The Rectangle

Nature abhors a straight line.

Look at the natural world. The horizon is a curve. The limbs of the trees are crooked and gnarled. The river snakes through the canyon. Natural shapes are organic. They are irregular.

The manufactured world is not so much. Observe in the man made world the rectangle, perhaps the most commonly found shape. Not only your collections of books, but the bookcase as well is a rectangle. The cases containing your DVDs, the pictures and the frames on your wall, the wall itself are rectangles. Your chest of drawers, the drawers in your chest of drawers, the decorative carpentry on the drawers of your chest of drawers are rectangles. Our world is in many ways defined by the rectangle. In construction we have the 2x4. At the office we have 8 and 1/2 by 11 inch paper. Envelopes, mailboxes, filling cabinets, mailing labels, credit cards, windows, doors, boxes, laptops are all rectangles.

Why is the rectangle so common in the artificial world? In geometry, the rectangle is a simple shape composed of right angles. This simplicity makes the math involved equally simple. Want to know how much carpet you need to cover your living room? Take the length and multiply the width and there you go. Ever try to stack spheres? Doesn't work. Stacking boxes is much easier. How about fitting a curved door on a residential home? Only if it is custom built.

There is a reason people say to you "think out of the box." We live in boxes. Our homes are boxes. Our apartments are boxes within boxes. Our rooms are boxes within boxes within boxes. To think outside the norm is to leave conventional thought behind. What is more conventional than a box?

So what has nature against mathematical simplicity? Well, nothing really. Nature simply has its own math and its own simplicity. But nature prefers arcs and curves. In feng shui, the dragon of the earth, that is the flow of healthy chi, travels in arcs, not lines. A clean flow of chi requires slopes and rolling hills. Experts in feng shui rearrange furnishings to soften the hard, sharp corners of these rectangular homes. Chi, when not flowing well, is known as sha. Sha is destructive, harmful chi. It follows straight lines. While chi is meandering, sha is direct. Do you live at the end of a busy street? All that sha energy from the traffic on that street is directed at your house. Long exposure to sha can lead to restless sleep, increased stress, and health issues.

So don't just think outside the box, occasionally live outside it as well. Remember, even a coffin is a sort of box.

Persona

We live as actors, putting on a role for each audience we encounter. At work we are professional. At home we are relaxed. With friends we are entertaining. With lovers we are passionate and/or vulnerable. We have a mask for every setting.

Persona is confronted directly in the rock performance troupe, Blue Man Group. The Complex explores the affect persona has on the individual. In order to assimilate into society, the individual surrenders elements of individuality. Going to work, we put on our mask. In the video, this is represented by a welding mask. Everyone wears this mask, each person undistinguished from the next. In truth, the person dissolves into the role. Think of how you treat your mechanic, your plumber, your waiter, your doctor. The clothes make the man, but the uniform makes the employee. A pocket protector says volumes as does a name tag.

This metaphor is explored further. The shadows cast by the masked masses resemble the stylized characters posted on the rest room door. The image, displayed boldly on the album cover, is one of a person stripped completely of any defining characteristics. In a word, a person becomes generic.

In our lives, we are very much in danger of getting absorbed into our roles. How many of us define ourselves by what we do? Who are you? I'm a lawyer. I'm a student. I'm a pediatrician. Who answers with I am a man who enjoys a quiet moment? I am a woman who appreciates a good action sequence in a film. Who we are is greater than what we do. Our hopes, our dreams, our loves, our hates define us just as much - if not more than - what we do.

In Blue Man Group's show, the masked nobody finally peels away the layers of persona. Shrugging off the conventions, the individual "takes the fire escape up to the roof" instead of using the stairs like everyone else. In an increasingly small world, one must retain some sense of self. Keep to the center. Know thyself.

Jungian Pooh

As promised, I present the personalities of the characters in A.A. Milne's classic, Winnie the Pooh. I am not the first to compare the inhabitants of the 100 Acre Wood with modern personality types. The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet by Benjamin Hoff does this quite well. This is not a stretch, however. Clearly each animal is meant to represent some Jungian archetype. Here I shall list the character, his or her traits, and the modern equivalent.

Eeyore

The blue donkey known as Eeyore is blue for a reason. Eeyore is the epitome of apathy, dispassion, listlessness, and depression. The somber Eeyore is a pessimist. He lives in a simple shelter of a number of piled together sticks. Why? Because that is the best he can hope to get. He falls in a stream and floats and floats, never struggling to make his way to the bank. He waits for someone to help him out - just as long as it is no bother. His unwillingness to provide for himself coupled with the passive-aggressive manner are the main traits of this mournful quadraped. Nevertheless, many of us love Eeyore dearly. Why? Because the little Donkey that couldn't appeals to our own melancholy.

Learned helplessness is the psychological basis behind apathy. Repeated failure leads to no longer trying. If a dog is placed on an electrified floor and has no means of escape, it has little choice but to lament the situation. Repeated experiences in this electrified room conditions the dog to this state of being. One day, when a partition is removed to allow the canine and escape from discomfort, the dog does not take the opportunity. Experience has proven that escape is impossible. Why should this time be any different.

So it is with man. Repeated failure conditions us to anticipate failure. Like Eeyore, we do not strive as hard as we should. We do not swim for the bank of the river. When we accept failure as the only outcome, an attempt to change the situation seems futile. Why bother? As such, many of us remain in a less than desirable position simply because no other option presents itself - or so we think. The pessimist does not bother hoping for the best, let alone taking action to improve things.

That is not to say the Eeyore personality is joyless. The pessimist can find value in the small things, in consistency and routine. Even isolation can provide solace for the blue. Eeyore does not seek to be with his friends. If they come by, fine. So much for misery loving company.

Gopher

Gopher is not a very popular character. The blind, gruffy rodent is an industrious sort. He is known to be digging his tunnels into which other characters occasionally fall. Gopher did not appear in the storybook. he is an invention of Disney, based primarily on the beaver from Lady and the Tramp. Gopher typically whistles through his teeth as he speaks. He also has very poor eyesight.

Gopher represents the older generation, primarily the veteran generation. Those that experienced WWII and/or lived through the great depression have a strong work ethic. They are stern, no nonsense people with a strong moral center. It is clear that gopher is meant to be older. Furthermore, Gopher spends most of his life underground. Much like older generations hole up in their homes, are wary of new technology and recent trends, and the like - Gopher's existence underground and in the dark is more literal than symbolic.

Despite unfamiliarity with current trends, the older generation has experience. Gopher's experience often comes in useful. Wisdom, too, is an asset of the older generation. Gopher embraces this dichotomy of wisdom and experience and contemporary ineptitude and conditions of age.

Kanga

Kanga is the only female character in the storybooks. As mother to Roo, she embraces the aspects of motherhood and femininity. She is affectionate and protective. Though not very educated, she is naturally inclined to do the best for her son and by extension her friends. Later, she welcomes Roo's friend, Tigger, into their home.

Clearly Kanga is the archetypical woman, combining elements of the Empress and the Priestess from the tarot. In one respect, she is mother and protector. The matron of 100 Acre Wood, Kanga is the primary caregiver. Meanwhile, she incorporates women's intuition, that knowing without knowing. She knows when there is trouble, when her son is in danger. She also knows when someone is playing a joke on her.

Owl

Owl is a bespectacled bird living in a stately home high up in a tree. Owl is educated, or so he thinks. He is able to read and write, almost. He is quick to advice, instruction, and anecdotes regarding distant family members. Owl explicitly embodies the archetype of the educator. He is an academic.

Academia is under the illusion that it is providing young minds with the assets necessary in surviving the work a day world. However, real life is often worlds apart from the class room. The teacher is often removed from reality, living in an ivory tower of textbooks and chemistry sets. That is not all. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Armed with half the facts, the academic is prone to fill in the blanks with supposition. That owl assumes Piglets home is his own is such a leap to conclusions.

Owl is quick to state some meaningless fact, which typically is false or only half true. I, too, find that I offer facts, opinions, advice, etc. a little too freely. There is something owl like in my manner. Even this blog has the mark of the owl. A bit preachy, a bit self-aggrandizing, a bit pedantic.

Piglet

Piglet is Pooh Bear's very best friend. He is very small and knows this to be true. His small stature makes him timid and meek. He is fearful, even of his own shadow. Yet, he has a big heart.

The funny thing about those of a nervous disposition, those that jump at shadows, is that when a real crises presents itself, often they overcome fear. It is as though the truly frightening is beyond their capacity. Those that jump at the shadow of a beast when confronted with a beast do not jump. In the Te of Piglet, Hoff expounds on the virtues of the small, the integrity of piglet. He is righteous in a nonjudgmental fashion, he is brave when courage is required, he is loyal when friends are troubled.

Piglet has many qualities I admire, and by extension those qualities I find in people. Humility, compassion, caution, loyalty. These traits make up a good friend.

Rabbit

As discussed in the podcast, Rabbit is the least liked of the inhabitants of 100 Acre Wood. Rabbit can be summed up in one word, stress. He places an exorbitant importance on things. He guards his garden from Tigger and Gopher. He protects his honey from Pooh. We fails to grasp the concept of sharing, the enjoyment to be had by giving to friends. Simply, he cannot let go.

We are familiar with the type, the workaholics, the micromanagers. Those who place too much importance on things, on routines, on the destination and not the journey will only find dismay. The four noble truths of Buddhism state that 1) life is suffering and that 2) suffering comes from attachment. Attachment is the process of identifying ourselves with objects, in a sense actual objects of desire. Cars, yachts, houses, clothing, electronics, anything that can be consumed. These are fragile things with no real value outside that we attach to it. By strapping our sense of self to these objects, our ego, too, is just as fragile and hollow.

The Rabbit personality claims to own things, but they really own him. Consider how much time he spends in his garden. If he only knew that gardens naturally grow.

Roo

The sun of Kanga, Roo is the embodiment of child like innocence. A friend of Tigger and Piglet, Roo is playful, with that spirit of adventure that most boys have. He balances Piglet, as he draws the gentle pig out of his comfort zone. He balances Tigger as, though found of activity, Roo is more responsible.

Back to the tarot, the first card, the 0 card, is The Fool. The Fool represents child like innocence and that sense of adventure. The Fool is fearless, as all young boys tend to be. Death cannot touch him. The Fool is an optimist as well, with eyes fixed on the distant horizon and not the dangerous precipice before him. Roo, and children like Roo, carry this spirit in their hearts. Some maintain this adventurous spirit into adulthood, becoming test pilots, explorers, astronauts.

Tigger

Nearly everyone's favorite character, usually with the exception of Pooh, is Tigger. Tigger is bold, brash, exuberant, friendly, outgoing. He embodies those traits that make one popular. He seems entertaining, certainly fun at parties. And Tigger means well. There is no question that he appreciates having friends. He is the very epitome of the extrovert.

However, there is a down side to Tigger. Consider if you would like Tigger as much if he were real and an actual friend. Where ever he goes, he leaves a trail of destruction like a tornado. He is a whirlwind of activity. One is reminded of either someone with Attention Deficit Disorder or a major sugar high (or some other stimulant). Life with a Tigger personality, though exciting, is also exhausting. Tigger types love life, and seek to squeeze every drop of enjoyment from life. Sadly, this often leaves everyone around them drained.

Tigger types, though lovable, are best experienced in small doses.

Winnie the Pooh

The bear of very simple brain, Winnie the Pooh, is a strange archetype for a hero. He is absolutely without guile. If he comes to your house, he willingly admits that he has come for a jar of honey. True, he may engage in some pleasant conversation as well, but his motives are there on the table. He is by no means a thinker, he is not even that much of a doer. He just is.

In the Tao of Pooh, Hoff compares these qualities with those of the Daoist sage. The goal of Daoist path is to return to simplicity. When your only concerns are food and sleep, then you have stripped away all the extraneous detritus from your life and are just that closer to wuji - the state of formlessness comparable to nirvana.

Pooh is what he is. Sadly this is looked down upon in our society. A lack of ambition is viewed as laziness. Honestly is regarded as crude and blunt. Simplicity in speech and manner is deemed unsophisticated to downright stupid.

Yet Pooh Bear forms the hub of this circle of friends. Each knows what they may expect of Pooh. Pooh has no hidden agenda. Even Rabbit tolerates Pooh to some degree, setting aside a few jars of honey for when the gentle bear drops by.

So, there you have it. The personalities of the characters devised by A.A. Milne as compared to our own personality archetypes. Which are you? Well, I think each, even Rabbit, reside in our hearts. That we feel a certain way about each reflects on how we view those separate elements of our psyche. That I find my knack for pedantry an embarrassment, yet regard my timidity with less disdain directly correlates with how I view Owl and Piglet.

Grandmaster Flash: The Original DJ

In the podcast, I mentioned Dee-Lite and Fatboy Slim as major breakthrough artists from the DJ culture. In doing so I meant to illustrate how DJs have been embraced by the mainstream. However, they are by no means the first. Samples have been used in music for a long time.

Hip Hop originators, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, developed the DJ style we know of today. Grandmaster Flash had a fascination with recorded music from a young age. His father collected record albums. Joseph Sandler, Grandmaster Flash, understandably grew curious as his father protected his records and the phonograph. There is nothing that leads to obsession quite like that which is off limits. When he had the chance, he broke the rules and investigated this musical wonder. He was intrigued by the music that "lived in the tunnels" of a vinyl record. Through experimentation, he discovered how music was formed through the vibrations transmitted from the groove, to the needle, and into the electronic gizmos within the phonograph. He discovered also that his own hand could silence, slow, or speed up a track - even reverse it. He even figured out how to reduce drag on the turntable.

Up to this point, records were treated like China dolls. DJs wore gloves and touched the platter only by the sides. They laid the record gently on the turntable, gave it a brush off, and played it respectfully. Grandmaster Flash, on the other hand, had a more hands on approach. This hands on technique developed further and further. Eventually this developed into scratching, layering tracks, repeating beats and breaks, and the works.

So credit must go to the originators. Credit also must go to Big Audio Dynamites use of sampling, in their own right inspired by hip hop in the US. So, in the late 70s, hip hop came to the fore. In the 1980s, electro ran the clubs. In the 90s, big beat and electronica grew in popularity. In the 2000s, DJ culture showed no sign of stopping. The musical styles have grown and grown, diverging into new arenas. Former DJs are now musicians in their own right. Meanwhile, contemporary musicians in the goth-industrial scene DJ on the side.

It will be interesting, now that I follow many DJs, where it goes from here.

Social Capital

In our discussion of the Tenchi anime series, I mentioned how Tenchi formed the center of a web of different social groups. I compared this to twitter, other online social networks, and the more immediate connections we have with friends and family. Tenchi's first contact is his family. His father and grandfather - even his deceased mother - are his closest ties. Next is work and school - his obligations as a student and as a priest in training. After this, his connection with the various alien women that occupy his home.

Ryoko represents the wild side. A space pirate, she is bold, brash, immodest, crude. Mihoshi represents inexperience. A junior police officer, she is quick to emotions of happiness and sorrow. Ayeka represents tradition and high society. The first Princess of Jurai, she is wealthy, cultured, and haughty. Sasami represents childlike innocence. The second Princess of Jurai, she is honest, helpful, and without guile. Washu represents knowledge and skill. A renowned scientist, she is educated, curious, and inventive. Kiyone represents responsibility. A career police woman, she is meticulous, cautious, and frustrated.

Tenchi's relationship with each girl directly influences them in some way. Ryoko, usually very masculine in behavior, appears more feminine and vulnerable in his presence. Ayeka, normally of a composed demeanor, slips into fits of shameless infatuation and jealousy. The connection is stronger in some relationships than others, but each relationship affects both Tenchi and the girl in question to some degree. Furthermore, each girl influences not only Tenchi, but the other girls as well. Ayeka compares herself to Ryoko, thus confirming her social status. The Washu to Kiyone comparison is likewise clear, though less confrontational.

I have found on twitter that communities, or nodes, form around each profile. First, there were close friends and fellow members of the Legion of Tangent(.co.cc). Along with the Legion was, of course, my wife and fellow podcaster, Brandi. Through the course of tweeting I have met many people. I have met a number of bands, such as Twitch the Ripper and All My Faith Lost... Through the Gentlemen's Grindhouse podcast I have come into contact with several horror fans, bloggers, merchandisers, and podcasters. Furthermore, through TGG I met much of the rest of Geek Planet Online. I am known to tweet a great deal about music, and as such have made contact with several DJs, goths, record stores, and radio stations.

Each follower, for the most part, existed first as a separate entity. Then a small node formed around one profile or another. The InsideOutcast has a community of listeners as does Dark Horizons radio. Gradually, members of a node interacted with members of another. This may be due in part to Follow Friday, but is mostly through referencing other profiles in conversation. Horror fans met Sci Fi geeks, goths met rivetheads. Smaller nodes grew into larger ones as each overlapped with another.

That is not to say that twitter is a melting pot. If so, blocking would not be an option. Some nodes remain separate. Even still, the web is more intricate and broad than it may seem. What happens to one tweep can very well affect that entire node, for good or bad, and may even spread to other nodes. Hence many a trending topic. I know through my own tweets that I have had both positive and negative affects on individual tweeps as well as these communities of similar tweeps. Just recently I convinced a few members of one node to attend a live show at Digital Mindfield Radio. The IDM band, Bioassay, performed live from the house. This may lead to one node forming a stronger connection to another.

I, too, have been drawn into nodes, or rather, into a larger community. Dark Horizons is one such node. Theresa's Silly Question of the Week allowed me to access, through hashtags and mention of @DHRadio, other listeners. By doing this, I discovered tweeps with a similar taste in music, and by extension, a similar lifestyle.

But like Tenchi, the effect a relationship has on us directly correlates to the strength of the connection. Close friends and family have a greater impact on us than, say, a celebrity we happen to follow. Knowing when the next album drops is one thing, but discussing our personal lives is quite another. The celebrity cares little for our tweets. How can what we say matter when we are but 1 of 1,978,325 followers?

The value we hold in a social network is our social capital. Our influence may be stronger over one tweep than another. Furthermore, the tweets from one person may have greater influence over us. If the influence is mutual, then the value of social capital is even higher in that instance. Mutual respect in a relationship is preferred. It is one thing to be a teacher or a student, another to be a friend.

So I would like to thank my many twitter friends for the social capital bestowed on me. I hope not to piss away your investment in me. In the third series, Tenchi in Tokyo, Tenchi's power derives from the social capital, the connection, he has with the girls. The stronger their trust in him and love for him, the mightier he becomes. As defender of the Earth, that power is without price. I, however, am not a defender of the Earth as such. I do not carry a magical sword (yet). Just the same, it is comforting to know that someone out there holds me in esteem.

Selfishness and Selflessness

There are two opposing views of moral philosophy and they are mutually exclusive. On the one hand, morality is self serving. This is known as objective egoism as put forward by novelist, Ayn Rand. The other system of morality serves others. It is altruistic as in Christian charity. Each system has benefits and liabilities.

OBJECTIVE EGOISM

Ayn Rand's philosophy of enlightened self interests suggests that the right thing to do is that which benefits the self. There is nothing in nature that conditionally guarantees the survival and well being of an individual. To promote one's own being, one has to serve one's own interests. No one is required to feed you, clothe you, shelter you. Your subsistence rests on your shoulders alone. In that respect, actions that do not promote the self are not morally right. They cause more harm than good.

This is a difficult concept for most to wrap their heads around. We are taught from a very young age to share our toys, to put the needs of others before our own. Rand would say that this is ultimately detrimental to society. If we continually give of ourselves to help others, we will eventually have nothing for ourselves. On the other hand, if everyone reasonably serves their own interests, then each has their needs fulfilled. The stress is on reason. One's best interests must be rationally determined. The individual need not serve every whim. Rand denies the equation of the objective egoist with the selfish brute. Most view selfishness with the bloody tooth and claw of some Nietzschean superman, treading over the bones of his enemies in order to claim his prize.

Satisfying every whim is irrational and in the long run will not further one's goals. In fact, that which will better serve the advancement of the ego is pushed aside. Hard work, creativity, ingenuity - these things are shoved aside for no other purpose than to sate one's appetite. Rand would regard this as shallow. It is acceptable to satisfy the appetites, but not at the expense of one's best interest. Drug addiction, alcoholism, womanizing in the end will do more harm than good.

On sharing and charity, objective egoism turns a critical eye. Giving to charity does not serve the self. Moreover, it insults the receiver of charity. As the moral principle is self serving, to serve someone else's interests is to deny them the independence of their actions, which damages the self esteem. Charity breeds pity and resentment. Sharing breeds resentment as well. A possession shared loses it's value the more people share their enjoyment of it. In the Fountainhead, Gail Wynand purchases a statue that he keeps in a private museum. It exists only for his enjoyment. This same statue of a nude woman was once viewed by the ignorant masses with disgust. In Wynand's possession, the statue maintains its artistic integrity. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then it is as beautiful as Gail says it is. This suggests that all art should be privatized. The Mona Lisa, beloved by nearly everyone, is actually worthless as is anything meant for public consumption.

Objective egoism is a hard philosophy to follow. The serving of one's own interest above all just goes against the grain. It pits the individual against society by putting the individual above society. Followers either commit suicide, end up in therapy, or abuse or misunderstand the moral principles. It is a philosophy for perfect men. As there are no perfect men it is designed to fail. It arms the selfish with an excuse to be selfish. Furthermore, objective egoism requires one not to believe in god. Belief in the existence of God presupposes the belief in the gospel. If one believes in God, he either follows God's laws or disobeys God. By behaving selfishly, he defies God's laws. The irony is how Christian conservatives cling to Rand's philosophy. This demonstrates just how far Christians have strayed from Christ's original teachings.

Ayn Rand was of Russian descent. She understood all too well the dangers of socialist thought. That society could take the property of an individual and distribute it willy nilly across the population was something she held in great contempt. As such, she developed her capitalist system of man worship to firmly plant the individual above society.

ALTRUISM

Christian charity, as well as socialism, suggests that the moral principle stems from the serving of others before the self. Sacrifice is crucial to both systems. In Christianity, Jesus gave up his life to take on the sins of man (depending on how you view the crucifixion). In socialist Russia, men gave up their property, their desires for some utopian future. While Jesus had at least the benefit of being glorified and worshipped, Russians had to work long hours, stand in lines for toilet paper, and suffer under the iron hand of an oppressive government.

Even so, there is something appealing about doing things to benefit others. Whether it is donating to charity, helping an old woman across the street, digging a neighbors car out of the snow, or just holding the door open for someone carrying bags - helping is satisfying on a deep level. But is it right? Is Rand correct in that we deny others their independence. Do we pity them or cause resentment. Well, if the help is not wanted, certainly. On the other hand, there are those moments wherein one is grateful to receive help.

Why do we help others? Is it for this sense of satisfaction? Is it to stroke our conscience? As Nietzsche wrote, if we train our conscience well it will kiss us as it bites. Perhaps we help others out of a greater sense of community. I help those in distress that one day, when I am distressed, others may help me. However, this in not a truly selfless act. Even being charitable because God ordains it is not selfless. To do good in order to get to heaven suggests an ulterior motive, making the act selfish. Can one truly be altruistic?

Selflessness cannot be a total conviction. If one feeds other before feeding oneself, then one starves in the end. Complete selflessness is unattainable. One can only help when possible. Also, is one obligated to assist the misfortunate? It is one thing to donate your time and money in a time of need. The drought in Ethiopia or the recent earthquake in Haiti marks a period of need, where people give from the goodness of their hearts. However these are widely publicized events. People are starving all of the time all round the world. Are they any less worthy of help? Are we obligated to help everyone less fortunate than ourselves? If so, then the quality of life for everyone must be equal. This is the goal of socialism, to bring the quality of living of every individual to exactly the same level. The doctor is on par with the village idiot. There is no distinction made based on personal merit, not on skill, not on contribution to society. Society is served before the individual.

Altruism appears just as impossible a system to follow. Giving the shirt off your back, though noble in intention, just leaves one naked. In a system where each supports the other, one should in turn offer his shirt to you. But is it noble to accept this gift? Is it not demeaning? You can not put others before yourself every waking moment. Doing so only taxes your strength and your resources, rendering you no help to anyone, especially yourself.

A BALANCED PERSPECTIVE

To escape the traps present in either system, one must serve oneself and others. It is worthwhile for one to pursue his own interests as long as they do no great harm to others. Jesus said not to bury your talents in the dirt. Even that pinnacle of self sacrifice suggested that one should not abandon one's aspirations. Treat yourself. Advance your knowledge. Improve your mind, body, and spirit. Just don't do so at the expense of others. If you can, lend a helping hand. Preferably perform good deeds in secret. The unseen hand leads to less resentment.

Eastern philosophy treads this balance just as carefully. The Buddhist or Daoist shuns material gain. However, this is not that others may take more of the share, it is more that the ego attaches itself to material possessions. One is more concerned about things than their Buddha nature. Importance given to things creates stress, namely jealousy, greed, and suspicion. In Daoism it is much the same. Concern over possessions saps the vital energy, weakening the spirit. The spirit weakened, the body weakens as well, eventually leading to diseases of stress such as hypertension, cancer, and insomnia. The point is that supposed selflessness may have roots in selfish behavior. Meanwhile selfish behavior may have roots in selflessness. A classmate may struggle with a quiz. He asks you for the answers. You could tell him, but what does this achieve? He learns nothing. He passes the test. You don't tell him and this is viewed as selfish, a way to improve the bell curve to your favor. In actuality, you refused for a less selfish reason. If the student fails the test, perhaps he will study harder for the next one.

Luckily most people live in between the two extremes. They serve their own interests, yet help others when necessary. I think it naive to expect one to live solely by one moral philosophy or the other. People are complex. Life is complex. One's moral philosophy, then, should be more adaptable. Tend yourself that you can better tend others. Tend others that you may better tend yourself.

Vectors, Arcs, and Spirals

With such a title you may expect me to discuss subatomic particles. Maybe one day after I replace my brain. No, this post details the concepts of linear, circular, and spiral within the martial arts. One may categorize attacks and defenses within these parameters.

LINEAR

As you would imagine, a linear attack or defense travels in a straight line. As the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, martial arts that prefer offense and speed lean to linear applications. An attack comes on like the firing of a cannon. Apply force directly at the enemy. Attacks include thrusting kicks, front kicks, side kicks, back kicks, diagonal kicks, straight punches, lunge punches, cross punches, and the like. The diagonal kick bring the leg up and then extends the foot from the knee in a straight line. This kick is common to karate. One can kick with the same leg multiple times without bringing down the knee. Tae kwon do students often do this very thing. The cross represents a linear punch, one that extends diagonally from the shoulder. A left hand cross, then, travels to the right in a fairly straight line. A cross is an effective punch to the head.

A linear defense meets an opponent's attack directly. In kung fu, this is known as the broken fangs technique. The concept is to meet incoming force with greater outgoing force, fighting fire with fire. In the purist sense, one can punch an incoming fist, kick and incoming leg, or head butt and incoming forehead. In such a match up, the stronger force wins. Whoever has the hardest fist, leg, or forehead delivers greater damage. The downside is that contact still is made, and the defender suffers damage however minimal. Those versed in broken fangs know how to use the hardest, sharpest points of their anatomy to deflect blows. The knees and elbows are primary defensive weapons in this case.

CIRCULAR

Proponent's of circular techniques do not dispute the case that the shortest distance is a straight line. However, they suggest that linear attacks may not offer the best course of action. In circular attacks, force is delivered in arcs. Instead of a cannonball, the attack is more like a wheel. A wheel rotates from the center. Furthermore, the outside surface of the wheel travels faster than the hub. By rotation at the waist, one can transfer considerable force into the limbs for an attack. Circular offenses include circle kicks, crescent kicks, wheel kicks, lotus kicks, roundhouse kicks, spinning kicks, back hand strikes, elbow strikes, hammer fists, sword hand strikes, and the like. The lotus kick of kung fu may be an outside kick (begins from outside the frame of the body and travels inward) or an inside kick (begins inside the frame of the body and travels outward). A blow from a circle kick may have enough arcing force to knock an opponent down. The roundhouse punch follows an arc from outside the body towards the opponent. The benefit of a roundhouse punch is that it may disappear within the opponent's blind spot and subsequently catch him in the temple or ear.

Circular defenses form the basis of many self defense styles, even those with linear attacks, such as karate. In this instance, an arc of force is used to deflect an attack. The circular parry of karate is designed to block any attack to the head or torso. As one hand moves in an upward blocking arc, the other hand follows a downward arc. The circle serves as a useful defense in that the defender may move in the direction of an attack, thus negating it's force. This is a central concept in Judo and Jujutsu.

Arcs of force influence throws as well.

SPIRAL

Spiral attacks are an extension of the circular. The primary difference resides in body mechanics. Rotation comes not just from the waist, but the entire body. It takes the form of a whip. In the case of the whip, the attack unfurls, coiling out until striking with the furthermost extension, typically some striking point of the hand. The energy stored within the coiled arm releases on impact. The hidden hand punch of taijiquan starts from the foot, spirals up through the ankle and knee, into the hip and waist, up through the shoulder and elbow, and into the wrist and fist. At each point of articulation, the spiral energy increases. Finally, this energy is transfered in a drilling blow to the opponent. The hidden hand punch demonstrates the spiral energy moving outward. Energy can also spiral inward.

In aikido, opponents brought into the circle are neutralized. The aikidoist seizes the punch and pulls the attacker inward in a spiraling arc. This arc first follows, then controls, then leads the attacking force, drawing it down into a throw or an immobilizing hold.

Even the most linear martial arts retain some circular elements. Each has its uses in attacking or defending. As with all martial arts, the success of an application depends more on the Martial Artist's understanding and skill that on the kind of technique used.