Reply to Shantaram
Visit http://www.shantaram.com/ for Gregory David Roberts' site. (thanks to Mon). His is a great story of the triumph of the human spirit. Especially read his seminars under the philosophy link on his site. Before that a brief stop at Author facts will give you a snapshot of what I am talking about.
The purpose of this post is not to introduce Shantaram (Well I am sure most of you must have heard about him) but to put forward my thoughts on his philosophy. I had written a mail to him a few months back after reading his engaging seminars and am putting it here just for record purposes:
Hi Greg,
Your site was introduced to me by a very good friend as a mustread. My friend and I both share a common love for melbourne as we have been there in different points in time and whenever we talk, Melbourne always features one way or the other. I havent read your novel yet but went thru the seminars posted on the site and was mesmerised by your thoughts. You seem to be strong character who after having gone thru so much in life came a full circle and made a success out of it. I am not sure whether you will ever read this mail but if you ever read I would be highly obliged.
Well, coming back to your seminars I absolutely agree with most of your thoughts and the concepts that you have explained so lucidly. This world is finite and imperfect. Nothing
can be more closer to the truth than the above statement. All sorrow and joy is present due to its imperfections. The dichotomously variable continuum (DVC) is also a great concept and I am looking forward to how we can apply it to decipher the all encompassing and ubiquitous questions of life as you have promised on your website.
But I had a specific reason to write you this mail and not just to make an acquaintance. This is because I found an inherent contradiction in your dichotomously variable continuum and the stmt that 'Nothing is absolute and perfect'. Also forgive me in assuming that this musnt have crossed your mind before but the basis of my assumption is that what I am going to say doesnt occur on your seminars. You might have planned to take up this point in your later seminars but still here it goes:
Well the statement 'nothing is absolute and perfect' is in itself an absolute statement in the sense that you are going to the extremes of the continuum. Lets consider this for a moment. If we take a sample of entities, measurements and concepts and try to fit them in a Bell Curve then again we will get a distribution in which things which are not absolute at all at the left end, the absolute things at the right end and things with varying degrees of absolutism (forgive the
word) in the middle. Also dont you think this fits in the concept of dichotomously variable continuum. But again you would argue that things are either absolute or not. Its discrete. we
cant have varying degrees of it. But just as the other concepts become continuous or discrete based on relativity or within a specific context, I think this concept also holds water. I quote your example of falling from a tall building. Only when you change the context and give the person a parachute or other such contraption does the person fall and does not die.
But what are the extremes of this dichotomously variable continuum. Do we have real examples in life which are absolute and those which are not. There are many examples and I guess almost everything under the sun is not an absolute which corroborates your statement. Infact I can even say with confidence that the bell curve must be actually left skewed instead of perfectly bell shaped. The best example of an absolute is the concept of absolute zero (0 degree
Kelvin or -273 degree celcius). This is the temperature at which all activity(energy) ceases and we have an absolute. This is true for all things in the universe. This is the absoulte and terminal
reference from which the activity level (energy) of everything is measured. So dont you think the absolute zero is absolute (derived from your dichotomously variable continuum concept) but contradicting the 'nothing is absolute and perfect' statement. You must be glad to see that I have already used your tool and a little of my non existent intellect to decipher some truths from this universe :-). Also the concepts of minus and plus infinity will come next on the absolute zero of temperature on the absolute continuum. Though there is no particular number
assigned to these concepts they represent some form of an absolute which is high on the absolute scale.
Again I think you are getting what I am trying to say. I would like to refer to your third limit to the intellect that of language (or communication) if at all I was not able to explain properly. It has been my long held belief that language as we know it, is the most primitive and most imperfect way of expressing ourselves that we have chosen. If we refer to the DVC for communication, language (especially the english language) will fall on the leftmost end of the continuum. No matter how hard we try to communicate what we want it is always subjectively interpreted by all the subjects who receive that communication.
Most of the times the interpretation is negative and this is again due to human imperfections. I am reminded of Ayn Rand's chapter topics in Atlas Shrugged. 'A is A' and 'Either-OR'. A is always A no matter who reads it. I cannot say that I choose to interpret A as B because thats how I am. So there are some perfect absolute thruths or axioms in this world which are true
for everybody and not subject to context or individual interpretation. Similarly light can be Either a wave Or a particle. It cannot be both at a particular time while explaining a given concept. Like while we are talking about photoelectricity light cannot be both a particle or a wave. It has to be a particle. This is just an add on to your example.
I am ofcourse talking from a granular perspective and it is not meant to contradict your philosophy of 'nothing is absolutely or perfectly true'. The seemingly inherent (but non
existent) contradictions are again due to the third limit to intellect. I am again reminded of Ayn Rand'd words regarding condradictions:
'Contradictions dont exist. Whenever you are faced with a contradiction, check you premises. One of them will be wrong'.
Another example of an absolute? :-)))
Coming back to communications I think mathematics is the near perfect language that the human mind has invented. 1 can never be equal to or interpreted as 2. It is 1 for everone
and everywhere (an absolute granular truth). And science and other fields have made progress and achieved higher amount of maturity only because of the maturity that has been
achieved in mathematics. Just imagine what the state of the world would have been if humans had relied only on the primitive concept of language. Tower of Babble? Each one interpreting A (or B for that matter) as he pleased. There would have been no intellect and no philosophy.
I hope I was able to convey my thoughts to you within the third limit of the intellect. Again let me reiterate that I perfectly agree with your thoughts and they reflect what I have also experienced and evaluated in my life till date. It was really great knowing you through your website and considering that you are such a great celebrity I dont expect to receive an answer to this mail (If I get I will be highly delighted though). I am basically from Mumbai and I
think we both share a deep love for this city as do so many mumbaiites inspite of
its filthy trains and burgeoning popluation and other problems blah blah blah... (this part is not relevant)
Warm Regards,
Bonet Lobo
The purpose of this post is not to introduce Shantaram (Well I am sure most of you must have heard about him) but to put forward my thoughts on his philosophy. I had written a mail to him a few months back after reading his engaging seminars and am putting it here just for record purposes:
Hi Greg,
Your site was introduced to me by a very good friend as a mustread. My friend and I both share a common love for melbourne as we have been there in different points in time and whenever we talk, Melbourne always features one way or the other. I havent read your novel yet but went thru the seminars posted on the site and was mesmerised by your thoughts. You seem to be strong character who after having gone thru so much in life came a full circle and made a success out of it. I am not sure whether you will ever read this mail but if you ever read I would be highly obliged.
Well, coming back to your seminars I absolutely agree with most of your thoughts and the concepts that you have explained so lucidly. This world is finite and imperfect. Nothing
can be more closer to the truth than the above statement. All sorrow and joy is present due to its imperfections. The dichotomously variable continuum (DVC) is also a great concept and I am looking forward to how we can apply it to decipher the all encompassing and ubiquitous questions of life as you have promised on your website.
But I had a specific reason to write you this mail and not just to make an acquaintance. This is because I found an inherent contradiction in your dichotomously variable continuum and the stmt that 'Nothing is absolute and perfect'. Also forgive me in assuming that this musnt have crossed your mind before but the basis of my assumption is that what I am going to say doesnt occur on your seminars. You might have planned to take up this point in your later seminars but still here it goes:
Well the statement 'nothing is absolute and perfect' is in itself an absolute statement in the sense that you are going to the extremes of the continuum. Lets consider this for a moment. If we take a sample of entities, measurements and concepts and try to fit them in a Bell Curve then again we will get a distribution in which things which are not absolute at all at the left end, the absolute things at the right end and things with varying degrees of absolutism (forgive the
word) in the middle. Also dont you think this fits in the concept of dichotomously variable continuum. But again you would argue that things are either absolute or not. Its discrete. we
cant have varying degrees of it. But just as the other concepts become continuous or discrete based on relativity or within a specific context, I think this concept also holds water. I quote your example of falling from a tall building. Only when you change the context and give the person a parachute or other such contraption does the person fall and does not die.
But what are the extremes of this dichotomously variable continuum. Do we have real examples in life which are absolute and those which are not. There are many examples and I guess almost everything under the sun is not an absolute which corroborates your statement. Infact I can even say with confidence that the bell curve must be actually left skewed instead of perfectly bell shaped. The best example of an absolute is the concept of absolute zero (0 degree
Kelvin or -273 degree celcius). This is the temperature at which all activity(energy) ceases and we have an absolute. This is true for all things in the universe. This is the absoulte and terminal
reference from which the activity level (energy) of everything is measured. So dont you think the absolute zero is absolute (derived from your dichotomously variable continuum concept) but contradicting the 'nothing is absolute and perfect' statement. You must be glad to see that I have already used your tool and a little of my non existent intellect to decipher some truths from this universe :-). Also the concepts of minus and plus infinity will come next on the absolute zero of temperature on the absolute continuum. Though there is no particular number
assigned to these concepts they represent some form of an absolute which is high on the absolute scale.
Again I think you are getting what I am trying to say. I would like to refer to your third limit to the intellect that of language (or communication) if at all I was not able to explain properly. It has been my long held belief that language as we know it, is the most primitive and most imperfect way of expressing ourselves that we have chosen. If we refer to the DVC for communication, language (especially the english language) will fall on the leftmost end of the continuum. No matter how hard we try to communicate what we want it is always subjectively interpreted by all the subjects who receive that communication.
Most of the times the interpretation is negative and this is again due to human imperfections. I am reminded of Ayn Rand's chapter topics in Atlas Shrugged. 'A is A' and 'Either-OR'. A is always A no matter who reads it. I cannot say that I choose to interpret A as B because thats how I am. So there are some perfect absolute thruths or axioms in this world which are true
for everybody and not subject to context or individual interpretation. Similarly light can be Either a wave Or a particle. It cannot be both at a particular time while explaining a given concept. Like while we are talking about photoelectricity light cannot be both a particle or a wave. It has to be a particle. This is just an add on to your example.
I am ofcourse talking from a granular perspective and it is not meant to contradict your philosophy of 'nothing is absolutely or perfectly true'. The seemingly inherent (but non
existent) contradictions are again due to the third limit to intellect. I am again reminded of Ayn Rand'd words regarding condradictions:
'Contradictions dont exist. Whenever you are faced with a contradiction, check you premises. One of them will be wrong'.
Another example of an absolute? :-)))
Coming back to communications I think mathematics is the near perfect language that the human mind has invented. 1 can never be equal to or interpreted as 2. It is 1 for everone
and everywhere (an absolute granular truth). And science and other fields have made progress and achieved higher amount of maturity only because of the maturity that has been
achieved in mathematics. Just imagine what the state of the world would have been if humans had relied only on the primitive concept of language. Tower of Babble? Each one interpreting A (or B for that matter) as he pleased. There would have been no intellect and no philosophy.
I hope I was able to convey my thoughts to you within the third limit of the intellect. Again let me reiterate that I perfectly agree with your thoughts and they reflect what I have also experienced and evaluated in my life till date. It was really great knowing you through your website and considering that you are such a great celebrity I dont expect to receive an answer to this mail (If I get I will be highly delighted though). I am basically from Mumbai and I
think we both share a deep love for this city as do so many mumbaiites inspite of
its filthy trains and burgeoning popluation and other problems blah blah blah... (this part is not relevant)
Warm Regards,
Bonet Lobo
posted by Bon | 10:30 pm
3 Comments:
I like it! Keep up the good work. Thanks for sharing this wonderful site with us.
»
Hi,
It was great reading your blog. Sitting idle I just browsed this "Blogger.com" on the book name "Shantaram". Bumped onto yours. Fyi. I didn't browse www.shantaram.com So my views on your article is entirely based on what I read here.
You agreeingly disagreed with Greg on the Absolutism and Perfectionism. A fine piece of writing.
Nice to read.
Howdy this iѕ somewhat οf off topic but
I wаs wаnting to knoω if blogs use WYSIWYG editοrs οr if you haνe
tο manually coԁe with HTΜL. I'm starting a blog soon but have no coding know-how so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated!
Feel free to visit my page; credit card debt settlement
Post a Comment
<< Home