A Manifesto, of Sorts

Hi. My name is Avdi. And I’m a Romantic.

This should come as a surprise to no-one, least of all myself. I’ve been offhandedly identifying myself as such for years.

But there’s identifying, and there’s Identifying. You can be something all your life without really taking ownership of it. I’ve decided to take posession of romanticism, pursue it, study it, and seek out people who share my interest in it.

I’m not talking about diamond-rings-and-love-notes romance. Although that can be part of it.

I’m talking about living-life-as-if-it-were-going-to-be-written-in-books romance.

I believe in the fundamental nobility of the human soul.

I believe that life is meaningless without beauty.

I believe in the importance of embracing myth, whether your preferred archetypes are Zeuss and Prometheus, Christ and Mary, or Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.

I believe that it is sometimes necessary to make grandiose and dramatic statements, and otherwise act like a pretentious dork. I resolve to stop feeling guilty for doing this.

I believe in taking myself and others seriously. I believe there is no such thing as an unimportant life.

I believe in the vital importance of honor. I believe it is right to know, own, and hold dearly to a personal code of ethics at all costs.

I believe in being true to oneself, and in banishing all manner of self-deceptions.

I believe in stubbornly holding to things like nobility that may seem like silly irrelevencies in the modern world. I believe that what sets apart all the heros of myth is not the age they lived in, but that they held onto silly irrelevencies even when it seemed absurd.

I believe that chivalry, etiquette, and grace are not merely trivial niceties but are what defines civilization and sets us apart from beasts. I don’t believe that any particular set of social customs are “correct”, but that it is vital to uphold and strengthen those points of politeness and protocol which make the world a happier, more beautiful, and more gentle place.

Conversely, I believe in cutting through those unwritten social norms and expectations which build unnecessary walls between human hearts. I believe the only barrier to making connections with other souls should be actual unwillngness – nothing else is important enough to lose that opportunity over.

Continued here…