So I have finally decided on what I'm getting: Atlas and Prometheus. They'll be two separate tattoos, Atlas on my back, Prometheus probably down the length of one of my arms. I don't have a good picture of my Prometheus idea, but here's a pic of Atlas:
The reason I chose Atlas is that he's a symbol of strength and determination. It's a reminder to me that the world as we know it rests on the shoulders of a few determined individuals(politicians, business leaders, religious leaders, even artists) and that I should strive to be like them. I chose this image in particular because here Atlas looks as though he's carrying his burden easily, while in most others he's faltering. In the original mythology he was being punished, and even though it appears he's handling it well, there's another punishment that goes along witht the physical burden. As the saying goes, it's lonely at the top, and this is something I've come up against in my schoolwork time and again. If you're good at something, people want to tear you down, not because they're jealous, but because you make them feel inadequate. I definitely feel excluded by my classmates, and it seems like I always get those resentful looks when I'm answering questions in class or poking holes in people's arguments during study groups. I may be reading too much into it(after all, I am comparing myself to a god, how much more egotistical can you get), but that's how it comes across to me. Inscribing this image on my skin seems like a good way to remind myself to continue to persevere, even if I have to do it alone.
Prometheus will have a similar design, a tall, muscular body, holding a bright shining orb above his head for all to see. In the accounts of many Greek authors, Prometheus was the creator of man, shaping him from clay and breathing life into him. And of course we've all heard the tale of Prometheus stealing fire from the gods and delivering it to humans. To me, this is what science is all about. Our job is to uncover the secrets of nature, understand them, and then present them to mankind so that we may all benefit. This is our role in society, and so it seems only fitting that a scientist should have this embedded in his skin. Again, most depictions of Prometheus focus on his punishment of being chained to a rock and having his liver eaten by an eagle, day after day for all eternity. If I were concerned with treading on the toes of the gods, then maybe I would focus on that aspect as well. But I'm not. In fact, I think we should tread on them. The more we understand the world around us, the better life becomes for everyone. It offers new opportunities, new experiences for us all. Instead of being afraid of new discovery, we should be embracing it and trying to push our boundaries as far as possible. That's why I want to see Prometheus standing tall, proudly presenting his gift to mankind, and providing us with light in the darkness.
That makes a lot more sense than what you explained to me. I think it is a great idea and I can't wait to see the final product.
ReplyDeleteI think you should have just gotten a picture of your face on your back, it has the same meaning and people would more easily understand what you are really saying.
ReplyDeleteWould Ayn Rand be proud?? Atlas Shrugged, refers to Atlas shrugging the world off of his shoulders and turning his back on everyone. This is in direct opposition to Prometheus' mission to bring good to everyone. Which side are you on?
ReplyDeleteAlso it is not lonely on the top, all of the leaders that you describe are standing upon all of the working class people that grow their food, cook their meals and make their 'widgets'. It is a connected cycle where the wealthy would not be able to isolate themselves with out enslaving people around the world who are doing their deeds. It is the new feudalism.
Apparently Anonymous #2 didn't really read Atlas Shrugged too carefully. Yes, it talks about Atlas shrugging off the world, but he has to carry it first. And besides, my tattoo isn't about Ayn Rand's Atlas, it's the Greek Atlas, the one who continues to keep the world held high. If no one's willing to aspire to something more, to do things no one else can do, then nothing progresses, nothing evolves, and to me, that's what Atlas symbolizes, the drive to keep pushing, to do what other's can't. In a sense, then, both Atlas and Prometheus are working toward the same goal, just with different motives.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the new feudalism comment...First of all, I meant lonely in the sense of emotional isolation. The people on the bottom will never understand the mindset of those willing to climb to the top. If they did, they would do it themselves. And to assume that all who are willing to try are rich and pompous is ridiculous. I imagine you would identify with the "starving artist" type, who has nothing but loves his work so much that he keeps at it. It's the same sort of spirit I'm describing here. When that artist makes a great work, we all benefit, we all come to depend on them for our enjoyment of that work. That's what I'm aspiring to, not simply to be rich or powerful.
It is ridiculous to believe that a single person came up with anything. All ideas are a creation of generations of people working together to create anew. Without past philosophizing and labor by the many, no single person can come up with anything. Ideas are a product of the whole of humanity, not that of a brave few who are willing to climb a 'mountain'. Also I believe the mindset of someone who is willing to work 12 hour days, 6 days a week, says more than a person that is gifted with opportunity choosing to use their gifts to climb the 'mountain'.
ReplyDeleteLook at the characters in Atlas Shrugged. Hank Rearden could not have come up with his new creations with steel if many people over past generations would not have created the tools that he used to melt the steel, mine for the ore, or understand the general effects of temperature on metals. What about Rand's objectivism? Is that her idea, or that an idea formed from thoughts created in other philosophical forms that she studied and critiqued?
Did you create the microscope? Discover cells? Discover the Atom? Did any one single idea do any of these, or where they a collection of past theories finally realized together into modern technology??? Could all of the technology used today have been created by a small handful of people that aren't adapted to manual labor?
~Anonymous #2
I do agree that our current body of knowledge is built on the knowledge of the past; it's ridiculous to think otherwise (and honestly, I'm a little insulted that you'd think I'm so naive/deluded/other generic insult). But to think that the whole of humanity contributes equally to that body of knowledge is also ridiculous. For example, I've contibuted basically nothing to the world of music. I've helped support certain artists that I like by buying their music, but that doesn't really do much to aid the progress of music, aside from allowing people to earn their living. My paltry contribution is nothing compared to, say, George Beauchamp, who is credited with developing the first working electric guitar. He took existing technology and combined in a new way; his invention has had a huge impact on modern music. To say that I've contributed as much as he has is simply not true, and he deserves credit for his contribution to the world of music. So it is with every other human endeavor. There are always those that contribute more than others, and it's their ideas that get passed on, not the faceless massess.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you that a strong work ethic says a lot about a person. But you're setting up a false dichotomy here. Why can't someone who is gifted work 12 hour days, 6 days a week? In fact, many people who are gifted do work this hard, because they love their work. Not all of them do, and because of their talents, they don't need to in order to be more successful than the average person. You may not like it, you may not think it's right, but that doesn't make it any less true. On the other hand, there are people with no particular talent who are also lazy; they achieve nothing, and contribute nothing. My point is that having ability does not negate your desire to work hard. You can do both.