Stories By Van

It's myth day again, and today I want to talk about the importance of myths in all of our lives. How they help us grow as people by showing us how to embrace certain characteristics about ourselves. "God made man, because he liked to hear a story." So say the myths of Africa. Myths are stories that are based on tradition. Some may have factual origins, while others are completely fictional. But myths are more than mere stories and they serve a more profound purpose in ancient and modern cultures. Myths are sacred tales that explain the world and man's experience. Myths are as relevant to us today as they were to the ancients. Myths answer timeless questions and serve as a compass to each generation. The myths of lost paradise, for example, give people hope that by living a virtuous life, they can earn a better life in the hereafter. The myths of a golden age give people hope that there are great leaders who will improve their lives. The Hero's Journey is a mode...

We take it for granted that work must be a major part of our lives - in fact, for many people, it's the primary aspect of our lives. We define ourselves, and other people, by our job roles - ‘So what do you do?’ - and measure our happiness in terms of how successful we are in these roles. Forty hours a week, 48 weeks a year, for up to 50 years - not including traveling time, and the time we spend resting and recovering from the exertions of our working lives. Is this really what we were born for? Is this really what life should be about? Of course, if you’re lucky, you might have a job which is fulfilling, which suits your innate interests and skills, and which you find challenging and stimulating. In that case, your job may provide you with what psychologists call ‘flow’—a state of intense absorption, which makes you feel engaged and alive. Perhaps the majority of people aren’t so lucky and do jobs which are repetitive and boring. But I would argue that, even if your job does ...

Hello, everyone. Another great existential day on this planet that's nothing more than a blue and green rock that's hurtling through space and time at an alarming pace; not knowing if today is the day where that one lucky asteroid gets in the way and lights everything we know and love up like a matchstick being struck on the side of its cardboard box. I hope you're all having a good day - even before I just said that. Today, I thought it would be fun to not 'discuss' existentialism really, but to look at some of my favorite quotes that bring on that uneasy feeling in me. And, hopefully, you. I'll try not to make comments after each quote because I don't want to stifle your thoughts. I want you  to make up in your own head what's being discussed. So, just sit back, relax (you're going to want to be as relaxed as possible), and try not to think too deeply about these quotes. Unless you're feeling brave enough, of course. "You go tal...

"We don't know what matter is anymore than we know what mind is." - Christian de Quincy. The Paradox of Consciousness   If there is anything about which we feel sure, it is that the world we experience is real. We can see, touch and hear it. We can lift heavy and solid objects; hurt ourselves, if we're not careful, against their unyielding immobility. It seems undeniable that out there, around us, independent and apart from us, stands a physical world, utterly real, solid and tangible. But all is not what it seems. First, the apparently solid table in front me is, it turns out, far from solid. And second,we assume that we are directly experiencing the world around; that the colors we see and the sounds we hear are there, around us, just as we experience them. But even an elementary study of the processes of perception show that in this, too, we are much mistaken. All that I see, hear, taste, touch, smell and feel has been created from the data fed to me ...

In 1797, at the dawn of the industrial age, Goethe wrote “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” a poem about a magician-in-training who, through his arrogance and half-baked powers, unleashes a chain of events he cannot control. About 20 years later, a young Mary Shelley answered a dare to write a ghost story, which she shared at a small gathering at Lake Geneva. Her story would go on to be published as a novel, “Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus,” on Jan. 1, 1818. Both are stories about our powers to create things that take on a life of their own. Goethe’s poem comes to a climax when the apprentice calls out in a panic: Master, come to my assistance! Wrong I was in calling Spirits, I avow, For I find them galling, Cannot rule them now. While the master fortunately returns just in time to cancel the treacherous spell, Shelley’s tale doesn’t end so nicely: Victor Frankenstein’s monster goes on a murderous rampage, and his creator is unable to put a stop to the carnage. ...

Okay, I know what you're thinking, and yes this is a crazy theory, but there are a LOT of people that do believe this. I was thinking up different conspiracy theories to talk about, and I was reminded of an early episode of the wonderful podcast, But I DON'T KNOW, hosted by two of my favorite people in the world Jenna and Ariane. (I was also a guest on an episode that should be coming out this week I hope and you should listen because we bitch about our old job and it was the most fun I've ever had.) Anyway, they talk about the Queen being a cannibal, so I thought I'd look into it a little more myself. So, let's get into this. Is the Queen of England a cannibal? Britain’s royal family is recognized throughout the world Its matriarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is incredibly popular. She has reigned longer than any other living monarch, having ruled for 65 years. In that time, she’s outlasted thirteen Prime Ministers and twelve US Presidents. She’s traveled over 1 ...

First, let me ask this question: What is free will and what is fate? Depending on who you ask, the question about whether or not we live in a fate-driven world will result in a bunch of different answers. People will give answers based on their experiences, their mood, their frustration, and their hopes. But, do we really have the ability to choose the direction of our lives or is it all written in the stars? It's Beyond My Control! Many people live with the notion that what happens has been planned out for them. Many of these people are religious and believe that God has a plan for them that is unfolding exactly the way it should. In other words, when something bad or good happens, it was meant to happen and is a part of the bigger picture that God has laid out for them. Other people believe that the day, year, and time they were born has a big effect on how their life will go. If they are a Capricorn, for example, they are going to be an introvert who achieves ...