The Category That Attempts To Simplify Things

I was watching Oprah recently (actually not my first choice, but my girlfriend loves it) and I noticed that a lot of things that Oprah loves are single sentences that express a certain philosophy or view about life. I probably noticed because I love to do this too. For some reason, the idea of using such finite pieces of wisdom to understand the vast infinite complexities of reality and existence is superbly appealing. There are a number of reasons, one of which being memory and application, and the other being placement of self in the grand scheme.

There have been several moments in my life where my dad changed my life with a simple piece of logic. I watched a scary movie, was scared to go to bed, and he asked, "You think that because you watched that movie, that exact same thing is NOW going to happen to you in this house?" It seemed ridiculous to think that 10 or 12 years had gone by without a hitch, and now I expect aliens to come blast me into oblivion while I sleep. I was at a dance, too shy to dance where any girls were going to see, and my dad (a chaperone for this particular grade 6 dance) reminded me, "You love to dance!" and suddenly that was all that mattered. When people ask me my life philosophy, I tell them the 2 commandments of Jesus, and a single line from "Bear Neccessities". I focus on the tidbits, and turn them into universal truths.

For one thing, these small phrases are easy to remember. I recall reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis, which is an amazing piece of writing that I highly recommend, even to non-christians, and felt that his arguments were logical and compelling. However, every point he drove home seemed to span at least 3 pages, and after completing the book, I felt hard pressed to repeat the ideas that were shared. It was too much, and too detailed; summarizing felt like I left too much out. It may have been complete, but because it was not conscise, I could not use it easily with others. When you have a singular phrase you can apply, you can make it fit, use it as a guideline in decision making, and sort of shape the finite into the infinite possibilites it needs to have. In this way, the finite becomes useful for the infinite. Sort of like a category...

Another great reason to use simple, one-line phrases, is that it allows you to find a place in the world. It is so communicable, and often easy for people to see the immediate merit of the statement, that you can feel connected and understood. By associating yourself with a concept, you accept a sort of title, and this really helps in understanding the infinite complexities of the self. It helps to categorize one's own being, and by feeling like you have a good idea of where you stand, you can see things around you much more clearly.

I think these are the reasons that little sentiments come about. People understand the staying power of these phrases, and so they devlop and get shared. I love them, and I bet that most people have one or two that they love as well... like, "It's better to have loved and lost, even if you lost it to zombification."