Ryan

Ethereal Collapse - A Tragedy Divine (Lemoyne, PA, 6/25/05)
My name is Ryan, and here's the straight dope on me:
+ I am 22 years old.
+ If I had to describe myself in simple terms, I would say that I am easy going, open-minded, and able to get along with just about anyone.
+ Aside from my family and friends, music is the foremost influence in my life. I play guitar and sing for a band called Ethereal Collapse. All of our songs are about dead hookers. Click the picture at the top of my page to view our Myspace, and check out the accompanying video as well.
+ I'm currently attending King's College in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where I major in English and Philosophy. I have a thirst for knowledge, so it's a very nurturing environment for me.
+ That said, I really like philosophy. My favorite branch of philosophy is ethics, but I really enjoy all of it. My favorite philosophers are John Stuart Mill, Immanuel Kant, Rene Descartes, and Plato.
+ I believe in the possibility that certain things may just be beyond human understanding. I also believe in the possibility that the world as we perceive it may not be the world as it is. I believe that we may not be able to fully grasp the world as it truly is; our faculties may just translate our experiences in such a way that we can understand. I believe that the senses and other higher faculties granted to human beings may not be reliable sources of perception.
+ I believe in God not only as a matter of faith but because I think that the existence of God seems to make the most sense when trying to explain the intracacies of life and the universe (and how the latter began). It's a very difficult thing for me to explain, but it's hard for me to believe that existence is merely a result of blind chance.
+ I like to think of myself as a GOOD PERSON who holds his ethical and moral standards very close, and I am altrusitic because I believe in the intrinsic value of good. In my opinion, the only justification that we need for doing things that benefit others is that others will be benefited.
+ Open-mindedness is extremely valuable to me. I'm usually above this kind of judgement, but I really do think that close-minded people just suck. How do you expect to even come close to any sort of truth in life when you are so walled off?
+ I shatter every stereotype of "a guy in a metal band": I have no tattoos and no piercings, I don't drink or do drugs, I listen to music other than the type which my band plays (like rap), and I am a NICE person.
+ For my own personal reasons, I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs. I don't think I'm superior to anyone who does so; it's just not for me.
If you'd like to know more about me, feel free to ask! My AIM screename is A Tragedy Divine, and conversations are always welcome.