philosophy Archives | Benjamin Allison

Be kind. Be curious. Make shit.

Do you have a Mantra? I think mantras are stupid. But I have one. It’s like that sometimes.

There is harm 
in being simplistic or reductionist. There is also clarity in being simplistic or reductionist My post-religious, post-superstitious, post-
theistic self needed a new answer to that age-old 
humdinger of a question:

What is the meaning of life?

This is an almost useless thing to ask. Meaning 
is manufactured. Humans are meaning-makers. A more helpful, sensible question is something along the lines of:

What makes for a good life? How can one be truly fulfilled and happy?

My conclusion, unfortunately, took the form of a 
mantra. For now I try to live by this simple creed:

Be kind. Be curious. Make Shit.

In other words, be empathetic. Be open to new information and new experiences. Don’t just consume. Create.

Be kind. Be curious. Make Shit. If you’re lame like me and have a mantra, post it in the comments. If you made it this far, I kindly invite you to like or share!