Philosophies of The Doug

I’m your sentimental counterweight with balls. Humble and precise, selfish and empathetic, insane and reasoned.

Indulge your sensuality, for it is the second most important aspect of your being. The first is your deepest thought. Personal fulfillment is gained through enjoyment of the ridiculously beautiful gifts that life gives us. Sexual pleasure, gluttonous consumption of delicious foods, gratuitous indulgence in the reading of fiction, suspending your studies to enjoy a sunrise with friends – these things are not tied to sin; they are tied to happiness. A misconception for a thousand years has occurred regarding the concept of ‘purity’ and the enjoyments we experience. Purity is goodness. But what has been taken for goodness is slightly perverted. Things such as self-control and hard-work are given purity but the counterweight has been stolen away! Purity is goodness. Having a slave work his body to bare bones is hard and it is work, but it is not good, and therefore not all hard work is pure. Likewise, partying with friends, enjoying the beauty of physical attraction, enjoying hours and hours of playing video games, these things are very good things and therefore they are very pure. The main misconception is that people who enjoy the things that are truly best about life cannot work hard and contribute to society. But society is worth nothing compared to the worth of the individual. Any fool would tell you that fun is good, so why should fun be labeled as sin? Unless you believe incorrectly that a man or woman cannot indulge their wildest desires for food or adventure and not at the same time be one-hundred-percent sound of mind, just, and kind, then there is no justification beyond suppression of the masses to deem things like sloth and gluttony as sin. Most look to Rome and see unhealthy, self-destructive gluttony in their feasts and flesh festivals, but Rome was poisoned by lead, not festivals. There is no connection between gluttony and lead poisoning; the pipe system which led to their demise was a fantastic innovation of thought. A truly cultured and well-bred mind can “commit” gluttony on a daily basis without restraint, because he or she is strong enough of a thinker so as to always stay in harmony with the truths and realities of the world. This is NOT a perversion of intellect or a deplorable excuse to allow hedonistic reign, this is a pure and accurate understanding of the way things work. What wanderers don’t realize is that gluttony and restraint, destruction and creation, swimming away from the current or being taken by it – there is no such thing as good or bad in these circumstances. It is folly to believe that any one thing is true in all cases. The circumstances determine what is right. If one wants to get where the current leads, one ought to rather go with the current. If a righteous man or woman is filled with uncontrollable rage and they know that it would be deplorable to enact their rage upon a human or any being, but they honestly cannot cause themselves to let go of their rage and wanton feelings, then it is undeniable that the decision of an intelligent and righteous person would be to use their rage on an inanimate object of sorts – destroying something for the greater good. You see, there is a line between cruelty and expression. One ought sooner destroy themselves than destroy another being out of simple abandon, but one ought sooner release their aggression on inanimates than let it destroy their relations or their selves.
Be aware and avoid doing harm to others, but if your pleasure is causing no harm to others then it is absolutely entirely righteous. Your SELF is the thing you own outright and it has limitations only as far as you will allow. That being said, there are limitations which are in your best interest to follow. An uninhibited being is magnificent in stature and grandeur, but a fully uninhibited being will drift without comprehension and will lose faith in all but the sight of its limbs. To achieve happiness one must understand that our initial feelings aren’t always correct, and that small investments can be made today which will significantly improve your entire universe tomorrow. Still, an existence focused on sacrificing today for tomorrow will eventually result in one lacking the literal ability to enjoy today, and thus no good will ever come from any of their toiling. That is why we must balance our preparatory intellect with the pure unadultered pleasures of the here-and-now.

The aspects of your being to attend to most are these, and in this order –

1.          Deepest Thought (soul searching to the point beyond conventional feel)
2.          Sensuality (the pleasures of the heart and positive energies of feeling)
3.          Empathy / Heart (acknowledgement of the validity and honesty of your fellows)
4.          Physical Aptitudes (happiness draws life from physicality)

Conversely, the aspects of your being that you ought to systematically erode and ignore:

1.          Fear of Truth in Self (revealing ones honest motives and desires)
2.          Faith in Untested Perception (initial perceptions are inaccurate)
3.          Fear of Darkness (acceptance and understanding is the way to goodness)
4.          Lack of Faith in the Future (you don’t realize the good that may come)


Sensuality is indeed higher than Empathy, although deepest thought would likely lead one to empathy soonest. Love life; allow yourself to understand how gorgeous it is. What we collectively fail to acknowledge is the PURITY of our lives. You don’t get purity out of an accusatory sermon (unless that’s what makes you feel best) and you don’t get purity out of working yourself into an early grave (unless that’s what makes you feel best). You get purity from your HEART. Whatever means something to you IS deep and important and worthwhile… and PURE. If you love eating potato chips till you barf, it is pure. If you love reading fashion magazines, it is pure. The only times when your honest heartfelt desires ought to be denied is when they inflict significant harm upon others or when they are stifled for the sake of betterment (i.e. when you use your intellect to realize when forced moderation may enhance and empower an experience for later use). Don’t let the thoughts of darkness or failure detract from your view of life’s inherent excitement and pleasure. These negative thoughts are a dime a billion and can be shed with only slightly more effort than they are bought with. The human self exists in a state prone to negativity because we are raised to be humble in the face of authority rather than the face of logic. Authority forces its will upon the un-authoritative because it lacks the balls and the intellect to be righteous. A smart man is likely to see the faults that lie within, but a smarter man will see the goodness.
Never is a righteous person an authority. The righteous would spread their truths or ideas to their fellows and if truth is on their side then the ideas will be passed on without force. To use your force on another is to betray their innate honest and beautiful self. Everyone’s position is valid – that of Gandhi, that of Hitler. If life and wellness is at stake then raise your hand to defeat an evil (i.e. Hitler), but if ego is at stake to raise your hand is not only wrong but innately inaccurate to the truths of yourself and your opponent. But take note that judgment is always in your hands. It is up to you to decide what is worthwhile, for the individual is the only one with the power to decide that individually.
No human being on this planet is superior to you. The stronger a person becomes, he may be more physically well than others but he is no more well off than any of his brethren on the path to happiness and joyful stasis. Physical advancement is only one facet of a powerful body & mind, and it is an aspect that has absolutely no baring on the strength of the soul because the soul exists in one’s mind and it decides their feelings. A strong man and a weak man have equal likelihood of being happy. It is only after one has taken the essential steps toward mental success that the physical wellness of the body becomes important: at which point one must consume heartful foods (of both delicious and healthy natures, individually and not necessarily simultaneously) because the foods we intake effect our state of mind and a clear mind can consume the correct substances to reach a superior level of peace.
The wiser a person becomes, the more learned in the ways of intellect and scholastic advance, they become not better or smarter than anyone; but become more aware of their placement and their equality. No supreme wisdoms exist, and any who claim to be enlightened are being inaccurate. The movements that can be made towards superior living are not a form of enlightenment but instead a form of logic, understanding that you can do things which make you feel better and do better. At no point in time does anyone know anything unless they first understand what they are knowing.

On Manipulation of Worldviews

         The easiest way to manipulate someone’s general philosophy and path in life is by example. Not necessarily because they will admire you and want to be like you, but also because a person will always comprehend the bad side of whatever ideas are pushed on them. Connotations are the most powerful force over beliefs, though connotations are not easily manipulated. Build your lifea round a philosophy that you wish to push on others and people will respect it for humility while they slowly erode their own beliefs. Life intrinsically does not work out, so once someone is done rebelling against the beliefs forced upon them, and their beliefs have failed to make them happy, they will see what you’ve done and legitimately adopt it for themselves as an alternative to their initial, honest, failed beliefs.
         Hope is based on circumstance. Things are thought to be good when times are sensical or favorable. Worldviews are built on concepts which seem sensical and accurate, but in fact no line of thought is without crippling defects. The easiest way to write your own worldview and make yourself happy is to soul-search extensively so that you understand yourself somewhat, and then use what you know about your emotions to successfully fool yourself.

The reason I allow my philosophy to be vague and inaccurate is because I believe that the major philosophies such as Confucianism and The Dao are likewise inaccurate and vague. I can accept the idea that perhaps I do not get the truth in these major religions but I see them as art rather than truth.

Maxims are the most powerful and most easily utilized form of philosophy, so here are some things The Doug has said.

“People tell you what to do with your life, but have they already conquered their own life?” 

“Contrary to popular belief, there is only one type of belief: a false one.”

“Socrates was most wise because he knew he was not wise. How much wisdom do I lose by proclaiming the wisdom to know that it is true?”

“No one has conceived of every possible way to succeed at life. Therefore, no one can tell you what the best way is.”

“100% of life is perception.”

“The educational system is quick to tell you to think outside of the box, and even quicker to crush you when you try. Be it through curriculum, hall-passes, or detentions, you are absolutely not allowed to practice any belief contrary to the consensus… or worse, the administration.”

“There is nothing but any number of alternate choices between you and your greatest hero or your most vile enemy.”

“Time is an artificial construct which the powers-that-be use to keep us afraid.”

“Never deny my authority. Instead, deny my ability.”

“Partisanship is intrinsically unintelligent. It requires acceptance of the idea that you are right and everyone who disagrees is the enemy.”

“When a king comes to you with an offer, do not accept out of humility. If he is coming to you then you are the one with clout.”

“I don’t know shit, and Socrates would agree.”

“Love is wonderful but painful. Instead, eat cake. Cake is wonderful and simple.”

“I do not fault the advertisers and crooks who present me with lies. They have a simple purpose and that is to deceive me. I fault only those who can convince me that their position is objective. They are lying to me more than any others, and it insults my pride.”

“Proper English is a farce perpetuated by the publishing industry to sell rulebooks and annotated revised editions. Language is a tool for communcation, and nothing more.”

“You wouldn’t openly let someone tell you what to wear or what games to play. Why would you let them tell you that you must use ‘did well’ instead of ‘did good?’” 

“Think of the passion with which you believe in your causes. That is the passion with which everyone believes in their causes. Do not confuse passion with accuracy.”

“If I could turn back time, I’d go to before the universe began and stop it from happening.”

“Love is only beautiful when it is between beautiful people. Luckily, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

“I do not believe in any cosmic force, karma, religion or reason. To believe would put me at risk for being wrong.”

“If we had been naked when we met, you would not have liked me at all.”

“Some people use drugs to escape reality. Other people use reason.”

“I’m sorry that we couldn’t get together. I’m even more sorry that you couldn’t get together with me.”

“Relaxation is renowned for being essential to health. If your boss doesn’t allow you some peace and fun, quit.”

“No woman, man, or figure in existence has ever had the power to tell you that you must live. If God looks down on your actions, it is his obligation to tell you so beforehand. Otherwise, he can tell you when you meet him.”

“Unfortunately we forget the fact that half the fun of anything good is that it is new.”

“Our memory is dastardly and it does deceive us daily. The boring moments of today will later be longed-for memories. This means that either we are doomed to never be happy, or we must see every moment we experience as if it has already passed us by.”

“Tomorrow I will buy myself a pair of shoes. The next day I will sell them. I can foresee this.”

“Some believe we should acknowledge that reality has no real magics or religions. Others believe we should see the world as limitless and intrinsically spiritual. What hurts me most about the world is that I shall never know who is right.”

“I’m fully willing to accept whatever God you believe in. All He has to do is explain to me why I should. Your God could not possibly fault me for anything I’ve ever done, because He has never told me of anything I should not do.”

“Just because people want what you have doesn’t mean you must be grateful. The grass is always greener on the other side.”

“Do not fear insanity. Fear ignorance. At least, I do.”

“No it does NOT ‘take one to know one.’ I know girls, surgeons, and elephants, but I am not a girl, a surgeon, or an elephant.”

“Self-confidence will make you happy. It will also make you pretentious.”

“Don’t believe experts. They perceive what they have been trained to.”