Pages

22.8.13

An idea about ideas

All ideas need humans to support them, because they don't exist on their own. Ideas are parasites of the mind; they cannot survive on their own, they cannot even be on their own. Therefore, all ideas need me. I choose which ones I will embrace and not even to those do I easily offer permanent dwelling. With so much supply, I constantly search for better ones.

I don’t need the ideas. The ideas need me.

I replace ideas without hesitation or guilt. I have no responsibility towards any idea. On the contrary, I have responsibility towards myself to select, keep and support the ideas that express me for as long as they express me.

My ideas do not define me. I define my ideas.

The ideas of others pose no danger to my ideas; unless the others are unable to accept that we don’t all have the same ideas; unless they are unwilling to have their ideas challenged; and unless their ideas endanger my or other people’s physical or mental integrity. Under these conditions, not only do I not mind if others have different ideas, but I’m also happy to talk with them, because discussion reveals the weaknesses of ideas; and the recognizing of the weaknesses leads to the creation of new ideas that express us even better.

My ideas are completely negotiable; my integrity is not at all.

I am not afraid of changing ideas when they stop expressing me.
I am not afraid of not changing ideas when they keep expressing me.
I am not afraid of supporting the ideas that express me.
I am not afraid of listening to the ideas of others and redefine mine.

But all of the above constitute an idea. Let’s assume that at some point this idea seizes to express me. Let’s say that I stop considering my ideas negotiable and I don’t want to change them. If I change my original idea, then I keep following my original idea, that says I should change ideas when they stop expressing me. But if I don’t change it, I’ll keep following the idea that my ideas are negotiable. So, according to my original idea about ideas, all ideas are negotiable and replaceable, except for the idea that all ideas are negotiable and replaceable. (What an arrogant idea indeed! It sets rules for all ideas but itself!)

So, how open am I, really, to ideas, since I have an idea that I cannot not follow one way or the other?

(Original post: Μια ιδέα για τις ιδέες -16/01/09)

No comments: