John Stuart Mill

Today I was on an airplane for 5 or 6 hours, and nothing is better for guilt free reading than riding on a plane. I had picked up a biography of John Stuart Mill by Richard Reeves after reading a review of the book in The New Yorker. I knew of Mill from various History of Psych classes (both undergrad and grad) but had never paid him much mind (there's soooo much to cover in those classes all you can get is a very limited understanding of each famous philosopher) until I read the review. Some of Mill's quotes slapped me upside the head and demanded that I pay him some attention.

So I settled in on my plane ride today to see if the book was as entertaining as the review. 125 pages in and I'm going to go with yes. In fact, I began scribbling notes to myself on one of the in-flight magazines.

I'm treating this more like journal at this point than a blog, so feel free to stop paying attention at this point because this will be very stream of conscious and mostly jotting down quotes from the book, so I have something to reference and synthesize later.

pg 4 Mill quote: "I never meant to say that the Conservatives are generally stupid. I meant to say that stupid people are generally Conservative"

ZING!

pg 33 Mill quote: "Without knowing the language of a people, we never really know their thoughts, and their character, and unless we do possess this knowledge, of some other people than ourselves , we remain to the hour of our death, with our intellects only half expanded"

This is a great comment and is one of the many reasons why I need to get off my ass and start back with the Spanish lessons.

pg 35 - An amusing anecdote about Godwin's thought experiment about who one should save from a fire, one's wife or an archbishop. Godwin, as a utilitarian, would say the archbishop because he would bring the most happiness to the most people. Reeves quotes Bernard Williams who says: "if we have to throw one person over the side of the lifeboat, our wife or a stranger, and we have to think about it, that's just one thought too many"

pg 37 - Reeves writes that for Mills, the important question is not whether or not God exists, but whether or not the belief in the existence of God adds to human happiness.

My wife has tried to explain this to me on the numerous occasions I rant about the irrationality involved in religion. And I think I now see the point she was making.

pg 46 Mill quote "If to have been to the University be the end of education there is no doubt that by going to University that end may be most effectually attained"

As my adviser always says, you shouldn't let school get in the way of your education. I've found lately that I've had a hunger to read as much non-fiction as I can and in as many topics as I can. Nothing stimulates my mind like a book like this.

pg 54 Mill quote To silence any view, "was to say that the people are better qualified to judge before discussion than after it: which is absurd, since before discussion, if their opinions are true it is only by accident, whereas after it they hold them with a complete conviction, and perfect knowledge of the proofs on which they are grounded"

This is Mill discussing the dangers of mainstream opinion going unchallenged. - Reeves

pg 65 Hume quote "Be a philosopher, but amidst all your philosophy, be still a man"

pg 72-73 Mill on friendship "... the greatest source of friendship between minds of any capacity; this is, not equality, for nothing can be so little interesting to a man as his own double; but, reciprocal superiority. Each of us knows many things the other knows not, & can do many things which the other values but cannot himself do, or not so well"

This is such a great thought and is very close to why I think my wife and I are so perfect for each other.

pg 75 Reeves on Saint-Simon: "History passes through alternating eras of stability and change - 'organic' and 'critical' periods; that conflict of opposites led to a resolution different to either; that societies were continually breeding the seeds of their own destruction; and both ideas and institutions appropriate for one age would become redundant in the next and need replacing"

Shades of William James's stain, Pirsig's static and dynamic quality, and maybe a little Kuhn. I need to think about this so more and integrate it.

pg 76 Reeves paraphrasing Mill "The value of any specific law or institution was necessarily contingent upon the social, political, and economic context of the time"

This is actually how I wish people would interpret the bible. In the proper historical context with an understanding of the intended audience.

pg 78 Mill quote: "But to hear a man gravely pledge himself to be always of the same opinion - bind himself by a solemn promise that the arguments which convince him now, upon his honor shall convince him to his dying day - that what he thinks advisable now he will think advisable always howsoever circumstances may change . . . is utterly ludicrous"

I wish more politicians and scientists would read this. Especially those who blast their colleagues for "flip-flopping"

pg 84-85 Mill quote: "Contemporary education is all cram. The danger then was that the mental light of the nations has lost in intensity at least part of what it has gained in diffusion; whether our 'march of intellect' be not rather a march towards doing without intellect, and supplying a deficiency of giants by the united efforts of a constantly increasing multitude of dwarfs"

A bit elitist sure, but an interesting point that is still valid in regards to school today. For Mills, according to Reeves, a genius was not someone who displayed a dazzling intellect, but a person who was fully self-determining and autonomous. I don't think our schools do a good job at training that (see the discussion of Margaret Mead's Coming of Age in Samoa)

to be continued...

Book Review (12/34) Faith of My Fathers by John McCain

It's an odd feeling when you are purchasing a book that goes contrary to your point of view. I felt like explaining to everyone near me that I wasn't a Republican, that I was planning on voting for Obama, and that I just felt I needed to give each candidate a "fair" shot at gaining my vote. I selected the book entitled "Faith of my Fathers" as I felt it would be a nice complement to Obama's "Dreams From my Father". Both books detail the early years of the candidates. Obama's from birth, through his years of organizing in Chicago, until his life changing journey to his father's native land of Kenya. McCain tells the story of his grandfather, father, and his own life up through his release from a Vietnamese POW camp.

As I mentioned I felt weird, and a little ashamed, as I read through McCain's book in a crowded airport. I was definitely reading the book with a jaded eye as I saw a politician's voice leaping at me from every line. But the more I read the more I liked this Mac Kane (as his Vietnamese captors called him) guy. His admiration for his grandfather (an Admiral in WWII who was at the Japanese surrender) and his father (Admiral and Commander of the Pacific Command during the Vietnam War) is very apparent and you can tell that McCain comes from a different breed of men. Men of honor and determination who would give their lives for America without a moment's hesitation.

I guess the part of the book that impressed me the most was McCain's description of his experiences as a POW for 5 1/2 years. Though he certainly deserves admiration for his own loyalty and faith during his years of imprisonment he continually downgrades his own achievements to relate the heroic deeds of other POWs. I can't imagine going through what McCain endured in those 5 years and the man is obviously an American Hero.

That's what I think really gets confused in this red-blue divided country of ours. Though I disagree with McCain's stances on a lot of issues, I began to see him in a different light in this book. He is a good man. An American Hero. There's a lesson to be learned here. I think deep down we all want the same things, the things that Michelle Obama (in her convention speech) reiterated. We all want an equal opportunity to succeed based on our own merit and the ability to provide our children with a better life than we had. No matter how much Fox News tries to blast Obama for his lack of a lapel American flag, or how much Comedy Central rips McCain I think during the rest of the election season I will try to remember that at the core these two people are good men.

I know some of you are cynical about politicians. But when I read these books I just feel I get a little more than listening to 5 second sound bytes on the news. I'm reminded of a quote by Vaclav Havel where he writes that living normally, "begins as an attempt to do your work well, and ends with being branded an enemy of society"

#41. Run a Marathon

Why is it on the list?

If you had told me 2 years ago I would eventually run a marathon I would have called you crazy. The thought of running 26.2 miles just seemed insane. But I had this bug up my ass that if I trained hard enough I could maybe ... just maybe... finish an Ironman one of these days. And well you can't do an Ironman without being able to do a marathon.

The Process

As usual, you can find a full break down of the race from the My Space page. But after months of training I finished my first marathon in 4:18:24, which is about a 9:52 pace. This is a little slower than I had secretly hoped, but I did complete my goal of beating Oprah's marathon time. I made it to the 20 mile mark in about 3 hours, but bad leg cramps derailed my dreams of beating P Diddy and the 4 hour mark. Completing those last 6.2 miles was one of the hardest things I've ever done and I was thrilled to cross the finish line in good shape and to be able to celebrate with my wife who also finished her first marathon!

Two days later I am a bit sore, but I'm ready to march on to the dream of becoming an Ironman. The next big step will be the Half Ironman and I'm targeting the Great Buckeye Challenge in August 09. Stay tuned!

#92 Get a passport

Whoo-hoo! My passport arrived today! About time I got one don't ya think? Now the big question is where do I go first?!?!

Book Review (11/34) To the Castle and Back by Václav Havel

I first learned of Havel back in 2003 when I read this article in the New Yorker. I was struck by a particular quote of Havel's in the article, so much so that I actually wrote it down (Once upon a time I kept a small notebook where I would write down quotes that made me think or laugh). Havel wrote that all too often, "living normally begins as an attempt to do your work well and ends with being branded an enemy of society".

This quote appealed in the context of Havel challenging the authority of his boss, which I'm sure is what appealed to my rebellious streak. I wrote the quote down and made a mental note to read one of his books someday.

5 years later, (and with my 101 Things to Do List focusing my energies) I decided to finally purchase one of Havel's books. I settled on his memoir, To the Castle and Back. The Castle refers to the Prague Castle, where Havel spent his years as President of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic after the split. To the Castle and Back contains Havel's answers to an interviewer's questions mixed in with memos Havel sent to his staff during his presidencies. The memos provide insight into both the wonderful and the mundane aspects of being the President of a country, and as a playwright Havel does not fail to entertain.

The majority of the book was written while Havel was visiting Washington DC in 2005 and his comments on Americans are hilarious:

"Americans place great store in white teeth, something I find generally agreeable; they have dozens of ways of achieving dental perfection and whiteness, and I don't think it's unusual for people here to have a relatively healthy set of teeth replaced with one that is artificial but more beautiful"

"... American cars, which for unknown reasons, have herds of useless horses under their hoods and are capable of speeds many times greater than is allowed anywhere here"

I also enjoyed the discussion of how absurd Havel found it that he became President, and all his insecurities despite the fact that he is universally regarded as a hero, someone who was instrumental in bringing about the fall of the Soviet Union. The fact that he mixes in memos such as: "We need a longer hose for watering" and "I would ask Mr. Rechtacek to repair and refill my lighter and send it back" with memos dealing with meeting world leaders and setting the course of world events makes it a wonderful reading experience. President Havel, I thoroughly enjoyed your memoir, and promise that it won't be 5 years before we meet again. I just have to decided which one to read next...

#45. Complete a Muddy Buddy

What is it?

The Muddy Buddy is a race that consists of a two person team. One person begins the race on foot while the other begins the race on a bike. The person on the bike rides until they reach an obstacle. They drop the bike, complete the obstacle, and then take off on foot. The guy who started on foot completes the obstacle, grabs the bike, and then leapfrogs his teammate. This pattern continues through the course as you encounter obstacles. At the end, you are your teammate meet up and slog through a mudpit to the finish line.

Why is it on the list?

I love doing fun races. The Urban Challenge was awesome. The Mad Cow Urban Adventure Race was crazy. And I'm eyeing the Krispy Kreme challenge for next year. But a mud covered obstacle course sounded perfect and as it was as close to Ninja Warrior as I'm likely to get I was all for it.

The Process

Well the official race report will be linked on My Space soon enough, but needless to say good times were had by all as we ran across a balance beam, climbed over a wall, scaled a cargo net, slid down the slide at the other end, monkeyed our way through an over/under jungle gym, and trudged through the mudpit. If you want a good time I highly recommend the Muddy Buddy!

Book Review (10/34) Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama

#13 on this list is to become educated on the presidential candidates. As part of this process I've decided to read their books. I started with this book because I'm fairly certain I'll vote for Barack Obama and this particular book was his first. I was also hoping for an open and honest story from a man who had no idea he would one day be running for President when he wrote the book.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was divided into 3 main sections, detailing Obama's upbringing in Hawaii and Indonesia, his work as a social organizer in Chicago, and his first visit to Kenya, the birthplace of his father. Obama's struggle as a child of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenyan is poignant. I had no idea that he only met his father once and for such a short period of time. I didn't know he spent years of his childhood in Indonesia. It was difficult to read about his search for black role models and the search for his own identity in Hawaii. Also, the tales from his white grandparents about the racism they experienced in Texas hit close to home.

When I was younger (maybe 11 or 12) I befriended a young black kid on the school bus. He was probably 7 or 8 and I would read to him on the ride home. Soon enough, the other kids on the bus (as mentioned in other posts I grew up in a 99% white community) started making fun of me. I'm ashamed to say I succumbed to peer pressure and gradually started distancing myself from the younger kid. It really gets to me when I think about what he had to go through and the fact that I wasn't strong enough to stand up to the people making fun of me for being his friend.

Barack Obama inspires me. When I listen to his speeches I feel like maybe we can come together as a nation and perhaps my children's children can truly see past race. I hate hearing my family and friends make racial comments. I've seen adults encourage and reinforce children to insult immigrant workers. I've been in cars where people have locked the doors when they saw a 12 year old black girl playing hopscotch. And I'm still ashamed at the courage I lacked when I was that same 12 years old.

Anyways, I think this book does an excellent job providing a look at Obama's early years. I enjoyed reading his journey of self-discovery and the lessons he learned in Hawaii, Indonesia, Chicago, and Kenya. I'm quite interested to see the differences between the Audacity of Hope (written after he became a politician) and this book. I'll also be getting his policy book coming out in September.

But next I must give Senator McCain a chance. As much as I don't see myself voting for a Republican candidate I feel that I must not fall victim to the sentiment expressed by Phillip Wylie: "But you don't know how to read anymore. When you open a book, you do it in the faith and assurance that you are already master of what it contains and that the author has written only so you may prove him wrong". So I plan to read one of McCain's books next, and try and keep an open mind.