Kevin's Watch

Alright, here's the one vaguely philosophical/spiritual view that even vaguely impacts my actions; Holsety's Shortest Path.

It's basically just an application of the Pythagorean theorem in real life. If I'm walking somewhere, and elevation and the like isn't playing a major role, the best way to get there is to walk straight towards it, instead of curving in any way or following sidewalks. So, except when it involves walking into a tree/building/car, I do my best to do so. Basically, it conserves energy, takes less time, gives me something to waste my time checking while walking, etc.

Does this belong in the close?

Anyway, people should do it because they'd need to eat less and such if they were walking less. Exercise should be done with a purpose; for instance, you should try to find some excuse to go for a walk involving doing something else.

Whatever floats your boat. I don't see anything particularly wrong with your idea. But I see nothing compelling about it either. I don't like to live my life by any sort of principle except: "be authentic." It's kind of an anti-principle. Rather than trying to imposed an essence or structure upon my being--according to some idealized rule--I prefer to be true to myself. I am my own "rule."

Sometimes it's just fun to walk, without any purpose whatsoever. Just feeling your body doing what evolution "designed" it to do. If I had to have an ulterior motive for every step I took, I think I'd go crazy.

It depends on my mood.

--A

When I was an unruly pre-teen, my buddies and I used to do this as a game. We would go from point A to point B with as little veering as possible in between (easy enough to do in a small northern-nevadan town. This meant going through people's yards, over their fences, even over the roofs of a few businesses.

Good times. Good times.

I actually just did this yesterday going to the library. Some library worker said "don't walk on the grass, use the sidewalk". I replied "Don't f### up the grass by putting in a sidewalk. " She was not amused.

Being in anthropology, I find many instance where cultural convention seems rather silly when observered from an etic view. I recommend a few things to try to see what sort of response you receive...
Find a nice restaurant and eat only with your hands. But use a napkin.

Answer all questions to the letter rather than the spirit of the question and answer them all with complete honesty. You'd be really surprised how often we lie in everyday life.

Kins, that would be an interesting experiment! And, actually, it has a Bakker connection. Most of the social conventions and "lies" we tell in everyday life are just the habits that "come before us," determining our actions without thought or will.

Your "walking through the grass" story made me remember that when my wife first met me, it took her a while to adjust to what an arrogant ass I am. For instance, I, too, walk through grass without guilt. She used to tell me, "You're trampling the grass." I'd reply, "No, I'm just providing environmental stress to push the grass toward a hardier evolutionary stage. If the grass can't withstand my feet, it needs to evolve. After all, it grows on the ground."

I don't let things like the welfare of grass determine my path. That's for damn sure.

I once had a sociology professor that was an absolute misanthrope (rather ironic really). Having tenure means being almost immune to firing and he had essentially given up on any ettiquette or convention that restricted him. He was a shaggy mess, didn't bother washing his clothes and would say anything to anyone.

During the final in that class two people were having rather loud conversation outside the door. This guy sort of snuck up to the door and then pounded on it scaring the hell of the people in the hall. He just laughed and sat down. He didn't even care about our test.

Malik23 wrote:I don't like to live my life by any sort of principle except: "be authentic."

I meant to ask this before:

Be (an?) authentic what?

--A