To Introspect, First Must be Introspection

Friedrich Neitzsche's prologue of The Genealogy of Morals is about the fact that humans do not take enough time to introspect and get to know the self.  In the text Neitzsche says, "We are always busy with our knowledge, as if we were born winged creatures—collectors of intellectual honey,"(Neitzsche 1).   This was just a very complicated way to say we are busy as bees, but with a slight twist that the philosopher says that we are too busy with our knowledge.  This becomes an even greater truth every year as information is more and more available.   

After reading The Genealogy of Morals, one truth became evident, that to introspect, first must be introspection.  Knowledge from introspection is very complicated and must be known both a priori and a posteriori.  The first step to cure a bad habit is to admit that the problem is there.  Why would this not apply to not knowing yourself?  How could you find yourself without saying that yourself is not known?  The answer is you can't, if the self society wants is yourself, then you do not know yourself.  The swarms of knowledge from our bee like lifestyles blocks the treasure from us. 

All Clovers are Family

People like to say that finding a four leaf clover is lucky, but all clovers are aesthetically pleasing.  The heart shaped leafs joined to together is a family.  A family held together by their love for each, but the fragile part of a family is also represented.  The green leaves can easily be torn off and apart.  No single leaf in the clover is any more important than another, they all have the same shape and size. The markings may be different, but so are the people of a family, and yet all together they have the same importance.

The natural green from nature is home,  and where is home?  Home is where the heart shaped leaf of a clover family is.  The color green of clovers, grass, leaves, and nature is home.  Being out in the green home we call Earth is a very calming experience, without the magical color there would be no transcendentalists.

Dear Diary,

Today as I look back on my life, during my last moments, the mistake I made has finally appear the truth to to me.  My monsters have suppressed my genius for my entire life, everything that has come to me as knowledge, gone, everything I came to know through reason, in dust, everything that I perceived and wonder why, pried for my own hands and thrown in the trash.  These monsters are like a curtain draped over me that does not light my light shine through, they told and taught me how to think, but in reality they shoved inside the box with no breathing room.  My own ideas and conviction stuck within the confines of my own mind, a voice deep inside of me, tells to let them out, but the monsters make me not let my genius gleaming light prevail. I could have done so much but my monsters guarded the prison cell I was stuck in.

My monsters started when I was just a child.  They etched knowledge into my head, and the monsters gave me all the tools to think, and to formulate ideas and conviction, but they never let the my light shine. Whenever I shone my brilliant unique gleaming streak of blinding light, I was put out quickly by the same people who gave the ability think.   My knowledge that came to me both a priori and a posteriori, was rejected by the monsters and myself.

I had great ideas to revolutionize the way are cities functioned, making everyone’s life much better.  More wildlife would be left untouched, traffic would never be a problem, the aesthetics would be pleasing.  Then the mistake I came to know though deep introspection came into play,  I blocked my own gleaming light.  The gleam that can never be shut off be, but can be blocked.  I see the bright dancing gleaming light as a flashlight that is always on with no off switch,  so you cannot turn the light off, but the monsters and myself could still put a hand over the spewing creativity.  Now that I’m almost gone I beg all others to hold your gleam flashlight close and guard your uniqueness with your life.  To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Imitation is suicide.”

The Mystery Solved by Mystery

 1.“An eye is meant to see things.
2. The soul is here for its own joy.

3. A head has one use: For loving a true love.
4. Feet: To chase after.

5. Love is for vanishing into the sky. The mind,
6. for learning what men have done and tried to do.

7. Mysteries are not to be solved: The eye goes blind
8. when it only wants to see why.

9. A lover is always accused of something.
10. But when he finds his love, whatever was lost
11. in the looking comes back completely changed.” 

A line that stands out to me, is when Rumi says, "Mysteries are not to be solved: The eye goes blind / when it only wants to see why."  First to dive into "Night and Sleep" you have background on Rumi.  The Muslim poet practiced  Sufism, in which the follower would give up worldly attachments to be closer to Allah, he also was  the founder of Whirling Dervishes. The poet lived in 13th century Persia. Now that Rumi's para dime is set the line can be dissected.

The definition of mystery plays a huge role in the meaning of the line.  Rumi is using the word mystery in a religious sense, as the rest of the poem is very Islamic.  When he writes "why" Rumi is talking about religious truths that men are not supposed to know. The poet is saying Muslims should not try to seek out the mysteries, or else their faith will not be the same. The devotion to Allah will suffer as a result.

Othello the Gullible

Othello is the Moor general of the army, he is also the husband of Desdemona and the boss of Micheal Cassio and Iago.  Othello is in the middle of Iago's grand scheme.


When Othello hears of t Iago's tale of Micheal Cassio and Desdemona's affair, the general fires Micheal Cassio and moves Iago the flag bearer up to Cassio's position of Lieutenant.

Othello then goes on to give his wife the cold shoulder, disregarding her completely.  He loses all the trust had with his wife.

Othello is a real fool for not figuring out that Iago is a squirrel man.  He did not believe the word of his own wife and his right hand man making him the villain.

Michael Cassio, the Lone Gentleman

Michael Cassio is a gentleman.  The only known of his kind in Othello.  Iago tries to make Othello believe that Desdemona and Michael Cassio are having an affair, and Othello wants no part of this. Micheal Cassio also holds Iago's dream job, lieutenant.

Michael Cassio's kissing of other's wives was once actually the polite thing to do, unlike now where Cassio would have started a fight.  This is the biggest act of being a gentleman so far in Othello.  Michael Cassio is the gentleman.

Iago decides to stir up trouble and make Othello believe that Michael Cassio and Desdemona are lovers.  Cassio's nature of being a gentleman backfires on him, others see him kiss Desdemona and this adds plenty of fuel to the fire to make Othello believe that the affair is really going on.

The lieutenant of Othello's army is  Michael Cassio, Iago deeply desires this job and he wants to get out of being the flag bearer.  Iago gets very jealous of Michael Cassio's job and fuels his desire to bring down Cassio.

Desdemona, the Traitor, the Lover

In the Shakespeare play "Othello" Desdemona is the daughter of Brabantio, and she is the wife of the general and the Moor, Othello.  Desdemona betrayed her family by marrying the Moor, according to her father.  Desdemona is also loved by Roderigo, who almost killed himself over not being able to have Desdemona.

Desdemona is a strong woman, she married the man she loved without her father's approval, showing her tremendous courage.  She also chooses to go off to war in order to be with her husband, Othello.  The most significant act by her so far is standing up to Iago. No one had stood up to Iago before, but Desdemona had the courage to defend Emilia and many other women.

Iago was degraded his wife Emilia right in front of her eyes. Iago sets a very low bar for being a gentleman, but this is the lowest he has gone.  Not only does Iago bring down his wife he starts to bring down all women.  This is when Desdemona steps in and finally says no to Iago.  Desdemona stop the bully for the day, but now Desdemona has a giant target on his her back, and Iago has a bow and many arrows.