Wherein the purpose of the Blog is revealed.
ram⋅bling [ram-bling] –adjective
1. aimlessly wandering.
blɪŋ
2. taking an irregular course; straggling: a rambling
brook.
3. spread out irregularly in various directions: a rambling mansion.
4. straying from one subject to another; desultory: a rambling novel.
-Dictionary.com
Greetings and salutations oh ye who have strayed upon this page!
I must admit right now, that, for reasons unknown, I had always wanted to write a blog. Two things have always stopped me from publishing any such thing. 1) The time, and 2) the inclination. Ideas of Blogs, like most ideas, are pleasing things, ephemeral and delighting to the mind. But once one sits down to the computer, once one gets down to the brass tacks of it, one is forced to ask:
"What the hell do I intend to write about anyway?"
What could possibly be SO important that others would actually wish to read it? It's not like millions of other people aren't doing the exact same thing! What could I possibly say that could add something new to the topic at hand? And (while I'm at it) what the hell, is my topic at hand?
Which got me to thinking, having recently looked at T.H. White's Once and Future King, I was recently struck by a rather interesting passage towards the end of the omnibus. In it, Merlyn (who lives backwards in time and so has distant memories of the future and vague premonitions about his past) discusses the state of humanity with a young King Arthur, and in particular, the inaccuracies of the title homo sapiens (wise human).
Now, I find these options to be astonishingly bleak, although they are perfectly understandable suggestions, especially when one considers that T.H. White had only recently returned from the horrors of World War Two before writing such a passage. I do however agree with White that homo sapiens (wise human) is a ridiculously overly optomistic title that we've conveniently dubbed ourselves. Afterall, it is meant to be an adjective that is curious to us as an entire species, and I'm not sure about you, but a simple walk along a crowded street or an hour watching prime time TV with an objective eye can fill anyone with enough doubt that 'wisdom' is our unique moniker.
Which got me to thinking, dear reader, as to what is our unique specialty on the globe? How do we really differ from animals as, on average, an entire species? And it occured to me that we are, in fact Homo Disertus (the expressive human) for there is not a human being alive on the planet that does not in some way shape or form want to express themselves in some way, whether it be through the medium of hair-style, clothing, art, manner of speech, dance, gesture, facial expression, taste in music, taste in anything, anything at all. Everything we do in life, is to some degree a statement to the world in general as to what sort of person we are, or wish to be perceived as.
In the 19th century, the domestic medium of self expression was the diary. As Oscar Wilde wrote: "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train." In the 21st, the domestic manner of self-expression is revealing itself to be the humble 'blog'.
We are the expressive human. We express ourselves therefore we are human. -And perhaps blogging then is the most human activity to undertake. Indeed like all creatures who specialise in a particular activity, I feel it behooves us to be able to perform our unique activity with a sense of flair and ability. If self-expression, is after all, all that which makes us stand out from the 250,000 other species of animal in the world, then by the gods, I'd want to be good at it.
And so with that in mind, dear reader, I have resolved to undertake this blog, as an exercise in being human, and as an exercise in self-expression, but one, I hope that will provide some small entertainment to those who wander upon these pages. What do you expect to see here? Expect anything from erotica through to reviews on opera. Expect film reviews, and youtube clips and philosophical musings. Expect poetry and theology and art works and civil disobedience. Expect criticisms on the behaviour of the human ape, and the manner in which we live. Expect rants and ravings and many many ramblings. Expect to see my digressions and obsessions.
Expect to see me.
Regards.
Algernon Misanthrope.
T.H. White, The Once and Future King, Harper Collins, 1996.
O. Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest.
C. Lebrun, Expressions of the Spirit's Passions, c. 1663.
Charles Lebrun, diary, Expressions of the Spirits Passions, homo sapiens, Lebrun, once and future king, oscar wilde, T.H. White, the importance of being earnest, The Once and Future King, white, Terence Hanbury White, The Importance of Being Earnest, Introduction, self-expression, expression, homo ferox, homo stultus, homo impoliticus, Oscar Wilde, Wilde, diaries
Which got me to thinking, having recently looked at T.H. White's Once and Future King, I was recently struck by a rather interesting passage towards the end of the omnibus. In it, Merlyn (who lives backwards in time and so has distant memories of the future and vague premonitions about his past) discusses the state of humanity with a young King Arthur, and in particular, the inaccuracies of the title homo sapiens (wise human).
It became obvious that sapiens was inadequate as an adjective, but the trouble was to find another.... a good adjective for a species has to be appropriate to some peculiarity of it....The first suggestion was ferox [fierce], since man is the most ferocious of animals. ...[For] there is not a humble animal in England that does not flee from the shadow of man, as a burned soul in purgatory.Other than homo ferox (fierce human), more suggestions are debated over such as: homo stultus (stupid human) , homo impoliticus (the apolitical human -due to our belief in fighting to solve a problem or arguing to solve a problem).
Now, I find these options to be astonishingly bleak, although they are perfectly understandable suggestions, especially when one considers that T.H. White had only recently returned from the horrors of World War Two before writing such a passage. I do however agree with White that homo sapiens (wise human) is a ridiculously overly optomistic title that we've conveniently dubbed ourselves. Afterall, it is meant to be an adjective that is curious to us as an entire species, and I'm not sure about you, but a simple walk along a crowded street or an hour watching prime time TV with an objective eye can fill anyone with enough doubt that 'wisdom' is our unique moniker.
Which got me to thinking, dear reader, as to what is our unique specialty on the globe? How do we really differ from animals as, on average, an entire species? And it occured to me that we are, in fact Homo Disertus (the expressive human) for there is not a human being alive on the planet that does not in some way shape or form want to express themselves in some way, whether it be through the medium of hair-style, clothing, art, manner of speech, dance, gesture, facial expression, taste in music, taste in anything, anything at all. Everything we do in life, is to some degree a statement to the world in general as to what sort of person we are, or wish to be perceived as.
In the 19th century, the domestic medium of self expression was the diary. As Oscar Wilde wrote: "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train." In the 21st, the domestic manner of self-expression is revealing itself to be the humble 'blog'.
We are the expressive human. We express ourselves therefore we are human. -And perhaps blogging then is the most human activity to undertake. Indeed like all creatures who specialise in a particular activity, I feel it behooves us to be able to perform our unique activity with a sense of flair and ability. If self-expression, is after all, all that which makes us stand out from the 250,000 other species of animal in the world, then by the gods, I'd want to be good at it.
And so with that in mind, dear reader, I have resolved to undertake this blog, as an exercise in being human, and as an exercise in self-expression, but one, I hope that will provide some small entertainment to those who wander upon these pages. What do you expect to see here? Expect anything from erotica through to reviews on opera. Expect film reviews, and youtube clips and philosophical musings. Expect poetry and theology and art works and civil disobedience. Expect criticisms on the behaviour of the human ape, and the manner in which we live. Expect rants and ravings and many many ramblings. Expect to see my digressions and obsessions.
Expect to see me.
Regards.
Algernon Misanthrope.
T.H. White, The Once and Future King, Harper Collins, 1996.
O. Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest.
C. Lebrun, Expressions of the Spirit's Passions, c. 1663.
Charles Lebrun, diary, Expressions of the Spirits Passions, homo sapiens, Lebrun, once and future king, oscar wilde, T.H. White, the importance of being earnest, The Once and Future King, white, Terence Hanbury White, The Importance of Being Earnest, Introduction, self-expression, expression, homo ferox, homo stultus, homo impoliticus, Oscar Wilde, Wilde, diaries
Welcome, Mr Misanthrope, to the blogosphere! Your statements regarding the naming of our species are of interest. Certainly, we are not all wise in the manner of the wisest in our midst - and the popular culture of television and Hollywood will more often than not lower everybody else to the lowest element of our global society. But yet, is that lowest element not "wiser" still than the great apes, our hairy cousins? Is it not yet more endowed with intellect than they who cannot cope with syntax, algebra or taxonomy? Is that not what we mean by "wise", existential considerations aside?
ReplyDeleteYou may be interested in Dawkins' offhand suggestion (although it was not his own) that we are really "homo insipiens". The vast number of other species that have met their own demise during our brief rule as monkey-king is somewhat staggering.
Mr Dear Mr Holloway!
ReplyDeleteSo good of you to join me on this bold adventure in eloquent discourse!
I'm not so certain we can make a lot of conclusions in regards to the intelligence (or lack thereof) possessed by our great ape cousins. Indeed by looking at psychological testing on some great apes in regards to social differentiation, there was much suprise at the fact that great apes scored higher marks than most human children.
However, even a child of four could express themselves better than a great ape with more tools of expression at our disposal (body language, voice, art, dance etc.) Indeed syntax, it could be argued is a tool of expression rather than wisdom. And I would argue that most human beings feel an almost innate urge to express themselves in little ways everyday, whereas a large amount of human beings wouldn't give two hoots about being wise. I think I can safely say that most adults with their high school education well and truly over haven't given algebra the slightest thought, let alone would be able to solve an equation.
Perhaps, I fear, my opinion of the 'lowest' element of humanity is indeed lower than yours? But, that is not surprising. I did live in Western Sydney after all!
I do feel that we as a species are a little enamored by how wonderful our brains are and how smart we all are. Of course this is a statement of much folly considering that, really, we have no way of testing this as a thesis, due to the fact that animals have no ability to express their own levels of wisdom.
I have heard of a similar theory about 'homo insipiens'! Alas, it was in regards to a somewhat half-baked idea that we are actually all alien half-breeds and how there is a second earth under the soil. Oh dear.
Algernon, your very own web-log! Glorious!
ReplyDeleteThere's no denying it! Homo sapiens have the largest/most capable brain of any known species, and within that species you can find examples of individuals demonstrating everything from 1% - 100% of said brain in active use. In which case, any other species only need have a brain 1% the size/capability of ours and (by my estimation) it is smarter than all those to whom I like to apply the very scientific term 'pea brained'. Most unfortunate, but explains why I like to talk to my dog, very good conversation by comparison to some people I know, and!- yesterday I swear she even manage to say 'hello'!
I can not wait to read more of your ramblings and observations, and I hope some of your more creative prose and poetry as well.
My Dearest Mme Valkyrie!
ReplyDeleteI am in agreement with you, and indeed I often advocate the act of talking to oneself in order to have an intelligent conversation!
I hope to provide all manner of ramblings, whether they be creative or not is another affair.