243 The two directions. -When we try to examine the mirror in itself we discover in the end nothing but things upon it. If we want to grasp the things we finally get hold of nothing but the mirror.- This, in the most general terms, is the history of knowledge.
The reflections
of colorful glass in broken glass
is saying it all
if I am not mistaken
In the future
or further away
the once sharp lines you now draw
begin to show another kind of pattern
one that hypnotizes
There is enough to see
amongst the dead buildings
sprung from dreams and nightmares
it’s just a matter of perspective
contrast
some lines
and an eager eye
My wings are not clipped
but I lost some feathers
landing hard
hopefully I still have enough
next time I drive off a cliff
again
Underneath we all know
but live in bliss
till the day we know
the days we have left
I like buildings
they say nothing
while I let them say everything
232 From a disputation. – A: Friend, you have talked yourself hoarse! – B: Then I am refuted. Let us speak of it no more!
I did not carve that line in concrete
but it sure does
forces me
to choose a side
I see tree branches reflecting
in two windows close to each other
they seem to be from the same tree
maybe I should turn around
and see for myself
David Hume wrote in his famous book, “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding,” that our thoughts are based on what we have seen before. Like imagining the golden mountain, it’s made of gold and the mountain we’ve seen before. The book goes much deeper and is considered a key work in philosophy. I don’t do it justice by highlighting this idea out of context, but still, I do.
Have you ever wondered where your thoughts come from? Do they just pop up out of nowhere? Is there something inside you that creates these thoughts from nothing? Where were your current thoughts when you were 5 years old? Do we piece our thoughts together over time? Are we just combining bits of what we’ve collected into our thoughts? Are we like the modern AI, stringing words together because they have fitted together before in our memories?
I think it’s not easy to be an original thinker. No matter what we do, we must use what we’ve learned to develop our own ideas, and only exceptional people can combine their knowledge into something truly original. It’s no coincidence that thinkers like Plato or Aristotle are still studied. They drew such deep conclusions from their experiences that hardly anyone since has matched them; we can at best follow their path and see if we can reach similar conclusions.
Imagine browsing a bookstore or social media. It seems everyone has an opinion, often equating it with that of someone who has dedicated their life to developing their views—someone who has faced all the dead ends and moved on. Climate change is a good example of an issue where many seem to have a clear understanding, even though experts struggle to fully grasp it and find solutions. As if they, the modern opinionated citizen, know the answer without the necessary experience.
We can’t imagine a golden mountain without first having seen a mountain and gold. The opinionated person can dismiss climate change without studying biogeochemical cycles, ecological and agricultural systems, or human-environment interactions. Do they question their dentist or mechanic with the same confidence?
It’s humility we need. I don’t know much about climate change, so I trust the experts—just like I listen to my doctor or trust Hume more than myself when he talks about our mind.
What a peculiar privilege has this little agitation of the brain which we call ‘thought’.
David Hume
When you are inside
you can see the reflection of yourself
when you're looking outside
It is both easy and difficult for us humans to admit when we are wrong. We often recognize that we are wrong, if we do not already know that, when confronted with opposing truths, but you keep on focusing on every piece of the story supporting your side, even though you know deep down you are mistaken. When you hold on to your story for too long, you will likely lose sight of where your story started and where reality was left behind; you are now lost in your own lie.
Why do we do this? It’s hard to say, but here is a thought. We don’t like to “lose face” when confronted by someone else’s more convincing reasoning. We don’t want to be seen as incompetent after we’ve defended our truth for too long, only to be confronted by damning facts.
Even the wisest people in the world acknowledge that their understanding represents only a small fraction of the vast pool of knowledge available. This echoes the wisdom of Socrates, who famously stated, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” In recognizing that knowing more often reveals how little we actually understand. Not knowing is humanity’s default state, yet we often feel shame at admitting our ignorance. Embracing this uncertainty can open doors to greater wisdom and understanding.
People identify as scientists, Buddhists, religious, capitalists, and cling to many other kinds of truths because our inner truth is weak. Most often, we inherit these truths from our family, immediate surroundings, and the larger culture we live in. Sometimes we feel we make a choice, but one way or another, all these structures and systems are there for us to cling to and use as shields to hide our insecurities.
The sky
turned gold tonight
when I looked
outside
to wonder
Day 1654
Early morning light
is framed by a closed window
reflecting my mind.
Day 964
We feel protected
by the symbols we live in
it’s quiet in there
Day 2789
219 Deception in self-humiliation. -Through your irrational behaviour you have done your neighbour great harm and destroyed an irrecoverable happiness – and then you subdue your vanity sufficiently to go to him, expose your irrationality to his contempt and believe that after this painful and to you very difficult scene everything has again been put to rights- that your voluntary loss ofhonour compensates for his involuntary loss of happiness: suffused with this feeling you go away uplifted and restored in your virtue. But your neighbour is still as unhappy as he was before, he derives no consolation from the fact that you are irrational and have admitted it, he even remembers the
painful sight ofyou pouring contempt upon yourselfbefore him as a fresh injury for which he has to thank you- but he has no thought of revenge and cannot grasp how you could in any way compensate him. At bottom that scene you performed was performed before yourself and for the sake of yourself: you invited in a witness of it, again for
your own sake and not for his – do not deceive yourself.
The only outcome you get
when you measure it all
is a result
that is the same at the end
when you start over.
Nochrisis 