What do you consider to be the three greatest attributes or characteristics that a person can have? Do you believe that human beings are inherently 'different' to other animals, or simply a part of the same category of living things that should be judged by the same standards? Describe in detail your ideal home, both in terms of location and in terms of the dwelling itself. Do you believe that individuals can be morally consistent, or are we inherently contradictory creatures?
What do you consider to be the three greatest attributes or characteristics that a person can have?
Critical thought. I was going to say ‘intelligence’, but that’s such a vague and problematic term, and I realised I was just referring to this particular parcel of the concept after all. I don’t care if your opinions are diametrically opposed to mine - as long as you can support them with rational and reasonable arguments, and as you actually know what you’re talking about, I will respect them (and most likely also you by extension).
Curiosity. The world is vast and so are its possibilities and so is culture and so are arts and so is everything this life has to offer. Try different ideas, experiences, lifestyles, things, fields of knowledge, music, cuisines, literary trends, fashion styles, anime genres, ETCETERA. Single and/or closed-mindedness should be a crime.
Independence. Well, not much to explain here. There’s nothing wrong with relying on others at precise moments (no one can live completely alone after all, at least in a social environment), but not as a way of life.
Do you believe that human beings are inherently 'different’ to other animals, or simply a part of the same category of living things that should be judged by the same standards?
I’ve been considering this question all my freaking life and I still haven’t found a minimally satisfying answer. Ultimately, I think the 'difference’ between humans and animals obviously lies on the former’s capacity for self-awareness and reasoning (well, life and particularly Tumblr have taught me that not all people are capable of the latter, but that’s a different story). We made the differenciation ourselves at some point in history and that’s why killing and eating cows is perfectly fine but doing that to humans is the worst possible crime, etc., etc. Inherently, though, I’d say all life is 'inherentely’ valuable and won’t go into the consideration that some particular animals deserve to live and to be respected more than some particular humans because apart from the fact that it’s not the point of this question, the story would never end.
So if that counts as an answer, great; if it doesn’t, I simply don’t have one.
Describe in detail your ideal home, both in terms of location and in terms of the dwelling itself.
In terms of location, give me a small apartment in a relatively quiet part of an urban area and I’ll be happy. No big houses and no countryside for me: the only people who like the countryside are those who have never lived in the countryside. Also, big houses are just a pain on every possible level. So yeah, an appartment is perfect for me. If it’s on a high floor (let’s say 5th at least) all the better. And well, close to supermarkets and such places.
In terms of the dwelling itself, well, that’s a bit more complicated, as it involves pretty much everything except the location itself. Starting from the outside, I obviously can’t expect not to have neighbours, but I want no noise whatsoever in my house. No children, no noisy people, no crazy people, no people who think walls are soundproof when they’re not in general. As for the inside, there are so many styles I like if I started to describe all of them we culd be here until next week, so here are some basics:
Size: not a shoebox, but preferably small. I just need a living-room, a kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom.
I’m a slut for (reasonable) minimalism. The less furniture and decoration, the better. Obviously within the boundaries of general functionality.
Colours: White walls are a must, there must be a lot of blue around the place, and some black to balance things and because black is always great.
As much natural light as possible pls.
SHELVES (Minimalistic of course. No wood.)
Lots of tuff from IKEA. I don’t care if everything is completely useless.
My bed MUST be up against the wall. I don’t care about the size, it just must be there.
I don’t really care about the material of the floor, as long as it’s easy to clean.
Reasonable storage space, especially in my bedroom.
And well, the rest would be silly detail, but I guess you get a general idea.
Do you believe that individuals can be morally consistent, or are we inherently contradictory creatures?
I believe individuals are individuals above all generalisations, and hence shouldn’t even be referred to as 'individuals’, in the plural, implying they could be considered as a colectivity.
Having said that, I’m much more inclined to think that people are inherently contradictory, although this idea may be inherentely flawed itself by my consideration of myself as a highly contradictory person. I really can’t think of a person who’s 100% morally consistent - I mean, nothing in this world is perfect, and certainly not moral systems, so the moment you start thinking, contemplating life and questioning stuff, you are bound to reach some sort of contradiction sooner or later, either in your moral system, in how you live it or in yourself. Unless you never question anything in your life and blindly follow certain restricted ideals since the moment you’re capable of reasoning until the day you die, of course, which I’m not even sure is possible. As soon as you start to experience the world, interact with other people and read books, you realize life is a boundlessly complex and fascinating experience that doesn’t allow you to live with a one-track mindset.
Obviously some individuals are more contradictory than others, but I find it hard to believe that it’s possible not to be contradictory at all.
