最近閱讀-不滅的靈魂—叔本華及其驚世哲學

未讀此書時，知道叔本華的哲學主張比較悲觀。

在他看來，生活的本質就是痛苦。世界無時無刻都充滿著戰爭和騷亂，我們個體生活也充斥著各樣的鬥爭 (包括：欲望、金錢、生命)。他亦深信，人們最關心的東西並不是快樂和幸褔，而他們總是把注意力放在那些使他們痛苦的地方。人們並沒有真正意識到或者注意到可以使自己快樂的東西，因為那些東西總是不經意間從我們擦身而過。相反，那些令我們沮喪的東西郤常常引起我們的關注。所以，他認為人們在追求幸福的過程中，快樂是很少，而痛苦是無窮無盡。

看完這個部分後，不禁令人意識到，活著終究令人失望。

不過，每個人的人生也是為了生存而奮鬥。雖然我們也深知這場戰鬥的結果，可是即使面對失敗，我們仍然要去努力奮鬥。在他看來，不幸也有長處：如果人類能從欲望、艱難和困苦中走出來，生活便能順心如意，他們就會認為自己自身能力不凡，命運不凡。所以，對於每個人來說，一定的痛苦和焦慮是一本對人類不可少的讀本，就像行駛在大海的船也要有一定的質量才能航行。


他又提到我們最大的快樂在於受到別人的賞識，可是那些人無論處於什麼的緣由賞識我們，

也不願意立刻表現出來。因此只有那個能夠發自誠信賞識自己的人才是最幸福的。

他又提醒我們要保持生命力，就需要不斷地自我提升，去學會思考，去閱讀，並要多去感受

文學和藝術的力量。



我十分希望能做到此點，好好利用人生。

其實他的主張並不是全然的悲觀，能在悲觀裡尋找更多的人生哲理和正面的訊息，更為重要
和可貴。

Van Gogh in the Netherlands 3-Painting technique

Many have admired the beauty of Van Gogh's paintings.

His paintings are certainly different from others, in terms of the use of colour, his depiction of figures, light and landscape.

During my visit in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, I have learnt about his use of complementary colour, which makes his paintings stand out.

Complements are opposite each other on the color wheel

When two colours, placed side by side, they will appear differently depending on which colours are used and what they are placed next to.

The effect of this interaction is called simultaneous contrast.

Simultaneous contrast is most intense when two complementary colours are juxtaposed directly next to each other.For example, red placed directly next to green, orange placed directly next to blue.  

In this painting he has a very bold use of colour. Red against green, blue against orange, or yellow against purple. 

In this example he has used complementary colours to his advantage and went out of his way to create contrast and tension in his paintings.

When describing the painting below he commented to his brother Theo:

“I have tried to express the terrible passions of humanity by means of red and green. The room is blood red and dark yellow with a green billiard table in the middle; there are four citron yellow lamps with a glow of orange and green. Everywhere there is a clash and contrast of the most disparate reds and greens….’

Another example:
 
Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889 

The background in this self-portrait is made up of two main colours: orange and red. These form a powerful contrast to their complementary colours blue, used in the hat, and the green of the overcoat.

There is an interesting article talking about the complementary colours from the physiological point of view:
http://www.vangoghsstudiopractice.com/2011/09/a-physiological-look-at-complementary-colours/