Lucretius: On the Nature of Things

This is a 95BC exposition on, literally, everything below, and above, the sun. Of course, many of the facts have been disputed, but it's quite intriguing to see what Roman society thought about various issues, keeping in mind the fact that this work mostly shows what one man, Lucretius thought.

In "Now bend thy mind to truths profounder still:/For stranger doctrines must assault thine ear,/And a new scene of wonders yet unfold./Whate'er is new, though obvious and defined,/Gains not an easy credence; but when once/Flies the fresh novelty, th'unsteady soul/Yields its full faith to facts mysterious most./" I love the way he tries to preempt the reader's disbelief.

He then goes on to tackle the issue of extraterrestrial life, yes, even back then they were fascinated with UFOs etc. Lucretius says, "the fact flows doubtless,/ mid the void immense,/ that other worlds in other parts must rise,/ peopled with reasoning and with brutal tribes." It's pretty telling the manner in which he assumes that even in extraterrestrial life there exists a division in civilization, and in the same manner that Roman civilization, riding on the back of Greek science and art was assumed to be the best, and all else was barbaric, so too there exists a similar parallel out there in a far off world among the stars!

On how the earth feeds on its own perpetually he says, "The mass material must survive entire/To feed succeeding ages, which, in turn/ Like thee shall flourish, and like thee shall die;/ Nor more the present ruins than the past./Thus things from things ascend: and life exists/To none a freehold, but a use to all./ Basically, live and enjoy what you have right now, since you will leave it all behind when you die so it can be used by future generations. He does not mince his words!

He then scoffs at the phantoms that people create, and concludes that the soul dies with the body, so there can be no hell, or heaven. Quite the difference from what good old Constantine would agree to on his death bed! Lucretius says, "Did men but think... that from themselves their heaviest sorrows rise?" He is of the view that we torment ourselves, and moving from one location to another will not really help since the curse is within.

For those of you wondering how to conceive a baby boy, or a girl, listen keenly! "If when the male his genial energy (semen)/Imparts, the female deep her breath retract/From female store prove female: if revers'd/From store paternal male.../ In normal 21st century English, as semen is put into you, either naturally or artificially, breath in, and it shall be a girl, breath out, and it shall be a boy. Would it not be wonderful if it were that nice and simple?

Lucretius has a pretty intuitive and rudimentary understanding of relativity, a theory that would take another two millenniums before it was fully expounded upon. Interestingly, when considering whether the earth moves round the sun, or vice versa, he decides not to commit himself either way. He also understands that "one sole cause propels the stars of the earth" but as a sage "who treads with cautious foot" he dare not say what exactly that is. Copernicus would come to prove the heliocentric universe more than a millennium later, our boy Lurectius would have bet both horses and won either way. That's a smart philosopher/poet/scientist for you!

"On the Nature of Things" is in may ways outdated but its very form, a poem that discusses such diverse scientific and social issues, makes it worth reading. Furthermore, going back to some ancient science one cannot help but wonder what ideas do we hold so dear that will seem extremely ridiculous within the next fifty, one hundred or two thousand years?

Woman Up: Shoot Straight & Avoid Deceit

Njoki Kaigai has quite the message in How to Entrap the Elusive Man. I disagree with her strategies, and luckily she too agrees that they might backfire, but there is more to disagree with 'entrapment' than just the fear of failure. Even if a woman does succeed, does she really have such a low self-esteem? Seeking to entrap a man is equivalent to staring into a mirror and telling yourself that you are worthless, moreover, the only way you will ever have someone in your life is through deceit. Who wants that?
If you have been in a relationship that seems to be going nowhere after 4/5 years, there is something you can do. Now, listen carefully, this has been a very well kept secret and should be used carefully, it is called asking! Guess what, you can ask your man exactly what he has in mind for your relationship's future. Granted, women would much rather the man initiated this relationship, but desperate times ask for desperate measures, so whip out your question and sit back. Despite all your prior indignation, watching HIM squirm to come up with an answer will be well worth it.
One of two things might happen. He may confess he has no future in mind for the relationship. If you are comfortable with this, strap in and enjoy the ride. If you have higher aspirations in life than a come-we-stay relationship, you better run, immediately, and fast! Politely inform the guy you will not be seeing him anymore, pack your bags and leave. Yes, it will be a terrible waste of the 5 or so years you have invested in the relationship, but guess what, those years are gone, you will never recover them. Further, it is better to let go of those 5 years, than to handcuff yourself for the rest of your life to a man who never wanted to marry you; there in lies hell!
If he says he has a future in mind for the two of you, well, inquire further if there is a time line that goes along with his plans. If none, give him your ideas, some time to think them over and discuss this further. He might like your plans and you can go ahead with living happily ever after. If he does have plans, either they match with yours, or they do not. If they do, well, lucky you, seems like you won the relationship jackpot! Go out and celebrate, and do not forget to brag to your girlfriends, you are one rare woman and deserve that new bag, shoes or whatever. If, however, his plans do not add up with yours, explain yours, and be ready to compromise. If he does not seem willing to do the same, think very hard if you want to go ahead with this. It can be a sign of trouble to come ahead, giving in now may or may not mean that you will have to settle for a life where your own ideas are relegated to second place. That can be extremely frustrating.
All this should be taken with a grain of salt. The key, however, is to believe in the sanctity of yourself, and your ability to attract someone who ACTUALLY wants to be with you for the rest of his life. Entrapment, even if it works, may leave you tied to some psycho who will only make you miserable. And guess what, he might actually enjoy this, and never miss an opportunity to remind that this was all your doing. OR, he might never be the wiser and you may both settle to a good old marriage. Who knows. life's weird!