memenaut

While explaining for my family business I was telling my aunt (which I pronounce awwnt fyi) about my phobia to mint. When I was five I noticed something odd in my behavior; I would not eat mint even though I didn't know what it taste like. I actually forced myself to put a mint in my mouth and keep it there even though I had the urge to spit it out. Maybe I even spit it out and picked it up and put it back in my mouth, that parts a little fuzzy. What is clear is that I concluded that I liked the taste of mint and my revulsion was due to some sort of earlier trama. Years later I'm living with my dad (who I never told about the mint thing) and he tells me a story about me choking on a dinner mint.
My aunt didn't respond in anyway, wondering if she was even still in the room, I turned to look at her and her jaw was dropped. The reaction was so strong it took me a minute to connect what she said next to the story "You look for the things in yourself that others run away from."
I'm not afraid to 'go there'. I'm someone who loves to think and contemplate even when it takes me to some dark places. To me there is nothing better than realizing I didn't really understand something before or that I was wrong.
I like to put on other people's paradigms and walk around. Explore their world view a bit. As far as I know the only time I got caught up in it was when I was checking out conspiracy theorist (the mid crazy not the crazy crazy).
I sometimes explore these ideas through fiction. I create characters who think differently from myself or live in a world where there is a God or magic is real. But more often lately I have taken my storytelling skills to nonfiction where I've learned to bring people along without being so subtle it may be missed.
I hesitate to label myself a philosopher or even 'a noticer' as Mark Twain has been referred. I'm a thinker. And while it's impossible to never bullshit yourself there are a few tools that will help you if you want to explore as I do:

Know that everything is absurd. Nothing should be sacred to you to the degree that it can't be ridiculed. Laugh at it especially if you believe in it.

Know that no one is inherently better than . If you think one religion,gender or race makes people more moral, you are wrong. There are assholes of all creeds.

Know that there are multiple truths. Things are always more complicated and more simple than you would think. Everything bleeds into everything else. Everything that can be identified is part of something else and has parts within it you can't see. While something you believe may be true there are things that seem contrary that are also true