Bedeutungen
I don't personally like mottos or aphorisms many people cultivate. I think it's so hard to find a good one and to believe in it. I think that is mainly because I cannot understand them and my state of mind, or the nature of my intelligence, won't let me cultivate them as easily as some other people can. Short put, I might be a realist. Or a wanna-be realist.I stayed over-night at my acquaintance's place some months ago and her apartment was decorated with aphorisms. She had several aphorism books in the shelf, postcards, bookmarks and pillows with them. She had calendars, paintings, mugs and toys with aphorisms. Not too many so that I would call her an aphorism-freak but enough to notice her interest.
Philosophy classes worked _very_ efficiently with me. Just a few discussions and I had grasped the concept of "possibly". I was probably one of the best students learning that nothing can be stated for certain. Simultaneously, I thought it was frustrating to analyse issues all the time.
I got tired of over-analysis in high school and that's why I think I'm studying sciences. The constant conversations with "on the other hand, maybe, perhaps, I don't know but..." seemed like an endless path.
I do like some aphorisms, though. I like the ones that I have experienced happening and becoming true in my life. They have happened, they are 'afterwise' if you want to put it that way.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" by John Lennon.
That's a magnificent aphorism. A great motto. Stunningly realistic and right.
I made up one myself two days ago.
Leben ist nicht zu begreifen.
Leben ist zu erreichen.
That is a motto that sounds good but what kind of motto is that when I easily forget the sequence! Leben ist nicht zu erreichen, Leben ist zu begreifen. It's a sugary example and as I already stated above, I don't have the brain capacity to state whether it's a good one or a poor attempt.
Some cultures cultivate aphorisms very much. I think I might need a new sub-species for that art. Scientific aphorisms based on current suppositions. Let it be philosophical or scientific, an idea, a motto that makes you happy serves you best.
posted by Anicko @ 10:10 AM
2 Comments:
So, still in love with German(y), ha?
I was very pleased to find your blog, dear Anni. A pleasure to read... just one nasty comment - can't stand the parts in german that I can not understand! (sorry did not abstain from commenting;))
Otherwise - looking forward to read more.
Your ex-roommie, the Baltic one
Here is an approximate translation to the German aphorism. Though I think it sounds and rhymes better in the original.
Leben ist nicht zu begreifen.
Leben ist zu erreichen.
Life ist not to be understood.
Life to to be achieved.
begreifen means roughly 'to get, to understand' and erreichen in turn is the German equivalent of 'to achieve, to get, to reach'.
So the idea is that life itself is so wonderful it should be achieved and 'fought for' (or conserved, would an ecologist say). Simultaneously, it is perhaps not even possible to grasp the nuclear idea of such thing as life. It ain't necessary of grasp the idea of life but to understand it by living it and cultivating it :)
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