About The Rites: [Related Quotes]

This Weblog was created in August 2005 at the beginning of my Senior year at Drury University. It contains a hodge-podge collection of personal reflections, rants, photographs, links, and who knows what else. If you don't like me then I have bad news: you probably won't enjoy reading my Blog. I can be one sided and a bit of a broken record. But, I also know it and genuinely try to overcome my stubbornness.

In case you haven't already noticed the title of this Weblog is "A Day of Rites." Moreover, every post is not titled but rather numbered as a day. My line of reasoning behind this is relatively simple. As an undergraduate I was exposed to two major positive veins of thought that have significantly influenced me (I know.... accckkk.... cough.... your struggling to keep reading).

First, reading the Confucian Analects seriously started me on a personal voyage of learning new things as often as possible. The Analects speak about "the Rites" or classical Chinese social customs. Confucius in particular believed that these customs allowed societies to enjoy stability, understand moral intentionality, and through this create virtue. You will find that the majority of my posts are dedicated to providing contemporary examples of this. Tradition is a form of respectful communication.

Second, I had the pleasure of reading a book in early 2005 suggested by my friend Angela Rickard. I'm sure a lot of you have already read the book but one particular part stuck home to me. ""What is a rite?" asked The Little Prince. "Those also are actions too often neglected," said the fox. "They are what make one day different from other days, one hour different from other hours." What the Fox, I believe, is getting at is that in our lives, no matter the length, there are always steps to take, things to do, new things to try, people to meet, and traditions to follow. By paying attention to the rites, we can achieve balance in our lives through the meaningful communication of intent. And we can also add value to everything we do. When "going through the motions" reverently events, days, happenings, and meanderings all become holistically represented; inside and out.

In short, this page is a microcosm of my relational driven life. And that of others as well.

Lesen Sie und erlernen Sie. (Read, and learn)