Goals – Dead-Logic

Three teachers I had the privilege of studying under stand out as having made the greatest impact on my thinking about the concept of truth.

Mr. Kruzan, my humanities teacher in high school, instilled in me a sense of wonder and curiosity and a passion for art, history, and an appreciation for people and cultures different than mine. His influence led to my love for both philosophy and music. He made learning fun. Education to him wasn’t just stats and data: it was an adventure, a journey of discovery. He showed me just how big the world is and how tiny I am in comparison. He dared his students to dream and explore.

Dr. Stark, the philosophy professor at the community college I attended, inspired me to think critically, push aside my prejudices, ask pertinent questions, subject any and all truth claims to the test of rational scrutiny and criticism, and seek after the truth without compromise. He dared his students to question and apply logic and reason.

Dr. Burlington, who taught world religions and humanities classes at the Christian college I attended, encouraged a truth-seeking mentality comprised of compassion towards those who adhere to different beliefs, as well as a desire to understand both what other people believe and why they hold such beliefs, in the hope that perhaps we can learn from one another, understanding that none of us has found all the answers to the big questions about “life, the universe, and everything.” He dared his students to listen empathically and practice grace.

Because of their teachings, I have devoted my life to a pilgrimage towards truth.

How often do we look in the mirror and see things we don’t like? How often do we see things we wish we could change? Why do we feel this way? Who told us we aren’t good enough, or our lives lack value because something we see in the mirror doesn’t fit their criterion?

We’re told everyday how we should look by the media we consume: magazines, movies, television, Internet. Women have it worse, though I know I’ve had moments of self-doubt influenced heavily by the rock-hard six-pack abs I don’t have.

Truth is, healthiness doesn’t come in one size only. Happiness isn’t limited to one body type. People who tell us we’re not good enough are usually just trying to sell us something.

The magazine cover is lying to you: the airbrushed, digitally-altered person on the cover represents the unrealistic bar that has been set. It’s the carrot dangling in front of us that, regardless of how hard we try, we will never be able to reach.

Don’t let society’s conventional wisdom tell you who you should be. If you want to change something about yourself, do it because you want to be a better you, not because you aren’t “good enough,” and not because you need to live up to someone else’s arbitrary standards.

Anyway, here’s an unrelated gif of Neil Breen fighting a white tiger…