Ignorance is like a pinpoint of a perspective. It is a restricted view, not unlike Plato’s shadows on the wall. Through knowledge life becomes illuminated and we can piece together the puzzle in our minds to form a broader, if less definitive view of the world.
Knowledge is important because increases the capacity for prediction. We can theorize an outcome and test it through action. A positive outcome is not a conclusion, but it is evidence for a theory. A negative conclusion is evidence against it. This is applicable in many capacities, in science, politics, economics, ecology, sociology. All forms of study seek to gather knowledge so that it is possible to predict an outcome. When an outcome is positively predicted enough times it can be considered a truth within a certain set of criteria. By behaving based upon observation we can create positive predictions in order to direct the dynamics of a particular environment.
Change can be a source of anxiety because new conditions make for less informed predictions. The danger of uninformed predictions can result in pain, uncertainty and even death. Though change can be precarious it can also lead to a richer life through useful innovation. It is normal to be apprehensive of such exploration, but through it new things may be accomplished.
For me art is the ultimate exploration. Art is an avenue for broadening perspective. It is a way to see things in many different lights. It is a method of understanding new things, and evaluating unusual situations. It is way to experience and experiment. I enjoy making new (sometimes tenuous) connections. I want to find connections for all of life, and the entire world. I crowd my mind with so many things that it feels as scattered as grapeshot; dots of ideas spread all over, connected in a complex and often incomprehensible matrix. Dancing, business, friends, literature from the past, predictions for the future, sex, math, neurology, current events, political rhetoric, the scientific method are all related in my mind. It is from all these things I try to cull a cohesive narrative or at least a semblance of meaning. For me the playful meandering through thought often results in an illuminating experience. It’s not only how I create, it is how I comprehend.
Reading your thoughts reminded me of another friend's blog, The Autumn Rain. Her recent post is about writers saying too much, making the reader hyperventilate from reading one giant paragraph and totally missing the message.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel like I'm living life in one run-on paragraph. I'm addicted to change. It's exciting. It is also scary. It's a rush.
How do I limit myself to thing I LOVE to do, but even then, not doing all of those endevours, or else I'll still be all over the place?
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ReplyDeleteHello! Elizabeth tipped me off to your post. I really enjoyed reading it. Your take on knowledge (as a way to make predictions) was interesting, and I thought contrasting it with change was especially insightful. From this post it sounds as if you associate art more with change than knowledge, but do you think art can be related to knowledge too? (Can art ever make or confirm predictions?) Thanks for making me think!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, you know I have troubles limiting what I learn and what I love! I always thought you were good at it. I'm trying to simplify my life. After Paris, I keep telling myself. We shall see if that holds true.
ReplyDeleteThe Autumn Rain looks like a very refreshing and interesting blog. I have decided to follow you. For me art is an exploration. I am always reading, always learning, and always trying new things. Art for me is an exploration. My art takes months to make, and as I learn and grow and expand upon my concept, my work takes form. I think that knowledge is a preparation for exploration. I think that art for me is a vehicle, it is a way for me to form opinion, and gain knowledge of the world, as well as to communicate.