"The Bittersweet Lies of Bokonon"

Frankly, I find it hard to believe in much. However, it's also interesting that there isn't much that I am unwilling to believe in. Rather, I prefer to hold no opinion in pretty much whatever matters in which it is more or less simple to get away with such sophistry.

Take, for instance, relious belief: I have none. However, I don't rule out anyone's beliefs. I mean, if pressed, all I would say about God and the universe is that, if there is a God, I honestly doubt anyone on earth is correct in their conception or worship of Him/Her/It. Considering the difference of opinion, it's almost inconceiveable that anyone has it exactly right. I figure that if I'm ever meant to know the truth, I will when I die or when God comes down to me in all His/Her/Its glory and personally explains&mash;even then, I may pass it off as my own insanity—that's always a possiblity. However, regarless, I don't really care what the truth is.

Hence, with the exception of day-to-day matters of life where an opinion is warranted, I have few firm beliefs. Instead, I find myself fascinated with learning as many points of view and schools of thought on each subject as possible. However, not every area of interest receives an equal amount of interest. In order I would rank my interests as follows:

1. Literature and Classics


2. Literary Criticism and Theory


3. Mythology


4. Philosophy


5. History


6. Anthropology


7. Religious Studies


8. Psychology


9. Sociology


10. Mathematics


11. Political Science


12. Physical Sciences

As you can see, I'm a true whore for the humanities. I feel like the humanities are more interested in expanding the mind to all various points of view while the physical sciences are focused on narrowing all possible points of view into one "truth." How logical does that really seem? No, seriously. If you don't see what I mean, I recommend The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn.

It is rare when I actually have an opinion on a current event that is strong enough to impell me to action. The only thing I can currently think of as such an action item is the presidential race. I will vote for Kerry, because he is not Bush, who I think of as a moral and intellectual wasteland of a human being—a perception with which Kerry does not leave me.

However, I know that my opinions and beliefs are exactly what they are: not the truth. I sincerely doubt anyone knows the whole truth on any subject. In fact, the biggest complement I think I have ever received I received this past weekend; my best friend—oddly enough a devout, uber Mormon—told me he thinks my system of neutral belief is what he considers possibly the human ideal, and that he highly respects me for being able to stick to it, though he can't. What more can a person ask than that his diametric opposite praise him for that which he opposes?

Well, really, I can't say that I oppose other beliefs. Rather, I am more than happy to see anyone practice whatever system of beliefs they feel morally bound to. I may not believe what they do, but since there is little in which I believe, I would be grossly out of line to throw out the beliefs of anyone else. That would be hypocracy at its very highest level for me. I can't recall who said it first, but there is no saying I can say I adhere to more than, "to each his own." To an extent you can call that my belief...or nonbelief if you prefer. It's all the same to me.