The Backyard Philosopher

By Mike Duarte

I'm a pacifist with a passion for compassion, diversity, understanding and most importantly, freedom. I'm an idealist living in a realist's world, where logic and reason are the backbone of thinking; and where hope and optimism aren't even attached to the vertebrae.

For example, I do not believe human beings are the most intelligent creatures in the world, a belief that has been greatly criticized. For all humans make up in intelligence, we lack in practicality. We don't do the simplest things needed to survive; we take the long way around, and are constantly complaining about it, but do nothing to stop it. Why? Because it's routine (or "tradition"). We stress ourselves out everyday to get work done; to move up in a society where whoever has the most money succeeds. It's like playing a real life Monopoly game, only Bill Gates is the guy with the moustache, telling you how to stay out of jail and win.

I also loathe the monetary system. I can't stand the fact that money exists, or the fact that it is needed to survive. Why? Because we have become slaves to our own creation. In an ideal world, money would have never existed or been invented, so no one would know there would be any kind of incentive to their work except providing for each other. Most people disagree and say this goes against human nature. Maybe so, but if money had never been invented, perhaps our nature would be different? I don't know - it's just an ideal. It doesn't have to be logical.

So, what am I saying? Everyone should drop their books, computers, jobs and go and live at Walden Pond for the rest of their lives? No. Just understand that it is okay to dream, to hope for a future that seems impossible, to be idealistic even though you may be surrounded by the opposite. Nothing is impossible unless you believe it to be. Even a logical individual will tell you that.

Mike Duarte is a senior English/theatre major.