Learning to Subtract

Whether it is philosophy, science or civilization, our systems has always taught us to add. Add to life. We have not been taught that we must be able to subtract too. Life is a process of amalgamation and fragmentation.

Since the earliest Greek era, man has formed societies and political systems. But no societies or political systems has ever been able to eradicate human misery. We have only been able to add.

∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑

Is it eccentric and uncharacteristic to keep asking question about the nature of the universe, about the human condition and what the human is actually doing here on earth, or on the contrary is it abnormal and weird for people NOT to reflect about it and unconsciously allow themselves to live life, as it were?

∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑

Today we are ‘civilized savages.’ Once when we were ‘savaged savages’ and when one of the savages first saw his shelter destroyed by a bolt of lightning, he fell down on his knees and on his face in bewilderment, awe and terror. He had no notion of natural forces. He had no knowledge of the laws of electricity. He saw this as an act by a supernatural intelligent personality.

Today some of us don’t believe in fairies; demons; nymphs; sprites; elves; goblins; brownies; gnomes; Pan, the Roman god of forest; Haphaestus, the Greek god of fire; Zeus, the ruler of the gods; Juno, the queen of gods; Hades, the god of death. We interpret these as fables, imaginations, hallucinations, forgetting that once upon a time they were serious phenomenon to ancient man who ardently believed in them and whose mind explained that they were the products of some supernatural individual personality. Ancient man did believe that there was this super hero who exterminated the dragon. He represented the science of ancient times.

The unknown, coupled with ignorance brings fear. Whether it was the ancient man or the modern civilized man, his existence is based upon fear. He was born amongst fear. He was fed by fear. He will die with fear.

∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑∑