Can't think of any widely held absurd beliefs? You're not
trying hard enough! Fashion, pop culture, politics, (gasp!) religion, and virtually every
other arena of modern life is full of examples of ideas that have somehow taken hold but
defy logic. Good Thinker rule number one is simply this: Never accept an idea just because
everyone else does.
#2 "Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of
Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods." Albert Einstein,
American physicist
Leave it to Albert to
maintain that crucial sense of humor and humility. The more we know, the more we get a
clue about how much we don't know. At least, that's the way it's supposed to work. You
probably know people who haven't quite come around to that realization yet. Get there now.
Accept it, celebrate it, and keep on thinking.
#3 "Believe those who
are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it." Andre Gide, French writer
Your best bet is to hang
out with those who are happy to admit that they don't have all the answers. As friends,
co-workers and party guests, they tend to be a lot more fun, anyway.
#4 "Chase after the
truth like all hell and you'll free yourself, even though you never touch its
coattails." Clarence Darrow, American attorney
Play the game and have some
fun with it, even if you never score. Remember playing games with your friends way back
when you were five? You didn't have a clear sense of the rules or even the point of the
game, and neither did anyone else. It didn't matter. The reason you were playing was to
simply enjoy the game, even if that meant making it up as you went along.
Approach truth-seeking like
a five-year-old playing a new game. Don't get caught up in the regulations, and don't keep
score. Who cares who's winning?
#5 "And we should
consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. And we should call
every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh." Friedrich
Nietzsche, German philosopher
Nietzsche saluted the
creative force that feeds us. Despite a life of ill health and misery, he recognized the
value of joy in the seeking of truth. Most of us have it a whole lot easier than
Nietzsche. We have no excuse for not laughing.
#6 "Truth is mighty
and will prevail. There is nothing the matter with this, except that it ain't
so."Mark Twain, American writer
Truth doesn't rise to the
surface. You've got to dig for it. Truth doesn't automatically rule; fallacies with
excellent public relations campaigns tend to dominate in our culture.
Truth isn't easy, but it
isn't supposed to be. If you want to dive into the human experience in all its glory,
you're going to be wading through a lot of ideas masquerading as the truth.
Think for yourself, and have some
fun with it. Look for truth in the unlikeliest places. Find the absurdity in every idea.
The best philosophers have loads of laugh lines. Start creating yours. You'll become a
better thinker, a happier truth-seeker, and a more excellent human.
