Day 1 of reading Civilization and its Discontents and I'm already sure of this. At least in our ways of thinking. When I my professor starts her lectures on Freud in class, I may start to appreciate him more. She seems to be able to take any piece of reading and make it the most exciting and brilliant thing in the world.
And it's not that I find Freud boring or difficult to understand. In fact, it's obvious that he's quite intelligent and radical. Genius even.
Only, he goes against a lot of what I believe in.
For example, in his discussion of the various defenses against suffering he mentions attempting to break oneself off from reality as a way to achieve happiness. According to him, though, this is a most unsuccessful way of escaping suffering because reality is too strong. Those who try to turn their back on the world become madmen.
Okay, I can kind of agree and understand that.
But at the end of the paragraph he writes: "The religions of mankind must be classed among the mass-delusions of this kind. No one, needless to say, who shares a delusion ever recognizes it as such" (32).
Freud isn't a fan of religion. This was evident on page 1.
This will all be very fascinating and quite the learning experience.
I did notice a continuation of ideas from Crime and Punishment to Freud's book: the idea that suffering should not be avoided. I'm wondering if this theme will continue through the rest of Civiliaztion.
So far -
Faust: Striving leads to salvation (with the idea of salvific feminine)
Crime and Punishment: Suffering leads to salvation (with the idea of salvific feminine)
I'm excited for the rest of the quarter!
_________
I've been feeling slightly hermit like. I get up. Have coffee and do my morning devos. I go running or do homework, depending on the day. I go to school. I come home and practice. I do homework or make dinner or clean or work on college stuff or blog or something else creative and solitary. I go to bed. Repeat.
I don't want to call people or really hang out and yet I'm lonely. It's odd.
I've been praying more... talking to God in my head or even out loud.
Everything is changing around me and I think my coping mechanism is withdrawing farther and farther into myself.
And to keep the emotionality to a minimum, I must share this very exciting event I found!!!
Because I love peanut butter and chocolate and their amazing combination, Reeses:
Some genius person is trying to make May 18 I Love Reese's Day!!!
I kind of adore this candy... it's a surefire way to make my day.
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