Pensée: 38

The concept of public opinion intrigues me. Cicero accurately stated that: "Nothing is more obscure than public opinion..." Like minded individuals tend to band together into political parties or other similar organizations. Such organizations are indeed open to the public, however are not "the public" but are private organizations. There are always  multiple opinions to every issue, action or legislation. How then can there be a "public opinion" because the public seems to have multiple, more often than not, conflicting opinions. As humans we tend to make our minds up about things very quickly, or abstain entirely from having an opinion. The public is so diverse, I cannot see there being a single, consolidated opinion of the public. There are public opinions, that the differing factions of the public stand behind and debate. Next, I find that our society, the author included, has limited attention span, which contributes to our ever differing opinions. This limited span of attention allows us to be easily influenced and our opinions easily swayed ans manipulated because we find it easier, simpler and faster to believe what we are told instead of forming a personal consolidated opinion and sticking to it, allowing of course for reasonable and polite discourse and debate, knowing that there is always a differing opinion then one's own.

[P.30]


Inspired by Jordan, Josh and Kelli Taylor

Pensée: 37

Before a man proposes to a woman, there are a few things he must first take into consideration. First, Do I know where I am going long term career wise, if not do I have an established plan or general direction. Next, am I able to support my wife, regardless if she is seeking employment or not. Furthermore, am I absolutely positively sure that I want to spent the rest of my life with this person. For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, until we are separated by death. "A man must know where he is going before he can ask anyone to come along"



After some conversation with W.C.N. about the previous Pensée, it was decided that one should also consider the above as well.

Pensée: 36

The Question of the Diplomats Wife
It is to be understood, that because of the Author's inclination towards a career in diplomacy and will more likely than not find himself in a life style that will carry him far from his native soil, and that for extended periods of time. This is why the Author has and must always preoccupy himself with this thought.

"Firstly, is the person you are interested in or in a serious relationship with willing to leave family and friends to travel around the world with you as you work and live there.
Next, is your hypothetical spouse trained or educated in such a way that he or she could find employment at a local institution or company without too much accommodation, if he or she so desires."

Diplomats lead a life of constant change which includes never living in one place for too long, the current fare is around 4 years per posting. There are many other professions and vocations that require a fair bit of travel and living abroad, I found diplomats to be the most apt example.

Pensée: 35

Of telling and writing of stories
"On Characters"

There are, as I see it, only a finite number of characters in any work of fiction, and even perhaps in real life. To begin, there are only a specific, finite amount of character/personality traits. (e.g. Honesty, Loyalty, Deceitfulness, Malevolence, Dependability, Wile etc.) Characters are then defined by these traits. Protagonists are more often than not the embodiment of the better part of all the positive traits. Antagonists then embody all the negative of these traits, at least nominally, as the embodiment of any of these is merely how the author of the story portrays the character and how the reader perceives the character and his or her actions. As there are only a finite number of traits there can only be a finite amount of combinations of these traits. Characters are no more than collections of accentuated and expressed traits. Because of the finite number of combination, there can only be a finite number of characters. These characters may indeed have their own personal quirks, beliefs and convictions, but are technically the same as the other characters that share the specific combination of traits.