fandomhigh | Practical Philosophy, Thursday

"This weekend, I hear many of you experienced prospective futures," Ender said, his mouth quirking. "I feel like I have to assure you all, if you haven't been through this already, that none of these are fixed or even certain."

They'd moved to the edge of the pond, as he'd told Sidon he would do. Though this week, it probably wasn't as necessary as it had been. Ah well.

"They can be useful lessons in what to do or to avoid," he continued. "Something you shouldn't do, or someone you shouldn't push out of your life, no matter how tempting it might seem at the time." Not that he'd had any experience with this or no. "Of course, they can also be ridiculous twists of fate. Or a place you'd like to wind up. Whatever the case, there's always something to learn, I feel."

He looked into the group.

"What was your weekend like? Were you older, or yourself, or not present at all? Do you feel it means something, can you find any instruction on it, or did you experience it as a load of nonsense?" A pause. "I wouldn't fault anyone who did."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

And Sidon had to think about that question a little, though most of it was making sure he'd heard it correctly, as he found it so befuddling that he was almost certain he'd misheard it somehow. To him, it didn't make a whole lot of sense.

"How could it be," he asked, "when it encompasses so much?"

To him, even going to the common room for a bite to eat was an adventure. The net he'd cast was...generous, to say the least.

"Would it encompass a woman who goes to the same job, 9-to-5, for thirty years so she can pay the bills for her family?" Ender said. "Or the man who declines a call for an exciting foreign job placement because she needs to stay home to care for her ailing mother?"

"Ahhh, yes," said Sidon, gaining his smile again, albeit a soft one. "I understand what you mean now, and, yes, of course it encompasses all of that. It would be rather foolish to believe that adventures are all excitement and fun; some of the best adventures involve the most grueling and heartbreaking trials...as those are usually the ones with the greatest rewards! So, allow me to pose a question to you in return: does this woman who must grind away so much of her time and energy in a stable, steady occupation find joy in seeing her family taken care of because of her hard work and sacrifice? Is she able, even if it may feel like a dreadful slog, still able to find some enjoyment in the work she does, even if that enjoyment is just the satisfaction of knowing her children are cared for? If not, then, it may sound harsh, but no, this vision does not encompass her, and I cannot feel bad for it, because one who cannot even appreciate the reason for which they do what they do are beyond help, and I shall not waste my time with those who refuse to see beyond their own misery.

"And as for the other example," he added, a bit more softly, "that is not an easy decision to make, to weigh out the advantages of an opportunity with the ability to spend more time with a love one. I believe that is still living life well. There shall always be more opportunities ahead, albeit likely different ones, but, going back to the original point of this discussion, our time here is limited, and unpredictable. Remaining to care for a faltering loved one falls firmly in the category of cherishing what moments we have while we still have them."

Practical Philosophy, Thursday

Re: Talk.

Re: Talk.

Re: Talk.