The Philosophy of Henry Rollins: Love Thyself?

Henry Rollins wonders if his tattoos are a turn off.

“….. I don’t want another mother. I want a woman. I want to rise to the occasion. I want to learn and bask in your glow. I want to protect you and do whatever I can to give you strength. There is no twist to this. I am not about to blow my brains out. You have not cut me up like others have. It’s just this. I want to love you with everything in me. I need your help because I don’t know anything about it. I am suspicious and ready to leave and hit the cold road for the frozen dawn. I am just going to trust you with everything in me. I see now that it’s the only reason to be here. After kissing you, I cannot remember what it was like to kiss any other woman. At this point I am not sure if I ever have.”

henry rollins, Solipsist

These are beautiful words from an unlikely source.  Henry Rollins fronted the band, Black Flag.  I don’t know him, but I’ve met my share of peyote button philosophers.  They’re the kind that, if not for the last sticky bud in the bag, would be on stage at Open Mic Night proselytizing fatalism or absurdism or any number of “isms” that look good with a black turtle neck and a fake revolver pointed at their temple.  I’m no philosopher and anyone looking for answers about the human condition would not come to me.  I offer only a warm embrace coupled with a sympathetic pat.  At my best, I offer cherry pie.  But Henry Rollins is a recovering solipsist, much like Stephen Hawking who realizes he is not just a brain in a jar every time he needs his pants changed.  I will give him the benefit of the doubt because he leaves his egocentric ideology behind for love as “~ I see now it is the only reason to be here.”

As for philosophy, I will have to take a refresher course:

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