What's in a name?
Choosing the title for this blog wasn't an easy task. I started off being quite self deprecating, almost doing myself down for not being the dynamic, entrepreneurial, jet-setting, love-machine I envisioned I'd be by now, but as this blog has developed I realised that was not the image I wished to create. I'm actually quite proud of my tendency to be interested in most people's points of view or passions and feel an immense sense of satisfaction when I tap into a passion I previously ignored or was ignorant of. I despise bigotry of all forms and have learned to see my interest in most things as a bonus, despite the (perceived personal) drawbacks.
Anyway, my point is that I wanted to celebrate my perceived averageness as someone who enjoys the veritable pot porri of life, rather than someone who is just dull. I wanted something that summed this up, but also had a double or contradictory meaning. I took inspiration from Alan Watts, one of the most accessible and lucid free thinkers of the twentieth century I have come across in my limited exploration of modern philosophy. The title of his autobiography, In My Own Way was chosen because it not only described his approach to life, but also how he felt that he had been the only person who had actually stood in his way.
So the contradiction of taking averageness to extremes appealed - not only because it implies being average at everything and therefore being unaverage, but because I like "extreme" sports* despite being very average at them and have always been bemused by people who are afraid of heights, speed, water, authority, drugs and travelling. Hence the sub title, which derived from a phrase my father much lauded, “Everything in moderation”, to which I would quietly retort “even moderation”, so I could justify my plans to have an all weekend bender.
Because although it’s good to take a balanced, well structured approach to life, it’s also great just to really let rip once in a while and ski down a mountain full pelt, or get so drunk you projectile vomit on your lawn, or play a video game for 30 hrs non-stop, whatever you wanna do, as old Crowley said, let that be the whole of the law. A pendulum that does not swing is a just a lump of lead.
* although I dislike the term intensely – it conjures up too many images of tw*tty rich kids, showing how crazy they can be, before going back to work in daddy’s firm.
Anyway, my point is that I wanted to celebrate my perceived averageness as someone who enjoys the veritable pot porri of life, rather than someone who is just dull. I wanted something that summed this up, but also had a double or contradictory meaning. I took inspiration from Alan Watts, one of the most accessible and lucid free thinkers of the twentieth century I have come across in my limited exploration of modern philosophy. The title of his autobiography, In My Own Way was chosen because it not only described his approach to life, but also how he felt that he had been the only person who had actually stood in his way.
So the contradiction of taking averageness to extremes appealed - not only because it implies being average at everything and therefore being unaverage, but because I like "extreme" sports* despite being very average at them and have always been bemused by people who are afraid of heights, speed, water, authority, drugs and travelling. Hence the sub title, which derived from a phrase my father much lauded, “Everything in moderation”, to which I would quietly retort “even moderation”, so I could justify my plans to have an all weekend bender.
Because although it’s good to take a balanced, well structured approach to life, it’s also great just to really let rip once in a while and ski down a mountain full pelt, or get so drunk you projectile vomit on your lawn, or play a video game for 30 hrs non-stop, whatever you wanna do, as old Crowley said, let that be the whole of the law. A pendulum that does not swing is a just a lump of lead.
* although I dislike the term intensely – it conjures up too many images of tw*tty rich kids, showing how crazy they can be, before going back to work in daddy’s firm.
posted by Yesman at 3:54 pm
1 Comments:
Liking the blog mate - have put a link up today so expect literally people to be reading it within the next week.
NM
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