To be (educated) or not to be?

Several infamous autodidacts, such as Benjamin Franklin, have thoroughly proved that the ultimate mark of being educated is not determined by college diplomas. What is the ultimate mark then, you might ask? Unattainable. 

I define education as a life-long process of actively seeking knowledge and using it to formulate perspectives and ideate. To then say that one has obtained the ultimate mark of being educated is self-aggrandizing. It implies that the process of education is complete—effectively, a claim to omniscience. Developing a perspective is achieved through experiences where one seeks knowledge. Naturally then, new experiences would continue to educate—the more we live, the more we learn—effectively deeming the endeavor of obtaining “the ultimate mark of education” to be a fallacious one.

I would go one step further to state that not only is said endeavor unattainable, but it is also undesirable. Even if one assumes that an individual can obtain a “great education,” said individual would lack the incentive to continue upon the process of education after it has been obtained. With no motivation to continue to seek knowledge, the individual would be left purposeless—even though newer experiences would naturally make their education “greater”.

Hence, it is the pursuit of education that one should seek, because, much like with happiness, the ultimate state of being educated is unattainable and undesirable. Nonetheless, lacking a definitive end doesn’t strip education of its purpose, with the pursuit of education being noble and of a higher value, regardless of its outcome.
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I ran into quite an interesting discussion recently and decided to inscribe my thoughts above. What are your opinions?

Snap Series #4—Fauna (Part 2)

Moving on!

Snap Series #3—Fauna (Part 1)

 Cats! Truly are beautiful, aren't they?

Communimeet

2020 has been difficult (at the very least). It affected everyone: those who lost loved ones, those who were forced into social isolation, those who spent what would have been one their most important years at school or work, at home. The dilemma that is our present lifestyle is one that propelled me to create Communimeet.  

Although it would be immature of me to attempt to empathize with all who've felt such pain this year, I thought that a way through which we could heal is by coming together. Humans are, after all, a social species. At this point, you might question, with the likes of a myriad of social media applications, why Communimeet is different? Try it to see why, here!

Snap Series #2—Flora

Some of my favorite plant/flower shots. Share yours below!

My Recent Sketch!

Hey guys, haven't shown you my "art" in a while, but I drew this for my sister for her birthday! I'd say it's not too shabby for someone who hasn't practiced in a bit.

 

My thoughts

 Hey guys, I had a few thoughts on the following title as a part of my school coursework. Let me know what you think!

"The production of knowledge is always a collaborative task and never solely a product of the individual". Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Progress in the pursuit of knowledge, specifically societal progress, is fueled through the production of knowledge—a process that involves the assimilation of pre-existing knowledge to create new conclusions through experimentation, theorization, and observation. Knowledge production is a paramount process in our daily lives, evidenced through the constant reinterpretation and revision of our understanding of the various branches of knowledge on a regular basis, as seen through the lenses of language, sense perception, emotion, reason, imagination, faith, intuition, and memory. Dependent on the primary method of knowledge acquisition in a specific area of knowledge, this production of knowledge can then be classified under either personal and shared knowledge. In tandem, both can be used to explore the concept of knowledge production in society, and more specifically, both can be used to question whether said production of knowledge is a consequence of individual knowledge acquisition (through the production of personal knowledge) or rather invariably, through collaborative knowledge acquisition (the production of shared knowledge). Utilizing the natural sciences and the arts as the two areas through which we can investigate our conundrum, this essay would therefore explore the extent to which the production of knowledge is collaborative in the natural sciences and the arts.

Snap Series #1- Sky Views

Personally, one of the things I like to click the most are pictures of the sky! These are some of my favorites... let me know which ones you like in the comments!

In a Snap

Hey!

The summer's up and kicking, and I thought I'd experiment with a new series on the blog, which I've decided to title - "In a Snap". As hinted, this is going to primarily be dedicated towards sharing glimpses of, well - mostly unrelated and mundane things while trying to exhibit my hobby for photography. I hope you enjoy!

My First YouTube video!

Hey guys!

I've been composing music for a while now, and I recently decided to post them on a new YouTube channel I created! Posting the video below. I hope you enjoy it! The theme for this one is War.

Please drop a like, subscribe, and hit that notification bell icon for future updates! Don't forget to leave your feedback in the comment section!

The Big Picture

Imagine yourself, looking through a camera lens. You can see a flamboyant flower, with rich and vivid colors. You look closer, and you can see a slightly dull and lifeless background, but you’re perfectly happy with the image of your flower, and thereby ignore the background. Now imagine, someone starts to turn your lens and zoom out. You get worried, because you loved the image of your flower, and are uncertain if you’ll ever find the same shot again. You peer in and look now. The image is extremely clouded and distorted, with most details of the scenery ambiguous to your eyes. Your flower’s still there, but it is but a tiny speck, in your frame. You realize there’s nothing you can do, except maybe look at the flower from a different angle. A different perspective.

Think of your lives, as the big picture. The ultimate summation of all your memories, experiences, and impact, all represented by an image. When we’re born, we notice and understand little. We make do with the most minimal of resources. That can be perceived as us looking at an image through a camera which has been zoomed in to the maximum. We see nothing but maybe, the grass beside our flower, or it’s stem. As we get older we start to realize that our camera starts zooming out, showing us several more details. We may start to notice, that several things we held important in our past, are just small details in our now. Our present. Everything in our life until now has contributed to the present. 

The Soldier

Flashes of white light, illuminated the benighted sky,

Followed by the familiar discordant tune of artillery and guns,
Amidst the destruction remains a soldier, although injured, with grit,
Knowing his life would go on to save his son.

Faint wisps resurfaced, of the day he once left home,
His son had begged him, but his face revealed no condole,
"I have to do what I can, I have to help the men',
Oh, what he would do, to see his son's face again.

The incessant firing, now grimly music to his ears,
Ceased, allowing him and the soldiers, a moment of shock,
For on the ground bounced a seemingly harmless grenade,
And in an instant, the soldiers' faces were close to that of chalk.

Steeling his face once more, the soldier knew what had to be done,
Landing protectively on the grenade, and dropped his gun,
He gave a knowing smile to his comrades, a silent farewell,

And his hands drifted to his heart, wherein he hid a picture of his son.

How many more fathers, and mothers, and children,
Were lost, in fighting 'the greater fight',
Giving up their lives, for a stranger; unknown-,
A simple 'Thank You', shouldn't suffice.

We owe you our gratitude, our lives, our respect,
And thank, each and every gallant knight,
For because of your valiant service and sacrifice,
We are here today, healthy, safe, and alive.

-OceanGrapher

Thank You Creative Competition

Hi guys!

I was recently introduced to a competition, titled the 'Thank You creative competition', held by The Royal Brtish Legion (a charity based in the UK), as a mark of reverence for the soldiers who gave their lives in the first world war, a century ago (World war 1 ended on November 11th, 2018). In essence, it is a writing competition wherein students submit entries to pay respect and gratitude to the soldiers that died fighting in the war. I urge you to participate in the competition because it stands as a small act of gratitude, as well as the much owed 'Thank you' we need to give the martyrs that fell for their countries,, as well as all soldiers today, protecting us in trade for risking their own lives.

To participate in the competition, you could click the hyperlink above, or here. The following post is my submission for the same.

Enjoy writing!

I dared to hope

When the dark overcame the bright, 

When the abyss, immersed the light,

When the world fell on it’s knees,

I dared to hope. 

When belief was just a fantasy,

When people were slaughtered in agony, 

When man had lost his faith,

I dared to hope. 

When the last straw finally fell,

When humankind heard their death knell,

When the Earth’s populace felt their end,

I dared to hope.

When everything started to crumble apart,

When I greeted the end, the incessant dark,

A tiny wisp left my heart, 

Yet, I dared to hope.

-OceanGrapher

If I were to...

If I were to abscond from this world of suffering,

I would hope to take shelter, in another of bliss. 

A utopian world where peace is not a fantasy,

The perfect world, where nothing’s amiss.

If I were to escape this world of anguish,

I would seek a world of solidarity.

A world where all would stand together,

There would be no pain, no conflict, no wars, just harmony.

If I were to run from this world of selfishness,

I would aim to take refuge, in another of nirvana.

A world where all, would be altruistic and benevolent,

A place where none would be overcome by avarice. 

Escapism, though easy, is not one for me,

I will help to ameliorate, to improve, to forge a better place.

The unity of all, would help conduce the same.

To eventually make this world an idyllic one, 

Possible, only through the catalyst of change. 

-OceanGrapher

Twilight

As I lay on my bed for the last time,
Just waiting, for what may be my final breath,
My weathered down face manages a smile,
Recalling the beautiful memories of my life.

They come and go; some slower than the rest,
Like the frames of an old camera, or a book containing reminiscence,
Embracing me into a world unknown,
Guiding me through the world I've known.

As I walk down the road to oblivion,
I am not afraid, rather, I wait,
I have no worries, I have no fears,
And the smile I cherish, lights up on my face,
For one last time.

-OceanGrapher

A Fresh start...

Hi guys!
I have had an amazing experience while blogging, and it has really been quite an interesting and a fun journey- but I couldn't have done it without taking the time out to try it- and it turns out it was worth it!

Like blogging, I am going to try to start writing my first book, on Wattpad. Since I didn't want to start writing my own book at my first attempt,  I am starting with a co-author, with another blogger Grit, who has also started his book quite recently. So thanks for all your support- cause I wouldn't be here without your views, suggestions and comments!



If you would like to give it a small read (Don't worry, it's only as big as a prologue currently) you could visit it Here, or you could scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and read it from there! If you do give it a read, please do give a few suggestions in the comment section- thanks again for being so supportive!

Have a great day!

Will the time come?- 03-11-16

Hey guys! How are you? 

I am starting with yet another meme- "Will the time come?"! So basically, every Thursday I am going to list a book which I really want to read/keep meaning to get to. These are mostly books which have been on my shelf for awhile now but don't have to be. Thanks to "Books for Company" for this meme!

Today's book which I am going to be sharing is The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown. This 2003's mystery and detective themed novel is one that has been on my TBR list from when I first heard about it in 2013- almost 3 years now!


I have also been wanting to read the sequel to The Da Vinci Code, and has also been on my TBR list for a long time...
Also- with all the hype about the movie, I just can't wait to pick it!






Okay folks- thats all for now!
Have a good day!

WWW Wednesday- 26-10-16

Hey guys! Hope you are enjoying a good week!

Today I am posting on WWW Wednesday... This meme was hosted by "Should Be Writing", and all you need to join is to publish a post on what you are currently reading, what you recently finished reading, and what you think you are going to read next! 

I have recently started reading the book "Son", by Lois Lowry. What really caught my eye as to why I picked this book is that it is the fourth addition to a series I really enjoyed- The Giver. From the fraction of the plot that I have unveiled, I cannot say that I love the book, but I am really enjoying it. Just like it's prequel's, this book has a completely different plot and a story from modern and current favorites. From what I have read so far,  I have discovered that even though the author has retained the previous story- through it's setting, its community, she has managed to manipulate it into something quite extraordinary...So all in all, I am looking forward to finishing this novel, and am keeping my fingers crossed for an amazing, and a thrilling read ahead!

I recently finished the book "The diary of a young girl", by Anne Frank. This book is an adaptation to the original diary of Anne Frank- during the second world war. The novel commences by Anne writing to her new diary, keeping it's name kitty. As the story further develops- the diary is portrayed as one of the few friends she had while hiding with her family in Netherlands for two years!- during the Nazi invasion. Anne Frank- a girl who grew up surrounded with affection, is one that is criticized and blamed when the setting moves towards the Annexe. Much of her first year in hiding is shown criticizing the other members of the annexe, giving negative entries about them to Kitty. However, during her second year in hiding- where in Anne turns 14, there is a new, more sensitive side to her character and personality. In a conclusion, I really loved this book, and I believe it as given me a great intuition, on life during World War 2.

The book I am probably going to pick up next is "All the light we cannot see", by Anthony Doherr. I have heard many good reviews on this novel and had been suggested to read this as well... So fingers crossed- Hope it's going to be fun!

Have a great day!

Teaser Tuesday- 01-11-2016

Another great way to start off the month- to share your read!
Hey guys, today I am back with another Teaser Tuesday*. Today, I am going to be sharing a quote from my new read- "All the light we cannot see", by Anthony Doerr.

*Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme, hosted by "Books and a Beat". 

If you want to join, all you have to do is grab your current read. Then open to a random page, and share two "teaser" sentences from that page. Then you can share the title & author of your book too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"The brain is locked in total darkness, of course, children, says the voice. It floats in a clear liquid inside the skull, never in the light. And yet the world it constructs in the mind is full of light. It brims with color and movement. So how, children, does the brain, which lives without a spark of light, build for us a world full of light?"

-Marie Laure's Grandfather,

All the light we cannot see, by Anthony Doerr

Okay guys, this concludes this weeks version of my Teaser Tuesday,

Have a great day!