Challenge the Norm

I thought that the attachment we have to the world, those around us, our feelings and even our physical sensations - I thought that attachment was not optional. I naively thought that everyone experiences reality the same.

However, I started to learn that we actually do have some say to our connection to our reality - I have power over how I attach myself to my experience.

There’s power in this attachment. I’ve also found an incredible kind of power in detachment.

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NATE STEVENS PHOTOGRAPHY

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CHALLENGE THE NORM PODCAST

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Power is something that takes on many shapes and forms and can mean many different things.

What we think of when we think of real power might an indicator of what we think power is. Some say that Knowledge is Power; but, knowledge can be a really complicated thing - especially since knowledge relies so heavily on truth. So, if “knowledge is power,” then I want to know what is meant by knowledge, as well as what’s meant by power.

Join me in thinking through the direction I’m heading when thinking about what knowledge and power look like in my life.

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NATE STEVENS PHOTOGRAPHY

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What truth is has been something debated for as long as we know people have been writing their thoughts down.

Determining what is true is a hard thing to do & I’m really cautious of anyone claiming they know what is true, absolutely.

*The bulk of this show is a reading of a short story.

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NATE STEVENS PHOTOGRAPHY

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Most of us know that there are different theories of truth. Even if you weren’t a philosophy major like me, we still learn about these different theories through every day experience.

What we believe to be true, and how we learn what is true is tested every day by little things like being able to go to and from our destinations, to bigger things like what we thing might be right or wrong to do.

There is also a social side to theories of truth. A social ideology will be supported in some way by some preliminary assumptions and presuppositions about both what is believed to be true about reality and also how human minds are able to grasp that truth.

Pragmatism is the a predominant theory of truth in the United States; and, although some points have its merits, I still think it is good for us to question the assumptions we might be making even if we’re not fully aware that we’ve been making them.

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NATE STEVENS PHOTOGRAPHY

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CHALLENGE THE NORM PODCAST

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Have you ever felt like there’s no point to the motions of your life?

Considering our place in the masses of individuals throughout history - not to mention or miniscule place in the universe - doesn’t our short time alive seem kind of trivial?

Yet, I feel that there’s not only something special about what we call the present, but there’s also something special about those who occupy it.

There’s been something on my mind - the question: what does it mean to “live for yourself?”

Join me in thinking through what it means to live our lives.

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I believe that everyone deserves to be seen.

Everything I do and create is an extension of who I am, and this show and my photography work are very closely related.

Follow me on instagram @natestvns, and check out my portfolio and blog at www.natestvns.com

To learn more about the show, you can follow on instagram as well as the website.

To get in touch, drop us a line.

‘Right’ and ‘wrong’ is a tricky thing to pin down and I’ve encountered a lot of fools who think they know what they’re talking about; but, the theories the teach haven’t stood up to my tests from life.

Most of what I learned about right and wrong came from Christians. Unfortunately, Christians (generally speaking, and especially Western Christians), knowing what’s right and wrong is almost as important as doing what one might actually be convinced is right or wrong.

Anyway - there are some norms to be challenged.

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I believe that everyone deserves to be seen.

Everything I do and create is an extension of who I am, and this show and my photography work are very closely related.

Follow me on instagram @natestvns, and check out my portfolio and blog at www.natestvns.com

To learn more about the show, you can follow on instagram as well as the website.

To get in touch, drop us a line.

What does it mean to be alive? And, on top of that, what does it mean to live a good life?

I think that there is too much uncertainty in life to waste any time looking for it. I believe what it means to live a good life is to follow what we know and believe to be the case for us in the moment.

It’s up to us to propel ourselves to where we’d like to go.

—

I believe that everyone deserves to be seen.

Everything I do and create is an extension of who I am, and this show and my photography work are very closely related.

Follow me on instagram @natestvns, and check out my portfolio and blog at www.natestvns.com

To learn more about the show, you can follow on instagram as well as the website.

To get in touch, drop us a line.

What do you think of when you think of community?

Aristotle thought that there were three different kinds of friends. I think friendship is the foundation, or cornerstone, of community.

I’ve thought for too long that I’m alone: that because I’m an individual, I’m somehow not allowed to have companions for various reasons.

Life is complicated, and we need one another more that I oftentimes realize.

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I believe that everyone deserves to be seen.

Everything I do and create is an extension of who I am, and this show and my photography work are very closely related.

Follow me on instagram @natestvns, and check out my portfolio and blog at www.natestvns.com

To learn more about the show, you can follow on instagram as well as the website.

To get in touch, drop us a line.

Sometimes I feel like my own comfort gets in the way of what I want to accomplish.

Do you ever want to change something for a greater benefit to your life, but what is normal, comfortable and familiar seems to always dominate your decision making? I’ve had periods of my life that seemed to go on and on in a cycle of choosing what’s familiar and comfortable rather than doing the things that I know will propel me to my goals.

I think that’s normal since I don’t have a place of comfort, or retreat, or of ease really anywhere built into my life. And, when I have to go away from what’s comfortable - I don’t have anything helpful to bring with me.

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I believe that everyone deserves to be seen.

Everything I do and create is an extension of who I am, and this show and my photography work are very closely related.

Follow me on instagram @natestvns, and check out my portfolio and blog at www.natestvns.com

To learn more about the show, you can follow on instagram as well as the website.

To get in touch, drop us a line.

When I started grad school, one of my philosophy professors at the university I did my undergrad at gave me some advice I’ve never forgotten: Don’t compare your weaknesses to other peoples’ strengths.

I think we have a tendency to compare our “worst” to others’ “best.” And, when we do that we can miss an opportunity for us all to bring our best.

—

I believe that everyone deserves to be seen.

Everything I do and create is an extension of who I am, and this show and my photography work are very closely related.

Follow me on instagram @natestvns, and check out my portfolio and blog at www.natestvns.com

To learn more about the show, you can follow on instagram as well as the website.

To get in touch, drop us a line.