Preamble:
There is a great difficulty in deciding where to begin here:
As the title of my website should suggest, I am Brandon Keck. This will serve as the inaugural post of my website (and the maiden voyage of my deep philosophical thoughts beyond the walls of a trusted inner circle).
The RC-Philo’s (Red Card Philosophies/ RCP’s) are these recurring patterns I’ve noticed in my life. When I think about the things I do, the way that I feel, and why… these come up. The name ‘Red Card Philosophy’ comes from nothing but the fact that the index card I first happened to write all of these down on was Red (if that sort of information is necessary).
Vulnerability is rare now, in the world—because hurting someone is easier than risking hurt in ourselves. I present these things knowing that such an action opens me up to criticism. Seven years ago, I would feel that face-burning, soul-gutting uneasiness we call shame to know the contents of my mind sat at the mercy of strangers. But here I am; as I’ve grown, I feel less shame in expressing my humanity. There is a naked-ness in talking about those things that make us different, those things that make us truly—well… us. Call it philosophical Free-Balling if you will.
I have attempted to negate the effects of ego, self-deception, and bias in my writing. It should be known, though, that these elements cannot be wholly destroyed, as they are an inherent byproduct of the human experience in which we find ourselves presently. If any tone of pretension is felt, it was not purposeful.
These compositions are benefitted by an understanding of the intentions by which they were created. People tend to misinterpret explanation as instruction. So if it is easier, think of me not as the pottery teacher guiding a group of students on how to make a beautiful vase or cup, but as the student having to explain in front of the entire class why he was making a bong in the back room. My goal with sharing these (if I do share any more) is to sort of… explain where I come from.
So, with those things said, here is the first of (hopefully) multiple philosophical bongs in a world of cups and vases.
Red Card Philosophy №1: The “Why”
Producing a single definition that can clearly encompass what I refer to as The “Why” is difficult. There are a great number of layers in the mind of a Man, and accessing those innermost areas requires a mental journey rivaling those of the world’s greatest explorers. If there is a core tenet of what I am, it is this.
In everything, is a piece of us (through our humanity), and in us– a piece of everything. Knowing of each ‘thing’; its qualities, its origins, and every facet of its being, essentially reunites this object with us. The link between the individual and the object reawakens. There is a unity, a harmony, a state of rest we find ourselves in when we awaken all of these connections. The discordinant tones of broken connections are no longer present. To achieve unity would be to know I am as I am, in respect to myself and my place within the ecosystem of the universe.
[1.1] The “why” is the intrinsic compulsion held by an individual to grasp understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the universe at every level and what their place within that machine is or should be. — A motivational core centered around the acquisition of knowing for no other reason than the knowing itself.
Even at the earliest instances of my life, which mine own memory can recall, I was asking as many questions as could fit in a day: “Why is the sky blue?” “How deep is the ocean?” “Where does wind come from?” My poor parents were likely terrorized by an endless barrage of these. I can’t claim to understand the origins of these observations—but I do know once some poor object came under scrutiny, an answer to any question asked on it was somehow required. It was a mystery in need of answering.
So if I am ever questioned as to why I care about X, or why these small details that we take for granted are things I question daily, then this is my answer. I just need to know.
A Brief Word:
This has been sitting in my drafts for some time. I’ve opted to release the first RC-Philo in a state of incompleteness so I may move on to my more developed ideas, and return here at a later point to reinforce my thoughts. Otherwise, I’d spend ages tinkering and never be content.
- For some strange reason, the red text formatting turns to a yellow highlight in the Jetpack Reader
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