So, it turns out that Sartre agrees with Ruiz's definition of real, and if I remember "On the Genealogy of Morals" correctly, Nietzsche does too. They all believe that only the action matters, not whatever is behind it.

So, Ruiz basically believes that if it doesn't exist outside of you, it doesn't exist. Thoughts and feelings mean nothing unless you act upon them and make them "real". I like this definition of real. Firstly, because it acts as a motivation of sorts, resulting in you acting according to what you think and how you feel. This in turn, results in you not letting opportunities pass you by. If you like someone, you'd be sure to let them know. If you have a problem with something, you'd be sure to stand up and do something about it. Secondly, it means that all those strange, distasteful and sometimes even disturbing thoughts have no place in your reality. OK, maybe it's just me who has disturbing thoughts sometimes... things I wish I hadn't thought about, or that I really shouldn't be thinking about. Being able to ignore/bury them seems to help in situations where I shouldn't have thought them. I'd give an example, but I don't feel comfortable making thoughts like those "real".

But there is a problem with this. Thoughts have an impact on what you make "real", for better or for worse. Most of the time for the better, because I know what I should and what I shouldn't do. But on the other hand, why am I thinking these thoughts in the first place? Most likely, it's some deep dark complex that is the result of some past traumatic experience... right? Is a childhood event (or the accumulation of a bunch of them) that I thought to be long forgotten, now the basis of me hating my mom (an unsavory character at best) and nearly idolizing Ms. Cat (an ideal role-model)? I always thought that psychoanalysis was a load of crap, mainly because when I tried reading Freud's book, it was a bunch of crazy unsupported statements (and knowledge of his coke habit didn't help his credibility either). But when I read "The Undiscovered Self" (thanks for lending it to me Mr. Bahl) I realized that there was a lot more to it. Although it was terribly hard to understand (much like Nietzsche, it was written in quarter-page long run on sentences), there was a thing or two I got out of it. For example, Jung believed that when man gives up religion, he is "digging the ground out from beneath his feet". Man takes away his reason to be, and then becomes a psychopath (OK, so he didn't actually say that, but I didn't exactly defile his work with that paraphrase). Although this is quite distant from the psychoanalysis and philosophy am interested in, I still find it quite interesting.

At this point I will cut this post short, because I don't know where I am going with it. Take from it what you will. I think that there's some substance to it.

And then I look back at the empty classroom. I realize that I've been sitting here for the better part of the class typing away. I'm glad I chose not to play boggle. They're annoying me from all the way across the room, specifically Chris and David. You want to punch them? Can I? Pleeeeeeeeaaaase?

Oh well, at least I submitted my short story this class. Saves me from having to do it after robotics at ten tonight.