The problem with hand knitted hats, is that they always tend to look...homemade.
Anyway. Now I can say I've knitted a hat.
On to bigger and better things.
Look at this beautiful definition I found for "reality":
Re-al-i-ty
noun
Philosophy
a. something that exists independently of ideas concerning it.
b. something that exists independently of all other things and from which all other things derive.
Lately I've been perplexed by what exactly reality is and how we can be sure we're pursuing it. I've been preoccupied by this lately, mostly because I'm aware of how much our lives and worth are based on things that are NOT reality (i.e. anxiety, fears, the opinions of others, living vicariously through movies or stories etc, and then things like social networking sites and cell phones that allow us to project reality rather than live it). Although I think the above definition is beautiful and true, it's making me wonder even deeper. Automatically, I want to say, "So, pain is reality." Like, emotional pain or physical pain. But are we making judgments about our pain (comparing the sensitivity level to that of which we've always known to be mild or intense), which are therefore ideas, which is therefore outside of reality? If it is that way, can't you apply that to pretty much anything? What is real? This might be really elementary philosophy, I'm not sure. Anyway,
here's the answer:
I don't know.
But here's what my experience has told me about reality, however reliable experience may or may not be:
Suffering is reality.
Joy is reality.
Relationship is reality.
Good is reality.
Evil is reality.
And those are the only definites I can think of right now. Everything else I've yet to discover.
I wonder, in this day and age, how much in a given day most of us actually spend in reality. Communing with one another, engaging in the full spectrum of life experiences at our fingertips. How much of our time do we spend hiding behind perceptions, fears, profile pictures or twitter updates? Ultimately I think the point of this whole post comes down to this--it freaks me the hell out how much we can THINK we're living, when, in reality, we are not. We are picking and choosing a desired reality.
If you feel inclined, please comment to create conversation.
My next post might be about what in life tends to control us most. That seems to be the way this is going.
My final news is this, and is completely off subject--I had a badass dream the other night. Sneak peek: I was transported to another world, Elise was there, me and our crew ended up in a haunted house where zombies popped out of the sand in fencing outfits, and me and a perfect boy fell in love and sought for the greater good of the world. It was AWESOME. and epic. I might blog the whole thing later. We'll see.
2 comments:
This is awesome. Lydia and I have been discussing this for the past 2 years or so.
Look at Deuteronomy 30:19 - "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live..." "Heaven and Earth" could be translated "reality."
Anyway, your assertion that all we really have is how we relate to reality is true. I've heard it described as our "conversations" about reality. The conversations we have determine who we are, what we do, what we believe is possible, etc.
For example, when Jesus says "All things are possible" I actually run that through my own conversation that tells me that there are actually quite a few impossible things in this world. But what would happen if I lived in the conversation that all things ARE possible? What risks would I take? What greatness would I attempt? What lives would I change?
You should really pick up a book called "In the Twinkle of an Eye" by Daniel Tocchini. It goes on at length about this.
I don't remember if I told you about that class I did called breakthrough? Basically, they spend four days systematically showing you how your perceptions don't line up to reality, and what possibilities really exist in your life.
Awesome post!
P.S. Maybe you should post a picture of you smiling in your hat.
Luke,
I'm too cool for smiles.
It's sweet you mentioned Deuteronomy, I'm due to read that exact chapter tomorrow, actually. I've been going through a study on it for like a month now. It's brimming with wisdom and goodness. I underestimated it.
Great thoughts on reality...these are all things I really want to explore more in depth. The more I look pass perceptions, the more I see they are generally unreliable. So I wonder how far that can be taken. Thank you for the recommendations. I'm going google them straight away. :)
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