Posts Tagged ‘Philosophy’

  • 05 Apr

    Posted by
    Muhammad


    Category

    Review/Perspective: “Eat, Pray, Love”

    0

    Straight off, I was not totally impressed with the book. That is not to say I do not share an empathy with the subject matter. I see a lot of myself in the search Elizabeth goes through.

    I am all for being open-minded, we will never know everything and there are many who know much more than we do. We do need to let go of all the petty things we cling to, what is really important? If you haven’t figured it out, what’s important to you right now? Nobody is ever fully right or fully wrong, there’s good and bad in everything and sometimes it’s only a matter of how you are looking at things.
    Eat, Pray, Love: Book

    I still can’t figure out why the book did not gel with me very well. I have read many self-help, zen, search/journey for the truth books and this one does not particularly stand out for me as one of the top ten. Maybe it’s only because of relevance, but I also feel there was something in the story which just does not click with me. I imagine it would with women, and especially women living in western societies, a whole lot. There may be oceans of relevance and mirrored reflections of thoughts, feelings and experiences.

    Given all that, I love the journey itself. The intent behind it, the search for the truth, for something greater and the realisation that it starts with one’s self. Only one’s self, and it can not begin anywhere else. Outside holds no answers if the inside has not been reconciled. Elizabeth’s journey is just one of those journey’s and I can say it is one of many, by countless citizens of earth with varying resources who will suck up meaning from the greatness of mountains to the simplicity of children playing with marbles on a street corner.

    The movie is coming out in the last third of this year , and it looks pretty good. I do think Julia Roberts is a great choice to play Elizabeth in the role and I suspect I will feel better about the movie than the book. Which would be the second time for me ( I always thought the Godfather movie trumped the book).

    Above all, I love how the book left me with a feeling of confusion within myself, and that is ALWAYS a great place to start. Never doubt that. Go read the book for yourself, and when it comes out, watch the movie. There is a nugget of something great and personal in all of it.

  • 22 Dec

    Posted by
    Muhammad


    Category

    The Idea of Disruption

    0

    You cannot outperform a marketplace if you adhere to it’s conventions. – Jean-Marie Dru, CEO TBWA\

    Generally when you think disruption… you think destruction, a break that isn’t supposed to be there. I keep thinking of teacher reports saying that he/she’s ‘disruptive in class.’, etc.

    So I’m at TBWA/LONDON.  For those who don’t know… they’re an advertising agency, and a pretty good one at that (They have the Apple account, so that says a lot already). Apple’s advertising is brilliant. Well these guys make it. Great, you get the picture.

     So how does Disruption tie into all this?

    Disruption is TBWA’s raison d’être. A philosophy integrated into everything about them. So I learnt about this while I was there and I thought it was the best idea I’ve heard in ages.  It’s not a new idea, but I like the packaging, it makes it easier to understand and embrace… here we go…


    The Model of Disruption

    Disruption is the art of asking better questions, challenging conventional wisdom and overturning assumptions and prejudices that get in the way of imagining new possibilities and visionary ideas.

    Disruption is a system for people who hate systems. Similar to the concept of open-source software development, Disruption has evolved and matured as communities around the network use, adapt and reinvent Disruption tools for specific market or client needs.

    Thinking differently (There’s Apple again), outside-the-box (cliche), etc. Most of all I like that it’s a process… you have to understand what the prevailing conventions and status quo is before you can move BEYOND it, before you can CHALLENGE it, before you can CHANGE it.  Finding its borders and knocking down the walls. DISRUPTING the underlying patterns and CREATING something new.

    So there we are…this is the idea I embraced as one which I will adhere to and act on in everything I do.

    <To what end I will apply this process to is another question all together and another set of blog posts. We’ll get to that later.>

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  • 01 Oct

    Posted by
    Muhammad


    Category

    Chasing Your Tail: A Parable on Happiness

    1

    There is this very interesting parable I heard recently about ‘Happiness’ and how to attain it.  I had to share it here is because it made so much sense in a very cool way.  So to all those seeking happiness… here goes…

    An old cat in an alley comes across a little kitten chasing it’s tail and asks "What the hell are you doing?" The little kitten replies "Well… I’ve been studying Cat Philosophy and I’ve discovered that there are only two things that are important for a cat… one is that Happiness is the most important thing for a cat and two, Happiness is located in a cat’s tail. So what I figured out is that if I keep on chasing my tail when I finally get it I will have a LOT of Happiness.’

    The old cat replied "Well I haven’t had the chance to go to Cat Philosophy School, I’ve just wandered around the alley’s most of my life and I’ve come to the same conclusion as you… Happiness is the most important thing for a cat and that happiness is indeed located in my tail. The only difference between you and I is that I’ve discovered that if you go about your business and do the things that are important to you, the things which need to be done… It will follow after you… wherever you go…"

    :)

  • 26 Aug

    Posted by
    Muhammad


    Category

    Ramadan in the UK

    3


    made the above picture wayyy past my bedtime after Taraweeh prayer

    Ramadan in the UK is a bit… different.

    After years of idiosyncratic Ramadaan and Eid behaviour being drummed into me with the ritual eventually melding into the deeper meaning of how what we do affects who we are and how it will make who we are even better. South Africa was great with the community around me, it gives one an awesome sense of belonging.

    In the UK, specifically here in Epsom, there’s a community as well, albeit a younger, less developed one. So, in essence, it can be a little lonely. Not so many friends… some family is here, but with London’s Transport Network – specifically the Road Network – Traffic is 10 X worse than Johannesburg, just to give you an idea, it’s a bit hard. The Public Transport ROCKS! I mean really… trains, busses and the tube are brilliant… but there are costs involved (temporal and monetary), and it does take its toll… makes you think twice before thinking of going anywhere.

    It is a very different experience. It takes Ramadaan and puts a magnifying glass on the experience and focuses it. Ramadaan generally makes you forget the outer world and focus on the inner world inside yourself. Being without the general comfort of the family and friends you’ve come to love and trust at a time like Ramadaan takes the whole inner world thing to another level. You start feeling and thinking things about yourself that wouldn’t happen in any other circumstance.

    I believe nothing happens without a reason, and so I must be here for a reason. In this situation, in this place. Yet another journey of self-discovery, and from this experience I’m also beginning to realise the truth in the saying that the Final Frontier won’t be space (What’s out there) but it’s going to be Mind & Soul (What’s in here).

    Maybe my answer isn’t out there, it’s in me… and now I’m wondering if I’m asking the right questions.

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  • 20 Aug

    Posted by
    Muhammad


    Category

    How to Live a Better Life.

    1

    Right.. now the list below is not something to look at say it’s really ‘cute’ and ‘true’ and forward it onto 30 other people. This is for you if you’re reading this. Do what you want to with it, but most importantly… JUST DO IT!

    1. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.

    2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

    3. Sleep for 7 hours.

    4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

    5. Play more games.

    6. Read more books than you did the previous year.

    7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

    8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.

    9. Dream more while you are awake.

    10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

    11. Drink plenty of water.

    12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

    13. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.

    14. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

    15. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

    16. Realise that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

    17. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

    18. Smile and laugh more.

    19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.

    20. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

    21. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

    22. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.

    23. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don’t compare your partner with others.

    24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

    25. Forgive everyone for everything.

    26. What other people think of you is none of your business.

    27. GOD heals everything.

    28. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

    29. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

    30. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

    31. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

    32. The best is yet to come.

    33. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

    34. Do the right thing!

    35. Call your family often.

    36. Your inner most is always happy. So be happy.

    37. Each day give something good to others.

    38. Don’t over do. Keep your limits.

    39. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.

    40. Don’t be more calculative in your life for all things.

  • 19 Aug

    Posted by
    Muhammad


    Category

    Nothing Good Happens After Nightfall

    1

    I think vampires are a metaphor for our dark side. The darker side of humanity… and if you take into account their habits it all begins to make a little sense. Their thirst for blood mirrors our bad habit of always going after one another’s “blood”. Backbiting, Backstabbing, Violence, Abuse… everytime we put ourselves over others and go a little further with bad intent.. there we have it. We may as well have fangs.

    Another aspect is that they only come out at night. I don’t think this is a coincidence. As far as I can see nothing good ever happens after the sun goes down. People end up drunk, spaced out, and most of the time up to no good. There must be a statistic which can prove this point because I have no doubt about it. Again, it makes sense. The dark provides anonymity… people can’t see us, so we let out who we truly are (just like the vampire). If bad intent drives us, that’s exactly what will come out. The anonymity of the dark makes us think that we can’t be held responsible for our actions (because no one knows its us) and we can hide very easily in the dark. Murders, Robberies and all other kinds of shit happens at night.

    So there we have it. Vampires are our dark side.

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  • 18 Aug

    Posted by
    Muhammad


    Category

    Pep Talk for the Job Hunter

    0

    Overheard at Starbucks. A noisy customer on his cell phone:

    Hey, you lazy bum, don’t use summer as an excuse to stop looking for a job. Companies hire people all year round… Yeah they they hire during depressions too. So, get off your ass and get on the phone.

    Oh, you’re afraid of the phone, are ya? Well, I’ll give you something to be afraid of. Livin’ on the street. How’s that? ….

    OK, look, it’s been scientifically proven that you’ve got to get 50 rejections to get a hire. So we’re going to play a game and you’re going to love it. Are you ready?

    We know that sooner or later you’re going to get a job. I don’t know. Some kind of job. So let’s pretend that every rejection is bringing you closer to that job.

    Do you see the magic? Rejection seems to be pushing you away when really it’s bringing you closer.

    They can punch you right in the face but they can’t stop you. You are unstoppable. Doesn’t that set your on blood fire? Don’t you just want to go out there and pounce all over everybody? “Look at me! I’m coming! You can fight all you want, but you can’t hide.”

    Do you hear what I’m telling you? They can throw everything at you and you can still move forward. I didn’t make it up. It’s science. You make the calls, you get the job. You can’t fight that logic because if you fight it, you’re fighting reality. And you know what? You ought to start playing along with reality for a change. It’ll treat you a lot nicer.

    You can’t resist reality. But reality isn’t as resistant as you think. Now that’s heavy. I mean a guru from India could say something like that and you’d be swooning all over it. But you don’t have to go to India because you’re hearing it right here — on Jerry Jerry what show is this?


    Reference    : Karla Porter
    Link
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  • 12 Aug

    Posted by
    Muhammad


    Category

    Is Advertising Really Pure Evil?

    1

    When it comes down to the bare bones of the issue, or is it the beating heart, whatever… the main thing is… they want you to buy more stuff. This is a pretty simple concept and it has been said before, blah, blah, blah. The power play comes in at the juncture where what they’re selling coincides with what you need. The thing which tips the power in the advertisers favour is when they convince you that you need something you don’t. This gets more complicated when you take into account wants versus needs.

    Further complicating things is context. The context today is we’ve moved far away from worrying about needs. We WANT STUFF. Lots of Stuff. Shiny, pastel-coloured, Curvy Stuff which will make us happy and able to satisfy our every sense and then do it all again. We also want it all NOW. Instantly. None of this patience shit and waiting for things which are ‘worthwhile’… I know what’s worthwhile because I feel it now and I want it right fucking now.

    I don’t believe Advertisers have any sway, not really, in terms of ‘Making us buy more stuff’. They are merely the temptation… WE make the choice. It is within us… the choice of wanting stuff we don’t need and also to want it right now. So is advertising pure evil? No. Advertising is just showing us what is within us… in the end WE choose. I would say that advertising is only evil if that is what we see within ourselves. You don’t have to buy the product and even if you do… do you need it right now?

    Advertising is just stimulus and we can either react automatically to whatever whims and desires move us or be a little bit more AWARE of what’s happening around us and choose to RESPOND to stimulus in our own best interest.

    Advertising is only really effective because we all only operate on auto-pilot, we set ourselves up with bad habits of wanting things we don’t need and things we want right now. So when it finally flashes before our eyes and ears we simply react. And, if we are all operating on auto-pilot, that makes us less human because the real thing which makes us human is our ability to choose.

    You can’t blame the stimulus… advertising is not the enemy… you are.

  • 29 Jun

    Posted by
    Muhammad


    Category

    Yeah Baby! Social Media is the New PUNK ROCK!

    0

    I’ve always seen Punk as a philosophy rather than a once off bunch of noisy kids with spiked hair and bad attitudes. It was about standing up to the establishment, breaking the rules, going against the norm.  They are the ultimate modern form of talking straight back with their own interpretation of how to talk back in the first place.  Hence, the below video, is a bit misplaced with comparing punk rock only to social media… it’s bigger than that.  The philosophy, I believe, transcends all media because it addresses the underlying intentions behind WHY we communicate.

    So if you question the norms, don’t agree with them and voice your opinions with any media whatsoever… you are a PUNK.  Word… Enjoy the video :)

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  • 17 Jun

    Posted by
    Muhammad


    Category

    Stealing Second Base

    0

    “Progress always involves risks. You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.” – Frederick Wilcox

    This is an aspect of all initiatives to move forward. You can’t get ahead if you’re still stuck where you are. You can’t expect anything different or better if you keep doing what you’re doing. First step of the change is to recognise where you are and make significant changes, either the environment you find yourself in, or the people that surround you, the habits you have, the things you keep on doing. Recognise it and change it.

    It’s not easy and it is a challenge. That’s the point. If you’re comfortable, that’s when you should be worried. That’s when you get hit out of the blue with the unexpected. If you don’t wake up yourself to the reality that things keep changing and you need to change with them, Life will Smack you upside your head and then you’ll be forced to change, which is even harder then if you chose the path yourself.

    Ready? Go.

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