a tribute to brilliance

Speaking with Jason yesterday made me realise – what I had known but seemed obfuscated lately- how brilliant a man he was.

It is quite refreshing to notice one whose brilliance is not institutionalised, as cliché would have it – an uncut diamond. I’m not sure if being brilliant in that way would help you pragmatically in life. But it is a good trait to possess nonetheless.

Signposts along shores abound. The cold winds, world's end blow beginning to. Poor wandering goose rivers, autumn's waters swallow. Welcoming jaws hungry goblins await . Recalcitrance no more hold me shall. Wings flap. Rhythm change beat. No I longer shall. Leave you.

I have, since yesterday, started playing a game of catchup but yet keep up, which I seemed destined to lose. But I’m sure I’d catch up somehow. A friend once said to me “what absolutely needs to be done will be done”. I completely agree with that statement, and more people should.

Dworkin is such a genius it is scary to see how analytical one can get when grasping and explaining vague concepts, not by the usual dilettante way of narrowing it down to something more tangible and referable which we were taught in high school, but grappling with ambiguous and sometimes metaphysical ideas directly, like trying to grip a slippery eel with three fingers.

I find jurisprudence very interesting, contrary to what most of the student population think. It is not my preferred field of philosophy, but if I cant do well in it at undergraduate examination level, I probably shouldn’t be interested in philosophy at all. Kymlicka has said in a different context, “I do philosophy because I think I am good at it”, and if this belief is flawed, even if I never find out, this will still be detrimental to me. But I reckon the exam would justify or completely disprove my belief.

Further to my last post, I am beginning to think how we can expand the harm principle to cover day to day conduct, as a guide to ethically justifiable/unjustifiable intercourse. More on that in awhile.

My blog is far less pictures without jia to post em for me. Haha. Too bad.

I am more or less settled for summer, it seems I will be back mid August. Trying to do math practice questions have signalled the death throes for my diminished wish to become an investment banker upon graduation, and cemented in my mind my ambition to start (hopefully not end) my career as a lawyer.

Thanks to everyone who planned that wonderful surprise party for me. It was awesome.

Anybody with a perfunctory interest in philosophy would have heard of John Stuart Mill’s Harm Principle:

"
...the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant.
"

My self-regarding act i.e. getting drunk actually permutates into an other-regarding act. It causes hurt and heartache for the people close to me. I spout nonsense that I don’t mean and I suffer from a lacuna in my memory. No recollection afterward. Extending the libertarian principle to cover indirect harm toward society in a narrow sense - the people close to me - justify them blocking me from drinking. But that would do no good, since i won't listen. Hence, I will apply a sanction on myself never to get drunk in front of others again. I shall do it in isolation, where the only person I can hurt is myself.

Since you apparently like to air out all our troubles on your blog, I shall do the same

Fuck you.

I was worried, and how the fuck was I suppose to know that I was enjoying when you were ill? U never indicated anything

Also, even if I did know, why couldn’t I be having fun over there? What am I meant to do? Fly back to make sure you are ok? Nothing I do here will make you more or less sick.

You single-handedly ruined a very nice surprise party my friends over here planned for me.

And how contradicting you are. In the card/email(s) you have sent, you have always apologised for being a liability.

So please, make up your mind, clean up your act, and try to have a rationale private conversation without the world as your audience