A Brief Introduction

At some point we all have to introduce ourselves to new experiences, new people, new surroundings. This is my name, this is who I am, this is the justification for my existence in this particular space and time. I'll hop on the cliché wagon and say that this blog is a method for identifying myself- to both you and I- and connecting with ideas/knowledge/people, both familiar and novel.

I will base this experiment on the notion that I am identified by the endeavors I undertake, my struggles and how I confront them, the people I consider friends, the stimuli I pursue, and my ability to express these thoughts coherently. Given that I have a propensity for run-on sentences, switching tenses mid-sentences, and grandiose verbiage, I will also treat this blog as an opportunity to gain efficiency in written communication. P.S. Call it personal preference or influence by David Foster Wallace, but I love the dash over the sem-colon. Deal with it.

The title of this blog, Institute for Perception Awareness, is multifaceted. Depending on your outlook, you could either see it as a general redundancy, a backronym for IPA (a tip of the hat to my craft-brew drinking colleagues), or an approach to identifying and understanding what we can and should perceive. The url of this blog, sixwaystoknow, refers to our six fundamental perceptions senses- sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and temperature.

I first thought it would be clever to devote each entry to a different sense based on the day of the week or something similar, but that would involve an increasing amount of hard work and predictability. No promises that it won't end up that way, but for the time being this will be a place where I explore at will. Enjoy.