Freedom

When a child's parents allow him/her to do more things than other children, is he/she more free? I believe the answer is no. This merely indicates that the child's parents have a different raising method in their minds than most other parents. It might indicate that the parents are more open-minded towards allowing their child to experiment and experience things. But it doesn't say anything about the child's freedom.

Freedom, as I see it, is about having the choice to do a certain action, not about doing the action itself. When people fight for freedom, they fight to have the choice, to have control. I believe freedom is revealed when people disagree about the action. For example, if a child wants to do something, and his parents think he/she shouldn't, and yet he/she gets to do this thing, then that can be called a free person.

It might be trivial that a child has little freedom, but what about adults? Logically, as people grow up, they should be given more freedom gradually, until they get it completely. There's no clear line as to when this full freedom should be given, but it's obvious that this can only happen when the person can make conscious choices and can handle the consequences of any action he/she does.

This is one of the situations where I see how deep sexism is rooted in our societies. Even though it's a well-known fact that females mature 4 or 5 years earlier than males, we find that most males have full freedom before they reach 20, while most females never get it at all. It saddens me beyond words when I see how lucky a girl in her twenties is considered when her parents allow her to do more things than other girls because they're open-minded, and I cannot help but wonder: How many great minds do we have to lose to oppression and sexism before we realize how silly and stupid this whole thing is and decide to do something about it?

"Creation"

If we put the parts of a million watches in a big box and shake this box randomly for billions of years, isn't it possible that one watch would come together and work accurately? If there was a watchmaker who knows the design and has the ability to make the watch perfectly the first time, why would he take billions of years and leave so many traces of trial and error before making it?

For most people, the idea that natural selection and evolution are the real creators of our race is ludicrous even though there is so much evidence to support it. I think this is in part due to the fact that 3.5 billion years is a time so long that most people can't even begin to imagine it. When compared to our relatively short lives, a person tends to mistakenly underestimate such a long period and the amount of events that could take place during it. When this is added to humans' desperate need not to feel lonely, their inherent feeling of extreme superiority to other creatures, and the religious brainwashing almost every person has been undergoing since he/she was a child, I find the outcome quite expected.

Sometimes, I find myself wondering if our race (and especially our society) will ever be able to dig itself out of the comfortable hole of denial and ignorance it's so determined to stay in, consider the facts subjectively, and face reality.....

On Joy and Sorrow

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you
shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

The Prophet
Khalil Gibran

Lights

At certain times, one can't help but think of mankind, and ponder upon the darkness so many people live in. So much injustice, so much pain and suffering, so much oppression.....In the midst of this pressing darkness, however, a select few struggle to shine. Lights that work to lessen the darkness, to give you a glimpse of how good things can be. Lights giving off all sorts of colors, in all sorts of places, united in shining as bright as they could, for as long as they could. To these people, I can only say: Thank you, your very existence makes the world a better place to live in....

Emotions

Emotions......The greatest weakness and greatest strength of humans......Emotions are, in a certain way, what sets us apart as creatures, because we mostly use them to tell right from wrong, and to control pure instinct. However, misuse of emotions can result in things such as religion, unnecessary overattachment, and illogical behaviour. The problem, as I personally see it, is that people try to satisfy their immediate needs without further consideration. How different would our world be if each of us allowed himself/herself to ignore some personal needs so that other, higher needs may be satisfied?