I'm brand new to these forums... This is my first post.
THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT KNOWING
We always try to fill in the blanks.
Imagine, for a moment, you have been transported back in time many thousands of years. You’re living on an African savannah and are getting hungry. You think to yourself; “Where is the best place for me to bag a nice juicy gazelle?”
After some thought, you have a brilliant idea… “I’ll check out the watering hole!” If you are consistently good at answering questions like this, there is a much better chance that you will survive and propagate the species. And if that good idea was brought about by a brain that had experienced, what we now know was a random, yet beneficial, genetic mutation… Your offspring will also have a greater likelihood of survival and propagation. And so it goes…
Natural Selection pushes us to gradually improve our ability to, among other things, correctly answer hypothetical questions and Evolution hard-wires the improvements into us. Wanting to know the answers to questions becomes instinctual.
Religion was our first attempt to “fill in the blanks” on the biggest and scariest questions. Everything from “What are those little lights up in the night sky?” to “Why did my baby get sick and die?”
Thousands of years ago we took our best shot at the answers but we had no way to really know if we were right. We didn’t know that we lived on a spherical planet in space. We didn’t know about the true causes of disease. But we still tried to “fill in the blanks” because, if nothing else, it made us feel better.
As the Ages have passed… We, as a species, have accumulated more sound information and a much better grasp of the true nature of the Universe. Today, every single one of us has a more accurate concept of the nature of the cosmos and the intricacies of biology than any of those ancient humans. For that matter, every one of us has a more accurate view of these things than any bible character, ancient philosopher, “Founding Father” or ANYONE born more than a few decades ago. Yet, we never stop trying to “fill in the blanks” and we still like it when the answer makes us feel better.
As scary and unsettling as it might be, at times we humans have to “grow up” and simply be content with the idea that sometimes the best and only answer is… “We simply don’t know” or perhaps, “We don’t know yet”. We always have to remember that just because a “made up” answer makes us “feel better” is no justification for concluding our answer is correct.
“Is there an afterlife?” As a rational human I must note that there is absolutely no credible evidence that there is and plenty of evidence that there is not. On the other hand, there is no way to absolutely prove a negative. So… The answer simply has to be something like, “Probably not, but we just don’t know for sure.”
Does this mean that our lives are worthless and without meaning? Why should it!? It seems to me that if this is the only life I can expect…. I should be much more motivated to make the most of the here and now.
Each of us DOES have an impact. Each of us does leave a legacy. I will be content with making the most of those and try not to worry quite so much about “filling in the blanks” even if it makes me feel better.
THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT KNOWING
We always try to fill in the blanks.
Imagine, for a moment, you have been transported back in time many thousands of years. You’re living on an African savannah and are getting hungry. You think to yourself; “Where is the best place for me to bag a nice juicy gazelle?”
After some thought, you have a brilliant idea… “I’ll check out the watering hole!” If you are consistently good at answering questions like this, there is a much better chance that you will survive and propagate the species. And if that good idea was brought about by a brain that had experienced, what we now know was a random, yet beneficial, genetic mutation… Your offspring will also have a greater likelihood of survival and propagation. And so it goes…
Natural Selection pushes us to gradually improve our ability to, among other things, correctly answer hypothetical questions and Evolution hard-wires the improvements into us. Wanting to know the answers to questions becomes instinctual.
Religion was our first attempt to “fill in the blanks” on the biggest and scariest questions. Everything from “What are those little lights up in the night sky?” to “Why did my baby get sick and die?”
Thousands of years ago we took our best shot at the answers but we had no way to really know if we were right. We didn’t know that we lived on a spherical planet in space. We didn’t know about the true causes of disease. But we still tried to “fill in the blanks” because, if nothing else, it made us feel better.
As the Ages have passed… We, as a species, have accumulated more sound information and a much better grasp of the true nature of the Universe. Today, every single one of us has a more accurate concept of the nature of the cosmos and the intricacies of biology than any of those ancient humans. For that matter, every one of us has a more accurate view of these things than any bible character, ancient philosopher, “Founding Father” or ANYONE born more than a few decades ago. Yet, we never stop trying to “fill in the blanks” and we still like it when the answer makes us feel better.
As scary and unsettling as it might be, at times we humans have to “grow up” and simply be content with the idea that sometimes the best and only answer is… “We simply don’t know” or perhaps, “We don’t know yet”. We always have to remember that just because a “made up” answer makes us “feel better” is no justification for concluding our answer is correct.
“Is there an afterlife?” As a rational human I must note that there is absolutely no credible evidence that there is and plenty of evidence that there is not. On the other hand, there is no way to absolutely prove a negative. So… The answer simply has to be something like, “Probably not, but we just don’t know for sure.”
Does this mean that our lives are worthless and without meaning? Why should it!? It seems to me that if this is the only life I can expect…. I should be much more motivated to make the most of the here and now.
Each of us DOES have an impact. Each of us does leave a legacy. I will be content with making the most of those and try not to worry quite so much about “filling in the blanks” even if it makes me feel better.
"There's always a bigger fish."
Qui-Gon Jin (Star Wars)
Qui-Gon Jin (Star Wars)
except, perhaps, the theists...
(and thanks again for making my point.)
![[Image: Evolution.png]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=i1118.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fk619%2Fjcincain%2FPublic%2FEvolution.png)
