Alan Watts (Taoism) - Wisdom of the Ridiculous (Pt. 1 of 2)

[journeyman2mage]

Alan Watts has described the tragedy of people who can not see beauty unless someone tells them to see it as beauty and other such tragedies -- such as the inability of too many people to enjoy a wise man's great words without compulsively soiling them and contaminating them with some needless and intrusive musical noise. Were Alan Watts alive today, he would no doubt include this video and its ilk in his speeches as tragic examples of how people ruin what is worthwhile with such impositions.

[Silentsam7532]

It would seem to me that the man of character is Homer Simpson.

[selvmordspilot]

@Silentsam7532 : Except he's a hedonist. Surely he drinks and eats more than just enough.

[DNAblues]

@selvmordspilot so what?

[SHIBBYiPANDA]

@Silentsam7532 Yes, Homer Simpson is a good example of the man of character. Another good one is Forest Gump.

[Silentsam7532]

@SHIBBYiPANDA Ah, very good example.

[SHIBBYiPANDA]

@Silentsam7532 haha, remember that scene where he starts running because he's frustrated, and then, after running across the entire country and developing a herd of followers, he's just like "I'm pretty tired.. Guess I'll go home now"

[samuelsixvids]

I have being listening for years alan watts audios, and again, in this video just impressed me again! Oh man! Fucking genius, a great master!

[glrcmptn]

me too. love the music.

[kelloggs19]

i like the music

[juicejunky]

“The whole notion of something of life, any moment or any event, being useful, that is to say, serving the end of some future event in life, is to a Taoist, absurd. Because nothing is useful at all—The universe is viewed as purposeless and useless through and through, because its a game…The joy is that things have no purpose and the future is not important…The ideal useless man (hutch back and deformed) he has found the purpose of life.” –Alan Watts

(that is beauti. thanks Alan)

[DNAblues]

@juicejunky All of his talks make you really look at things in a different light. I just love his talks and especially how he blends them into Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, etc. I learn so much from him. But even more I learn to think differently.

[Tengent]

I have been pondering "uselessness" for some time now and I'm very happy to hear Alan Watts clarify the Taoist perspective of it.

[moedemama]

not to put down your efforts, but i have to agree, the music is really unnecessary 

[DNAblues]

@moedemama It's art. I remembering hearing the late great Beat Poet Allan Ginsburg. In his later years he spoke his poetry and had someone next to him making music. My nephew calls it the origin of rap (lol).

The music adds to lot of listeners. If you don't like the music then ignore it and learn how to focus on his talk. According to Watts that is medication- focus and concentration.

Thanks for the music. I personally enjoy the attempt to blend a talk with music. That's creative and good.

[freedomfromthemind]

Yeah what terrible music ....

kidding. Great video. Thanks for posting this.

[DanielCremer]

thank you for posting this. the background music seems rather unhelpful to me, if i may tell you. it feels like putting a creamy sauce on top of a perfectly fine, steemed vegetable. ;-)

[Cole15Magic]

@DanielCremer lmao!

[MichaelBValse]

do you know the date this came out?