The answer is effort. Effort is the only thing that has a scientifically provable probability of affecting one's life. Indeed, you can argue that a person who places effort in improving as an individual is bound to do so sooner or later. Of course, you cannot say how much he will improve, or in which way, or what effects his hypothetical improvement may or may not have in his life, but you can say so much with certainty: He WILL improve. Improving oneself doesn't automatically mean it will also improve one's life, precisely because the conditions that I've chosen to call "life" do not depend entirely on the person experiencing them. It is safe to assume though that effort can influence one's existence on some level, whereas not the same can be said with any set of beliefs one might hold in his head.

Suppose that two men are on their deathbed, both suddenly stricken with cancer at a much earlier age than that of their expected lifespan, contemplating their lives and the choices they made. The first man placed his faith in life and believed all through his existence that at some point it would offer him the opportunities he sought , that change and improvement are a constant, that there is a purpose for all this and so on. The second man didn't bother much with beliefs and philosophies, but was more focused on his effort to live up to his aspirations and rarely permitted chance to take a hold of his life. The first man now wonders how could he had been so foolish as to believe in something that might have made sense when he assumed that he would live until old age, but really offered no guarantees. But the second man has no regrets, for even though he might have failed to accomplish his dream due to a tragic outcome of events he had no control of, knows he at least tried his best and that gives him a sense of serenity that the first man will never experience.

Thus, if you really think about it, all that matters is effort really, not a goal, not a dream, but the effort of getting there. Effort is not merely a device to be used until a specific goal has been accomplished. Effort is a way of life. Effort is an end in itself, and a great and honorable one indeed. Effort guarantees improvement much more than any current belief or theory about life can. Effort is measurable in its effectiveness; beliefs are ambiguous and vague and often deceiving and misleading. One should believe in life, for life is beautiful and more abundant than we usually think. But one should also understand that effort is the only foolproof way of knowing for sure that we've had some input into our world, and that it is not all a matter of luck, destiny, talent or chance.