A conversation about art, magic, and the human nature. Please forgive the conversational tone, it was ... ahem... a conversation. If you're used to plato, go read plato. Here, is a dialogue by Genevieve. Any insights you might have, are welcome. (Spoiler alert, if you dont want to know the end to PL, dont read this one.)

In this section of dialogue we ruin the movie, thus setting the stage for our discussion of art....

ME: i was in clifton today to go to the movies
MATT: you went to the theater on 3?
ME: no, to the clifton clearidge theatre. its small and shows kinda artsy stuff
MATT: ok, yea i saw pan's labrynith there, have you ever seen that movie?
ME: yeah it was awesome
MATT: good, if you hadnt seen it we would have had to rent it, its something i felt you would have liked
ME: oh yeah, its depressing. therefore i loved it
MATT: its not that depressing
ME: dude. the girl died
MATT: it depends on your interpretation of it. if you decide the fairy world is real in the context of the world its not depressing because she's reborn and a princess. if not then the crazy girl dies, very sad. i chose to believe in the magic world, so to me the movie wasnt that sad
ME: i believe in the world of reality
MATT: i refer you to my facebook quote
ME: i thought her fantasy world was beautiful, but only existed because of the tragic world she actually lived in
ME: im sorry i dont believe in magic. i know im in the minority

Here we begin our discussion of reality and of art...............................

MATT: well i dont expect to see flying horses next time i look out my window, but i refuse to let "reality" cloud my view of the world, especially art of any form. And in this case i choose to disregard reality and trust in the fantasy because i would rather live in a world where a young girl is alive then one in which she dies
Me: heh, and that is what art is, isnt it?
MATT: in some ways yes
ME: art is a uniquely human invention because unlike all the other living creations on this earth, people are the only group that see the world and dislike it, want to change it, and try to do so. everything else flows with nature. people disrupt, replicate, confuse, organize, edit reality in art in order to create something else, something other than reality something more to their choosing
MATT: i agree with that, art shows not just what the world is, but what it could be, and if art reflects that the world can be a better place, i feel that should be believed in and worked towards
ME: even though its not natural?
MATT: yes
ME: dont get me wrong. i love art, but sometimes it seems like a lie. at least, i dont see the point in believing in it

Here we discuss what is natural and what is moral.......................


MATT: to use and overcited example, marting luther king's i have a dream speech can be considered a work of artful prose, however at the time the world was not how he depicted it in his speech, but how he would like to see it. furthermore in nature it is naturally for one group to dominate another and exert there influence on them. equality is a decidedly human idea, a disruption of nature if you will. however, i'm perfectly happy to disrupt nature to work towards a positive goal that can be reflected in art if not reality. man i had too many grammar mistakes in that, i need to start proofreading IMs
ME: lol, look racism is perfectly understandable in that way, naturally we dont trust what doesnt look like us, thats also why we tend to be attracted to people who look like they could be relatives, to be safe its a natural instinct. but people are different
ME: yes which is why we need a unifying force outside of "reality". art helps people transcend their base natures as well as just the naturally mundane
ME: ha. base natures. see the difference is, there is a natural world and there is a moral world which we, construct but that world is false
MATT: its not necessarily false
ME: its constructed
MATT: if people didnt have that constructed world they wouldnt function and live. a prarie dog constructs a burrow to live in, is that not part of nature? is that false?
ME: no we're talking about social order
MATT: what's the difference between a physical construction to help you live and a social one? what makes one more real than the other?
ME: because your physical ability and needs are tied to your survival instinct
MATT: human social interaction is tied to survival
ME: yes but not morals, morals are in no way crucial for survival
MATT: the position of the human larynx makes us the animal most likely to choke to death on the planet, obviously we sacrificed quite a bit in survival to communicate, which is the basis for social structure
ME: that is why we have such trouble with them
MATT: and think about morals, if you kill everyone in your tribe in the wilderness you wont survive, you'll die, if you steal from everyone else they wont have enough food and they'll die and so will you. humans have one foot in the natural world and one foot in the social/mental world, its how we survive
ME: and if you pray all day and dont do any work you'll die of starvation
MATT: see my above comment
ME: its all the same

Here we continue to dissect the human nature and the belief in magic...................... (isnt this fun, pretending to be smart?)

MATT: people are dual natured, you need both and both are just as real
ME: you think so? i dont
MATT: yes
ME: i mean, at least im not sure, we are complicated creatures
MATT: i believe in genetics, that certain things are hardwired into us and we are compelled to do things by the most basic forces of life, i also feel that through art and a healthy belief in magic we can transcend some of those compulsions or at least channel them to something more than we could ever hope if we were to concerned with what's real
ME: i think that art is a way of studying what is real. i mean in a sense, its all about exploring perspective, trying to connect people to one another despite this great barrier that separates us all and isolates us all. i think that like you said, there are certain hardwired traits and that naturally along with survival instincts and the like, we as humans are driven by the need to understand our world and the need to connect with one another and share our understanding, and that without the belief that this is possible, and perhaps the belief in art as an outlet for this connection- without that we wouldnt have a prayer for survival since we are such odd creatures
MATT: i agree with most of that, but people would survive, at least some people, but they probably wouldnt be very happy
ME: maybe not
MATT: i dont know about you but if i had to go through life without art i dont think it would be much of a life, you could never look at a painting or read a book. it would be even worse without magic
ME: heh i dont believe in magic

Finally we get to the one subject all others seem to stem from and return to... love...........


MATT: there would be none of that fantastic romance people descirbe as magical
ME: well, at least not until i fall in love again
MATT: it might happen everyday, but that doesnt make it any less magical
ME: well it doesnt happen in my everyday. im stuck on psychology, not magic when it comes to my insights into relationships
MATT: well how greedy can you be when you'd want to fall in love everyday?
ME: ha, its called being human, or its called being me.
MATT: most people would be happy for one great romance in their lifetime
ME: not me
MATT: its called wanting to have and believe in magic
ME: i would love to believe in magic
MATT: then why dont you?
ME: because it doesnt exist
MATT: since when does that stop anyone from believing in somethng?
ME: why should i believe in magic? to be happier?
MATT: i dont know, i cant tell you if that would make you happier- all i can say is i cant imagine not believing in magic, i feel like if i didnt then the entire world be muted
ME: heh
MATT: not necessarily just sadder, i dont see it as simple as that, but i think would be a great personal loss if i stopped believing in magic




Like most of my blogs, this one did not come to a point, but instead was more of an archiving tool so that I could think about this more later. If anyone has any thoughts, please I'd be delighted to hear them, especially since my own mind isnt entirely made up about the matter(s).

but for now, goodnight.