Josh Plovanic's Writings and Thoughts

"That just makes us...innsignificant!" -Random College football player I explained my crazy philosophy to.       Good. That's the point. In the broad scheme of things, that's what we all are. A blip of space and time that occupies an infinitely small place in the great ocean of infinity and eternity. Insignificant might be a fitting word for our world or ourselves, and an overwhelmingly humbling thought to realize how small we really are, but even the smallest things still have value, and still can be loved.        For me, this humbling thought doesn't bring insecurity. I need to be humbled every once in awhile like we all do. The thought of how big existence is...and how small I and the world I'm in are...gives me great hope. A hope for limitless, endless exploration of a system so vast and so glorious that I would never lack in fulfillment or purpose, and never run out of things to do.         World upon world and culture upo...

     Memento Mori, the meditation on the temporariness of life and the inevitability of death, was a practice encouraged by many philosophers and thinkers throughout history. Commonly attributed to the stoics, the practice, despite its name, was not intended to be morbid or depressing. It was intended to be humbling and give a sense of beauty and value to existence that otherwise would not be appreciated if you weren't aware of how fleeting it is.       "Death is the great leveler," as the old saying goes. It spares no one, rich or poor, powerful or powerless, beautiful or ugly, strong or weak. It can strike anyone and at any time without reason or explanation. This fact puts us all on the same playing field when it comes to the ultimate fate of all life.      The utility of reminding yourself of this comes in the fact that acknowledging that you are of the same fate as all others makes you appreciate your blessings more and empathize wi...

The world's a big place. Even with how massive the rest of existence is, the world we're on right now has enough places, circumstances, knowledge, and potential experiences to last a significant chunk of time if we could "have it all"...one that would seem like an eternity to any human. Imagine if we could live every human life that has ever lived up to this point, which including the current number of people alive today adds up to around 107 billion people. Now lets say the average lifespan of humans over the course of our entire history was about 50 years, give or take. 107 billion times 50 is 5.35 trillion years. If you could live every human life consecutively, that's the figure it would add up to with a rough estimate of a 50 year average lifespan.  That's 400 times the age of the universe according to our current model, and that's just earth and humanity. That's the fullest experience of just ONE world, and if humanity lasts for thousands more ye...

To some, the concept of existing forever intimidates them more than even ceasing to exist does. The thought of unending conscious existence with countless worlds and countless realities to explore and learn about is an overwhelming and intimidating thought.  The full immersion into a relationship with the creator of that eternity can also be quite intimidating to someone not accustomed to that belief system. For me, I look at eternity as something we acclimate to, like going from very warm to very cold weather suddenly...or learning how to swim when you are a child...or any new experience that is uncomfortable at first and takes some getting used to. Overcoming a fear and discomfort to something requires a level of consistent exposure to it to realize it is not something to be afraid of to the extent that we are. Eternity is no different.  We come into this world crying and in shock at the glories, sensations, and wonders of the human condition and it takes time for us to accl...

        Your usual reaction to being triggered will usually get your usual outcome. You become predictable when the same words or same circumstance get the same response out of you.      It's like setting a trap. If you understand your opponent, you can predict their reactions to a stimulus, which means you can think ahead enough to trap them where you want them to be. If you really want to throw people off, don't give them the reaction they want. Or no reaction at all. It's that "tit for tat" instinct in us all that traps us in the cycle of bitterness and vengeance, and if we know how each of us reacts when triggered, that reaction can be used against us. It makes us predictable, and if you are predictable you are manipulatable, trappable, and controllable.       There was this scene in the first Harry Potter, where Hermione, Harry, and Ron fell into a tentacle plant called "Devil's snare."  A hideous looking plant that tighte...

  Whenever there is a tragedy, wrongdoing, or failure that happens in the world, we are quick to point fingers. We instantly go to the blame game of "this is your fault" or "this is their fault." It automatically becomes a punishment situation, where we seek out who is responsible and try to punish or avenge a failure or misstep.     Not many people really sit down and ask the question "what caused this?" in a serious and legitimate way without looking for a reason to point fingers. When you sit down and ask that question and really think about it and investigate, I think your focus starts shifting from a strict punishment and retribution focus to one of reparation and healing. You start breaking down the source and the timeline of events and circumstance that led to the problem, and if you develop a complex understanding of that cause, it can lead to a more well-rounded approach to solving it and addressing it.       Understanding also leads to more e...

"In my experience there is no such thing as luck." -Obi Wan Kenobi       How you see fortune often depends on what you believe and how you see your reality. To someone who is not super spiritual or doesn't  believe in God or higher beings in general, life's fortunes and misfortunes come down to a combination of random processes, coincidences, and outcomes as well as the merit of someone's work.  This randomness leaves no room for grace, as all fortune and success would come from random, unguided luck and just raw merit.  If you believe in God, than all your fortune, successes, and good things were not random happenings and just opportunities with good timing, they were acts of grace given freely to you by an infinitely graceful and infinitely merciful God. You didn't earn your fortune. You didn't earn the right to exist. It was a gift given freely out of love by a loving Creator.     This leaves no room for luck. If you are a believer, than whenev...