To say some more about this:
“Let’s quote Carl Popper, who himself quotes Aristotle and David Human: “All theories are hypothesis, all can be overthrown. The science game from definition is endless. One who decided to stop doubting the scientific mechanism is out.” To Popper’s words it can be added that anyone who believes blindly in his own conviction starts an outdated game which, since renaissance and the age of enlightenment, is played only in the house of God, where belief and certainty are one.”
Believe and certainty are one. This is far reaching phrase, isn’t it.
I start noticing that a new outlook on life and reality begins to develop itself. I don’t feel like I am developing it, rather the way I see life shifts and evolves. I mentioned the movie “Perfume” in one of my previous posts, movie about a man existing completely outside the “human” reality. He was killing women, as he needed their bodies.
As I watched the movie, even having the understanding that inside of his reality what he was doing was perfectly rational and necessary, I still would feel this jolt in my stomach — the feeling of frustration I get when I’m trying to explain to someone that he’s wrong, and I’m right, and he is just stupid and stubborn and won’t listen! I’m trying to help! I am right, damn it!
Do you know this feeling? Shows up pretty often in relationships, I would imagine 🙂 This frustrated, impotent anger has its root in the absolute believe that I am right. And this is what is shifting for me lately, not only do I wonder if I am right about anything, but if there is such thing as “right.” Or “wrong.”
I remember one night, it was during my College years which I spent mostly in a rock club, I was sitting in a club, the party was going on, music was playing, people were dancing. The club was in a basement so it was really dark and noisy. I was sitting alone at a table with a bear, waiting for my friends to arrive, and I was thinking. I was thinking about the pressure of having to do the right thing.
I remember this distinctly, first because it was a very unlikely place and time to be thinking such thoughts, second — because it hit me suddenly: there is no right thing! I had an idea somehow that there is a path in this life, laid down for me by God, or someone, or something. This path I must follow — strait and narrow you say in America. Strait and narrow. Do the right thing and you stay on the right path. Do the wrong thing — you are screwed.
Says who?! I asked myself, rhetorically. What a ridiculous idea! There is no “path” in life, there is no shining line I must follow. There is no “right thing to do” — and if so, there is no wrong thing to do either. There isn’t any “supposed to do this” or “supposed to do that.” Of course society would disagree, but that’s the thing: whatever is there is put in there by people. Not by God. I realized that in this moment, I realized that my life is an open, boundless opportunity for experiencing. Experiencing everything! For reacting and experiencing the pain of it, for experiencing how it hurts when I don’t get what I want, for experiencing the joy of being present, for experiencing the sadness and disappointment when I am not present. It’s all an experience. All an experience. What else?
Right or wrong? Who says what’s right and what’s wrong? And on what authority?
I remember a man said once: you all believe yourself to be tolerant. But are you tolerant of those who aren’t? Are you tolerant of fanatics? Of fundamentalists? Are you tolerant of Bush or Hussein?
Interesting question, isn’t it. And I think the key to it is in this one sentence: where believe and certainty are one.
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