Thursday, March 09, 2006
My Mind, A window
Imagine this...
We all stand staring at a wall.
Upon that wall is a window, and through that window we gaze out upon all the situations, all the beings, everything that life offers up for our consideration.
In front of us is a control console, sleek and advanced, and upon it an amazing array of buttons, knobs and switches. They are labelled, but not easy to move. It can be done, but moving each one takes a large amount of effort.
Not only that, but some of these controls are dependant upon what is being viewed through the window. When a particular situation, person, or event occurs, these controls become active, overriding the other defaults.
The controls all do the same thing, but in different ways. They effect the way the window is tinted. This tinting seems a minor thing, but it can turn a simple scene into a much more complex one, or a more complex one into a far simpler one.
Now here's the catch, we don't know what effect the controls will have on the windows tint. In fact, we are not even aware of how tinted the window is, since we have never seen the scene behind it without the window. The way the window tints the scene is what we define as the norm.
What do we do with the controls. We can look around and compare them to how others are set. We can randomly adjust them, trying different combinations, we can leave them as they are. We can spend a lifetime playing with them, and still never understand just how they work. We have no baseline. No way to understand the world as it actually is. All we have is how we currently see it.
Sometimes events in the world will be strong enough, that in spite of the filtering effect provided by the windows tint, we still catch some aspect of their true nature.
I guess what I'm trying to express here is a characterisation of emotion. The tint of the window is our emotions, colouring our reaction to events that occur around us. (Not that I am saying this is necessarily wrong).
We can work hard at the controls, trying to get the window tint as clear as possible, but ultimately, we will never know, since we have no baseline for comparison. And would we be any better off?
Assume we succeed, we now see the world exactly as it actually is. We see the truth of the matter. What have we gained. We now live in a world we understand completely, but are unable to understand anyone else's perspective. We shut down the control panel needing it no more, and then wonder why others don't see things the way we do. We forget the control panel even exists.
We feel proud of our success, we have solved the puzzle, suppressed all the controls, all the reactions, wonder, love, anger, hate, the list goes on. Does this enrich our lives? Or does it nullify them? Leaving us automatons, All logic and no emotion.
The alternative is no better, we view the world through our own particular set of settings, our own rose-coloured glasses, our own situation specific tintings. We are over-sensitive to some things, and completely insensitive to others.
We must continue to adjust the settings, to avoid emotionlessness, but we need also be aware of the dangers in doing so, and working to mitigate them.
An Optimist, a Pessimist, a Realist, they are at their most dangerous when unaware of their own nature.
The tinting of our windows can lead to the greatest joy. But also to the greatest crimes. Use the controls wisely.
We all stand staring at a wall.
Upon that wall is a window, and through that window we gaze out upon all the situations, all the beings, everything that life offers up for our consideration.
In front of us is a control console, sleek and advanced, and upon it an amazing array of buttons, knobs and switches. They are labelled, but not easy to move. It can be done, but moving each one takes a large amount of effort.
Not only that, but some of these controls are dependant upon what is being viewed through the window. When a particular situation, person, or event occurs, these controls become active, overriding the other defaults.
The controls all do the same thing, but in different ways. They effect the way the window is tinted. This tinting seems a minor thing, but it can turn a simple scene into a much more complex one, or a more complex one into a far simpler one.
Now here's the catch, we don't know what effect the controls will have on the windows tint. In fact, we are not even aware of how tinted the window is, since we have never seen the scene behind it without the window. The way the window tints the scene is what we define as the norm.
What do we do with the controls. We can look around and compare them to how others are set. We can randomly adjust them, trying different combinations, we can leave them as they are. We can spend a lifetime playing with them, and still never understand just how they work. We have no baseline. No way to understand the world as it actually is. All we have is how we currently see it.
Sometimes events in the world will be strong enough, that in spite of the filtering effect provided by the windows tint, we still catch some aspect of their true nature.
I guess what I'm trying to express here is a characterisation of emotion. The tint of the window is our emotions, colouring our reaction to events that occur around us. (Not that I am saying this is necessarily wrong).
We can work hard at the controls, trying to get the window tint as clear as possible, but ultimately, we will never know, since we have no baseline for comparison. And would we be any better off?
Assume we succeed, we now see the world exactly as it actually is. We see the truth of the matter. What have we gained. We now live in a world we understand completely, but are unable to understand anyone else's perspective. We shut down the control panel needing it no more, and then wonder why others don't see things the way we do. We forget the control panel even exists.
We feel proud of our success, we have solved the puzzle, suppressed all the controls, all the reactions, wonder, love, anger, hate, the list goes on. Does this enrich our lives? Or does it nullify them? Leaving us automatons, All logic and no emotion.
The alternative is no better, we view the world through our own particular set of settings, our own rose-coloured glasses, our own situation specific tintings. We are over-sensitive to some things, and completely insensitive to others.
We must continue to adjust the settings, to avoid emotionlessness, but we need also be aware of the dangers in doing so, and working to mitigate them.
An Optimist, a Pessimist, a Realist, they are at their most dangerous when unaware of their own nature.
The tinting of our windows can lead to the greatest joy. But also to the greatest crimes. Use the controls wisely.
The Mask
Compelled it seems to brink of tears
by thankless sacrifice
Of time, Of energy, Of self
The mask begins to crack.
Searching for purposes to life
for goals to be fulfilled
finding nothing of import
The cracks begin to grow
Seeing those I come to know
obtain their hearts desire
while mine remains unfulfilled
The mask it starts to shatter
Emotions locked within my frame
Denied, Ignored, Supressed
come bursting forth without relent
The mask, It lies in pieces
The mask is broken shattered here,
My inner being exposed
But things which strove to break this mask,
Take aim now on my soul.
-- Matthew Aldridge
I wrote this a few months ago, when I was feeling particularly down..
by thankless sacrifice
Of time, Of energy, Of self
The mask begins to crack.
Searching for purposes to life
for goals to be fulfilled
finding nothing of import
The cracks begin to grow
Seeing those I come to know
obtain their hearts desire
while mine remains unfulfilled
The mask it starts to shatter
Emotions locked within my frame
Denied, Ignored, Supressed
come bursting forth without relent
The mask, It lies in pieces
The mask is broken shattered here,
My inner being exposed
But things which strove to break this mask,
Take aim now on my soul.
-- Matthew Aldridge
I wrote this a few months ago, when I was feeling particularly down..
