Rizzo The Nihilizo

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Why?

For the past few thousands years, history has shown us that the most powerful tool that humanity possesses is the ability to ask questions. By questioning the way the world works, one will ponder the state of things until one begins to grasp the universe through various facets, i.e; physics, chemistry, geometry, psychology, astronomy, meteorology, etc. Just by sitting in a bath tub and wondering why the water level goes up when you sit down can bring about interesting discoveries. It is by discovering the chain of events (cause and effect) that leads to certain events can one learn to control and understand nature.

Generally it is hard to say exactly how animals think, but it is somewhat reasonable to say that they don’t ask, “why” very often. Asking “why” leads to a degree of self-awareness and introspection that is the source of all philosophy, religion, and science. This is a large part of what sets humans apart from animals. Our ability to control nature through understanding it has put humanity at the top of the food chain. However, it seems we lack the ability to control our own nature and often break out in sporadic warfare. It is safe to say, though, that the cure for this disease is a prescription of inquisitiveness.

When too much is taken for granted and assumptions are common place, nothing is learned. If Newton had cursed the apple tree and just accepted that apples fall from trees, we would likely not be flying today. By questioning how something happens at point A and ends up in point B, we learn how to harness the forces behind it. Through understanding the force that brings apples to the ground, we have learned that this is the same force that keeps the Earth in orbit, and keeps us from floating in the air.

In modern times, too much is taken for granted and we suffer greatly for that. This is the era of buzz-words and weasel talk, the age where greedy politicians carefully pack emotional value into certain words to gain power, instead of determining policy through logical debate. For all its technology, the 21st is no age of bath-tub pondering or apple questioning. All over the world people are accepting the gruel slopped on their intellectual plates and they eat it up like it’s fine dining. Truly, what is freedom and democracy and why are they so great? How many people stop and ask these questions? Why is it considered heresy to question such important topics, especially when we die for these words? Is the death of thousands upon thousands not worth questioning? As the late Bill Hicks once said, “Go back to bed, America, your government has figured out how it all transpired. Go back to bed America, your government is in control. Here, here's American Gladiators. Watch this, shut up, go back to bed America…”

This is not to say, however, that the only thing questioning is good for is the outside world. To say that would be to utter a bold face lie, that which people take most for granted is that which is questioned least. It is rare that the average person will just sit there and question the voice in their head, the “I”, the ego, the soul, or whichever applicable name you choose to call your self-hood. How often do people question even existence itself? Philosophers and spiritual masters question everything and in the process understand much about themselves, not to speak of the entire universe. Pondering existence led Descartes to come to the conclusion Cogito, ergo sum; I think, therefore I am. Trying to overcome the nature of human suffering, Gautama Buddha had the revelation that it is desire that is the root of suffering, and was able to overcome it. By learning to question, we as a species and as individuals will return to a healthy state and become more like the Newtons, the Archimedes, the Descarates, and the Buddhas of this world.

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1 Comments:

At Tuesday, May 29, 2007 7:25:00 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Rizzo your the shit I'm glad I found this through &T

 

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