A life of doing nothing is good for old men, especially if they are simple in their ways, or stupid, or inane in their endless blabber as old men tend to be.
"I always thought old age would be a writer’s best chance. Whenever I read the late work of Goethe or W. B. Yeats I had the impertinence to identify with it. Now, my memory’s gone, all the old fluency’s disappeared. I don’t write a single sentence without saying to myself, ‘It’s a lie!’ So I know I was right. It’s the best chance I’ve ever had." (Beckett.)
"Best chance" for what? To not tell "ridiculous" lies and remain "silent" or to be recognized by "the masses" as a "good" writer and/or "wise" sage? Didn't he learn from the experience of Goethe and Yeats? Everything's a lie, whether "wise" or "foolish", whether written about or not. As the "general opinion" of who possesses "sagacity" is just another a lie as well.
Words (the products of writing and all literature) capture the forms of truth, the external appearances of truth, but they represent merely the limits of colour once removed with added sensory gaps and perspective bias' from the author. The author's sins of omission in distilling his story often exceed his sins of commission.
The universe is a continuum w/o beginnings and endings and/or artificial time delimited "causes" and "effects". For every dependency we see and recognize, there are a thousand that go un-sensed, un-noticed and un-commented upon. The truth, the WHOLE truth and nothing BUT the truth is always missed. And all we are left with, is a lie which we store in memory... and which degrades from there.
I understand that the whole truth and nothing but the truth can't be seen, but there must be actions which we detect, and are true.
For example, if I slip on ice and break my ankle, is it not true that water froze, I stepped on frozen water, my muscles were unable to hold me upright, gravity pulled me to the gound, and my ankle broke under the force of the fall? What is a lie about that?
Sure... there are a bunch of lies in that. You say you stepped on water, it was frozen. But then the pressure of your step melted an atomic layer on top of that ice, which made the surface "slippery". So it's a "lie" that the water was "frozen". You say your muscle's were unable to hold you upright. That's a lie, they were perfectly able to hold you upright, but you weren't in a position to use them to advantage. Lots of people walk on frozen surfaces w/o falling.
You say "gravity" pulled you to the ground. There is no such thing as "gravity". Gravity is an effect of warped Space-Time. It's neither a "particle" nor a wave". It's not instantaneously "everywhere" (as Newton assumed). So gravity didn't pull you down, the mass of the Earth's influence on the mass of your butt did. ;)
And what is mass but the remnants of a violation of the universes speed-of-light limit on energy....
...and the more I elaborate on your statements to make them "more truthful", the more lies I introduce into the statement requiring clarification and elaboration.
For example, if I slip on ice and break my ankle ... What is a lie about that?
...Let's ask this question re a very simple statement of fact: "My ankle broke." And try to answer it at the most basic level. Here it is:
Let’s just say that your ankle did break, that it’s a FACT. Isn’t that how we generally use the term? In the sense of some incontrovertible truth… But that’s not the whole of it. A fact is more than that, it also involves a process of SELECTION.
…you would agree that there are a number of “events” taking place at any given moment. All of them “true”, that is to say a true statement can be made about them all, same as about your ankle … but not to get “philosophical” ... not all of them are FACTS. So who decides what is a fact and what isn’t? We do. And we do so by choosing it OVER AND ABOVE a myriad number of other POSSIBLE facts. A fact is therefore something that we DEEM. It may be “true”, no doubt, but by virtue of its SELECTIVE nature it at the same time supports our various lies about ourselves and about this world. IT IS ITS GENEALOGY THAT'S A LIE, so to say.
…Philosophically speaking, a statement can be true or false. But "truth" is a very different kettle of fish.
…”My ankle broke” … even this apparently innocuous fact can be very problematic, genealogically speaking. However, if you want to get a better idea try something more "hazardous". :)
For example, if I slip on ice and break my ankle ... What is a lie about that?
Let's ask this question re a very simple statement of fact: My ankle broke And try to answer it at the most basic level.
Let’s just say that your ankle did break, that it’s a FACT. Isn’t that how we generally use the term? In the sense of some incontrovertible truth… But that’s not the whole of it. It also involves a process of SELECTION.
…you would agree that there are a number of “events” taking place at any given moment. All of them “true”, that is to say a true statement can be made about them all, same as about your ankle … but not to get “philosophical” ... not all of them are FACTS. So who decides what is a fact and what isn’t? We do. And we do so by choosing it OVER AND ABOVE a myriad number of other POSSIBLE facts. A fact is therefore something that we DEEM important. It may be “true”, no doubt, but by virtue of its very SELECTIVE nature it at the same time supports our various lies about ourselves and about this world. ITS LIE IS THEREFORE IN ITS GENEALOGY.
…Philosophically speaking, a statement can be true or false. But truth per se is a very different kettle of fish.
…”My ankle broke” … even this apparently innocuous fact can be very problematic, genealogically speaking. However, if you want to get a better idea try something more “hazardous”. :)
I tried to recover your "deleted" comment, but was unsuccessful. I used to be able to do that... but have forgotten the proper technique. I'm afraid it's gone for good, now. :(
For example, if I slip on ice and break my ankle ... WHAT IS A LIE ABOUT THAT?
Let's just ask this question re a simple statement of fact: "I broke my ankle." And try to answer it at a very basic level.
"Let’s just say that your ankle did break, that it’s a FACT. Isn’t that how we generally use the term? In the sense of some incontrovertible truth… But that’s not the whole of it. A fact is a little more than that, it also involves a process of SELECTION.
…you would agree that there are a number of “events” taking place at any given moment. All of them “true”, that is to say a true statement can be made about them all, same as about your ankle … but not to get “philosophical” ... not all of them are FACTS. So who decides what is a fact and what isn’t? We do. And we do so by choosing it OVER AND ABOVE a myriad number of other POSSIBLE facts. A fact is therefore something that we DEEM important. It may be “true”, no doubt, but by virtue of its very SELECTIVE nature it at the same time supports our various lies about ourselves and about this world. ITS LIE IS THEREFORE IN ITS GENEALOGY, WHICH LEGACY IT SIMPLY CARRIES FORWARD.
…Philosophically speaking, a statement can be true or false. But truth per se is a very different kettle of fish.
…”I broke my ankle” … even this apparently innocuous fact can be very problematic, genealogically speaking. However, if you want to get a better idea try something more “hazardous”. :)"
...I suddenly feel terribly old. ;)
ReplyDelete"I always thought old age would be a writer’s best chance. Whenever I read the late work of Goethe or W. B. Yeats I had the impertinence to identify with it. Now, my memory’s gone, all the old fluency’s disappeared. I don’t write a single sentence without saying to myself, ‘It’s a lie!’ So I know I was right. It’s the best chance I’ve ever had." (Beckett.)
"Best chance" for what? To not tell "ridiculous" lies and remain "silent" or to be recognized by "the masses" as a "good" writer and/or "wise" sage? Didn't he learn from the experience of Goethe and Yeats? Everything's a lie, whether "wise" or "foolish", whether written about or not. As the "general opinion" of who possesses "sagacity" is just another a lie as well.
ReplyDeleteEverything's a lie, whether "wise" or "foolish", whether written about or not.
ReplyDelete-------
I'm sure you've said before, but why do you think this? Are you saying that everything is illusion?
Jewel did such a good job with this song. This does me good...
ReplyDeleteWords (the products of writing and all literature) capture the forms of truth, the external appearances of truth, but they represent merely the limits of colour once removed with added sensory gaps and perspective bias' from the author. The author's sins of omission in distilling his story often exceed his sins of commission.
ReplyDeleteSimplicity, in other words, is also a lie.
ReplyDelete"All truth is simple... is that not doubly a lie?" --Friedrich Nietzsche
The universe is a continuum w/o beginnings and endings and/or artificial time delimited "causes" and "effects". For every dependency we see and recognize, there are a thousand that go un-sensed, un-noticed and un-commented upon. The truth, the WHOLE truth and nothing BUT the truth is always missed. And all we are left with, is a lie which we store in memory... and which degrades from there.
ReplyDeleteThis makes sense to me.
ReplyDeleteI understand that the whole truth and nothing but the truth can't be seen, but there must be actions which we detect, and are true.
For example, if I slip on ice and break my ankle, is it not true that water froze, I stepped on frozen water, my muscles were unable to hold me upright, gravity pulled me to the gound, and my ankle broke under the force of the fall? What is a lie about that?
Sure... there are a bunch of lies in that. You say you stepped on water, it was frozen. But then the pressure of your step melted an atomic layer on top of that ice, which made the surface "slippery". So it's a "lie" that the water was "frozen". You say your muscle's were unable to hold you upright. That's a lie, they were perfectly able to hold you upright, but you weren't in a position to use them to advantage. Lots of people walk on frozen surfaces w/o falling.
ReplyDeleteYou say "gravity" pulled you to the ground. There is no such thing as "gravity". Gravity is an effect of warped Space-Time. It's neither a "particle" nor a wave". It's not instantaneously "everywhere" (as Newton assumed). So gravity didn't pull you down, the mass of the Earth's influence on the mass of your butt did. ;)
And what is mass but the remnants of a violation of the universes speed-of-light limit on energy....
...and the more I elaborate on your statements to make them "more truthful", the more lies I introduce into the statement requiring clarification and elaboration.
ReplyDeleteFANTASTIC!
ReplyDelete(the mass of the Earth often has influence on the mass of my butt)
but this all seems like a big lie to me. ;-)
Please ignore that last comment...I'd best avoid digging myself a deeper hole. ;)
ReplyDeleteI didn't see it, but I did laugh at the Earth's influence over butt comment.
ReplyDeletei'm not so easily offended, G. ;-)
...then I'll have to try harder... ;)
ReplyDeleteFor example, if I slip on ice and break my ankle ... What is a lie about that?
ReplyDelete...Let's ask this question re a very simple statement of fact: "My ankle broke." And try to answer it at the most basic level. Here it is:
Let’s just say that your ankle did break, that it’s a FACT. Isn’t that how we generally use the term? In the sense of some incontrovertible truth… But that’s not the whole of it. A fact is more than that, it also involves a process of SELECTION.
…you would agree that there are a number of “events” taking place at any given moment. All of them “true”, that is to say a true statement can be made about them all, same as about your ankle … but not to get “philosophical” ... not all of them are FACTS. So who decides what is a fact and what isn’t? We do. And we do so by choosing it OVER AND ABOVE a myriad number of other POSSIBLE facts. A fact is therefore something that we DEEM. It may be “true”, no doubt, but by virtue of its SELECTIVE nature it at the same time supports our various lies about ourselves and about this world. IT IS ITS GENEALOGY THAT'S A LIE, so to say.
…Philosophically speaking, a statement can be true or false. But "truth" is a very different kettle of fish.
…”My ankle broke” … even this apparently innocuous fact can be very problematic, genealogically speaking. However, if you want to get a better idea try something more "hazardous". :)
For example, if I slip on ice and break my ankle ... What is a lie about that?
ReplyDeleteLet's ask this question re a very simple statement of fact: My ankle broke And try to answer it at the most basic level.
Let’s just say that your ankle did break, that it’s a FACT. Isn’t that how we generally use the term? In the sense of some incontrovertible truth… But that’s not the whole of it. It also involves a process of SELECTION.
…you would agree that there are a number of “events” taking place at any given moment. All of them “true”, that is to say a true statement can be made about them all, same as about your ankle … but not to get “philosophical” ... not all of them are FACTS. So who decides what is a fact and what isn’t? We do. And we do so by choosing it OVER AND ABOVE a myriad number of other POSSIBLE facts. A fact is therefore something that we DEEM important. It may be “true”, no doubt, but by virtue of its very SELECTIVE nature it at the same time supports our various lies about ourselves and about this world. ITS LIE IS THEREFORE IN ITS GENEALOGY.
…Philosophically speaking, a statement can be true or false. But truth per se is a very different kettle of fish.
…”My ankle broke” … even this apparently innocuous fact can be very problematic, genealogically speaking. However, if you want to get a better idea try something more “hazardous”. :)
...My earlier comment simply vanished, I don't know why. Any ideas?
ReplyDeletelol! Why would you WANT to offend me? You know that my punches land square on your jaw! ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't me. Blogger???
ReplyDelete...I don't know. Thrice it has happened. Twice I posted the same comment yesterday and twice it vanished into thin air... leaving no trace. :(
ReplyDelete...and, unfortunately, i had taken some trouble over it, the comment i mean.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear that. :(
ReplyDeleteI tried to recover your "deleted" comment, but was unsuccessful. I used to be able to do that... but have forgotten the proper technique. I'm afraid it's gone for good, now. :(
ReplyDeleteThe deleted comment was merely an erratum. I deleted it since the relevant comment had disappeared.
ReplyDeleteActually i can post that relevant comment again. Let me see. i would like to to see what you make of it. :)
For example, if I slip on ice and break my ankle ... WHAT IS A LIE ABOUT THAT?
ReplyDeleteLet's just ask this question re a simple statement of fact: "I broke my ankle." And try to answer it at a very basic level.
"Let’s just say that your ankle did break, that it’s a FACT. Isn’t that how we generally use the term? In the sense of some incontrovertible truth… But that’s not the whole of it. A fact is a little more than that, it also involves a process of SELECTION.
…you would agree that there are a number of “events” taking place at any given moment. All of them “true”, that is to say a true statement can be made about them all, same as about your ankle … but not to get “philosophical” ... not all of them are FACTS. So who decides what is a fact and what isn’t? We do. And we do so by choosing it OVER AND ABOVE a myriad number of other POSSIBLE facts. A fact is therefore something that we DEEM important. It may be “true”, no doubt, but by virtue of its very SELECTIVE nature it at the same time supports our various lies about ourselves and about this world. ITS LIE IS THEREFORE IN ITS GENEALOGY, WHICH LEGACY IT SIMPLY CARRIES FORWARD.
…Philosophically speaking, a statement can be true or false. But truth per se is a very different kettle of fish.
…”I broke my ankle” … even this apparently innocuous fact can be very problematic, genealogically speaking. However, if you want to get a better idea try something more “hazardous”. :)"
lol...it vanished again. Guess it's jinxed. :( I give up.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I hate this medium...
ReplyDeleteThey need to stop trying to make it "smarter" with all their bells & whistles.
ReplyDeletelol. No matter. Their (g)hostly presence shall never deter us from visiting you. :)
ReplyDelete