Moved.

Well, I can't remember all of what I was going to write for the big finish to last time, so I'll sum up what I do remember to keep those answers from blowing away in the breeze
Philosophy is doubt because philosophy relies very heavily, though not entirely, upon a foundation of reason.  A flawless foundation of reason is difficult to come by.  Or, at least, a foundation that doesn't have a lot of prerequisites and provisos.  And if this foundation either has all of these prerequisites and/or has significant flaws, it becomes very difficult for a logically-bound person to subscribe to them wholeheartedly.

So, you get doubtful about things, even the things you grew up knowing to be true.

On Ethics being a terrible choice for a major, this statement isn't entirely fair.  True enough, it's a choice that makes it difficult to get a good job in very quickly, at least if not paired with something like politics, medicine, or law.  But there are plenty of majors out there like that, ethics doesn't particularly stand out among them.   No, what CAN make ethics a terrible major is that, at a time in your life when your horizon and education are rapidly expanding, taking courses in ethics increases the danger of coloring your perceptions with deep shades of cynicism and mistrust.

People aren't perfect.  But we are often forced to make decisions as if we are.  Our attempts to reconcile these two facts are what drive us to create some way of living that makes us feel as though our actions are correct or justified.  A study of ethics takes us deep into both why we feel this motivation, and why this is so bloody difficult.  So!  When someone who has studied ethics comes into contact with people who are thoughtless or cruel, or who think in terms of only black and white, it makes us want to tear our hair out.  Not that we aren't those same things, of course; we only just spend a lot mroe time thinking about it.  Altogether then, if one doesn't already have a strong belief in, say, the basic good-ness of people, it's rather easy to fall into cycles of distrust and separation.

So, if you feel like studying ethics, fantastic!  We need more people who think things through thoroughly.  Just make sure you've got the mental and optimistic fortitude to do so before you get the better of yourself.


But right!  What this was all supposed to be about was moving to San Fransisco for my new job as a User Ops engineer for Dropbox co.  User Ops being the fancy new phrase we use for Tech Support, mostly because tech support has such a nasty connotation these days.

The job is amazing.  The perks are amazing.  The people are some of the smartest, nicest, more capable individuals with whom I have ever worked.  And, I don't have to talk on the phone!  It's like a dream come true.

 This is basically how my job is, but with more fancy computers.

But good gravy, will I be busy.

San Fransisco is quite a place to live.  I already find myself hurrying about, walking faster than I ever have for no particular reason.  It's not like there aren't things to see, or that there's anything I have to make time for.  It's like there's a pace behind the city that one has to match.  Not against anyone else mind you; just to make sure that you're making the cut (whatever this means) in your own mind.  It's exhausting, but exhilarating.  Similarly, there are fewer places in the world that one can feel more private than in the middle of a busy street in the city.  Privacy isn't having your own space or not having anybody around you.  It's having the people you be so concerned with what's going on in their own lives that they literally can't spare you a second glance.  I find myself (quickly) walking more comfortably than I have in quite some time just because I feel like there's less of me being scrutinized and judged.  It's an odd feeling.

Unfortunately, I'm out of steam now, and there's a lot to do yet tonight.  Apologies again for neglecting this blog so badly.

Hope things are well at home and abroad.