Is reality really real?

Monday, January 24, 2011


I love stories that challenge your perception of reality. The Matrix, Inception... Do you really know what you think you know about the world and how it is made up? I guess this is partly why I studied philosophy. I recall my first class was on Sartre's Existentialism is a humanism. He talked about existence preceding essence, and using free will. I remember leaving that class with a whirling mind, I loved it. I sought more. My mind has always wondered about the human existence. Is the color I see as blue, the same as what you call blue? Maybe your reference for blue is my reference for yellow. How can I know?

My son asked me the other day, how do we come to be ourselves, and not someone else? He is 7. His mind works the way mine does, which both excites and terrifies me. He has also asked about life after death, from as early as age 4. I do my best to answer simply, but satisfactorily, but these are enormous concepts.

I was thinking about all this recently after seeing the movie trailer for The Adjustment Bureau. A supposed group that maps your fate and life plan, and makes sure you stay on it. Lord help you if you try to thwart it. Naturally, I don't believe in anything of the sort, but I admire the creativity of the idea, and the challenging of the general acceptance of life just being what we see.

Mindsplosion.

1 comment:

Vicki said...

A very thought provoking post Kell. I often wonder similar things. Eg. Languages. Why are there so many and who made them up etc. Lots of stuff!

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