The "philosophical" enhances human meaningfulness in a world where meanings are invented/re-invented, created/re-created, and shaped/re-shaped by the human being himself who doesn't allow the Nothing to end up to nothing but finds in the Nothing an exciting challenge in the manner that a creative artist is challenged by the blank canvas on an easel. In this sense, human meaningfulness is something that authentically depends on human creativity. It shouldn't be misconstrued as something bestowed in a silver platter by a supernatural power. The reality is there is no such power. The power that humanity possesses emanates from her/him alone and this reality makes one's humanity exciting. In this excitement resides one's desire to improve and develop his/her talents and make good use of them to make the world a better place to live in.
This conception of the "philosophical" is reflected in the game of airsoft for the game's excitement is a re-creation of human meaningfulness. The game enhances such meaningfulness to the point of desiring to improve one's skills in playing the game: strategy-planning, tactical maneuvering, terrain-exploration, opportunity-discovery, teamwork-building, trial-and-error experimentation and behavior-observation. So that, in the game of airsoft, nobody relies on suerte. It's all skills through and through.
Yet, though there's a simulation of death in the game by way of being hit, such a situation still spells human meaningfulness even at the point of death for an event like that instantly becomes a lesson for you and for the others in the game. Besides, the event of being hit is also an expression of one's courage to do an honest act: Being able to shout "Hit!" after having been actually hit is a test of one's honesty which is a rare thing nowadays. In other words, since there are very few honest people in the present dispensation when so many call themselves God-believing, born-again Christians, honest people is a rarity. But what is amazing is you find many of them in airsoft games. Though it's not always the case for there are still legions of airsofters who are makukunat na zombies.
What makes the game of airsoft more meaningful and more into the enhancement of human meaningfulness than that which we find and experience in the actual Lebenswelt is, in the former, there is a very serious/sincere effort/endeavor to promote, institutionalize and defend HONESTY while in the latter, dishonesty/palusot/panggugulang/pandurugas is standardized. There is therefore an upholding of the "philosophical" mirrored in the game of airsoft; very much diametrically opposed to the actualities we find in this very "unphilosophical" world controlled and run most of the time by agents of irrationality, insanity, stupidity and barbaric inutility.
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Great thoughts sir, its a true reflection of the Philosophical aspect in the Airsoft sport. I'm a little bit unenlightened in the "nobody relies on suerte" aspect of the game though.
ReplyDeleteAn airsoft game highly resembles the different battles in life, whether it be a militarist war (armies against other armies), moralist conflict,(good for some but bad for some), bouts with diseases, and in some cases even self conflict (conscience and identity) such that the objective is not only to win each battle in the end but also to continue to fight each battle courageously even though one thinks he has little chance of winning it.
Yes there are times where we are in a losing situation either due to the oppressive might of the enemy or simply due to lack of heart to stand by and defend our noble causes. But by regrouping our senses and deciding to fight the battle, there seems to be a "powerful force" who sometimes lends a helping hand in "delivering us from defeat." For me, it could either be due to a Supreme Being or simply due to Lady Luck.
This explains why David beat Goliath, why Obama defeated McCain, why, we, sometimes, win our battles despite the odds. Although we had won some battles by making the right decisions and taking the right paths, sometimes, we were either at the right place at the right time or at the wrong place in the wrong time.
James Felizardo - Airsoft Newbie, Strong advocate of Truth and Justice but always willing to suffer in defending both.
Wow, James. I'd like to think that your thoughts are greater than mine coz it seems that you've captured some very realistic notions of life as it is experienced by real people in real states of affairs. In a lot of serious ways, I think you're a philosopher.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliments sir. I would consider myself to be more of a "Street Philosopher" who concentrates more on plain conversational language to express my ideas. This is probably due to my upbringing as a Mass Communicator who has the basic duty to make the majority understand the messages and thoughts I wish to convey.
ReplyDeleteI could never reach the higher status of expression of philosophical intellectuals simply because I am tied down to this basic duty of a mass communicator. With this, I humbly bow down to the experts who are more worthy to be called philosophers, these people whom I highly respect and always learn the best lessons in life such as Mr. Ruel Pepa.
Frankly sir, you were the first philosophy teacher I met whom I could understand. You are among the few philosophers who effectively communicate ideas to the demographic intellectual ranges of A to E. The world is very fortunate indeed to have you.