Subjective Truism

Our life always expresses the result of dominant thoughts. That's why people demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.

Soren Kierkegaard

via Dedy N. Hidayat

One of the things I agree with Kierkegaard is his idea that truth is in subjectivity. He also admits that this attempt is not scientific. That truth is not objective.

I read truth as a peacefully resolved dialogue with(in) ourselves. Be it belief in a Supreme Being, faith, religion, or simply trying to understand life. Kiekegaard's, or the existentialism, line of thought is in agreement with Descartes' 'I think therefore I am'.

We think. It's what differs us from other species. In science, 'truth' can be found inductively or deductively. In deductive logic, one tries to prove a theory by means of empirical evidence - objective reasoning. In inductive logic, truth is found through observation, and furthermore theorisation. In Islam, it's the first verse of the Quran. 'Read', which is a concept that is repeated in other verses, such as 'those who are able to read the signs'.

I choose to search for truth subjectively. Through observation and thinking. Making sense of the signs that pre-exist. And in subjective truth, there is no concept of true and false, but valid or invalid.

In this logic, since it is not objective, I will never be entitled to say 'Saya lebih benar, karena...'. Because what is subjective could always be argued against.

I don't claim to be an existentialist. Neither am I claiming that what I believe in is truism for every human being. I don't think any of us will ever be equipped to claim that. I do however, find a resolve for my inner dialogue answered in the sentence 'For me my truth, and for you, yours.'

Sincerity

You can make more friends in two months
by becoming more interested in other people
than you can in two years
by trying to get people interested in you.

Dale Carnegie

via Muhammad Andri Mulia

The Not So Dark 'Dark Ages'

There was a period in my life where I was a horrible student. All through my high school to the first years of university. I was the student sitting in the back of the class, reading another book that had nothing to do with the subject. The one who skipped a period pretending to have an ulcer, because I didn't like the teacher (and the subject). The one whose single achievement was winning the essay competition on what's wrong with Indonesia's education system (ha!). I've always seen it as 'the dark ages', a phase where I wasted a lot of time; a time where I should have been more focused and determined.

I see some of my students who embody that ideal. They move fast, know what they need to achieve in order to progress further in their career. I smile upon their potential and promised success, because I know they will be better than I will ever be.

I was having yogurt with my 20 year old brother one day when we were talking about my PhD and the fact that I'm 27.

I: Tapi ada lho mahasiswa yang dapet beasiswa yang sama kaya aku, umurnya 25 wew.
Z: Kok bisa?
I: Ya lulus SMA langsung S1. Lulus S1 langsung S2. Lulus S2 langsung S3.
Z: Ya tapi kan dia emang rajin, Ka. Kaina kan sempet males-malesan banget, terus mutusin mau usaha dan berubah. Dan akhirnya sekolah dan sampe kaya gini.

I pondered on his argument and the logic behind it.

I guess it really is a personal journey. Life shouldn't be seen as a string of results, but a test as to how hard we try. It's not that other people are better than us or the other way around. But how we surpass the trials we face in life and come out a better person. A better person than we were yesterday, not a better person than somebody else.

When seen through this perspective, then my so-called 'dark ages' are not dark at all. It was a period where I questioned who I was when I was 17 and the education system did not give me answers. If it weren't for reading those philosophy books and reorganising the way I saw life, I would not be the person I am today.

So all those mistakes, all those regrets, when seen from this perspective are the aspects that mold us into more conscious human beings.

And it makes sense now, why I don't (well, rarely) compare myself to other people. Even if they're smarter, have achieved more, if they're wealthier or if they're salary is twice mine.

Because life isn't a competition. It's a journey, for every single one of us, to learn how to 'work our way around life'. It's never about the quantity of success, it's the quality of how these things make us better people. So let some people be more 'quantitatively fortunate' than others, because quality then becomes relative to each person.

After all, life is not about what we have, but what we do with what we have.