Genie is the root word for genius
And it's a really interesting idea because there's this unlimited power that's associated with genius, but it's constrained
And that's really what the human spirit is like
'Cause it has this aspect of the infinite
And it is something that can grant wishes
But it's also constrained, terribly
[Chorus]
I don't ask God for favors
Or for wishes
Or for wishes
You know?
I don't ask God for favors
Or for wishes
Or for wishes
You know?
We're constrained mortally and physically and all that but the thing is, is that
Both the infinite possibility and the constraint are necessary
That's what makes up the genie, it has to be both at the same time
And the idea that, you know, if you find your genie
You can have your wishes, that's right
You have to really want what you're wishing for
Or you have to make the proper sacrifices to get it
It can't be just some whim
You have to ask for something that you would rather not have
Which is usually wisdom
Somebody asked me about prayer
They asked me if I prayed and I thought, well, depends on what you mean by that, exactly
And it's a really interesting idea because there's this unlimited power that's associated with genius, but it's constrained
And that's really what the human spirit is like
'Cause it has this aspect of the infinite
And it is something that can grant wishes
But it's also constrained, terribly
[Chorus]
I don't ask God for favors
Or for wishes
Or for wishes
You know?
I don't ask God for favors
Or for wishes
Or for wishes
You know?
We're constrained mortally and physically and all that but the thing is, is that
Both the infinite possibility and the constraint are necessary
That's what makes up the genie, it has to be both at the same time
And the idea that, you know, if you find your genie
You can have your wishes, that's right
You have to really want what you're wishing for
Or you have to make the proper sacrifices to get it
It can't be just some whim
You have to ask for something that you would rather not have
Which is usually wisdom
Somebody asked me about prayer
They asked me if I prayed and I thought, well, depends on what you mean by that, exactly
I've really been trying to make sense of this, ey, because
Well, what the hell's going on?
Why am I selling out 3,000 person auditoriums
I use the stage let's say, as a opportunity in real time to think
I've been thinking
Well, if you're surfing you don't confuse yourself with
[Chorus]
The wave
The wave
The wave
That's a real mistake
You might be on top of the wave but you're not the wave
The wave
The wave
That's a real mistake
You might be on top of the wave but you're not the wave
Well, what the hell's going on?
Why am I selling out 3,000 person auditoriums
I use the stage let's say, as a opportunity in real time to think
I've been thinking
Well, if you're surfing you don't confuse yourself with
[Chorus]
The wave
The wave
The wave
That's a real mistake
You might be on top of the wave but you're not the wave
The wave
The wave
That's a real mistake
You might be on top of the wave but you're not the wave
Without that beauty, there's no call to higher being
You know? This is also why I've mentioned to people that they should clean up their rooms
That's become quite the internet meme
But I'm really serious about it, 'cause it's really hard to do that
It isn't just that you clean it up
You also make it beautiful
[Chorus]
Make it beautiful
Make it beautiful
Make it beautiful
Make it – Make it beautiful
Make it beautiful
It's really hard to make something beautiful
Make it beautiful
And it's really worthwhile
Make it beautiful
It's really hard to make something beautiful
Make it beautiful
And it's really worthwhile
You know? This is also why I've mentioned to people that they should clean up their rooms
That's become quite the internet meme
But I'm really serious about it, 'cause it's really hard to do that
It isn't just that you clean it up
You also make it beautiful
[Chorus]
Make it beautiful
Make it beautiful
Make it beautiful
Make it – Make it beautiful
Make it beautiful
It's really hard to make something beautiful
Make it beautiful
And it's really worthwhile
Make it beautiful
It's really hard to make something beautiful
Make it beautiful
And it's really worthwhile
You gotta be oriented towards something
Because otherwise you're disoriented you just spin around in circles and then you suffer
And so do people around you
It's not a good solution
Orient yourself towards something
You have to figure out what it is
What will work for you
What goal
Would justify the suffering of your life
Start trying to piece that together, you're going to get better at it
Start trying to piece that together, you're going to get better at it
But it's a personal process so you need a personal place to stand because otherwise you're going to be handed a place to stand on a plate
And it may be one that makes you a puppet
Of someone else's goals (Yeah)
So, I would say what are the processes?
Well, I think, what I've recommended to people is
Because otherwise you're disoriented you just spin around in circles and then you suffer
And so do people around you
It's not a good solution
Orient yourself towards something
You have to figure out what it is
What will work for you
What goal
Would justify the suffering of your life
Start trying to piece that together, you're going to get better at it
Start trying to piece that together, you're going to get better at it
But it's a personal process so you need a personal place to stand because otherwise you're going to be handed a place to stand on a plate
And it may be one that makes you a puppet
Of someone else's goals (Yeah)
So, I would say what are the processes?
Well, I think, what I've recommended to people is
[Intro]
Happiness is fleeting
And suffering requires a sustaining meaning
Happiness is fleeting
And suffering requires a sustaining meaning
That place where the meaning and the fact are conjoined
That's the proper place to lecture from
What you wanna do as an academic is tell your students
About something that you've encountered that you've fallen in love with
And to communicate the love that you have for that
And not to say, “Well, you should read this book.”
But to say, “Well, here's this book, and here's what it can open up for you and this is how it does it, this is what you'll gain from it”
There's something in it that's of unbelievable utility, and you have to believe that in order to communicate it
To communicate that commitment you have to beauty and to truth and to literature
Happiness is fleeting
And suffering requires a sustaining meaning
Happiness is fleeting
And suffering requires a sustaining meaning
That place where the meaning and the fact are conjoined
That's the proper place to lecture from
What you wanna do as an academic is tell your students
About something that you've encountered that you've fallen in love with
And to communicate the love that you have for that
And not to say, “Well, you should read this book.”
But to say, “Well, here's this book, and here's what it can open up for you and this is how it does it, this is what you'll gain from it”
There's something in it that's of unbelievable utility, and you have to believe that in order to communicate it
To communicate that commitment you have to beauty and to truth and to literature