Nothing's perfect. Nothing's exact. Having just had a lesson in Chemistry, the realization that nothing is perfect hits me full-force. Rulers aren't straight, and everything is always going to be inexact. Observations are obsolete, because they are contaminated. Measurements are useless, because the instruments themselves are imperfect. Tagging along is the uncontrollable difference in observations, because we are human beings, after all. Everything is chaos. It feels like my whole world is crashing down on me. Can't you feel the ever-gnawing fear? Like my foundations are built of cottage cheese, and everything is just constantly whirling around, stability lost. I don't know..it's just so terrifying. Like Lestat must have felt, in his moment of confrontation with death. (The Vampire Lestat, by Anne Rice) It's so hard to accept, having lived in a world where things are so solid and real; but then to contend with these multitudes of flaws...It's rather mind-bending, how long we've survived, surrounded by imperfection. How can we function in a world where everything could be (and probably is) off by just a little??
I think it is a matter of degree. If it is off a few microns, will you ever know the difference? Will the world suddenly refuse to function as it always has? Just because we are not exact to the nth degree, that does not stop a nut from fitting a bolt, or a foot being something we can all agree on, even if is not exact to the last iota. What is wrong with generality? Of getting it within the ball park?
Well, it's true our instruments of measurement and alignment can always be improved. I don't see it as a problem. It's why we have calculus I suppose, with all those limits approaching zero or infinity.
Terrifying I will tell you what is terrifying. The fact that you just now figured out that this is not a perfect world.
Chaos That is one of the many things that separates us from other animals. We recognize the chaos for what it is, the natural state of the universe. The real trick is being able to sense the ebb and flow of the chaos and go in the general direction you wanted to be heading in the first place. Dont fear the loss of control, just look deeper and ride the currents, eventually it becomes more fun finding out what the universe has in store, than trying to bend it the direction you want it go. It is easier to ride the horse in the direction he's going.
Re: Terrifying Oh no, I've always known the world to be flawed, it's just never struck me in such a huge scale before, you know? Like after a near-death experience, you're just infatuated with everything that you used to take for granted. An epiphany, but one that is well-known...if that makes any sense. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Ouch, horse riding's not all that it's jacked up to be. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Yes I know, you're talking about the proverbial "horse", but this example works badly with me, seeing as how I was thrown a couple of years ago. Cool experience, I felt so calm even when the weight of the horse crashed down. Like it's all so clear, I see the horse, it's coming down, the world goes topsy-turvy, and nothing's in my head. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I think that math is exact, where you don't have to use irrational numbers like pi or other. 2+2 will always equal 4! Never 4.00000000000000000000000001
The only way things must be exact is if you have a philosophy that presupposes exactitude. Otherwise, things are exact: they work. I love it here personally.
