A Twist In The Tale

Faith - A Reliable Way of Knowing?

11:15

Faith can be defined as having complete confidence and trust in a person or phenomena. This is a way of knowing unique to individuals as it is based solely on their personal experiences in life. Something else that has been commonly observed is the lack of evidence that is presented with faith. On the surface level, we may deem it irrational or unreliable based on the current knowledge of faith that we have. If we cannot prove that something is true, how can we believe in it? How are we able to put our blind faith into instances that have no feasible explanations. Furthermore, for some people, their faith ; no matter religious or non religious is all they have. They often use this as a crutch to move forward. Unfortunately, the problem with this is that faith can indeed cloud your ability to think in an unbiased manner. When there is no room left for reason, faith becomes an unreliable way of knowing. It implies hoping for something without evidence. Knowledge, is more or less based on facts and truths that can be proved. Also, having faith in something that clearly contradicts proven facts can only lead to ignorance and denial. This is a clear hindrance in the acquisition of knowledge. On the other hand, the pursuit of knowledge without faith may lead to dead ends. Not believing in something, or rather hoping in it may curb you from working at the best of your abilities ; but at the same time leaving all to faith can be a dangerous decision. Hence the validity of faith as a reliable way of knowing is questionable.

Firstly, let us look at it through the perspective of religious knowledge systems. Religion as a whole is completely based on the notion of faith itself. Religions cannot be kept alive for generations and generations if there is a lack of a consistent practice that includes a faithful devotion to one's creator, but isn't this exactly what we have previously questioned? If religion is an occurrence that feeds off of believers who trust the unproved , isn't it supposed to be considered illogical and groundless?Should religion be taken seriously? Of course it does. Based on the teachings that one receives, religion plays an avid role in distinguishing between what is right and wrong as well as in instilling core values that are to be carried along for a lifetime. That is why it is important to study religion, so if the world was void of a concept of faith, there would be no religion. It is important to note though that faith in itself is not the same as religion. In fact, faith can be in anything, not just religion. But religious knowledge systems are successful in giving us an insight into human mindsets.

Now looking at it from the point of Natural Sciences, which is heavily dependent on physical proof and evidence, one might say that faith has nothing to do with it. But a scientist must have faith in his methods and faith in his ideas for there to be progress. This concept is almost like a double edged sword. Too little faith, you have a pessimistic outlook on life and believe in less than you ought to. Too much and then you cloud you clear think and often become ignorant. The sciences are heavily dependent on reason and proof and this is obtainable with faith as well. Some scientists are religious because thy say that religion is some way or the other is helpful in piecing together questions that we might have about the universe and its existence.

A real life situation that includes both the natural sciences and religious knowledge systems is the relationship that the Jehovah's Witness has with blood transfusions. A blood transfusion in life or death situations can be of tremendous help and can ultimately save a persons life. Jehovah's Witness believes that their faith is of higher power than using blood to treat diseases. From a scientific point of view, there is little possibility that a body is able to sustain itself without a blood transfusion when it is desperately required. If someone dies, we question faith as a reliable way of knowing and we also question its ethical nature.

Therefore, because of the lack of proper proof, I would say that faith is not the most reliable way of knowing in comparison to others.

Art and its Value

11:14

What is art and what is its value?

Ultimately, art is a matter of subjectivity. But at the same time, some things are more suitably associated with the prescribed idea of what art is supposed to be, than others. I would explain to a Martian that art is a universally accepted concept that consists of creating something that provokes a reaction, whether it may be a physical one or a change on an outlook of a concept. Art is created by those who have a particular intention in mind. It could be a question to society, or even a movement that they want to bring to light. It must have a reason for existing in the world. Secondly, there must be some technically thought out aspect of the entire thing, meaning even if it is not "beautiful" it must be created the way it is for a reason. Thirdly, it must invoke a reaction from those who are to come in contact with it. On the other hand, non-art would be something purely functional with minimal aesthetic value. What is art and not art is deeply affected by the way in which we look at them. If we view something out of our everyday lives as art, then we push ourselves to find things of deeper interest than what we just see on the surface.

The idea of aesthetic pleasure is clearly evident in human psyche. We have an intense and natural urge to look at things that are pleasing to the eye. The arts indeed, definitely have value as they are often original ideas that stem from deep thought and contemplation about certain ideas that people want to bring up and more fine than not, make people want to actually look. Art is valuable in ways other than monetarily. It provides both the artists and the spectator a new outlook on a subject.

What is bad art?

One would argue that deciding what bad art is a matter of taste and subjectivity. But one must also consider that art that is frequently duplicated and that is unoriginal that brings nothing new to the realm of knowledge can be considered as bad art. Bad art has uninteresting, repetitive content that serves no real purpose. Bad art is also that with extremely limited technical skill along with its weak and sometimes nonexistent intentions. What is bad art can be decided by trying to understand what good art it. Good art prompts queries and thoughts whereas bad art makes no effect on absolutely anyone who comes into contact with it. It is merely existing without a purpose.

Aesthetic judgements are subjective because often, an opinion is not shared by all. Although it is argued that there are certain judgement standards, we must understand that we will never be able to fully understand the reasoning behind which one finds something attractive or appealing. Similarly, aesthetic judgement is unique to everyone assessing or observing the art, individually. Therefore, these judgements are more often than not, a reflection of ones personal preferences.

The Sciences and The Arts?

The similarities between the sciences and the arts is the fact that both these areas of knowing are ultimately trying to decode and make sense of the world in their own ways, by finding patterns. Also, both these filed require a great deal of imagination. Some of the greatest innovations in the sciences had to start from an idea that someone imagined. They are seen to be poles apart mainly because of their ways of knowing. The arts rely on imagination, whereas the sciences rely on proof and reason. Furthermore, it is said the arts have been invented over time whilst the sciences have been discovered. The sciences is just bringing to light something that has already been around, undiscovered. Hence, the arts have experienced imagination and creativity in every aspect where as the sciences greatly deepened on the inventions and discoveries before them.

"Tracey Emin: My Bed" - This work of art was bought by Charles Saatchi for 150 000 UK pounds = 12,297,020 Indian Rupee. Is this art? Should taxpayers money be used to buy an art piece like this for a museum? Again, this is dependant on the intentions of the artist and more importantly, the cultural context of the installation. Maybe, this piece was created at a certain time period for a specific reason. For example, to comment on the way in which women were stereotypically labelled to be "obedient" and "gentle" or in a time where women who drank and had frequent sexual interactions were deemed less worthy than those who did not, because there was such a thing as a stereotypically categorised "respectable woman". The unkempt bed could be a symbol for the most authentic form of the person Emin was. These are all possible interpretations of a universally interpretable piece of art. It is possible that people may claim that anyone could have exhibited the same work, including themselves, But the fact is that nobody else did it. Since Emin was the first to do so, she is successful in making a statement. Yes, I do think that taxpayers money should be used to buy this artwork for a museum because it has done what no one else dared to do or thought of doing. It makes a statement and makes people stop and actually think a bout the piece as a whole. It provokes some sort of reaction from the spectator and therefore could be beneficial in some sort of way.

Standards of Beauty

I think the standards of beauty value from culture to culture because growing up surrounded by specific ideals affects the way in which we see the world. Our minds adapt to the socially prescribed ideas of beauty based on what we see around us. What is seen as attractive in one culture may not be in the other. It is a matter of exposure to the subject.

Ultimately, art is art. It makes little sense to some and is everything to others. Its beauty is in its ambiguity.

Ethical Dilemmas

11:01

Are you an ethical person? How is your perception of the world, and your position in it, affected by ethical considerations?

I believe that there are certain universal values that govern the actions of this world. These moral principles are worldly truths that have existed, without being questioned. For example, we can agree that murder is an unethical act. Similarly, we can agree that being honest is ethical. But for both these situations, we often question their morality based on the context they are presented in. Although I still believe that taking the life of another human being, regardless of the context, is a morally wrong act, I feel like telling a lie when absolutely required, in context is not as unethical as the former. On the other hand, moral principals do in fact have its disagreements. Even if I strongly feel that any kind of “killing” is wrong, people from other cultures may beg to differ because they may have been practicing rituals that involves the involuntary death of individuals sacredly. An example would be honour killings where often a member of the family is killed as a sacrifice because they have been thought to bring great shame and dishonour on the family. For them, their culture allows this ritual. From what I have been taught, this is an unjust sacrificial process and is not justified in any way at all. This provokes the question, who am I to say that their culture is unethical? But how have I come to these conclusions? How have I been able to differentiate between what is supposedly ethical and unethical.

I can assume that my ethical beliefs come from moral relativism, or the “belief that our values are determined by the society and culture we live in.” ( Lagemaat, “Moral Relativism”) My sense of morality comes from what I have been told is right and wrong growing up by the people who surround me. For the most part, the values and morals have been shared among the vast majority of these people with little objection and have therefore left me with no reason to doubt them. Some of these values include being honest and being good to others. On a larger scale, my intuition has been the source of reason, but at the same time, its accuracy is questionable. This innate feeling is the primary cause for most decisions and has often guided me between what is right and wrong. Are humans born with this innate knowledge? It is possible, but we are also affected by what we see when we are still in the early months of development. I grew up in a household where being kind to one another was practiced regularly and since I grew up witnessing these acts, I was conditioned to act similarly. But in contrast, if someone grows up watching treachery, lies and death with a lack of guilt that accompanies it, they may begin to believe that that is the ultimate way to live.

Furthermore, deciding whether or not I am an ethical person also stems from the motives for my actions. Do I do what I do in order to achieve the hidden benefits it probably supplies? The Self interest theory is one that claims that all our actions regardless of how altruistic they may be are done in order to be able to receive the benefits they provide, whether we are aware of it or not. (Lagemaat, “Self Interest Theory”) If I decide to give a beggar on the street some money, I may feel like doing it because I have been taught to give. But it also gives me an underlying feeling of satisfaction and makes me feel good about myself, meaning I still want something for myself and I am not able to plainly just give. I seek to reap the benefits. Now, when we look at Kant’s approach to ethics it is stated that if an action can be consistently generalised, one can decide if it is their duty or not. I strongly believe that cheating on tests in unethical. By cheating, it puts those who worked hard at a disadvantage and hence is morally discouraged. But what if everyone in a classroom began to cheat on the test? If everyone is doing it, does it make it okay for me to do it as well? If a large number of people are doing the similar action, is it ethical for me to follow? In alignment with Kant’s approach, it is not my duty to follow their lead because it will ultimately cause chaos and disruption. But in this case, if I were to decide that I do not wish to cheat, but my egoism tells me to report this behaviour to the teacher, it goes against the theory of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism states that ultimately ethics should be thought to be a tool to maximise happiness. (Lagemaat, “Utilitarianism”) Therefore since I report this case to the teacher, my actions may be seen as unethical because I have caused a large group of people to be upset, which goes against the goal of utilitarianism. But their actions have also gone against instinctive moral obligations.

To conclude, what may be ethical to one person, may not be to another. It is dependent on the perception of ones surroundings and the shared knowledge that they are the recipients of. I think that I am an ethical person given the surroundings I have been brought up in because I adhere to what is universally considered to be a set of moral values that humans are advised to follow. Experiences have taught me right from wrong and my set of ethical beliefs will most probably differ from person to person.

Works Cited

Lagemaat, Richard van de. Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2014. Print.

If Only

10:41

The door was firmly shut; I never liked it that way. I preferred it to be open, because I had nothing to hide. I twisted the handle and gently pushed it. There it was, the place that was witness to most of my joys, sorrows and stupidity. My room.

The room was dark because the curtains were closed. I didn’t like that either. I walked over to the window and opened the blinds allowing light to flood in. it looked so much better. I placed my fingers on the plain white walls, thinking of all the fond memories I had made in that very room. The bed was smoothened out at all the edges and looked as if it had never been used. I walked over, sat down and took a deep breath. The room looked untouched. Across from my bed was the table which held my laptop, a few books and some random knick-knacks.

To my left, on the wall hung my dream board. I walked over to it, feeling guilty as I got closer. I hung up all the things I wanted to achieve in my life on that board. All the goals, dreams, places I wanted to visit, little notes that I had made to help me get to where I wanted to be in life hung on that little board. I never took those goals seriously, as I peered at the many slips of paper and magazine cut outs, at that moment I wished that I had taken them seriously. It was too late now anyway.

I turned my face away from the wall and walked to the other side towards my table. My laptop was positioned at the edge of my desk. I fired it up and noticed that there were a few tabs open. The first one was where my music was playing from. Thankfully, it wasn’t Justin Bieber. I smiled, remembering how I never used to listen to his music and anything else could easily satisfy me. I clicked on the next tab and a website about Bullying and Depression popped up. I looked intently at the screen, but I just couldn't remember why I was on that site. I glanced away from the device and noticed a few decorated note books lying close by. I picked one up and noticed that the cover read

“Insecurity kills all things beautiful”

That was my favorite book, I used to pen down all my thoughts and ideas even if they were pointless. I thought that they would come in handy somewhere along the road. I never got the chance to use it. I dropped the book onto the table and shut my eyes tight. I didn't want to remember. I couldn't handle it. I clenched my fists, took a deep breath and opened my eyes again.

I walked away from the desk towards my bedside table. I saw a hint of blue peeking out through the contents of a worn basket. I pulled it out and saw that it was a roll of painters tape. I had always wanted to paint the walls in my room. I wanted vibrant sea foam green. I never got around to doing it until…

I had the sudden urge to look underneath my bed. I lifted the thin bed sheet and looked underneath. I saw a small little jar and reached for it. I picked it up, it felt cool in my palm. I got back onto my feet and sat down on my bed. The jar had a year scribbled onto it using permanent marker. It read “2013”. I unscrewed the lid out of curiosity and emptied it out. Only a few strips of paper fell out of the jar. Figures, I wasn’t having a good year anyway. The jar was supposed to be filled to the brim with the good memories I had.

I looked around the room once again; there was nothing more I wanted to see. I glanced at my bed, the plain white walls and my desk wishing that it could all just go back to the way it once was. I was slightly startled when I saw the door knob turn, I moved away as I saw a woman enter the room. Her face was pale and her eyes looked sunken. She looked tired, as if she had been crying. As if she couldn’t take it anymore. She walked around my room and sat down on my bed. She rubbed her palms on the sheets and I noticed that a single tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly stood up and began towards the door. As she stepped out of the room, she took one last look behind her, and on her face was something both peculiar and beautiful. It was a smile. She looked straight at me and sighed. There was something strange about the way she was looking at me, she was looking past me..through me. I wanted to say something but I just couldn’t find the right words. She wiped her tears and walked away. My mother walked away.

If only I was alive.

10 Things That 2015 Has Taught Me

07:33

2015 was a mixture of laughter and tears. We moved to Bangalore and I joined a new school. I miss my old friends immensely and yet I have found amazing ones here as well! I was so happy, (I still am) for my sister who got into Warwick University. I had the most amazing birthday thanks to a couple of amazing friends and my lovely parents. I laughed until my stomach hurt, I cried, I acted like a drama queen (which, quite frankly I still am :p). I had the best time with my cousins and so much more. To all the people who were a part of my 2015, thank you. I step back and realise that I have had quite the year and in the end, I'm happy. That's all that matters.

So here are 10 things that I learnt in 2015.

1. I am the absolute worst at consoling people.

Talking to me is as good as talking to a cardboard box. After my sister wrote her 12th grade board exam for math, she came home and burst into tears after I asked her how it went. She worked so hard and she was clearly disappointed. So, I did what I could to make her feel better. I awkwardly hugged her and began to slowly and creepily pat her head. Yes, just as one would pet their dog/cat. Needless to say, that didn’t work too well.

2. My parents believe that I am friendless.

Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. I do not wish to explain further.

3. Binge watching an entire season of SUPERNATURAL in a day is possible.

When I get to the end of an episode, Dean is almost dead and then the screen just fades to black, and I’m just like NOOOO. JUST NOOO. So, I watch the next episode. Then the next one and the next one and the next one and then the next thing I know, I’m 80 years old. Happens every time.

4. Blurry vision even after sitting right at the FRONT in the class is not a good sign. You should probably get that checked out.

If you end up sitting at the front in school (I feel you, been there and done that.) and you still can't see anything on the blackboard, you should probably tell your parents to take you to an eye specialist. There's a possibility that you need glasses.

**SIDE NOTE TO PARENTS: Believe your child when she/he says this. They've probably been walking around for half their lives with fuzzy vision. (Atta, Mamma....sound familiar?)

5. You will definitely be called on by the teacher to answer a question in class. It is inevitable.

So, don't bother trying to casually slide down your chair, hide behind your textbook, avoid eye contact or pretend to be taking notes. It's not going to work.

6. Some things don't deserve your time or energy.

Instead of spending all your time on things and people who don't matter, use that time to appreciate the people that love you and do things that are actually meaningful. Because you're going to be faced with infuriating situations daily and you're going to want to fight that. But don't, because there's so much that's actually worth fighting for.

7. There will ALWAYS be haters.

No matter what you do or what you say, there will always be someone who will feel the need to point out what you're doing wrong. There's going to be someone who will do as much as they can to tear down your self esteem and make you feel like shit. All you can do is block them out. When you stop paying attention to what people think about you, you'll notice that everything's just better! It's almost magical.

8. It's not all about you.

It's that simple. Even though you want it to be that way (pfft) , it's just not. Instead of investing all your time in yourself, spend time with family and people you care about. Because. when you finally step back from focussing on yourself so much, you'll notice that there's so much more to see. In this vast, never ending , beautiful universe, you are just a tiny little speck of stardust. So, no it's not all about you.

9. People change.

There is never a guarantee that someone you know will stay the same. Change is inevitable, whether it is for better or for worse. You never know what someone is truly going through and therefore cannot be a judge of the reason for their change. Accept it. Embrace it. Think about it, everyone's bound to lose friends no matter what. But with this loss, there will also be a gain of new friends and experiences and there is nothing better. People don't always stick around forever. All you can do in the end is, move on.

10. I learnt to accept myself, flaws and all.

Because there is nothing as beautiful as being happy with who you are. I've realised that nothing good will ever come out off looking at myself in the mirror and wishing that things would change, because it's not going to. Life doesn't work that way. Instead, when you embrace your flaws and love yourself, you become beautiful both inside and out. When you stop comparing yourself to others and start being confident in who you are, that's when you've truly and fully accepted yourself and that, is a wondrous thing.

I hope that 365 days from now, you'll have experienced and accomplished everything you've ever wanted to. I hope you ace that test, learn that skill, conquer that fear, fight that battle and take that first step!

Happy new year!

Here's to all the memories.

best friends

Things Left Unsaid

05:21

So, lets talk about the time when two guys wearing matching outfits; white shirt and beige pants snuck into my home at 12 am on a Tuesday just to surprise me on my birthday. There was music, lots of balloons, a “The Fault In Our Stars themed” cake and more. It was absolutely perfect. Except the part where I had to shampoo my hair in the sink at 3 am because there was so much cake in it. But to be completely honest, this was the sweetest thing that anyone has ever done for me on my birthday and I hope they know how grateful I am. At that moment, I felt like the luckiest person in the world, and I loved absolutely every second of it. Thanks you guys for THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER.

Lets talk about the time that this one girl and I talked endlessly for hours into the night; when we almost pulled an all-nighter. ( I may have fallen asleep..) We never ran out of things to say. Every single time she used to come over, she used to fall over. Literally. We went on and on that night and we talked about ~~almost everything~~ absolutely everything there was to talk about. She has been like a sister to me, tolerating me even when I’m annoying and irritating. We kept pissing off my sister that night though, because we were talking too loudly :P she kept going “shh…SHHHHHHHH!!” But, what I want to say is that she has always been kind to me and I am so thankful for that.

Lets talk about the time I was introduced to these amazing girls who have the most “creative” minds ever. (NO JOKE) They’re two of the weirdest people I know and yet somehow, they’re the coolest as well! There hasn’t been a single moment that I have been hesitant to tell them anything, and I am so happy that both these girls are in my life right now. It’s really nice when you find people who understand you perfectly. You know when you become really close to some people; you just greet them with insults? :P

Thanks for being amazing friends, you losers :P I’m kidding, love you loads! J

Lets talk about the long phone conversations and weird Skype calls, with ugly filters and ugly faces I’ve had with this one guy. That one guy who always seems to kill me with all the poetic justice he throws my way. He manages to shut me up every single time he says something deep, because my fear is that I’ll say something totally stupid and unrelated… like pizza. His classiness is on another level. Along with his general “classiness”, come his classy jokes. Now that is something I still haven’t quite figured out about him :P Apparently I wont get them because they’re too classy for me. The thing is, this guy is simply amazing. He’s been there for me and I’m ever so grateful, and I can only hope that he realizes that.

“No heroes, villains, one to blame

While wilted roses fill the stage

But the show, it cant go on..”

Now, lets talk about the time that I had to introduce myself to this new kid at school and when I worked up the courage to actually go talk to him, all that came out of my mouth was :

“Well, this is awkward!” and “I swear I’m not stalking you.”

Slow clap for you Aakansha. Smooth. -_-

I mean, who says that! Obviously I do.

But eventually, we became good friends and I’m so glad that I got to know him in the first place J See, he has this habit of dropping expensive cameras :P But I guess the stunning photographs he takes makes up for that. Although I’ve not known him for long, I feel like I can tell him anything and I have no doubt that he will always be there for me. He’s an amazing person and I really hope he knows how much he means to all of us.

Lets talk about this other guy who for some reason decides to remain friends with me even when I’m the most depressing, pessimistic and “unspirational” person to be around. He pisses me off, a lot but he also makes me laugh, a lot . (Insane seal kind of laughter) I know for a fact that I don’t give him enough credit for everything that he’s ever done for me, but I am just so thankful. I know that I can rely on him to make my day better. He has had my back since day 1 and I couldn’t be happier J But in the end all that I can say is that he is my machaan :P and that my machaan is cooler than yours.

There was this day that I was chased around the school by two lunatics, each with bottles of water in their hands threatening to pour it all on my head. (Aaah good times.) One of these crazy kids was this really goofy guy with a big heart.

Although, I didn’t appreciate it when he created a character on his ps3 and named it Aakansha. Oh wait, that wasnt the worst part. He proceeded to play a skiing game where he kept throwing “virtual me” off a cliff. Thanks.

He’s an amazing person and I wouldn’t change a thing about him.

She is the one person who knows me inside out and blah blah blah. If I wrote all this mushy stuff about her, she would tell me to lay off the cheese :P She locks me out of the apartment a lot, we make up little dances and practice them until we can pull them off flawlessly, and we binge watch Grey’s Anatomy and crib about Shonda Rhimes being cruel. We make fun of “10 year old me” by reading my diary aloud, we have deep conversations while we brush our teeth, and we fight about who washes the dishes. I catch her lying to my face one second and confessing the next because I give her the “look”, we make pointless imovie trailers together and we play “who can punch the other harder”. We’ve done so much together, but there’s so much more we’re going to do.

This is long overdue, but I just wanted to say that over the years, we’ve only grown closer and closer, and made memories that we know will last forever. There’s not a single day that goes by that I’m not grateful for all you super cool-amazing-badass friends. The worst part is that we don’t have control over anything that is going to happen. Uncertainty is really scary; it’s a terrifying feeling. But something that I know for sure is that the least we can do is be happy.

inner beauty

BEING YOU.

03:19

Faith - A Reliable Way of Knowing?

Art and its Value

Ethical Dilemmas

If Only

10 Things That 2015 Has Taught Me

Things Left Unsaid

BEING YOU.

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