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Allan's Philosophy Podcast

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Phun-size Philosophy # 71 – Predictions

Predictions are basically forecasts or foretellings in a statement or claim that a particular event in more certain terms will occur. If you make a prediction you are then making something known in advance. Making a prediction is pretty much taking a guess. One example is predicting what’s going to happen and it can really be about any topic you could possible think of. The catch is that the situation has to be unclear about the outcome or it is currently unknown to you at the point in time in which you make the conjecture. One of the most basic examples of this that I have personally faced many times is guessing how many skittles are in a jar. Guesses usually apply to the future but it doesn’t always have to be that way. This is because instances of which you don’t know what will happen are always prevalent in the realm of the future but you can also not know about what happened in the past or present and make guesses about them in that regard. If that is the case then you will get a better and more accurate detailing of the actual outcome of what you are guessing about because it already happened. If you are predicting about the future you will need to wait until the time comes to verify if your prediction was correct or not. When making a prediction you should use your intuition and knowledge to take an educated guess. They are of huge importance in order to increase your accuracy and chances of being correct. When talking about guesses I need to refer to insider information. When there are stakes on the line with guesses and bets (when you place your possessions on the line as a wager in hopes that your guess is more likely to happen then the next guy’s prediction) everyone involved doesn’t necessarily have the same knowledge or understanding of the situation. When a horse racer watches a horse race, they will probably know who is more likely to win than I will. This creates an unequal playing field and gives him a greater chance of winning whatever I put up for grabs by betting. Insider information is a form of this unequal playing fields and it is illegal in the respect to get a leg up on the competition. Specifically in insider trading, you trade, usually stocks, with some type of information you have received internally that gives you a better idea of what is most likely to happen in the near future. While nobody knows exactly how the future will turn out, planning and being the change you want to happen in the future is a huge way in increasing the odds that your predications become a reality. Check out more at http://humanpoweredpodcasts.squarespace.com/!

-Allan Nicholas

Phun-size Philosophy # 70 – Distractions

Distractions are essentially the things that change the direction of someone’s attention and can be the used to deceive or beguile an individual. One of the biggest distractions can be entertainment that provokes your interests and gets your mind off the worries and vexations in life like escapism. While this may seem like a positive from this standpoint because it can ease the pressures from stress that we will inevitably face in life, it can be a negative in the fact that it severely decreases your productivity levels. It directs your attention away from your primary task usually with something cool or interesting. If you become distracted, it usually comes from something that plays specifically to your individual being to make it so you can’t resist. They can come in many shapes and forms especially in this technological world. In this day and age there are hundreds of TV shows that, combined with the internet as well as psychological things like subliminal messages and ads, can keep our attention away from what we are supposed to be doing for hours, possibly days, on end. Diversions are a specific form of distractions. They are usually external factors that take the initiative to make you notice them instead of what you are supposed to do usually in attempt to hinder your productivity. Staying focused is an important part of getting anything done especially in regards to your productivity because if you get distracted you have the potential to waste time, money, and resources that otherwise could be invaluable. There are those times though that it is good and can even be beneficial to get “lost.” Some of the greatest inspirations come from getting sidetracked or daydreaming. This is because your mind wanders to areas you probably wouldn’t have voluntary though or known about. This gives you a fresh perspective to view the world by and thus I have come to the conclusion that every once in a while it is worth it to daydream in school. Check out more at http://humanpoweredpodcasts.squarespace.com/!

-Allan Nicholas

Phun-size Philosophy # 69 – The End

Ah the beloved number 69! This time I am going to talk about the end. I believe that there has to be some point that everything that exists today or has existed at some point came into being. I also believe that there may not always be an end. While an end provides contrast from the beginning by creating a definitive timeline from which things have existed, I don’t necessarily believe that everything has to have a definitive time. When it comes to organic things and in general most other objects in existence, the elements and compounds that make them up gradually wear down. The human body’s metabolism can only sustain life for a certain amount of time. As life progresses and medicine gets more advanced, we can prolong this duration but it still will eventually have to end. Inanimate objects also have an “expiration date” per say because at a chemical level, their matter will be transformed into something else. Whether it is an ice cube melting or burning a tree, matter goes through changes every day. While it may still exist (water will still be around even after the ice melts) it will exist in a different form with unique properties. In this sense things can last forever, just by continuously changing its form or combining with others. I also find it rather hard to determine how something lasts forever because we personally will not be around long enough to make that observation. While we may be able to look back into the past and determine how long something has already existed for, we still can’t make the determination that they will continue to exist for infinite time in the future. For this reason we are not able to undeniably state that something will last forever. They also don’t have to be physical at all. The relationships we form in life are ones that we hope to never have an end. In fact those relationships will definitely last far beyond our own ends. This is why people have funerals, remembrance, and memorial services, because our relationships continue on even after death. This is what I consider the legacy that you leave behind. Because you know you can’t take material things with you, you leave behind the memories that you have experienced with everyone who hasn’t met their end yet. People often fear the end because of all the uncertainty that is associated with it. We obviously have no idea what the end is like but it is important not to be scared of it. If you worry about the end then you will not be enjoying the time you have to spend on Earth and build meaningful relationships that help provide meaning in your life.

-Allan Nicholas

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Phun-size Philosophy # 68 – Origins

Origins are the properties that can be attributable to your ancestry that is the source of something’s existence from which it is derived. I believe that there is always a beginning to everything that exists right now. These beginnings are what we can define as the origins of things that are currently in the universe or has been as some point in time. Origins can also be thought of as the starting point like in life. Everyone has points in life where they can start a new life. One specific and probably biggest example of this is birth. There are also many times when you may have the opportunity to start a new chapter or era in your current life because of events and the environment. Whether it is moving to a completely new town, going to college, or getting a new job to start a new career, there are pivotal moments in our lives where we can essentially get a blank slate to live our lives the way we may not have been able to in the past. These times are basically the originators of our new selves. While it may be a once in a lifetime chance to be the person you’ve always dreamed of being, leaving behind all the “baggage” (i.e. friends you’ve made and emotional bonds you’ve formed) you have developed throughout the years of your existence so far can be very difficult. When talking about origins, it is also important to realize that not everyone starts at the same position. There isn’t one universal quality that we all have by being alive except that we are all breathing and have bodies. We all have parts in our lives that will most likely be similar. For people in our immediate vicinity at least, we all will probably go to school, move on to college, get a job and probably get married, maybe even have kids. The thing is that not everyone lives the same way of life. The environment also plays a huge role in what you are capable or doing or can do in the future. Even though we may not always all start with the same thing, I don’t think that we are ever left with nothing. At the very least you are left with what your parents genetically endow you with. Your origins can take you in almost any direction depending on what you want. I suggest that you always strive for improvement regardless of where you start. If you don’t try or care to improve upon you origins then you won’t be able to reach your full abilities. Check out more at http://humanpoweredpodcasts.squarespace.com/!

-Allan Nicholas

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Phun-size Philosophy # 67 – Realizations

Having a realization is coming to understand something clearly and distinctly. It can be both conscious and subconscious like at a first impression you basically make about 7 – 10 determinations about a person whether you realize it or not. With the blink of an eye, you judge characteristics of others that include attractiveness, likeability, competence, trustworthiness, and aggressiveness. You may not realize it but you body language, facial expressions, and overall demeanor are huge factors in what other people think of you, especially if they don’t personally know you well. Besides first impressions, our realizations about life help formulate our perceptions of reality and ultimately make a huge impact on our own individual lives. If you make a realization it means you have become aware of your current environment and have cognitively noticed what it going on within it. You then process external stimuli that you will face in almost every second of your life. Whether it is the face of a person, of a fly buzzes across the room, all of these ignite an internal spike in cognitive recognition if you are aware of their existence. If your surroundings bear down you with you detriments you have built in defense mechanisms that are innate in psychology. Whether you try to suppress the negative feelings that the world is giving you, or displace your hatred towards something by redirecting your feelings to another target, you are then submitting to the defense mechanisms that help us survive life, especially when life is unfavorable. Denial is also one of the digest defense mechanisms that we have. It is basically refusing to acknowledge the existence of something that is at a basic subconscious level completely believe that it isn’t possible to happen. While some may choose to stay in denial forever, other may come to terms and accept the truth. While what your environment present you may not be ideal, you need to move on to move forward. You also have to make sure that your perspective isn’t skewed by bias. If you can learn how to deal with life’s challenges and can get around and over them then you can improve your life from it tremendously. Life may not always be exactly what you want but you can always work to change the future. Check out more at http://humanpoweredpodcasts.squarespace.com/!

-Allan Nicholas

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Phun-size Philosophy # 66 – Surprises

Surprises are basically the astonished feeling you receive when a sudden unexpected event happens. The event occurs with some type of disbelief associated with it and it takes time for you to be able to adjust. It can also be both a positive or negative thing. The point of a surprise is to catch off guard the individual who the surprise is for. I always look forward to seeing the reaction of someone when I jump out from around a corner to scare them. They are not ready for it at all so their response is completely candid. This is because if you are surprised it means you are blindsided by pieces of information of actions so your response is completely heat of the moment. You are left with no time to prepare and you are most likely unsuspecting if it is a true surprise. You won’t have any clue of what was going on prior so it will then play against a weakness because unawareness then develops into a vulnerable spot on your collective being. If you are trying to surprise someone, the best way to go about it is to attempt to sneak around going unnoticed. The whole premise of a surprise is to be secretive. You can’t let any of the receiving parties have any clue or inclination of what’s going to happen or it won’t be an effective surprise. In order for a surprise to work well, it needs to completely slip past awareness. It can’t be something that you consciously recognize and realize what is going on. Sometimes people have some awareness of events that are going to happen but don’t have the desire or believe it has such a direct impact on their lives that they no longer attempt to pursue information on it. Sometimes I get suspicions that there may be something going on that I am not aware of some scheme behind my back but I’m not concerned enough to figure out exactly what is going on. Check out more at http://humanpoweredpodcasts.squarespace.com/!

-Allan Nicholas

Monday, November 15, 2010

Phun-size Philosophy # 65 – Danger

Danger is usually perceived as the condition of being susceptible to injury. It is normally viewed as being the cause of pain or loss and is almost always associated with negativity because if danger is anywhere in your life it isn’t in a very stable environment. Danger shakes things up by making things vulnerable to harm and nobody likes to be hurt or have to endure more stress or pain that is required from living and breathing here on Earth. If there is danger around, that means that something is at risk of going wrong. The greater the danger that is present, the greater magnitude of injury or pain. It also comes with an increased potential for some aspect of a plan or life to turn out terribly wrong. Danger has been known to completely ruin a life so people would naturally choose not to associate, interact or be in the presence of it. Danger places a noticeable threat on things that you hold closely to your heart and stuff that you hold deep emotional attachments to. If the threat is big enough, there’s a chance that whatever is placed in the direct path of the danger won’t exist after they collide. This can apply both physically and figuratively like if you are in physical danger you are at risk of dying or your plan has a chance of failing because of danger. When faced with potential danger, you need to weigh the risks and benefits of each situation. If you are being reckless you leave yourself more vulnerable to danger. You should only commit a possible dangerous action if the foreseeable outcome provides more benefits than detriments. There is no guarantee if safety in dangerous times and if you are put in harms way there is a good possibility that there will be an unfavorable result will occur to your well being. The best that you can do is to prepare for it as much as you possibly can. There are some interesting responses that our body has developed instinctually to deal with times of danger. If we feel threatened we exhibit a fight or flight experience but ultimately awareness is your best defense. Danger’s greatest enemy is awareness. Check out more at http://humanpoweredpodcasts.squarespace.com/!

-Allan Nicholas

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Phun-size Philosophy # 64 – Obligations

Obligations are basically commitments that can be defined by Google as the act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action. Some commitments are derived from the events that you’ve given your word to be present in a particular case. They are the personal relations in which one is indebted for a service or favor. They can be thought of as the things you are forced to partake in and possibly even against your will. A majority of the time in your life you spend on things that you might not necessarily want to do but are necessary and important to the progression of life. Regardless of what we want to do in life we all need to follow through and deliver the promises we make. If you don’t we will then lose credibility and your reputation will suffer. One of the ultimate keys to success is having others believe that you are a reliable person who can be trusted. If no one can trust you, you won’t form strong bonds with other people that are necessary to a happy and successful lifestyle. If you don’t, you will be perceived by the general public in a negative light. Another aspect of obligations is the liabilities. Liabilities can basically be defined as the parts of your life that can be presented as a weakness and potentially leave you vulnerable. If this is the case, then they may be others who are willing to take advantage of you in these conditions and exploit such weaknesses. There are many liabilities that everyone has in life that can basically be considered the baggage we all carry with us in life. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing because such “baggage” can provide meaning in our life like our friends and family. If you have a sick mother you need to take care of, you will take care of her because you love her but it is a liability because people can turn that emotional attachment against you to harm you. You need to make sure they are properly taken care of or managed in attempts to prevent such a weakness from being exploited. If you leave them unchecked or unguarded they may come back to haunt you in your future. You need to take responsibility for your obligations and liabilities and that is a very important step for a successful life. If you can keep your commitments and protect the liabilities you will inevitably have, you are well on your way to have a happy and successful life. Check out more at http://humanpoweredpodcasts.squarespace.com/!

-Allan Nicholas

Phun-size Philosophy # 63 – Celebrations

Celebrations are the entertaining festivities for special occasions usually to mark some happy event or potentially a milestone where much effort time and resources have been spent to reach a particular goal. Celebrations are usually used as mediums from which others cheer for the success they or others have achieved. They are used to show appreciation for the amount of benefits the current situation you are in has afforded to you or your surroundings. If you celebrate, it means you’ve accomplished a certain aspiration or some other event took place that has made it a worth while time to splurge, go all out, and make a deal about it by partying hard. In fact when you celebrate you will most likely party in the presence of others who were involved in the achievement at hand. There are many instances where celebrating is an appropriate response. Whether you have finally gotten the promotion you’ve always been looking for, or you got an A in your math class, there will always be something in our life we can be proud to say we did. By celebrating and partying because of said achievement, you are showing that you are proud of your actions and want others to know about them. When you are celebrating you are relishing in the success or outcome of a challenging obstacle. The celebrations are made even sweeter if you are celebrating after a hard earned achievement. If you try really hard in order to complete something and it proved difficult to you, once you finally do get around it, you get a sense of satisfaction knowing you have the potential to beat or solve really hard problems. When you get a taste of success, you will want to emulate and repeat such instances again and again in future ventures. I’m pretty sure it’s safe to assume that you would rather continue to celebrate frequently as apposed to a once in a lifetime kind of celebration. I love to celebrate and I don’t think I’ve met anyone who doesn’t like a good to have a good birthday party celebrating your life ever year.

-Allan Nicholas