This was a great idea for a column, Brian, and very well done. You covered a lot of ground and I liked that you used differing types of reference material and came at the subject in different ways. This in particular is important, imo:
"Of all the truths in the world, it is the truths about ourselves that are often the hardest to face. But it must be done, if we are to guide ourselves and others with the truth and with the best possible decisions."
Excellent point! All organisms are by necessity programmed to AVOID PAIN and to SEEK PLEASURE; that is the POINT of pain and pleasure, after all. When one is emotionally invested in an opinion or belief, then changing that opinion or belief is painful. When enough emotional damage / repression is present, neurosis -- with all its varied harmful behaviors and effects -- is the result. Thus the importance of compassionate care of children; a large drop in emotional damage to children would bring an equally large drop in harmful behaviors, individually and society-wide.
The scientific mindset -- or call it what you will -- of TRUTH-SEEKING as a high-ranking beneficial goal in life SOFTENS but does not eliminate the emotional defenses that hide painful realities from us. Some truths will always be harder to accept than others.
I was re-reading Carlo Rovelli's "Seven Brief Lessons on Physics" before sitting down to my computer just now, and here's what I happened to finish my session with:
-- begin quote --
When we talk about the big bang or the fabric of space, what we are doing is not a continuation of the free and fantastic stories that humans have told nightly around campfires for hundreds of thousands of years. It is the continuation of something else: of the gaze of those same men in the first light of day looking at tracks left by antelope in the dust of the savannah - scrutinizing and deducting from the details of reality in order to pursue something that we can't see directly but can follow the traces of. In the awareness that we can always be wrong, and therefore ready at any moment to change direction if a new track appears; but knowing also that if we are good enough we will get it right and will find what we are seeking. This is the nature of science.
. . . The separation is a subtle one: the antelope hunted at dawn is not far removed from the antelope deity in that night's storytelling.
The border is porus. Myths nourish science, and science nourishes myth. But the value of knowledge remains. If we find the antelope, we can eat."
-- end quote --
I look forward to more of your writing on this topic.
~ Bravo Brian. Polonius (via Shakespeare) said, "To thine own self be true, and thou cannot be false to any man." Awareness, Knowledge, & Wisdom are primarily gained through experience, the hard way. History & literature have so many lessons we fail to learn since each generation insists on proclaiming its primacy and refusing to take to heart the advice of the past. Studying history & literature in college & life-long learning is a mirror to myself & informs my conservative nature. ~
Abraham Lincoln was another who spent a great deal of time writing down his thoughts. I write things down to sear the topic into my memory, however, this is much better reasoning for doing so. I plan to make it a habit. Thank you sir passing this on to your readers!
This was a great idea for a column, Brian, and very well done. You covered a lot of ground and I liked that you used differing types of reference material and came at the subject in different ways. This in particular is important, imo:
"Of all the truths in the world, it is the truths about ourselves that are often the hardest to face. But it must be done, if we are to guide ourselves and others with the truth and with the best possible decisions."
Excellent point! All organisms are by necessity programmed to AVOID PAIN and to SEEK PLEASURE; that is the POINT of pain and pleasure, after all. When one is emotionally invested in an opinion or belief, then changing that opinion or belief is painful. When enough emotional damage / repression is present, neurosis -- with all its varied harmful behaviors and effects -- is the result. Thus the importance of compassionate care of children; a large drop in emotional damage to children would bring an equally large drop in harmful behaviors, individually and society-wide.
The scientific mindset -- or call it what you will -- of TRUTH-SEEKING as a high-ranking beneficial goal in life SOFTENS but does not eliminate the emotional defenses that hide painful realities from us. Some truths will always be harder to accept than others.
I was re-reading Carlo Rovelli's "Seven Brief Lessons on Physics" before sitting down to my computer just now, and here's what I happened to finish my session with:
-- begin quote --
When we talk about the big bang or the fabric of space, what we are doing is not a continuation of the free and fantastic stories that humans have told nightly around campfires for hundreds of thousands of years. It is the continuation of something else: of the gaze of those same men in the first light of day looking at tracks left by antelope in the dust of the savannah - scrutinizing and deducting from the details of reality in order to pursue something that we can't see directly but can follow the traces of. In the awareness that we can always be wrong, and therefore ready at any moment to change direction if a new track appears; but knowing also that if we are good enough we will get it right and will find what we are seeking. This is the nature of science.
. . . The separation is a subtle one: the antelope hunted at dawn is not far removed from the antelope deity in that night's storytelling.
The border is porus. Myths nourish science, and science nourishes myth. But the value of knowledge remains. If we find the antelope, we can eat."
-- end quote --
I look forward to more of your writing on this topic.
Best regards --
~ Bravo Brian. Polonius (via Shakespeare) said, "To thine own self be true, and thou cannot be false to any man." Awareness, Knowledge, & Wisdom are primarily gained through experience, the hard way. History & literature have so many lessons we fail to learn since each generation insists on proclaiming its primacy and refusing to take to heart the advice of the past. Studying history & literature in college & life-long learning is a mirror to myself & informs my conservative nature. ~
Abraham Lincoln was another who spent a great deal of time writing down his thoughts. I write things down to sear the topic into my memory, however, this is much better reasoning for doing so. I plan to make it a habit. Thank you sir passing this on to your readers!
God bless you, Brian.🙏
To thy self be true and sharpen my pencil , thanks Brian.
Excellent....
Well done, Brian! Reflective self-contemplation so well expressed is a wonderful expansion in the use of your obvious talents.
Please the addenda as they come as well!!