Josh Plovanic's Writings and Thoughts

The world's a big place. Even with how massive the rest of existence is, the world we're on right now has enough places, circumstances, knowledge, and potential experiences to last a significant chunk of time if we could "have it all"...one that would seem like an eternity to any human. Imagine if we could live every human life that has ever lived up to this point, which including the current number of people alive today adds up to around 107 billion people. Now lets say the average lifespan of humans over the course of our entire history was about 50 years, give or take. 107 billion times 50 is 5.35 trillion years. If you could live every human life consecutively, that's the figure it would add up to with a rough estimate of a 50 year average lifespan.  That's 400 times the age of the universe according to our current model, and that's just earth and humanity. That's the fullest experience of just ONE world, and if humanity lasts for thousands more ye

To some, the concept of existing forever intimidates them more than even ceasing to exist does. The thought of unending conscious existence with countless worlds and countless realities to explore and learn about is an overwhelming and intimidating thought.  The full immersion into a relationship with the creator of that eternity can also be quite intimidating to someone not accustomed to that belief system. For me, I look at eternity as something we acclimate to, like going from very warm to very cold weather suddenly...or learning how to swim when you are a child...or any new experience that is uncomfortable at first and takes some getting used to. Overcoming a fear and discomfort to something requires a level of consistent exposure to it to realize it is not something to be afraid of to the extent that we are. Eternity is no different.  We come into this world crying and in shock at the glories, sensations, and wonders of the human condition and it takes time for us to acclimate to

       Your usual reaction to being triggered will usually get your usual outcome. You become predictable when the same words or same circumstance get the same response out of you.      It's like setting a trap. If you understand your opponent, you can predict their reactions to a stimulus, which means you can think ahead enough to trap them where you want them to be. If you really want to throw people off, don't give them the reaction they want. Or no reaction at all. It's that "tit for tat" instinct in us all that traps us in the cycle of bitterness and vengeance, and if we know how each of us reacts when triggered, that reaction can be used against us. It makes us predictable, and if you are predictable you are manipulatable, trappable, and controllable.       There was this scene in the first Harry Potter, where Hermione, Harry, and Ron fell into a tentacle plant called "Devil's snare."  A hideous looking plant that tightened its grip the more yo

 Whenever there is a tragedy, wrongdoing, or failure that happens in the world, we are quick to point fingers. We instantly go to the blame game of "this is your fault" or "this is their fault." It automatically becomes a punishment situation, where we seek out who is responsible and try to punish or avenge a failure or misstep.     Not many people really sit down and ask the question "what caused this?" in a serious and legitimate way without looking for a reason to point fingers. When you sit down and ask that question and really think about it and investigate, I think your focus starts shifting from a strict punishment and retribution focus to one of reparation and healing. You start breaking down the source and the timeline of events and circumstance that led to the problem, and if you develop a complex understanding of that cause, it can lead to a more well-rounded approach to solving it and addressing it.       Understanding also leads to more empath

"In my experience there is no such thing as luck." -Obi Wan Kenobi       How you see fortune often depends on what you believe and how you see your reality. To someone who is not super spiritual or doesn't  believe in God or higher beings in general, life's fortunes and misfortunes come down to a combination of random processes, coincidences, and outcomes as well as the merit of someone's work.  This randomness leaves no room for grace, as all fortune and success would come from random, unguided luck and just raw merit.  If you believe in God, than all your fortune, successes, and good things were not random happenings and just opportunities with good timing, they were acts of grace given freely to you by an infinitely graceful and infinitely merciful God. You didn't earn your fortune. You didn't earn the right to exist. It was a gift given freely out of love by a loving Creator.     This leaves no room for luck. If you are a believer, than whenever you fe

If you can label the fundamental parts of a system, define their properties, describe the relationships those parts have with each other and the system as a whole, and develop a thorough and intimate knowledge of the entire system and its purposes, then you have the potential to have immense power over that particular system. Understanding of a system enables power over that system.  The most powerful people on the planet are the ones who have intimate and thorough knowledge of the predominant social and political systems of the world. This level of thoroughness requires a certain mind and a certain kind of intelligence that is not always common, but power in humanity almost always includes the understanding and influence over complex systems. Everyone who has ever had power had it because a system enabled it. Just like there are two types of information, there are two types of systems:        1. Physical  systems. These are systems that have physical, measurable parts, like the human

      If the amount of information in existence is innumerable in its quantity, quality, or diversity, then the possibilities for knowledge and wisdom is just as limitless. There is an unlimited amount of knowledge to accrue, and with eternity there is an endless amount of time to accrue it.       For a washed up academic like me, that's a very exciting prospect. Even though I've considered the idea of exploring countless worlds and playing countless games, the idea of infinite knowledge is actually something I haven't hashed out much yet, but it's a cool one.                  If this existence is as infinite as I think it is and as complex as I think it is, then knowledge and wisdom would be in limitless supply. Of course, the only person who would have access to the entirety of this knowledge would be God Himself, but the beauty of being one of His sons is that He can share with me some of this knowledge if He wants to. Only His mind is complex enough and vast enough