Why?
How often do we ask that question of ourselves?
Why did I…? Why didn’t I…? Why should I…?
When you’re honest with yourself, these questions morph into a time of reflection; if you’re not, then they’ll be answered with a shrug of the shoulders accompanied by a stupefied expression while you state “I dunno!” Of course, you know the answer deep inside, you just don’t want to admit it to yourself…let alone anyone else. Frequently, the honest answer is only found after a considerable amount of time before the bathroom mirror engaged in deep conversation with the only person who knows you to the core. Such was the case with this question or, rather, series of questions.
Why write a blog?
I don’t trust the media. The media constantly spins, manipulates, massages and molds the events of the day to fit a specific narrative. The overseers of the modern media plantation, whether it be news, opinion, journalism or pop culture are adept at arranging, interpreting or just plain omitting the facts of any given topic so it fits neatly into their ideological box which they then gleefully pass on to the consumer; rejoicing in the fact that once they have larded enough of their propaganda into the minds of the viewer/reader/listener, their worldview will eventually become the consumer’s own. A virtual trojan horse delivered to the gates of unsuspecting and gullible minds who would prefer to be told what to think as opposed to performing the heavy lifting of thinking for themselves.
I don’t trust reject post-modern philosophy. This is the post-modern definition of a free-thinker from Merriam-Webster:
One who forms opinions on the basis of reason independently of authority; especially : one who doubts or denies religious dogma.
What? So, according to post-modern philosophy, a free-thinker is someone who fits their opinions into a nice, tidy box?!?!? I’m not a particularly religious man, but I do have a belief and faith in God…one that was brought about by personal experience; to exclude this belief entirely from the formation of my opinions would not fit my definition of a free-thinker…simply put, someone who thinks for themselves based on the knowledge that individual has accumulated to this point in his life. In all honesty, I chose the title of this blog because it strikes me as an oxymoron, it is quite impossible to be a truly free-thinker. Show me the individual who is completely free from bias, prejudices, pre-conceived notions, appeals to authority and dependence upon the influence of others and I’ll show you an individual that never bloody existed! The traditional definition of a free-thinker was someone who was not afraid to challenge their own pool of knowledge when evidence to the contrary presented itself. A free-thinker would examine the evidence, a free-thinker would contemplate the evidence, a free-thinker would come to a conclusion that either fit naturally into their mold of reason or expanded their understanding of life and the meaning of it. The realm of free-thinkers has no room for those who reflexively embrace something simply because it challenges some establishment…in other words, we never shift paradigms without a clutch. The post-modern definition of a free-thinker must, by definition, place boundaries on the realm of their thoughts; this is not a free-thinker. How is rejecting out-of-hand something which challenges an individual’s conventional wisdom a form of free-thought? To the contrary, this is a sign of an enslaved mind.
Writing a blog is the perfect way for me to show other fellow travelers that reason and faith are not mutually exclusive to one another.
Who cares what you think?
Actually, I believe a lot of people do. I’m not some extremist nutter who likes to assault the canvas of life with a monochrome pallet. I love the photography of Ansel Adams, but what truly made his photographs so beautiful and majestic was not only the sharp contrast of light and shadow, but the various shades of grey that gave them depth. I know that shades of grey, in a metaphorical sense, is what give the human race our depth, our individuality and ultimately, our cohesion as a species. In today’s post-modern world, diversity is a purely cosmetic trait…the color of your skin, sexual orientation, heritage, etc. We are all painted as black or white, gay or straight, immigrant or citizen…you get the drift. Never is diversity expressed in intellectual, philosophical and ideological terms. All thinking must be homogeneous…you don’t fit in if you do not support gay marriage, you can’t be a good liberal unless you’re “green” in your thinking; to consider yourself a conservative, you must have an unflinching belief in unregulated capitalism. The socially accepted point of view is dictated by the whims of those who wield the most power. I don’t buy any of that bullsquirt. Socially, I’m conservative…economically, I guess I’d be considered a moderate. Running through all facets of my life are streaks painted in varying shades of grey ranging from conservatism, libertarianism and classic liberalism…never, though, will you find me to be a libertine. In this respect, I’m convinced that I’m more in touch with the majority of my countrymen than the majority of those who wield the power of the microphone.
Writing a blog is the perfect way for me to show other fellow travelers that they are not alone.
Don’t you have better things, more important things to do?
Good point…I have a career in IT to cultivate and maintain, I’m an avid woodworker…that takes time, I have a family to look after, I have my own little slice of the American dream to preserve. God knows that there are a million other things I could be doing that would likely be more productive than blogging! But…suppose my blog reaches one person? One single person who is inspired to challenge the status quo, resist the efforts to divide us into categories, to join in an intellectual “battle of Thermopylae”? Suppose that person is inspired to reach out and influence more warriors? Get the point?
As it turns out, writing a blog is the perfect way for me to make a difference.
The Truly Free Thinker 