Erick’s Philosophy
1. Love or money? Love. Everyone in the US will answer this way.
2. What would it take for you to die happy? While scarry, I would die happy now. Every moment of my existence is a miraculous, logic-defying assertion of God’s beauty and wonder. I stand amazed, proud and satisfied with everything God has given me the gift of experiencing. Each moment of my existence compounds the awe of last, and will continue doing so until the time for me to pass on arrives.
3. Do you prefer old fashioned, comfortable and reliable or new, challenging and exciting?
A person needs a sturdy base of things they can count on to root themselves through the sands of time. From this implanted strength, one can develop a trunk of interesting things, people and activities that inspire one to shoot off in new directions of thought, feeling and experience. Once these leaves have soaked in enough energy from the light of life, they will bear the enlightened gems of fruit whose flesh can feed and nourish the souls of other men, leading them to do the same.
But one must be careful not to be overindulgent and insulate himself from extravagance with a consistent stream of self reflection and hubris, less his well of meaningful existence dry up, leaving him peppered with dots of hate, regret and self-loathing. One can also help avoid turning into such a hard, dry, crusty soul by fertilizing your base with the fruits of others’ knowledge and experience. By doing this one can expect to lead a full-bodied, well-rounded and richly-coloured life.
My initial answer was highly negative. I have a strong reaction to the word “old fashioned”. Who but a depressed and powerless person would wish to live life how they imagine the past to be rather than how they life it today. Those who aren’t depressed would either feel comfortable with the way life is now or excited about the challenge of making that way. Those who are depressed could only feel that way because they feel unable to make it that way.
4. Who is smarter men or women? Given that some of the stupidest people I know spend most of their lives hating people for “being such idiots,” I do not feel qualified to make a judgement on such a question. I also know that some of the smartest people I know life their lives in deep misery, or fail to live up to their potential. What is smart? Someone who: buttresses your opinions? Lives life happily? Earns lots of money? Gathers a following? How about this: how do you define smart?
5. Do you want kids? (would you have kids if you did it all over again?) Yes, as one is biologically wont to do.
6. What part of your life would you relive differently? There is nothing glaringly obvious. I wish I wasn’t so lazy in College. I wish I was a less self-centered person when I was younger. Oh! I would have majored in Psychology.
7. What is the most satisfying thing you’ve ever done? Discovering God. Or perhaps later when His loving embrace began to touch and warm the marrow of my soul.
8. What do you most fear? Sinking back into depression and hating the world again.
9. What person you know personally do you most admire? I admire Kenny and Katie Askew (Diana’s parents) for providing me an example of a healthy, long-term, loving relationship.