Phil Fable – Ten Words

Phil walked through the Philosophy department of his local college on his way to the Planetarium for a show. School was about to open for the Fall semester and on the wall was a big piece of butcher paper with markers dangling by strings. The header of the butcher paper read “What is your Philosophy in Ten Words or Less?”

Without missing a beat, Phil picked up the marker and wrote the following:

I Am and I’m Not.
Truth Lies. 
Be Free Anyway.

“Sheesh, that’ll never sell,” he thought. “There is no way to gouge someone for cash for THAT!”

FROM CHRIS THOMPSON:

Phil’s half-brother Dexter walked up just at that moment and grabbing the pen wrote, “Freedom and No-Freedom are similar considerations, neither true nor false.”

The brothers looked at one another, each raising their chin in acknowledgement. Then turning to their dates went to find their seats. Phil likes this planetarium show especially that part on accretion. He had already seen it no fewer than 7 times. Dexter had never seen it but was interested in black holes which gobble everything near their event horizon yet gave off such tremendous energy bursts. Dexter smiled anticipating an explanation for this paradox. Dexter’s date, Cassie’s sister Clarissa, rolled her eyes.

FROM WILL HARPER:

Phil walked back. Re-ead the rebuttal. Crossed out free. Made an edit.

I Am and I’m Not.
Truth Lies. 
Be ENLIGHENMENT Anyway.

25 thoughts on “Phil Fable – Ten Words

  1. Phil’s half-brother Dexter walked up just at that moment and grabbing the pen wrote, “Freedom and No-Freedom are similar considerations, neither true nor false.”

    The brothers looked at one another, each raising their chin in acknowledgement. Then turning to their dates went to find their seats. Phil likes this planetarium show especially that part on accretion. He had already seen it no fewer than 7 times. Dexter had never seen it but was interested in black holes which gobble everything near their event horizon yet gave off such tremendous energy bursts. Dexter smiled anticipating an explanation for this paradox. Dexter’s date, Cassie’s sister Clarissa, rolled her eyes.

  2. Here is one that is a bit long but I feel I could have written it, “Isaac Sachs: Belief, like fear or love, is a force to be understood as we understand the Theory of Relativity and Principles of Uncertainty: phenomenon that determine the course of our lives. Yesterday, my life was headed in one direction. Today, it is headed in another. Yesterday I believed that I would never have done what I did today. These forces that often remake time and space, that can shape and alter who we imagine ourselves to be, begin long before we are born and continue after we perish. Our lives and our choices, like quantum trajectories, are understood moment to moment. At each point of intersection, each encounter suggests a new potential direction.”

      • What’s really amazing and fun to me, Phil, is seeing how everyone who tries seems able to level the inconsistencies of their lives and reach their own Nirvana. So so many people have tried and succeeded. Some want to shout from the rooftops and some just want to smile to themselves. Some want to publish and some want to read what’s published.

      • That’s the idea. But it has evolved more than came out of a directed decision.

        Phil and Cassie are organic creations. Hopefully, they will be more genuine that way.

        I just got hit with a Cassandra story. Up in a sec.

  3. There is peace, quiet, and resolution before and after there is something. In between is the storm which at best only ever lessens. Accept this and continue for continuing is most of what comprises everything we ever were or ever hoped to be.

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