Afterthoughts from Backpacking in Thailand, Cambodia & Laos

Satisfaction and confusion were the emotions I saw most often. Although, it is debatable whether they were truly the emotions of others, or created in my own mind and then impressed upon others.

Then, along came the Doctor, and I don’t think either of us knew what to do.

What was right for Me?

What was right for You?

What was Just and Fair? And for whom was it Fair to?

Of course, nothing from before mattered anymore. Not when there was so much immediate brightness. There was only now.

“There is only one day left, always starting over: It is given to us at dawn and taken away from us at dusk.” — Jean-Paul SartreThe act of love is the only true form of love. There is no meaning to it except what we give it. The value of any belief is nothing more what we assign to it and there is no love aside from the deeds of love.

To be a great man, or woman, requires the strength and courage to create and habituate  a solitary existence. The worlds greatest lie; that we have lost control over what is happening to us, and our lives are controlled by an unknown fate.

“What a man thinks of himself, that is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate.” — Henry David Thorea

Accepting there is no universal standard means only I can deem an action correct. What passes as custom today may seem barbaric years from now. To avoid the risk of jealousy, or misunderstanding we must each as individuals be truthful and transparent.

“If I satiate my desires, I ‘sin’  but I deliver myself from them: If I refuse to satisfy them, they infect my entire soul.” — Jean-Paul Sarte

Life and Love is an action, not a thought. A courageous man is not born a courageous man, he becomes one through courageous acts. Just as a coward is not born a coward, but becomes a coward when he commits cowardly deeds. The goal of our life is to be, or do — it is a constant project, and reevaluation of our goals, desires, and morality.

Without other people, a large part of who we are would remain unknown. We reflect back to others the important parts, as they reflect back to us, what we need to see. We are not what we have done, but constantly free to do, and become who we want to be.

“I exist, that is all, and I find it nauseating” — Jean-Paul Sarte

It is existence itself, the creating anew, which give existentialists reason to continue. Although for us, existence and hell are somewhat the same (and heaven for that matter).

So really, the point is; there is no point, unless you decide there is.