Philosophy As A Guide To Human Conduct

I was once asked by someone to recommend some introductory books of philosophy. He told me that he wished philosophy could serve as a guide to human conduct. I usually do not like to recommend books to anyone as the wonders of universe are best to be discovered by our own. Unfortunately, his insistence left me no choice but offered a few suggestions such as Bertrand Russell's The History of Western Philosophy and Alain de Botton's The Consolations of Philosophy. Philosophy has been given the impression that it offers wisdoms of life written by great men in history which could serve as a guide as to how we should live. No doubt philosophy offers wisdoms of great men. But for those who wish philosophy to serve as a guide to human conduct, they are, however, deeply mistaken. Not only philosophy is unable to serve as a guide as to how we should live, but this illusion also shows a lack of understanding of what philosophy actually is.

Philosophy has, in history, changed lives and filled minds. It sheds light upon us as to how we can look at the world from all sorts of different perspectives. Little wonder philosophy has produced different schools of thoughts. Plato argues that our moral values are objective while the utilitarians maintain that our actions are ethical as long as they maximise the happiness of humans. How, then, do we determine which school to follow as our guide to human conduct? Moreover, what seems desirable to you on a certain matter in a school of philosophy does not entail that its views on other matters are desirable to you as well. Nietzschean philosophy, for instance, may be right about Christianity but it may irritate you in the realm of politics after knowing Nietzsche was one of the founders of Nazism.

My second line of argument is of greater importance. Philosophy, like science, appeals to reason. It does not appeal to authority. It is the speculation of matters which have yet no definite answers. It lies in not what opinions are held but how they are held. It does not decide with absolute certainty on what matters are right and wrong. On the contrary, it leaves room for doubt. A philosopher, like a mathematician, should regard a mathematical proof of probability as beautiful and remain fresh open to evidence. Following a certain school of philosophy is no different from declaring this school of thoughts as absolute truth. It glues your mind to fixed assumptions and principles which deeply runs counter to the essence of philosophy. This is how wars of religions were inspired in history which each sect was certain of its beliefs and proclaimed the other was deluded.

Philosophy is not important in the sense that it provides wisdoms of great men, but it is important in how it provokes our rational enquiry and unbiased evaluation of evidence. It cordons off our minds from prejudices and taboos and encourages us to scrutinise societal conventions that are liable to be taken as gospel. In a world where we habitually stifle our doubts and follow the flock, our minds are persecuted by the tyranny of public opinion. The epidemic of this unthinking attitude has found its way to our conception of philosophy. Our personalities are too diverse to be guided by a school of thoughts. Only through a true philosophical outlook, we liberate ourselves from this imprisonment.

W

On Pessimism

Life constitutes happiness and pain. Anyone who has acquired a certain amount of life experience can testify that pain outweighs happiness. This is very unfortunate, but it is a fact that we must accept. Different people, as their tempers vary, devise different methods to deal with misfortunes. The most common method they employ is optimism. An optimistic outlook, I am told, can help boast up one's confidence and deal with misfortunes with hope. It encourages you to see things from a different perspective which sounds encouraging. Optimism, they believe, can generate every bit of possible happiness in us in the highest degree. But let us flip the coin to the other side and see what it offers- pessimism.

Pessimism is always considered a derogatory term. It is assumed to be a way to deal with life negatively. It does not just intensify our sadness when we are confronted with frustrations, but it also undermines the pleasure we receive in our happiest moments. It is believed that people who acquire a pessimistic outlook have stronger suicidal impulse because everything in this world is rendered hopeless. 'So what good is it of?' one may ask. On the face of it, it seems to downplay our happiness. But some philosophers offer a different perspective. Pessimism, they claim, is probably the best way to deal with life. Arthur Schopenhauer promotes suicide as he thinks the direct purpose of life is suffering. Unfortunately, he himself does not live up to his own standard. Nietzsche, after meditating on the course of history, concludes that history is not necessarily progressive. On the contrary, in most cases, it is regressive. Rousseau sides with them and thinks that we should revert back to our natural instincts and contemplate what we truly desire. He reminds us that our civilisation is actually going backwards and we are tempted by unnecessary desires. Therefore, it is an illusion to think that civilisation is always advancing. We always overestimate ourselves and invest too much hope in our future. Take a look at the reality. What actually happens is that things usually do not turn out as we expect and this world is flourished with tears and evil. This progressivism wears us down. It renders us depressed and frustrated.

The Japanese are the masters of pessimism who can definitely, I think, teach us some important lessons about life. It is easier to start with a culturally significant symbol, namely, cherry flowers. They have this custom of flower viewing, or if my dear reader prefers, hanami (花見) which was originally adopted from China. But needless to say, this custom has been lost in China. Cherry flowers usually blossom from January all the way down to April depending on different regions in Japan. The Japanese would usually take this chance to gather at parks to appreciate the blossoming. But yet Cherry flowers has another cultural meaning. Cherry flowers usually blossom at the end of each student year which many students may move to city for the convenience of work or continue their education overseas. Therefore, it signifies loneliness. It represents the separation of friends and romantic partners. This scenery invites us back to a melancholic sentiment. It is often associated with the idea of 'mono no aware' (物の哀れ), the fleeting nature of things which we often express our sadness at. The unspeakable delight of friendship, the ineffable kindness of our romantic partners, and the unconditional love of our parents, it is usually too late when we realise our need to secure them. However, this scenery is often beautifully depicted in literature, novels, poem, music and films. It seems to me it is not their wish to decry such sentiment. On the contrary, this sentiment needs celebration. However sad it is, it is sadly beautiful. Little wonder samurais performed their Seppukus under cherry trees.

But what do we learn from this pessimism? How do we deal with life with this sort of pessimism? It is an inevitable fact that everything has its own due course which we have no control over. Perhaps we should just let the chips fall where they may. Moreover, if there is no death, there is no reborn. This is utterly sad but it is also a form of sadness we have to live with. But you may ask, 'what about our desire to preserve our culture and history? Is it not important to retain our identity?' Needless to say, culture and history are important for they give depth and stability in thoughts. But there is no contradiction here. In fact, it is precisely this sentiment which gives birth our utmost desire to preserve them. It is because everything has its own due course, however futile our effort may be, we still strive to preserve them. The history of mankind has persuaded us that Homo Sapiens are capable of accomplishing what seems to be the unimaginable and explaining what seems to be the unknowable. Is it not reasonable that our wish to preserve things that are of great importance to human values should be rendered possible? But none of this could have achieved without pessimism. Only through a pessimistic outlook, we can rise above the land of agony and conquer the world with free intelligence.

For those who are still not convinced that pessimism is a better way to deal with life, here is one example. It seems the human minds have the capacity to find pleasure from tears and sorrows. I am referring to the great art of tragedy. Are we not often sensibly touched by the great plays of tragedy? Are we not often moved to tears by a piece of exquisite music which inspires our dark moods? Would you, dear reader, suggest that we are inherently masochistic? But why are we delighted of such sentiments? Monsieur Fontenelle offers an answer:

'This idea, though weak and disguised, suffices to diminish the pain which we suffer from misfortunes of those whom we love, and to reduce that affliction to such a pitch as converts it into a pleasure. We weep for the misfortune of a hero to whom we are attached. In the same instant we comfort ourselves by reflecting, that it is nothing but a fiction: and it is precisely that mixture of sentiments which composes an agreeable sorrow, and tears that delight us.'

This mixture of sentiments seems to resemble that of our sentiment for the fleeting nature of things and our wish to secure them. In Monsieur Fontenelle's case, he explains that the audience may be deeply moved to tears by the tragedy which happens to the characters in the play, but the audience seems to, on the other hand, deny such sentiment by convincing itself that it is a fiction. In like manner, it saddens us that everything has its due course, but it is such sentiment which makes us go on to, in a degree, deny our pessimism by investing hope in the human race. Though this seems a good explanation, David Hume is not satisfied. He goes on further to add,

'The genius required to paint objects in a lively manner, the art employed in collecting all the pathetic circumstances, the judgement displayed in disposing them; the exercise, I say, of these noble talents, together with the force of expression, and beauty of oratorial numbers, diffuse the highest satisfaction on the audience, and excite the most delightful movements.'

Put it this way, only through artistic genius, one can convert even the most melancholic passion into pleasure. The artistic beauty of delivering a great work of poetry will transform our melancholy and sorrows into a soft and tender one. It inspires in us a new sentiment to perceive the true beauty of a tragedy. Hume goes on to quote elder Pliny,

'It is very remarkable, says he, that the last works of celebrated artists, which they left imperfect, are always the most prized, such as the Iris of Aristides, the Tyndarides of Nicomachus, the Medea of Timomachus, and the Venus of Apelles. These are valued even above their finished productions. The broken lineaments of the piece, and the half-formed idea of the painter, are carefully studied; and our very grief for that curious hand, which has been stopped by death, is an additional increase to our pleasure.

These instances are sufficient to afford us some insight into the analogy of nature, and to show us, that the pleasure which poets, orators, and musicians give us, by exciting grief, sorrow, indignation, compassion, is not so extraordinary or paradoxical as it may at first sight appear.'

I have in mind some other examples. Charles Dickens' 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' was left unfinished, however, it was highly praised up to a point that it was made into a film and musical. The unfinished works of Leonardo da Vinci, such as 'Adoration of the Magi', are still being appreciated down to this day which scholars still carefully study them. As we have already seen, when our despair, melancholy, tears, and sorrows are presented with artistic sensibility, they not only become beautiful, but also please and delight us.

An pessimistic outlook does not make us masochistic. It only reduces our hope in the future into a soft and tender one. It removes us from disillusionment and resignation. It refines and polishes our sentiment of excitement. We all know loneliness gives us uneasiness. But a little loneliness is fruitful. When we are apart from our best friends, the first moment may yield us to despair, yet nothing is more favourable than such short interval of separation. When we reunite again, the companionship that we receive is far more agreeable. Lovers often complain the absence of their partners, yet the love they experience would not been more passionate if they could not endure loneliness. Only through pain, we find the greatest good of human passions.

Pessimism is no nihilism. Nihilism denies the value of everything which renders our actions meaningless. On the other hand, pessimism expects nothing but works at everything. It distils our emotions into the most finest and sophisticated degree. It motivates us to struggle for a better future, yet we will not be confronted with despair and depression when things do not turn out the way we wish them to be. Nietzche in his whole life was met with immense difficulties, but he consoles us with the thought that only we encounter difficulties, we learn from mistakes and perfect ourselves. Pessimists are lightened by life's absurdities. They know how to strike a balance between weight and lightness. They can appreciate the beauty when flowers blossom, while in awe of the beauty when they wither and not being distracted by its sadness.

'The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.' - James Branch Cabell

W

On Cats

Having dwelt upon dogs in the last entry, I come to another common pet, namely, cats. My attitude towards cats is the exact opposite of that towards dogs. I like cats, especially the Burmese cats, the "posh pussies". They are very adorable. In comparison to dogs, cats are much less passionate. They barely want company. They have the virtue of enjoying loneliness and serenity. They suit my temperament in every way.

Cats, unlike dogs, do not greet you when you come home except on rare occasions. Training is not required. Even if you try, they will not listen. They barely comply to your commands. A strong sense of individuality. It is almost as if they have free will. That is why many people have the impression of cats always being unfriendly. But not at all. Sometimes they are friendly. They behave like dogs except that they replace the noble act with "meow" and with much less excitement instead of barking and whining. They talk to you. But most of the time, they are quiet and living their lives in solitude. They are smarter too. I once had the fortune to observe how a cat managed to open a door with their bare claws. They know how to use a human toilet when they are told to do so. And they talk to birds. They do not display anything inferior to the human intellect.

Our attitude towards cats also greatly differs from dogs. They are always associated with divine and mystical qualities in both East and West. Also both good and evil. In Japan, cats are bound up with mystical qualities. There is a story which you often hear around the Fuji mountain that if you happen to live in one of those hotels around the Fuji mountain, the next morning you will wake up with scratches all over your body. And it is rumoured that the "evil cats" do them. Whether this story is true, I have not had the chance to investigate. Another example would be that cats can help increase our wealth. You will often find that these types of cat figures are placed in front of the door of most houses in Japan which you also often see them in Hong Kong. Cats also play a significant role in modern Japanese popular culture. You see in many Japanese cartoons that cats are associated with divine quality such as Dragonball which is always wise enough to give advice to humans and offers beans to help replenish energy. In ancient Egypt, cats were sacred animals. The solar and war goddess Bast was always depicted in a cat form. A great deal of cats were mummified in ancient Egypt. They were treated with a lot of respect. Little wonder the sphinx is a cat.

In the West, people have negative superstitions about cats. The most significant one is black cats which are often associated wickedness. It is considered one will have bad luck if he happens to see one. In films and novels, dark cats are often depicted as a sign of evil.

Having said so much about cats, it is natural to come to the conclusion that the relationship between humans and cats is friendship. But is that really so? They are seen as equal. Both of us have a strong sense of free will. Unlike dogs, cats have liberated themselves from the bondage of master and slaves. Even surpassed that of master and servant. They want to be treated as ends, not as means. They often send you the message that you are not the only owner of the house. But we are!

Cats are usually owned by lonely adults while dogs are usually owned by a family. But why? Why does a cat deserve so much attention for lonely adults? Because they are equal. And the adults are lonely. Owning cats gives you a strong sense that resembles friendship. Like humans, they exercise their free autonomy. You do not take care of them because they do. When you talk to them, they respond. When they dislike what you are saying, they walk away. They do things which resembles what a friend would do to you. Moreover, some of their behaviours are humanlike. Living in a contemporary era where friendship is difficult to attain, cats are the solution. They play with us literally, emotionally, and psychologically. Cats deserve a higher place than dogs. Just a thought.

W

On Dogs

Science has brought us a great deal of benefits. One of them is the mastery over nature. Animals, in primitive times, were a threat to our survival. But science has changed our perspective. Many of them are now locked up in cages in zoos at the expense of human pleasure. Some get processed and eaten. We are now living in a time where Homo Sapiens drive them out to the road of extinction. Nevertheless, there is still hope for the human race. After the Industrial Revolution, the middle class has emerged. They have invented a new kind of leisure which has been popular down to this day. A certain kinds of animals are now put in a category called "pets". Pets are of many sorts. One of the most common ones is dogs.

I met Jackie nine months ago. We are now living in the same house since my cousins insisted on having one. But I never like dogs. I am scared of them though as time moves on I have become less so. They are too passionate and sometimes, up to a point, irritating. They constantly need company and like to draw our attention through a noble act called "barking and whining". They are not the kind of creatures that suit my temperament.

The first thing dog owners do when they get their dogs is train them. A dog is considered naughty when he disobeys its master's command. A dog is supposed to sit when the master tells him to sit. To lie down when the master tells him "down". Some of them are even trained to do some practical daily tasks like picking up newspaper and catching thieves. Who says slavery has ended over 150 years ago?

So what is the nature of the relationship between humans and pets? And particularly, humans and dogs? I was once told by a experienced dog owner that we ought to let our dog watch us have dinner without letting him have his own. We should only give him dinner after we finish our own. In other words, we ought to inflict a physical torture upon our dog. This sends the signal to the dog that we are his master. And he can only have his dinner after we do so.

"Dogs are human's best friends."- so at least I have been told. But what is this? Is that how we are supposed to treat our "friends"? What is the mind-set behind owning a dog? Dogs and humans are not seen as equal. They are inferior to humans. We give him commands and we expect him to obey. When he disobeys, he is blamed. However, we should not be rashly driven to the conclusion that this sort of relationship resembles that of master and slave. In some respect, dogs and humans are really "friends". Dogs constantly need company. We need to play with them. We need to walk them every day. When we come home, they will greet us at the door. This relationship is based upon mutual pleasure. It is "reciprocal altruism".

So does this relationship resemble that of master and servant? Not necessarily. Servants are free. Dogs are not. They are only free only when we free them. Servants often give advice to their masters. Servants are more like friends though they ultimately have to obey his master's command. But they are free to express their opinions with the utmost honesty. They are free to leave when they are not pleased. The situation for dogs, on the contrary, is not quite promising. They have to listen to their master's commands with absolute obedience. They cannot leave even when they are displeased with their masters.

Can we explain the nature of the relationship between humans and dogs? In the West, people love pets. They are compassionate. They treat their pets as part of their families though they still proclaim themselves as masters. In the Western tradition, dog are associated with the virtues of "friendliness" and "loyalty". In the East, on the contrary, especially in China and perhaps only China, dogs are considered wicked. They are inferior to humans. Most of the bad things in Chinese culture are associated with dogs. When we condemn a public official in a disrespectful way, we are calling them "dog officials". When we accuse of someone being sneaky, we call them "dog". Like other countries, paparazzi is condemned in, say, Hong Kong. But the word paparazzi is also associated with dog in Chinese. The only instance of praising dog in Chinese culture that I can think of, as far as my memory serves me, is the character in a famous ancient Chinese literature called "The Journey To The West" who is smart and loyal. He is also an assistant of a "fighting" god up in "heaven" (This is not an accurate translation).

Though the association of dogs in China is much different from that in the West, dogs do not always appear as good as it is commonly supposed. We often encounter a saying in English such as "We treat someone like dogs". Of course, one usually does not assume that that "someone" is referred as being loyal and friendly when we say this. On the contrary, we usually mean we treat him as something inferior to humans.

Perhaps now we can come to the conclusion that our relationship with dogs is a half way between master and servant and master and slave. But why do we own dogs? Is it because of "friendship"? Is "friendship" even an appropriate word? But as we see in my analysis, we are not friends since we are not seen as equal. Thomas Velbens once says that owning dogs reflects our status of class and wealth. But this is no longer true. Dogs are perhaps one of the best consolations for our mental life. In human affairs, it seems free will does not exist. There are so many human affairs that we have no control over. Even Socrates once says, "Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity." Planning is useless since there is always interference. Therefore, having owned a dog restores that sense of control in us. It makes us regain the power to be the masters of what we will to do. Secondly, living in a world which is commercially driven, people are strapped with the bondage of the here and now. Merits not measured on money are deplored. It devalues the unspeakable delight of friendship. It undermines our emotional sensibility. People no longer have patience with all your deep talks. Communication between souls is no longer important. As technology invades every single part of our life, it has become even more difficult. When we own a dog, we have a silent companion except a few barking. He will be delighted to listen to us. We can speak from our heart with the utmost honesty and the utmost delicacy of human sentiments. And he shall not interfere us and agree with us on the whole. In this confusing era, dogs have become our true soul mates.

But then again, if dogs become our friends, we should also take pity on the life that we lead.

W

Is Ignorance A Bliss?

When we were children, we often dreamed to be adults. They seemed to us are free in all ways in which we were not. No one would interfere with what they do. They are able to freely enjoy all the spectacles of joy that life has to offer. Now, our wish seems to be fulfilled. We are officially adults right now. We are confronted with the crudest reality. Our life is filled with anxieties and worries. Our desire for friendship always comes quickly, but friendship is rarely found anymore. We, for the first time in our life, come to realise the painful fact that all men are wicked. The world is full of hatred and grievances. All of a sudden, we wish we could live as children again, free of worries and anxieties. We wish we could lead a life in ignorance. We often ponder upon the wisdom whether ignorance is a bliss. And we always seem to arrive the same conclusion that this is really the case. Socrates once says that the only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance. Is he wrong?

Let us see what happens when people are aware of the cruel facts of reality. As an ordinary white collar, you may work hard but you will not often be rewarded with the work you have done because hard work is mandatory. What you do is never enough for your boss. When your work is too outstanding, jealousy is often the sentiment you get from your colleagues. When you have done one thing wrong, regardless of what you have achieved for your company, you may worry at length whether your boss still thinks well of you; We are often told romantic love is the greatest delight we encounter in our life. However, having experienced it, we often wonder whether we can ever understand the inextricable relationship between men and women. In marriage, either party is anxious of whether the other party will commit adultery; Money is often the major driving force for men nowadays. They are dominated by it. Most of the greatest pleasures in your life depend upon how rich you are. But it also brings us as much miseries as happiness. If you start making money yourself and living on your own, you may know how hard it is to afford a lifestyle that you had as a teenager. Nevertheless, we still enjoy making money. Because we are aware of the fact that money does not necessarily bring us happiness, but it does buy unhappiness off.

As we look around nowadays, our Utopia, I often wonder, may perhaps have come. Ignorance is praiseworthy. Being knowledgeable is condemned. Having lived in an age of our own, we should not be surprised that one does not know the geographical locations of major cities in the world. It is exceptionally normal that people are no longer concerned how to lead a good life. They only need to know how much money and at what time they should invest in stock market. It does not matter whether philosophy, art, and literature can promote civilisation. In modern age, business administration is supreme. It promises us a good career in the future. We should take the values that our society holds as granted. It is needless to criticise and evaluate them since uncertainty renders us insecure. It no longer matters whether what we believe in is truth. Truth is not important. It is "truth" as long as it is comforting. Homo Sapiens cannot be more confident.

The virtue of ignorance becomes prevalent. Unfortunately, people do not seem a whole lot happier. On the contrary, the exact opposite happens. Ignorance has caused more miseries than ever. Why is that so? The answer probably lies in what sort of ignorance we delve into. It seems to me the Homo Sapiens have led themselves in the completely wrong direction of ignorance. And that kind of ignorance is what we may call the "pig ignorance". Ignorance of this kind is the blindness of the deluded. Their stupidity may sustain some sort of happiness. But this sort of happiness is shallow and unstable. If we lead our life with "pig ignorance", we are not only "ignorant". We are mistaken in false beliefs as truths which breeds stupidity. Therefore, taboos, bias, and prejudices will come in many ways unnoticed. On the other hand, the other sort of ignorance is wise ignorance. It is the ignorance of Socrates. It is also the ignorance only a minority of the world population profess to have. They use scepticism as a tool to analyse matters of the world. Their ignorance lies not in what opinions are held, but how they are held. They do not hold most of things happened in the world as absolutely certain. And they always arrive conclusions which are nearer to the truth. In the city of Athens, Socrates often wander around the streets next to the gymnasium questioning people about the values that they hold at the time. This is not because he is superior to them that he can teach them the "right" values. He never claims to know the truths. In fact, he claims to know nothing except the fact that he knows nothing. He wishes others to light his way through ignorance. However, it turns out he is wisest person in the city. We are all ignorant but we should become wise of the fact. Only after we desire to know more, we will be convinced that we are truly ignorant.

"Pig ignorance" is detrimental to human progress. It condemns human civilisation. It prevents us from discovering the wonders of the universe. With pig ignorance, philosophy, art, literature, and science would not be possible. Our world would not be very different from the one in Stone Age. "Wise ignorance", on the contrary, cherishes the human intellect. It urges us to conquer the world with free intelligence. It drives science if it is a quest of unknown. Science explores the world that was previously unknown to us. It expands our limits of understanding up to a degree than we can ever imagine. It possesses the essence of "wise ignorance". It teaches us to realise the evils of certainty and learn to entertain doubts. Doubt is humble and certainty is arrogance. Only through "wise ignorance", human progress is possible.

In the twenty-first century, where ignorance is the hallmark of social eminence, I must confess that I am unable to live up to the standard upheld by the majority. For me, this is very unfortunate. This glorious century marks the supreme victory of "pig ignorance". I have endeavoured to change myself but what I am met is endless frustrations. Is it the outcome of the survival of fittest? I do not know. This regret, I fear, will still taunt me after death.

W

A Change of My Outlook

The direct purpose of life is suffering- so at least I have been told by Arthur Schopenhauer. I, for a time, thought that this attitude of life was masochistic which would lead to unhappiness. I once had a discussion with my best friends about my general outlook. One told me I was optimistic in essence and the other pessimistic. For many years of my life, I thought I had acquired an optimistic outlook which was contrary to Schopenhauer's maxim. However, for the last two years, I have come to see myself in a different perspective.

I have devoted myself into studying Japanese culture for the last two years which has led to discover my new self which I was denying throughout my life. I have developed a keen interest in Japanese film and music. Moreover, I have come across the fortune to investigate some of the Japanese philosophy. Needless to say, my interest in Japanese culture came much earlier in my life, but my passion for it has been intensified by leaps and bounds since two years ago. And I have an affinity towards their pessimistic elements in their culture ever since. Japanese are a nation of people who value pessimism over optimism. They value failure over victory but are yet reluctant to accept failure. They think that an optimistic outlook can only be acquired through pessimism. Take, for instance, the appreciation of cherry flowers. It is true that they are definitely moved by the beauty when the cherry flowers blossom. But they also admire the beauty when cherry flowers wither. They do not only admire the beauty of a full moon, but admire the beauty more of a moon partially covered by clouds. Of course, it is true, they have longed to preserve the samurai spirit. But it is thought that the prevailing of the samurai spirit is not as intriguing and romantic as the fallen of samurai spirit. This line of thought has come to dominate Japanese aesthetics which is unduly pessimistic. However pessimistic it is, it is through such pessimism we attain the value of optimism for perfection can only be secured through imperfection. Only through death, we start to realise the value of our existence. Only through unendurable pain and our darkest despair, we come to know what happiness is. And only through the loneliest loneliness, we honour the value of friendship, of parental love, and of romantic love.

In today's commercially driven societies, merits not measured in money are not valued. Our life becomes dull and less romantic because our sentiments are rendered vulgar by the virtue of hard work. In Japanese thoughts, we find our sentiments in their fullest delicacy and expression which is something that the Western philosophy somehow lacks. And I have come to my pessimistic character because of this. This line of though is undoubtedly influenced by Taoism. Unfortunately or fortunately, Japan has retained the best of Chinese culture and China the worst of it. And the Japanese has executed this art of living to perfection. For the first time in my life, I find the great merits of pessimism for happiness comes only through sadness. This coming year will be one of the grievous moments of my life, but I am prepared to believe there will be more ahead of my life. Perhaps this is the beauty of tragedy. Life goes on.

W

A Note For My Friends

This summer is coming to an end. My dear reader might wonder why this summer is worth an entry on this blog as there will be another summers in the ongoing years. However, this summer is different and of immense importance. The upcoming year will be the last year of my student life. That is to say, this is my last summer holidays. "Schooling is the happiest moment of one's life."- so at least I have been told. Therefore, this summer also marks the end of the happiest moment of my life.

Throughout all these years, I must myself admit I have not learnt a great deal from my teachers and the textbooks in school. But I have met great friends that have enriched my life. Many of my old time friends are regrettably now gone. Fortunately, I have met a great deal in my secondary school which I hope will be my lifelong friends. If they are not lifelong, they are still memorable for they enchanted the happiest moment of my life. That is what makes schooling important. It is important not because it instills countless useless knowledge into my mind, but because I have met some of the best companions in my life.

Our roads to future still remain uncertain. We do not know where we will be going. As time passes by, we may choose to separate or we may choose to treasure this friendship. But no one can say certainly where we will end up to be. After we step into the filthy world of business, we may choose to separate because of work or simply because you meet new people. We are stepping into a completely different world. Thank you, my friends, for being part of my life and for giving me my last wonderful summer. Our separation is undoubtedly sad but yet sadly beautiful. We should not only admire the beauty of the union of great friends but we should also admire the beauty of the separation of them though it moves us to tears. Because this moment is splendid. Our love of friendship is deeply connected over the vast ocean of anguish. It is what makes our friendship honourable. If we are not to experience this sort of loneliness, we would not know what friendship is all about.

My friends have done much good to me, but I am afraid I have no chance to return the favour. For this, I apologise.

For those who are tagged, you may not be my best friend, but you are tagged simply for being part of my wonderful summer. For all my best friends (who need not to mention), this is for you.

W