Over the years I have come to know a few subjects very intimately. When I was young I was introduced to the social world, and interacted with it using various languages such as English and French, and using a much more broad definition, Mathematics and Visual Art. Slowly I was introduced to the rules of each system, and was forced to understand the short-comings and advantages of each; fluency with each and mastery of some, came much much later.
As my life has evolved, I have become aware of certain truths: That no-one I will meet will ever take as much of an interest in my success as I will, that other people feel exactly the same way, and that I must carefully balance my own happiness with the happiness of those around me in order to maximize the outcome of every interaction. I was taught to listen to authority, and regurgitate what I was told on command. Perhaps most importantly I have learned that regardless of what people tell me, free thinking is a myth. Each and every one of us are stuck in a perpetual state of reaction to our surroundings, and we are controlled by our preconceptions… perhaps eternally.
It should come as no shock to you then, that I have meditated greatly on the concept of the self, and happiness. What I have concluded, is that there is nothing worth introspecting any more than what I already know. What little there is left to enjoy, lies in the realm of reality. This web-log is intended to discuss just that. This post is intended to introduce you to the methodology which I use to study my surroundings: Science.
If there is one thing that I can be sure of, it is that the reality I exist in has been consistent to date. Every day when I wake up I have the same overwhelming feeling to go back to sleep, and I get up. Light refracts through the upper atmosphere into my eyes at great angles leaving a blue tinge in the sky, and my neurological systems begin the millions of calculations necessary to identify my surroundings. Every day I come to the logical conclusion that the masquerade is still on, and so do you. I breathe in oxygen, and fuel my body with the required nutrients to do its job. I require challenges (both professional and recreational) to motivate me through my day, and I do my part to keep society going… as minuscule a part it is.
I know all of this because I was told that somebody once discovered it. Hidden neatly away in the pages of some chemistry, biology, or physics textbook is the answer to a question that somebody once asked… “How does this work?” They considered the possibilities, and came to some conclusion regarding the most likely solution. Science is an algorithm for obtaining such answers, a tool for predicting new ones, and an assurance that if you could repeat the process you would likely obtain the same answers. Many people believe that science is a set of rules that govern the workings of the universe, based on fact and supported by evidence. I ask you this:
What more is evidence than some finite sample of tests? As humans, we postulate a great deal about the workings of the universe; as such we have come to a great deal of understandings about our universe that we have no logical backing for… “It just is.” A grim painting sitting on a wall in a gallery tells a story that was not logically arrived at, it simply was. It is not my intention to answer these questions, because I really have no inclination as to what the answers might be. All you need to know is this: Any and all evidence we collect can be overturned by whatever nature throws at us next. Your life is finite, the answers you will find are few, and there is no point in despising this life without knowing what comes next.
I hope you enjoy your time here as much as I enjoy writing; because without some level of satisfaction, this would all be meaningless.
Cheers,
-Adam
