Thursday, May 10, 2007

Merrily we roll along...

Why is it that people are so fixated on answers? I've talked to several people lately who will retreat into absurdity rather than admit that they simply don't know the answers to any of their questions. What is it about people that instills such a morbid fear of ignorance? Why can't we say "Gee, I haven't got the foggiest idea and yet I'll keep exploring in order to learn more". I don't know if it a social thing or more primordial to the human condition but people are absolute cowards in the face of the unknown. Someone was complaining about how if we accept certain propositions it leaves us without a base to stand on. What's the big deal with that? If we really are riding about on an uncertain universe shouldn't we learn to stand on our own?

2 comments:

Martin Pulido said...

I think people like "quick fixes" in relationships, history, and religion. Evolution is "simple," God is "simple," and so they apply it. Quick fixes however seem to come greatly in conflict with the littliest contemplations about the complexities of life. I think people like the quick fixes because it allows them to quickly focus on the self and their desires, and to relieve themselves from obligations of the conscience that would otherwise by there. And then there is the trouble between balancing investigation/observation and action. How do you construct your life if you can never know anything certainly or at least well? Good questions. Of course, is not never demanding or hoping for answers a cop out too to never have anything to stand or hold true to? Maybe not--maybe there's dedication to the quest. I don't know. I'd like to consider these ideas further however. Kiekegaard wrote about this in one of his letters to a friend; I'll have to look into it again.

Unknown said...

I am going to have to answer that with an "I don't know".