What is your mission?
To be a better version of myself.
PROMPT: Mission
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Category Archives: Philosophy
BOOKS: “Bohemian Manifesto” by Laren Stover, Paul Himmelein, and Patrisha Robertson
Bohemian Manifesto: A Field Guide to Living on the Edge by Laren StoverMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
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The central premise of this book is that not only does the Bohemian artist live on, but she does so in five distinct varieties: the Beat, the Zen Bohemian, the Dandy, the Folkloric Bohemian, and the Nouveau Bohemian. While the title calls this book a “manifesto,” the term used in the subtitle, i.e. “field guide,” is far more apropos. Like a field guide to birds or mushrooms, it lays out
characteristics and distinctions, the characteristics of Bohemians, generally, and the five flavors thereof, more specifically, and it does so in a way that separates them from the other varieties of human.
One might be wondering, why are these varied categories classed as Bohemian, as it seems they are their own distinct class. One way to understand this is to consider the “Zen Bohemian,” who often bears little resemblance to the “Zen Buddhist” for which one might mistake him. The Zen Buddhist has both a strong connection to and a depth of knowledge of Zen Buddhism, but the Zen Bohemian often rather has a strong connection to a broad hodge-podge of Eastern philosophies and spiritual traditions that he may or may not properly understand the distinctions between.
This book is quite readable, and informative in an easy-going way, but it’s also perplexing. It’s informative in that it clarifies the characteristics of Bohemians across many criteria (e.g. food, clothing, tastes in literature, art, movies, and music, interest in boxing, etc.) It’s perplexing in that it starts with the premise that Bohemians are, at their core, free spirits who refuse to be hemmed in by convention, but then the bulk of the book is about the various tribe-signaling boxes that the Bohemian puts himself within to conform to the norms of the group. It seems that the authors are aware of this and actually produce humor through oddly specific statements such as, “They [Bohemians] still adore Laurie Anderson even though their yuppie brother went to see her.” It feels like they are aware that, to the extent Bohemians are truly free spirits, any description the authors give will be wrong at some level of granularity, and so they lean into it with great (sometimes comedic) specificity.
I enjoyed reading this book and picked up a number of interesting references to other books and whatnot. (I’m currently reading Kliph Nesteroff’s “The Comedians” because of a reference to it in this book.) I did find bits on subjects like wardrobes and astrology to be a bit tedious, but just skimmed through them.
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PROMPT: Longevity
What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?
As long as I’m of sound mind and capable body, I’m fine with it, but not at any cost. I’d rather shuffle off this mortal coil than drag out the suffering of immobility and / or dementia.
I think Atul Gawande’s “Being Mortal” is good required reading. Among other things, he talks about the smoke and mirrors of our species’s increased lifespan. (i.e. increased lifespan, yes, but too often at the cost of diminished quality of life through those additional years.)
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PROMPT: Differently
What could you do differently?
Literally, everything. That’s the gift and curse of being human.
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The Tao of the Traveler [Lyric Poem]
With a pack on my back,
I lurched out of the known.
Would I ever be back?
Or go where I was blown?
Who can know where they'll land?
Maybe on a distant shore?
Or amid desert sands?
Or mountains? Or next door?
That's the joy of a life;
One can end up anywhere.
Embrace chaos sans strife,
And you'll live a life that's rare.
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PROMPT: Billboard
If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say?
“If you think there’s a Hell, you’re already there.”
I think it works on two levels… at least.
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PROMPT: Future Past
Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?
I spend the most time trying to figure out how to live mostly in the present. The past is dead and the future is unknowable, so I might as well settle into this moment.
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BOOKS: “Miyamoto Musashi’s Book of Five Rings: The Manga Edition” art by Koji Kondo; trans. by Makiko Itoh
Miyamoto Musashi’s Book of Five Rings: The Manga Edition: Japan’s Legendary Book on Samurai Military Strategy by Miyamoto MusashiMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Release Date: April 30, 2024
As readers may suspect, this isn’t simply a graphically illustrated edition of The Book of Five Rings. That book, being written as an instructional manual, doesn’t lend itself to a literal manga adaptation. Rather, this work is a graphic novelization that puts Musashi’s strategic masterwork into a narrative context. While it does share many strategic and philosophical ideas from The Book of Five Rings, it’s more a telling of the story of how the manual came to be and how it was transmitted out into the world. It tells this story primarily by exploring how Musashi came to have three apprentices, and how he went about teaching them the lessons encapsulated in the manual. It also delves into Musashi’s most famous duel, the Ganryū-jima battle against Sasaki Kojirō, an event that formed a turning point in Musashi’s life.
I found this manga to be engrossing and highly readable. It is well worth reading, even if one has read one or more translations of The Book of Five Rings. The translation of ideas seemed clear and consistent with my understanding of Musashi’s worldview. I’d highly recommend this manga for readers interested in the history of martial arts, biographies of intriguing individuals, as well as strategic and philosophical ideas.
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PROMPT: Political Views
How have your political views changed over time?
While pretty much the same place on the spectrum, they have softened with the realization that abstract principles may have value for understanding, but for a system of governance to work it must be in tune with human nature ( which is far too messy for dogmatic principles.) In short, my political views have become more pragmatic.
Most importantly, I have come to believe that the governance we get comes of a dialectical battle of ideas, and – therefore – a wide diversity of views in the fray is beneficial. Far from wishing our political opponents would go away, we should hope they force us to do our best by putting their best argument out there in the most astute and persuasive way. It will always be messy, with some cover hog temporarily stealing the warmth, but ultimately it’s better (less bleak and cold) than sleeping alone.
It does require sound and strong rule of law, select depoliticized domains (i.e. the military and judiciary,) a willingness of people to accept that ideas they hate can only be defeated by engagement and persuasion (not by silencing or canceling – i.e. intellectual courage is essential,) but it will yield something better (if often messier) than any political ideology.
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PROMPT: Write Space
You get to build your perfect space for reading and writing. What’s it like?
Just a small, quiet room with a window for day and a light for the night. Minimalist. The less to distract, the better.
Tiger Riding for Beginners 