Disclaimers: “On the Shoulders of Mountains and Men” will be dedicated to the contents of my mind in relation and pursuit of truth. But before I delve into any interesting topics, it seems as though I should first address the title. It is as pretentious a title as one can get—ideally this very sentence will come off in the same vein. As I will explain, the purpose of this blog is to expose my thoughts and beliefs to criticism (hopefully constructive). I will do my best to avoid such pretentious tones, but hopefully, I will eventually show how such an attitude does not apply. Nonetheless the title is somewhat over the top, but I stand by it. Admittedly, I like the way it sounds, but there is also actual purpose. I have named this work “On the Shoulders of Mountains and Men” for two reasons. First, I have been accused in formal and informal debates and discussions of ignoring the impact of my environment—that is the accusation that I am some sort of idealist. I hope that this title will put my arguments, and beliefs into perspective: even though I will be focusing on the content of my beliefs, I recognize that my views are dependent upon my environment. Secondly, I am also aware that my views expressed may not be original or groundbreaking. Indeed, I will often blatantly allude to the views of others; my goal here will be truth, not creativity or imagination. I will be focusing on sincerely expressing what and why my beliefs are, rather than creating an endless list of who thought of what first. In cases where I either remember or it is somehow pertinent, I will do my best to attribute the idea, if possible, to the original source(s).

The following posts will contain my mind, or my “Web of Belief.”