Life is an experience not to be missed. There are the rough spots in life of course, and then there are the smooth stretches when one is at peace with the world. One fine solution for the feeling of depression, insecurity, and futility is to stop and think,  Would life be full if it were a life of ease; would life have depth

Hoppe, Ruth

English

Digital Commons @ Butler University

RUTH HOPPE"What I Believe"Life is an experience not to be missed.There are the rough spots in life of course,and then there are the smooth stretcheswhen one is at peace with the world. Onefine solution for the feeling of depression,insecurity, and futility is to stop and think,"Would life be full if it were a life of ease;would life have depth?"As young as I am, I have my certainideas on the fundamentals of life. My con-victions are of the most immature type, yetthey are mine until they undergo a meta-morphasis.Heading my standards is the qualityof truth. Thoreau, in Walden, states,"Rather than love, than fame, give metruth." It is most evident that only aminority of the people have an inner im-petus while a majority of the people usethe intellectual formula. Truth is a qualityto be admired and sought after! All corrup-tion would be banished if truthfullnesswere the dominant characteristic of everyliving human being.Among the higher qualities of life ishonesty which is also a quality to be admir-ed and sought after. "A good man willavoid the spot of any sin." Honesty isoften abused; it is worn as a cloak and isthrown off like one. There are too manysuspicious, untrusting, and distasteful peo-ple in the world today, who if they werehonest with themselves and others, wouldfind more faith in others.Men are jealous fools, afraid that some-one might have something that they arelacking. Our wars have always been basedon jealousy, if not on a single human'sjealousy then on the jealousy of one nationof another nation's resources. Jealousy, nota quality to be. admired, will reign as thesource of all evil. Man may be what hewishes . . . for "man is man and masterof his fate."!Freedom is a luxury of life. "Thatman is free who lives as he likes; who isnot subject to compulsion, to restraint, toviolence; whose aversions are unincurred."2Above all, I am going to strive for completefreedom . Man is like an animal; he likesto be free to do what he wishes, to roamwhere he likes, and to be supressed bynone. A life of freedom is a goal, yet free-dom cannot be made the dominant qualityof one's life. To lead a harmonious life onemust have a taste of every dish, to samplethe tasty and the unsavory.Most disturbing in our life is theshadow of the "Grim Reaper." "Men feardeath as children fear to go into the dark;and as that natural fear in children is in-creased with tales, so is the other."3 Deathis not to be feared, but it is to be lookedupon as a stage in the evolution of man-kind. Religion should be heeded and glori-ed in. We should receive comfort andknowledge from our teachings. The churchhelps to prepare us for our after life, andas school prepares us for our adult life, soshould we make use of our religion. Shake-speare says in Julius Caesar, "It seems tome most strange that men should fear; see-ing that death, a necessary end, will comewhen it comes." I am trying now to adoptthis as my philosophy of death.1 Tennyson, "Geraint and Enid."2 Epictetus, "Of Freedom."3 Bacon, "Lord VeruZam."(29)

What I Believe

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What I Believe

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