Longtime visitors may remember He Who Must Not Be Named (aka The Associate aka mindgame aka nw.t.), who used to post a year or two back. Besides having a uniquely warped view of human reality (for example, he believes that most people would rather be spoiled about the ending of some book, game or movie than have their names mentioned casually to other people, or online), he also delights in rejoicing at selectively digging up pithy quotes from the unearthly amount of books he reads to celebrate the depressive states that he is wont to fall into.

Perhaps sinking further into such reverie awakens some masochistic tendencies in him, causing him to streak naked down streets like the flagellants of yesteryear, exulting in their suffering. Or perhaps such suffering is to him exalted, purifying the body and the soul.

One of these quotes particularly struck me as being specious:


"Everybody wants one more chance."

"What's so bad about that?"

"It makes a mockery of the past. Every time you start again, it diminishes what you've had before. Can't you see that? It chops your life up into these little bite-sized morsels. If you have endless goes at getting it right, then you will never get it right. Not even once. Because starting again turns the best thing in the world into just another takeaway. Fast love. Junk love. Love to go."

"Don't you want one more chance?"

"I've had my chance."


The moral he draws from this is that "it merely places a value judgment on people's decisions to seek love and happiness, and how that constant pursuit of "sopmething (sic) better" or "a second chance" leads to a morally and spiritually debasing conclusion. it's an ascetic condemnation of hedonist values. It claims that attempts at finding further chances are inevitably flawed and pallid."

I find, though, that the author's premise of "one and only one chance, otherwise the significance of all is nullied" is fallacious. Having endless goes at "getting it right", learning nothing from each attempt and finally stumbling upon an answer due to dumb luck does indeed make a mockery of the past.

But to adopt an "all or nothing", "one time or never" approach (which he claims to favour in his dealings and actions, despite the dictates of reality) is surely ridiculous. My favourite counter-example to debunk this "all or nothing" philosophy is about immortality: if your lifelong dream is to be immortal, but you are unable to get the formula for your elixer of youth right on your first try, then you might as well commit seppuku forthwith.

Since you've failed in your attempts, having another chance makes a mockery of the past. Every time you start again, it diminishes what you've had before. It chops your attempts at attaining your dream up into these little bite-sized morsels. If you have endless goes at getting it right, then you will never get it right. Not even once. Because starting again in pursuit of your dreams turns the best things in the world into just another takeaway. Fast dreams. Junk dreams. Dreams to go."

[Addendum:

The Associate claims that he's "too tired and drained and exhausted to feel any outrage at how miserably wrong you've misinterpreted my philosophy. again."

One day I shall get him to elucidate, but for now I stand by my diagnosis, interpretation and dissection of the issue.]