Naked Thoughts: musings on the human condition, unedited thoughts straight from the mind

By Michael Chapus

‘Naked Thoughts’ is an engaging, provocative, challenging, controversial and deeply illuminating book that combines personal experiences, comments on current affairs and reflections on diverse media publications.

This remarkable book provides an entertaining reflection on the human condition at all levels of the emotional scale; at times witty or highly personal, drawing on diverse philosophies, religion and ordinary human affairs, without trying to be judgemental or taking specific sides. Touching on subjects like freedom, God, anxiety, death, and all the intriguing issues of human life, Naked Thoughts does not shy away from focusing on the weaknesses of humanity, modern-day addictions and the epidemic spread of romantic illusions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Conrad Press
• Release date: Oct 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9781839785436

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Naked Thoughts

Michael Chapus

Naked Thoughts

Published by The Conrad Press Ltd. in the United Kingdom 2022

Tel: [phone]

www.theconradpress.com

[e-mail]

ISBN 978-1-839785-43-6

Copyright © Michael Chapus, 2022

All rights reserved.

Typesetting and Cover Design by: Charlotte Mouncey, www.bookstyle.co.uk

The Conrad Press logo was designed by Maria Priestley.

Dedicated to my friends who made publicising this book possible

About the author

My name is Michael Ernest Wilhelm Chapus and I was born in the eastern part of Germany to a German mother and a French father in the early 1950s.

My birthplace was a small medieval settlement surrounded by hilly woodlands. I remember those places as my childhood paradise, my fantasies and dreams cradle.

In the early 1960s, my family emigrated to the western part of Germany.

After finishing high school, I embarked on an apprenticeship in cabinetmaking. These three years were the most challenging in physical and mental terms. But the most formative years in my educational history! My master, a man of exceptional integrity, set me on my path of being critical of people who avoided the truth for financial gain.

I proceeded with a short stint in the national service at the beginning of the 1970s. Sharing a room with eight other privates for more than a year taught you about human nature.

Studies in engineering and architecture followed. It was a time of unrestrained freedom, meaningful friendships and a new intellectual awakening. Berlin, I have arrived! Initially, life in a big city is challenging for the mind, body, and spirit! I embraced the abundance of culture with all my heart.

The architect's career was short but intense. After having entered the fray with enthusiasm, my idealism withered quickly. I was suffocated by competing egos, corporate greed and being witness to unrestrained corruption. At thirty-two, after having suffered suicidal tendencies for two years, I left Germany in 1984, never to return.

Australia felt like home from day one! The sun and its people were essential to my healing process.

My new goal was to achieve a life that offered maximum freedom, simplicity, meagre possessions and no reliance on securities!

It did not take long to realise the only existence a society can accept without looking down on you was to be an artist! Allowing you to think freely, read as much as you like, and experiment without the restraints of society's convention. Without hesitation, I chose my new direction, embarking on an artist's career.

Introduction

This book intends to introduce subjects that thinkers have contemplated over the last four millennia without using specialist terminologies or claiming to be comprehensive.

The reader will find ideas and concepts that might lead to solutions to problems posed by our day-to-day challenges ranging from the ordinary to the highly personal.

As people interested in philosophical writings might have experienced, recent comments on the meaning of life often verge on the border of comedy or are simply indigestible for most laypeople.

Plato, Descartes, Bacon, Locke and Voltaire did not use cryptic or specialised vocabulary. They wrote in basic Greek, French and English and intended to be understood by the ordinary reader of their time. Their writings were concise and poetic and did not shy away from amusing.

In contrast, today's writing on philosophy appears only to be addressed at the initiated few! Their language seems alien to the laypeople interested in reading philosophy for their pleasure. Furthermore, even the translation of those original texts is now under the spell of appearing indigestible by those who intend to study philosophy for professional reasons.

This book does not intend to follow a specific philosophical direction, and there is no claim to adherence to a particular school of thought.

These short articles are meant to show no satisfying answers and that what works for one of us does not necessarily stop others' minds from thinking further.

However, the question of individualism underlines these short paragraphs' general concept, which can be read in combination or individually.

Besides, the paragraphs of the chapters are listed randomly and are not related to each other.

This book is for people thinking about topics like the functioning of the mind, how to interpret reality, questions about truth, freedom, consciousness, identity, how we perceive others, belief systems, creativity, God, religion and many other issues concerning the human condition.

These comments are not unique; they represent the questions humanity faces daily and how we think about our world.

For example, what kind of responsibilities and challenges arise when we observe ourselves in the context of reality?

These thoughts are collections of the human condition, snippets and debris, noted down over time, especially in the wee hours of the morning at sunrise.

Authentic writing should deal with and engage with the current issues of the day and not be ashamed to ask uncomfortable questions.

Some of us are predestined for existence on the ‘outside’. However, before accepting the inevitable destination the individual’s life must take, one tries to adjust until one realises the futility of the intended compromise.

Apart from learning how to satisfy our basic human needs, the time will arrive for everyone to find the answers to questions such as, what does it mean to live a conscious life?

These days it is all about the relentless demands for success and rising through the ranks! In this context, one will not be accepted if one has nothing to show other than claiming to be involved in exploring the mind.

Society does not react kindly to eccentricities, especially when presented by someone young, deemed to become ‘somebody’.

For example, in the arts, one is forced to fight for glory, as if this position was the only acceptable goal.

Fortunately, it is in the arts where one can acquire a reasonable amount of inalienable freedom, space and time to think and act on one's ideas when trying to influence the world around us.

However, living with a ‘diet’ of wandering thoughts is one thing, but learning to capture these abstract images will take many years of practice.

This book aims to understand and critique the structures on which today's societies are built and how they are interconnected. Change is constant and inevitable. New interpretations of ideas are formed and applied with relentless speed, and we are expected to react and adapt equally.

The resulting consequence is that most of us are increasingly overcome with the anxiety of being left behind; too exhausted by the daily challenges, we are unable to resist, letting ourselves be manipulated into a future pathway not necessary to our choosing.

As members of the general public, we now experience the new terminology of specialisations in all fields of society as a severe attack on our languages and shared understanding.

For example, the debate between political science and sociology is increasingly incomprehensible to anyone outside of these subjects.

We are all curious to find answers to why we, as human beings, feel the need to reflect on ourselves.

For example, in our position, in reality, the continuously arising challenges about our self-understanding or our struggles when prompted to supply a meaningful answer.

Do we know what we are saying?

Do we believe what we say is objectively true or a subjective construct to serve our self-interests?

How can we learn how to think and know how to analyse our thought processes without lengthy studies of philosophical theories?

What is the point of all this thinking, contemplating and navel-gazing? Can't we do what it takes without pushing our minds beyond the necessity of paying the bills, buying a house, raising children and retiring?

Do we avoid political disputes and try to agree with everyone? It may be an attractive dream to enjoy while one is young, but how will it affect societies proceeding towards the future.

Of course, the demands of life are relentless; however, the questions about self-

awareness are undoubtedly vital to living a fulfilling life and are addressed to everyone.

The alternative of fatalism may increasingly paralyse societies thinking and, therefore, their responses. The choices made under such circumstances will lead to a life of unconscious servitude.

What about our motivation for each other? Or is it all about competition and our self- interests? The choices made under such circumstances will lead to a life of unconscious servitude.

Beliefs are contagious; people can make others believe in almost anything. We are usually willing to accept that our ways, convictions, religion, and politics are better than theirs or that our divine rights are above criticism. After all, these ideas can instigate hatred and the willingness to kill each other.

Some people are afraid that their ideas do not have the long-lasting influence on society as they would like when they begin to contemplate their achievements. They begin to avoid criticism, demonising opponents, raising the standard of nationalism, racism, and the glory of tradition.

The aim of those belief systems is to control the individual and society. Self-reflection can be equated with a creative existence and freedom and will be rejected as it can interfere with the doctrines of the day.

This book intends to raise awareness against modern, especially postmodern critiques, and the new wave of scepticism, criticism against the values of philosophy and common sense. The New Liberals are driven by distrust against the value of reflection on reality.

The paragraphs of this book are not intended to be a manual for how to live but to evoke individual thoughts that could open up new possibilities for self-realisation. There are no definitive answers; culture development is organic, so contemporary participation demands constant adjustment and re-evaluation.

Finally, this book does not need supporting resources or specialised knowledge.

However, it encourages the reader to explore poetry, philosophy, and history continuously.

Michael Chapus August 2022

SOBRIETY

Naked Thoughts

Post 1

13.03.2020

1

It is not enough to be arty, pretending to be so sophisticated and critical of everyone else. We have sold out if we only desire what everyone else wants, personal creature comfort!

We artists do not deserve to be artists, as long as we are just one of the mindlessly consuming masses. Users of the diminishing planetary resources and herd members of the increasingly anxious! Unless we are willing to step out of line, step on to the breaks, and demonstrate visibly how to divert from the general trends through our art.

No professional artist should live in poverty, but most artists have no choice but to live a frugal existence. The artist has always shown us a pathway since the first creation of the cave paintings, which gave reverence to nature's spirits. As long as the artists prevail with integrity, are serious about their mission and avoid corruption, their way of life could be a model for every conscious citizen.

Our task is not to please but to provoke! We have the responsibility to show what is going on, and if we choose wisely, beauty will be on our side.

2

To live one's life in similar ways as if one is constructing a house! No house can stand long without a solid foundation, cracks will soon appear, and nothing above will stand upright for long. Your birth lays the foundation stone (sadly these days not more applicable), followed by the foundation, the early childhood, learning from your parents the necessary traits to survive later in life.

The construction of the basement ensues, the second most crucial part of the building, robust, watertight, roomy; the place for the installations of the appliances, equivalent to the late childhood! The time for the beginning of refinement, the implementation of the base structures of a well-balanced existence, the introduction of discipline, perseverance, respect, orderliness, kindness, diligence, cleanliness and above all integrity. Followed by, if possible, some form of sophistication, like the love for a musical instrument, artistic vigour, the reading of books and if no ground for such talents is available, maybe a sporting challenge.

Well, not all cracks become outright visible, the building might appear upright on the outside for quite some time a while.

The ground floor is taking form, a statement of confidence, large windows, plenty of space for socialising, and the first suggestions about the interior design, to be discarded repeatedly.

It is the time for the young teen to experience outside stimulation, find inspiration through the influence of others, discover a personal space, and expand upwards!

While all appears shiny and attractive above, moisture has entered through the cracks, making its way towards the ground level.

It follows the first level; the dreaded high school period has entered the young person's life. It can spell disaster, distortions, the beginning of our failures for the rest of our lives, or the groundwork for forming a great talent. Unfortunately, most parents overemphasize the importance of schooling, like regarding the above-ground section of their house as more important than the foundations. Sure, we can fix structural mistakes to a certain extent, but fixing is mostly not a permanent solution for fundamental issues; they reappear sooner or later again and often so much worse.

The roof, the final graduation year, usually a time of extreme anxiety, has been set in place. Following the highly disputed interior design phase, coursing marriage breakdowns, and the architect's possible sacking. The woman of the house traditionally decides all this. The young man or woman now wants to leave or has a boy/girlfriend and demands more freedom and privacy.

Tiles added and removed again, kitchen and bathrooms remodelled, rooms painted over several times, furniture bought and resold, carpets laid down and ripped up again. Now lots of money is getting invested in making up for the previous design failures. The son/daughter do not have the expected solidity, so let us paint the outside in bright colours. At least the neighbours get the right impression.

It does not necessarily have to go that way; even a poorly built house can provide a warm and loving shelter. But the example of the structural failures describe the chaotic period the young men/women go through in their late teens and early twenties fittingly, and determines how much responsibility a person can take on for the rest of their lives.

More often than not, the concern with the development of our dwellings takes priority over our children's development.

3

After a series was working well together in an exhibition, one does experience, on occasion, the loss of magic once the original assemblage has been broken up. The impression of banality lingers following the previous excitement.

As an artist, one has to keep in mind when working in series every individual piece has to have a quality on its own to keep the magic alive and can stand alone!

4

If you decide against all better judgment to embark on a creative journey for the rest of your life, make sure you let it all out in the first ten years! You may choose to settle for a ‘style’ in your later years. Avoid the lure of having to align yourself to the whims and fashions of the moment! It is the time to seek out what moves you. Free yourself from those childhood manipulations, and discover your interpretations of reality. Ask yourself what lies behind the appearance and what fascinates you in particular about the natural world. Be aware you cannot cover all! Now, this is the time to play, time to experiment. Suppose the lure of trends, fashion, or style catches you too early. In that case, you might find yourself stranded in the no-man's-land of banal repetitions—shiny pictures, suitable for decorations in large corporate offices. You also might be (for a while) one of the darlings in the arty scene. But remember, it was your choice to take on the artistic journey because you perceived all other avenues to be too dull and compromising.

5

If you want to change your life, make sure it is not just about the location, but also and foremost about your attitude towards life and about the changes of your previously used concepts of interpreting reality!

For example, if you leave your wife and family, it would be ill-advised to start with the same concept of your previous self somewhere else again. Without the necessary adjustments, only a fool would think it would work out better the next time around.

If you are serious about your undertaking, burn all your bridges first. Remember, nothing is more humiliating than a failed escape! So returning will never be an option.

6

Fable

In his youthful days, a man carried the desire to climb a tall mountain for many years. Finally, after overcoming his immaturities and insecurities, he enthusiastically went on his way along the path towards the summit. Climbing is easily initially but became increasingly harder as the incline steepens. Finding himself out of breath at the halfway mark, he took a break and with great surprise, took in the beautiful view for the first time Becoming aware of his ignorance he had displayed all along the way, realising taking in the light was also part of the experience!

With revived enthusiasm, his mind alert, he now and then stopped, admiring the unfolding beauty below. The day was already near its end; when he reached the summit, he witnessed the last rays of a glorious sunset and lost in the experience, he had forgotten to breathe. The observation of the starlight proved equally sublime. After being woken up by an unforgettable sunrise, he decided that he would settle for good on that mountaintop. Convinced his resources and excellent health would sustain him for the years to come. However, building a house on that windswept ridge was no easy task.

Winter arrived, and so did the unpredictability of the weather. Every nail, screw, beam, and tile had to be carried upon the carpenter's back, and finally, he himself had to venture up and down the hill to buy new supplies.

Always in a rush, barely enough time to take in the view! Not to mention the acquisitions of necessary items that made for a comfortable house. But despite the backbreaking toil, his spirit, still high and young as he was, rose even higher after completing the home. Unfortunately, his firewood store, which he had not given much thought to, was soon used up. His reliance on supplies, now being carried up by mountain men through the snow, often running late or did not arriving at all, rose dramatically. He forced himself to eat less and shivered with cold through many nights. He prevailed undeterred while his spirits were replenished daily by the sublime view.

However, he had forgotten to taken good care of his money. His fortune began to dwindle, so he was forced to take on the occasional lodger—all in all, a most annoying and disturbing prospect. Sharing the view with someone else spelled the end of his tranquil existence on the top! Unfortunately, things got worse; now, with very little money to spare and looking after his lodgers, he was forced to bring up all the supplies by himself.

One day, stopping at a small settlement halfway up the mountain, feeling weary and increasingly disheartened, he took the time to watch a glorious sunset unfolding. At that moment, a realisation struck him, and the attraction to live on top disappeared with it; having become for obvious reasons unsustainable! The village was positioned sufficiently high enough to enjoy all the beauty he desired.

7

It is our motivation that will be judged and not our actions!

8

We are witnessing the last revolt of the increasingly impotent patriarchate in full swing, their hollow-sounding defences exposing their hypocrisies in the face of truth!

9

The singing, drawing, or writing talents do not make the artist. One does turn to art because one has the urge to express feelings of discontent towards the world. When the stories have been written, the songs performed, the paintings painted, and all that needed to be told has been given a voice, only then can one leave everything behind! The art practice is the only true wilderness where the human spirit can roam. Here one discovers the strength and harmony necessary to face anxieties, depression, or madness.

The question artists are confronted with continuously: ‘have I managed to express what I wanted to say? Is it enough, have I been true to my vision?’

How does one continue, despite having no more to say, when only driven by egotistical dictates, by fear of looking like a failure, or ruthless market forces? All of which will only result in dull repetitiveness. And don't we have enough of that already?

Those words are not a criticism of the artistic practices as a pleasure into old age. Those are possibly the most rewarding of all leisure pleasures!

One might easily forget masterpieces are still rare and far between today. However, we might remember artisans employed by the aging master have predominantly executed all great artworks of the past. It was left to the master to design the preliminary sketch, the final touches, and the signature.

10

Here’s an abstract of a recent conversation with my daughter.

Leah: 'I love you, Dad, oh I love you so much, Dad!' These are her usual, meaningless ravings when leaving the house, coming home, or wanting something.

Dad: ‘Well how often do I hear that expression from you, Leah?’

Of course, I did not feel anything of that so-called 'I love you, Dad.' One of these many useful phrases to make up for our incompetence and unwillingness to put some real meaning into our emotions, to make the other experience that love. Big gestures come quickly; they are only one-offs and are often performed with the unawareness of an ulterior motive because they make us feel better about ourselves!

What about simply washing up without being probed, emptying the rubbish bin, not leaving a mess behind in the bathroom? All these simple little things show one is aware of the other in our mundane daily existence.

I grew up without ever hearing it; my mother never used that phrase because she was aware of its potency and also hypocritical undertone! Love was everywhere in my childhood, like oxygen in the air, and even now that she is long gone, I can still feel it. When she was alive I felt it every minute, at times it could feel like an overdose.

So what has become of that 'I love you,' a Valentine's unique, a cover-up for the fact that we don't, or a cheap greeting like, 'I love you man'?

In my opinion, the casual use and nowadays emptiness of this phrase gives witness to the increasing shallowness of our emotional world!

11

The unexpected, the surprising, the painful, and the disappointing make the journey towards the end worthwhile. One cannot imagine, or maybe some can, how dull and boring it would have been if we had been given a program from the beginning on, how to navigate our lives and be snuffed out without our consent! One only has to study history to discover the many failed attempted instances for the control of the populace through diverse ‘isms’.

12

After realising your insignificance in comparison with the universe, you are only a few steps away to liberate yourself from the oppression of your Ego.

13

Nature has given you a canvas on which you will paint the image presenting your life.

It is entirely up to you if it will turn out to be a masterpiece or just an ordinary picture. The question is, how many details do you want to include? How much time do you want to invest? And time, only of limited supply, needs to be invested wisely. Most of the 'time' has already been spent at that moment when that awareness arises.

You might prefer the lightness of a quick sketch; you might like to layer it on thickly with a spatula. But if you lack inspiration, creativity, and are unwilling to make a conscious effort to succeed, there will be not much to look at, no matter how hard you try.

14

Regard your life as if you were preparing a canvas. Choose the frame and linen carefully. Ensure the timber is without distortions and everything is well dried; as for the linen, make sure there are a few knots as possible. Sizing must be applied thinly layered and sanded in between. A practice so often neglected and forgotten, preventing the acid in the oil from pulverising your linen and shorten its lifespan. Now teenage years have arrived, the ground has to be applied, not too dry, not too oily, layered again, brushed stippled or sponged; you choose the base on which you want to support the rest of your life! But it needs to dry thoroughly, and as long as possible. You aim for a good painting, you will not be able to achieve that on a support made of insecure materials. Do not expect to finalise your life as a masterpiece; too many uncertainties might influence the process. Still, a well-crafted work can be regarded as a satisfying or even excellent outcome for most of us!

15

Don't treat your mind like a lemon! You get a satisfying gush with the first squeeze, but afterwards, there might only be drops, an unsatisfying trickle and often somewhat bitter. Leave it at that for the time being; wait for the next ripe lemon to fall from the tree!

16

Hope, the most-used sedative of the illusionists and the seductive tool used by the religious con artists!

17

A good memory for facts, figures, and argumentative abilities are in no way indicators of a high level of intelligence! A reasonable level of intelligence relies on a fair degree of humility—a fact we all might discover through some painful experiences at one stage in our lives.

18

As sure as everyone knows, the early morning hours are the most fruitful when enjoying the contemplative pleasures of thought!

19

The requirements for an efficient thought process are time, an absolute quiet surrounding, or for some, it might be a busy coffee shop with indistinguishable sounds. You must avoid the destructive technological gadgets, a simple setting, and a blunt mundane view are more conducive than a beautiful outlook. Not too much comfort, a chair, and a table will do, but some might prefer an armchair because they suffer a certain amount of back pain after long periods of sitting. No distraction from food or drink, an empty stomach interferes the least with the activities in the mind. A simple notepad, a pen, and a clear mind are all what is required.

A transparent, fruitful thought process will not flow if unresolved domestic dramas or work-related stress issues interfere with your thoughts. Just pure freedom is required up there among the grey matter! A brisk morning walk before sitting down might work to wash away last night's debris, or one lets the spirits do their work while just ambling along slowly.

20

How does one establish a personal thought process? We are fortunate that most of us still have a very particular way of thinking despite having endured dictatorial religious and fascistic-related brainwashing attempts for the last few thousand years. But this might all change because now we have the World Wide Web!

The brainwashing continued throughout history, but at least it had not been conducted from one centralised source, so diversity was still possible. But what is happening now? Never before could the cultural barricades be breached so quickly, most of the infiltrations in the past. On occasion, if they did succeed, they already had become yesterday's news by the time they came through. Sadly, we might be the last living generation on this planet who can still practice free thought!

From that, we all need to remind ourselves; it is essential to keep the chaos alive!

So how does one let out that beast of personal thought?

Relax, breathe slowly and deeply, sit or stretch out comfortable, let all purpose-related activities go, and be lazy!

We are constantly engaged by the necessities of domestics, the regularity of the gym, eating with friends, shopping, etc. We never take enough time out for the essential activities that is thinking clearly and unobstructed. We rush from one thing to another, trying to fit in as much as possible, avoiding being with ourselves. Rest assured, the time will come when your avoidance strategies will not be sufficient anymore; even so, it might take until you reach middle or old age.

How do we proceed? If ‘thinking’ would be as easy as making pizzas, Italians would run the planet. Remind everyone who thinks it is the most difficult of all intellectual practices. But we do not all have to become mathematicians! For most of us, it is sufficient to be mindful of our daily conduct and the treatment of others.

Make sure your inquiries into your mind are not impaired by some recent problems to be solved, nor guided by preconceived ideas on how to think. Try not to think at all at first! Let the pictures parade in front of your inner eye, let it all drift, until maybe one of them is getting stuck, like a piece of driftwood, washed ashore on the bank of a river. Do you have an issue with that image? Is it worth pursuing more resounding? Do you have enough understanding to analyse that image/idea/ pain or whatever? Follow it while it is still out of focus, start to encircle it, or it will easily slip away. Once you have taken a close hold of a specific thought, so it cannot move away, imprinted it in your memory, you can walk away and think about it later if you need to. Now you zoom in and bring all the details into clear focus; time to analyse! You might be aware you latched on to some complicated subject matter or something you have avoided seeing clearly for many years. Still, you also realise this is the first time you have encountered this issue; you know how to proceed in your mind. You must hold it, follow the sequel of image flow (sometimes it plays out like a movie), analyse, synthesise and finally conclude. Sounds easy, it might only take a few seconds, or it might take all day, weeks, or years because now you have that imprint firmly stuck in your mind, you can remember whenever you need to, and zooming deeper into it.

There are a few more ditches to overcome before it gets more accessible; we are getting stressed out because that profound thought has slipped away; now we are struggling to get it back, but without success, because we have failed to make that necessary imprint strong enough in our memory bank!

However, it might not have been as profound as you thought anyway, or it will return at a later stage again with some luck. But don't get hung up on it; continue in your state of relaxation and keep the flow of pictures going.

Not all solutions are real solutions; you might have spent that valuable time just thinking. Hooked on being efficient, you expecting instant results. Or overcome with impatience you have unwittingly drawn an immature conclusion, and now you are all smug and confident about your abilities. After a few hours, you are embarrassed to discover the failures of your undigested thought process. There are no absolutes, only