Thursday, March 20, 2014

Guest post for Dagny Sol

I am the jester with a peaked cap, a false nose and jingling bells all over, capering around in Social media, reveling in the freedom to express that blogging offers me. Dagny, on the other hand, is the philosopher talking to the depths of the human soul. It is a wonder that the two of us should find anything in common.

Please do not assume that Dagny sits around solemnly pontificating on the thusness of things putting her readers to sleep. Her posts as laced equally with humor as with wisdom. Her humor, though, partakes of the wit of the intelligent whereas mine are the japes of a clown. So, amazement is an understatement for the feeling that overtook me when she invited me to write a guest post for her.

Feeling much like Falstaff invited to a conclave of Socrates, Plato and the likes, I seek a starting point for the post from The Fool - who promptly asks me to write upon 'Existential Crisis'. Egads! Maybe I should not have told him that it was for Dagny.

Anyway - a promise is a promise and here is the post.

“Cogito ergo sum”, said Descartes, thereby ending the doubt for all thinking people about whether they really existed or not. To be sure, he is guilty of showing off by using Latin tags but the poor fellow may be forgiven this lapse since he was French and, therefore, probably did not know enough simple English to just say, “I think, therefore I exist”. What I find difficult to forgive, though, is the fact that he has left me in limbo. Along with all the other unthinking people, I am sunk in doubt about whether I really exist or not. 

Read the rest here.

12 comments:

  1. I am so relieved that- at least to you- I don't come across as someone who pontificates endlessly (read boringly) upon the thusness of things. I shall drink my tea with a lot more satisfaction for the next one week. Can anything be more gratifying?

    Thank you for the wonderful introduction Suresh. Just between you and me, I wish someday I deserve half of it.

    Such a pleasure to have your post add charm and grace to my blog. Thank you for writing for me.

    Dagny

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  2. How delightful is this, Sureshji :)
    Great that Dagny will "drink tea with a lot more satisfaction for the next one week".

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    1. Which is delightful - the guest post, this intro OR Dagny drinking tea? :)

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    2. Oh come ON Suresh! Don't be jealous. :D :D

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    3. Of you drinking tea, Dagny? :) I prefer coffee :)

      Btw, THAT is a ruling characteristic of my nature :) If I had my just desserts I would be colored green :)

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  3. Dagny is everything you said about her, Suresh. To be prolific and consistently inspiring is a feat indeed.

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  4. A 'Falstaff invited to a conclave of Socrates, Plato and the likes'! How you have steadily risen till the so-called philosophers are nothing but specks of dust! That was the father of all philosophical posts, Suresh! No looking back from here.

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    1. Thanks Uma! Though I hope that the only way forward is not all downhill :P

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  5. Sir, as always, this is an excellent post. I aspire to write like you, combining philosophy with humour and calculated, for want of a better word, self-leg-pulling. On this one though, I believe that "Cogito Ergo Sum" is generally misinterpreted. That does not take away the humour or the subtle message in your post, but it inspired me to write about what I understand to be the real meaning behind Descartes's line. Would love to have you read it and let me know your thoughts on it. Here is the link http://adarsh89.blogspot.com/2014/03/cogito-ergo-sum.html

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