Dr. E said...

"We've blundered into the truth, which is completely trivial once we realize it."

How many of us are on some quest for truth?  All of us who are awake, I am certain.  Let me be clear.  By awake, I mean someone who is invested, whether positively or negatively, in each day of his or her life and isn't just going through some recursive schedule that mimics living.  Every scientist, mathematician, theologian, philosopher, and artist seeks to reveal some truth about our world, our universe, ourselves.  Some, like me for instance, cross subject areas and occupations in order to do so.  We look everywhere we can think and many places we imagine.  We ask experts, friends, family.  We might even pray to our god of choice whether it is a deity, money, or a drug, for inspiration.  We do all these things in the hopes that someone, something, or somewhere will hold the key to our revelation.

What happens when we make the discovery?  Newton invented Calculus, INVENTED CALCULUS, but was he satisfied?  No.  His invention and his new understanding of Physics only led to more questions, some of which he could not answer.

That is the nature of the search and why we call it research.  And that is a terrible pun.  I love terrible puns.  But, I digress, as I often do, which is why I am generally behind when taking notes.  Well, that, and I need glasses.   

Anyway, where was I?  Right!  You do the work.  You put all your time and effort and energy into building up the platform on which your truth will sit, and then...you find it, but you realize it wasn't this profound thing at all but something simple and so obvious that it was almost negligible.  You feel like a douche when you set it on the platform.  And worse, that truth leads to even more questions.  Or should that be 'But even better'? 

Do you slap yourself on the forehead, laugh, and move onward, or do you pound your fist on your desk, curse, and give up?  Perhaps we start out laughing, and after years of searching, we get bitter.  Maybe it doesn't even take years.

Right now, I'm in the Southern Culture on the Skids "Camel Walk" phase: in search of truth and some pointy boots and maybe a few snack crackers.  I really, really don't want to get bitter because I see bitter people roaming this planet.  They look Tired and Angry and Trapped and Lonely.  Here, I really do mean the essence,  the very personification of these emotions.  I despise all those feelings, even though I have felt them all in varying degrees throughout my life. 

For me, bitterness is something to assess and correct on a daily basis.  With all that I am, I hope that when I have been at the game of truth seeking for as long as Dr. E has, I can laugh and say, "Alright.  Good to know.  Let's move on then."