There’s an old joke about a man who was stranded in a rapidly rising flood. He prayed to God for help, but whenever help came he refused it, saying he trusted in God to save him. When he died and got to heaven, he asked God why he forsook him. God answered, “I sent you boats and helicopters, what more do you want?”
I liked it. I feel similarly, I turned to philosophy trying to find answers but got disappointed to find out that no one seemed to know anything at all. I have slowly realized that the true value of philosophy is in learning to ask the right questions, as cliché as it sounds. Learning to uncover the hidden assumptions and biases in our daily reasoning.
Jul 16, 2023·edited Jul 16, 2023Liked by Chris Wong
This resonates with me, Chris. There's a lot to sit with here. I remember in college trying desperately to understand some "fundamental truths" that would help me understand the world and my place in it. I realize now it was more a fit of intellectual naval-gazing as I never went deeper than, "Whoah, profundity is cool huh?"
Going deeper means turning inquiries about truth into the self. I'm beginning to discover what that is like.
Yeah, I think that's what I really didn't understand when I was younger, how dynamic life is. Not just what happens, but thoughts and feelings and relationships.
I both get the piece and the sentiment that something's missing. To figure out what I'm curious what the nature of the exact hunger you had was. In the joke, he hungers for survival via god's help. What did you hunger for through the three instances?
I think originally it was for everything to "make sense." For there to be instructions, guidelines, etc that if everyone (including myself) followed, everyone would be happy, fulfilled. Or that there was a fixed endpoint that we are all striving toward. I would say I was hungering for certainty. That even if I didn't know what it was, there was something out there that made sense.
Now, my thinking is that there is no secret to be discovered. I still wish for certainty, but I'm more accepting of that fact that there is none to be found. Instead, the way forward is to embrace uncertainty and the way to do that is to follow what we are actually interested in.
I'm still searching for the words to explain why. I suppose if there isn't a master plan and we are all random threads in an infinite tapestry, you can only try to affect your little section. There's a sense that we are insignificant to the universe but that doesn't mean we are insignificant to ourselves.
It is! Because what's interesting about your reply is that the man in the old joke wanted the same thing from God the whole time, to survive. Yet in your case you wanted two different things. The first, earlier on, certainty, you can't get from philosophy. The second, later in life, you can get from it. So the old joke slightly breaks down as an analogy in this specific small way. Regardless, I can relate to that hunger (esp in college years) and to the fact that philosophy depended on for different, more open-ended exploration is a richer use...
I liked it. I feel similarly, I turned to philosophy trying to find answers but got disappointed to find out that no one seemed to know anything at all. I have slowly realized that the true value of philosophy is in learning to ask the right questions, as cliché as it sounds. Learning to uncover the hidden assumptions and biases in our daily reasoning.
Yes, exactly, but I'm struggling to explain why this is important. What are we trying to accomplish?
This resonates with me, Chris. There's a lot to sit with here. I remember in college trying desperately to understand some "fundamental truths" that would help me understand the world and my place in it. I realize now it was more a fit of intellectual naval-gazing as I never went deeper than, "Whoah, profundity is cool huh?"
Going deeper means turning inquiries about truth into the self. I'm beginning to discover what that is like.
Yeah, I think that's what I really didn't understand when I was younger, how dynamic life is. Not just what happens, but thoughts and feelings and relationships.
I both get the piece and the sentiment that something's missing. To figure out what I'm curious what the nature of the exact hunger you had was. In the joke, he hungers for survival via god's help. What did you hunger for through the three instances?
I think originally it was for everything to "make sense." For there to be instructions, guidelines, etc that if everyone (including myself) followed, everyone would be happy, fulfilled. Or that there was a fixed endpoint that we are all striving toward. I would say I was hungering for certainty. That even if I didn't know what it was, there was something out there that made sense.
Now, my thinking is that there is no secret to be discovered. I still wish for certainty, but I'm more accepting of that fact that there is none to be found. Instead, the way forward is to embrace uncertainty and the way to do that is to follow what we are actually interested in.
I'm still searching for the words to explain why. I suppose if there isn't a master plan and we are all random threads in an infinite tapestry, you can only try to affect your little section. There's a sense that we are insignificant to the universe but that doesn't mean we are insignificant to ourselves.
I'm not sure if this is helping at all.
It is! Because what's interesting about your reply is that the man in the old joke wanted the same thing from God the whole time, to survive. Yet in your case you wanted two different things. The first, earlier on, certainty, you can't get from philosophy. The second, later in life, you can get from it. So the old joke slightly breaks down as an analogy in this specific small way. Regardless, I can relate to that hunger (esp in college years) and to the fact that philosophy depended on for different, more open-ended exploration is a richer use...
Good one. As you rightly said it will take forever to express with full clarity. But when you are truly ready you will be silent 🤫😐
Curious what you mean by the last bit. Do you mean that once you understand, you won't feel the need to explain to others?
Yes. :)