Thread: Character

Through the mist of my reality there seems to be thoughts that I never seem to be able to leave behind me, the insanity of problems that never seem to untangle, ideas that I can never seem to grasp and questions I can never seem to answer.

Character is one of those things.
What am I? Or perhaps it is more interesting to ask; what can I become?

We all are – at least to a certain extent – aware of the ways we act, yet what is it that dictates the way our minds are crafted?

The Materialist would answer without putting any further thought to it that our behaviour is carved on every single cell of our bodies and that our spirit is nothing but a ghost of our ancient past. He would answer that with the confidence – not of a believer – but with the conviction of it being as indisputable as the force that keeps our feet on the ground. He would have plenty of research to back it up to, and in no way would it elude him that his knowledge not only dismisses the idea of a human spirit but requires the death of it, for after all consciousness and free will are nothing but mysticism and hold no place in a scientific reality.

A different view would be offered the Psychologist, he knows that we are shaped by the ways we have experienced, like the mountains that are carved by the winds of time and the rain of the seasons. And just like we are a product of our past, our past paves the way for our futures.

Both these views might seem different superficially, but the end of both are the same, man is but a beast in shackles carried by destiny and bound to obey. Neither of these view let there be room for responsibility, responsibility is an impractical delusion. From the pheromones that makes us choose partner to the shyness of an individual due to his early relation to his father, none of those things leave us with any room for choice.

But there must be some other way right? Reality could never be this cruel could it? Perhaps we should go the warmth of God and seek shelter in His light, or maybe we should find a way to escape; a way to survive. How is fantasy inferior to realty?

There are of course other views – other ways to solve this great question –through the ages many have tried and failed. Freud’s theory of the mind (or should I call it abomination?) is one that did not make it and as it slowly loses its grip on the world one must realize not all these concept can be true, reality can’t hold any contradictions.

So, does anyone have a good guess on what we could be?