This label, is the rather unashamed one that unbelievers of all faiths put on. Although the class is similar, the varieties from it probaly differ a lot - from the skeptic to the naive, from the ignorant to the apathetic. As its a term used mostly to define your 'beliefs' about religion, any one who deems himself not belonging to a particular religous group or not following and clinging onto the roots of the one which he/she 'belongs' in; would easily define himself as a free thinker. To explain the term literally -- it would mean 'to think freely'. So an explanation of the class can be done in a pretty 'feel good way'. "I'm a free-thinker, so I'm allowed to think freely." There are the many different sub-classes that get sliced up from here like those who 'respect' to those who assume universality.

Think freely-- implies that you are not in bondage to a certain idealogy, nor captive to any philosophies. As such, you are not obliged to go through any processes, nor to absorb single precepts. Appealing? Probaly, very as this concept of freedom has been wielded beyond recognition, into a human necessity which must be allowed for all kinds. (and the non-idealistic laugh) Say, its a liberation of them from their oppresive rulers. That its a required element for a country and nation. Essays of agast spam upon lack of freedom in dealings and allowances. Many yell that their 'trapped' under the system. Freedom, is something that man has longed wish for, in any field of thought, in any process of ritual. It has intruded into even belief frameworks as well, eliminating accounts of heresay, and creating many turns of 'compromises'.

So what's with freedom in all this?

A desire of All
The common key trait of kiasuism is probaly one that not only singaporeans can identify with. The literal translation of 'scared to lose out' applies, and everyone else knows that it also hides the qualities of wanting (a bit of) everything at the easiest possible avenue, not missing a try of any item... To desire all, an isotope of kiasuism, and a key element that runs around a frequent rest stone of freedom. If you don't want to get commited in anything, then, be invovled in all. Its simple logic that many have room to digest in their beliefs. To compromise, and to have freedom- all.

A hatered to choice
Perhaps this is slightly ironic, since that freedom of rights equate to being able to choose. But, I explain this in a situation whereby there are are many choices available to a particular activity. Especially in terms of unrecreational ones, (the more important ones that involve a blending of fuzzines with uncertanity) the choice is rather to be one of respect. Afterall, impartiality has been preached to be the one that defies all oppositions and the one that is the most comfortable one. Because when such a choice is suggested, one need not commit to anything. And since no commitement exists, no consequence is feared - except the consequence of not commiting that is.

The joy of scatterance
Scattering with respect to knowledge, involvements, values, deeds, opinions... There need not be a fixed resource you lie upon, nor is there any energy you tap upon. You are allowed to do. And without a factor that forbids, (that, considering that standards are based upon what you make up, in accordance to what you have learnt and accepted) those variables may be spread out upon the field and beyond that. Whenever you feel like it, you can plug the tap into any outlet, and let any stream of water flow. Basically, no restriction, so your're allowed to.

A Power of Onlooking
There are the several different perspectives of looking at things, and depending on the situation you are in - the onlooker is the one that seems to be the safest, and most entertaining (or a word that is somewhere towards that point) Afterall, you are just 'watching' the show. No need to be invovled in anything and no need to take part in any segment. Think in terms of a car crash, a wedding, a person getting killed etc. All situations would provoke different emotions, but when your not in the picture, you aren't obliged to do anything nor feel anything. Deaths become mere statistics and wars become simple vomit-outs for history exams. Such, is the uneasy power of onlooking.

Now... the next part of the term. Thinking.
When coinage of a term for the general 'don't believe in anything guy' (or something like that) happened, the person who did it either had a lot of respect to the factor of 'thinking' or had some awareness of this element in the other areas. As 'free' is the describing word to 'thinker', the subject in the term is 'thinker'. Which means, on requirement, the guy has to think. (That is the recognised factor after the determination of the type of thinking he is allowed, as shown above)
Or maybe. He had silent mockery to the point of 'thinking' itself in religions and use the term 'thinker' as a showy potral that these guys think. Well, probaly not. I'm sure he is pretty aware that religious doctrines and academical studies based of books and philosophies deemed apporpirate by the respective religion already satisfies a fair bit of thinking. But anyway, its not as if the class of 'free thinkers' make up the thinkers of the world. Thinkers, and thinking of something would mean that you crave answers. And to satisfy that, it is quite senseless to remind 'free'. Unless the 'freeness' is embraced by that thinker as something which he reaches and requires for a sake of filling up the gap -- that the freeness itself quenches the craving of an answer.
So it may depend on the sense and manner that 'thinking' is being approached, and the way that a thought is being weighed. Whether or not it matters to the individual, or if it is just a practice without application. If it is, the matter of thinking is thus more apt for the term of 'Free Thinker'. He only thinks, but what the matters that he thinks about, mean nothing to him, does nothing to him, does not affect him and changes nothing in him. No response. No decesion. Just simple, liveless, thinking. The simplistic level equates to touching the hot surface of a kettle and thinking deeply about the heat that is transfered from the boiling water to the metal covering, and then doing more analysis about the degree of pain that your hand is reciving...... but after everything, not taking your hand off.

'Free Thinkers'... Do they really exist? Perhaps the stereotype does not, but those who deem themselves as such, and grapple onto other balancing poles that attract that bar of defination; should give more thought to what it really means.

Think about it. You are quite free to choose.


Only when a man has insulted his own intelligence, can he realise that he is actually human.

---

_Past

June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009

---