Philosophy of the Void

I think humility is the greatest sign of intelligence. One often hears of geniuses who are full of themselves or who are otherwise personality-impaired. I think this signifies stupidity - such people have not developed the ability to handle the cognitive machinery genetically handed down to them. There is no difference between this type of personality and the rich kid who brags about his family’s wealth or status. In both cases, the subject of bragging is not a function of the person’s existence, but rather of external factors that were (for better or for worse) beyond the person’s control. To be proud of such things is tantamount to bragging about the sunny weather.

When I arrived here last year, one of the first documents I received was called “General Guidelines to Bathroom Etiquette.”  Apparently, getting into Harvard doesn’t mean you know the functional difference between a sink, a urinal, or a shower stall.  The sad thing is, according to the authorities, all of the things written on this were based in fact.  If you ever put up a Harvard student in your home, you might want to remind them that it’s inappropriate to “smear hair on the shower wall” or “urinate or defecate in the sink” or “store urine in rooms and dispose of it later in the bathrooms or trash cans.”  Also be aware that they may release a lot of blood and “mucus.”

People sometimes compare mankind to a virus or plague. This comparison seems adequate insofar as we continue to destroy the environment and ultimately render our existence untenable. The negative connotations associated with this metaphor, however, seem unjustified. Population explosions have recurred throughout the history of life. The subsequent decimation of species including the perpetrator could even be described as the natural course of events. If this has any “meaning,” I suppose it might be to rid the planet of incumbent species to give others a fresh start. In this sense, the natural role of mankind might be to reformat the earth, precisely through a process that strikes us as irrational, unsustainable, rampant destruction. If this is true, our petrol firms and SUV drivers are perhaps the greatest environmentalists of our time. Similarly, environmentalism in its conventional sense is highly artificial. It would be a remarkable feat, of course, if mankind were able to break out from this seemingly preordained fate. This would constitute the ultimate overcoming of nature and attainment of artificiality. From the perspective of life, I’m not sure whether this would constitute a good or bad outcome.