Life as a Puzzle

In today's blog, I will ruminate on a philosophical position of mine, which is that, by approaching life as a puzzle, rather than the "givens" taught in educational institutions, not only will life be more exciting, you may actually discover something real.

Many years ago, in the '60's, I was driving myself crazy trying to understand why the world, and its inhabitants were so "crazy." About the same time, I decided that everything was the equivalent of a gigantic picture puzzle, and, as such every part/piece had to mesh/merge with the adjoining/similar pieces. If it didn't, then, either that piece, or parts of the other, adjoining, pieces were, somehow, wrong/incorrect.

In other words, everything is a whole; while one can learn about various aspects of that whole, if what you have learned does not mesh with other adjoining aspects, what you have learned is either incorrect, or not the whole "picture," or the other information is not the whole "picture", or is in error. Unfortunately, Generalists, such as Immanuel Velikovsky, who challenge established, "Facts" in many fields learn how difficult the, "row they have chosen to hoe," is. Those who submit alternative theories, to those which have gained the exalted status of Truth, find, also to their sorrow, that they will be relegated to the trash heap in the search for what is accepted as Facts/Truth.

As I have written, a number of times, what we have been taught in educational institutions, are Facts, not to be questioned. History, Geography, Science, as taught, are not open to question. Reading, Mathematics, Languages are considered basics, which are supposed to help us take in the information presented in other categories. Literature is, also, generally taught as being factual, i.e., already comprehended fully by others, and so on.

If you have been able to place everything you think you know into a category of, "as if true" to be held there while investigating and gathering alternative information in some area of "knowledge," you will be in a position to begin learning about life/reality.

Since few individuals are encouraged to question what they are taught as, "Facts," those who do question, for various personal reasons, develop a skeptical approach to what they are taught fairly early on in life. (These people are not to be confused with the professional "Skeptics" whose chosen role in life is to enforce the belief in the Facts one has been Programmed/Indoctrinated to believe.)

Others, such as myself, at some point in life are shocked into investigating alternative explanations and possibilities, by being forced to consider the fact that much of what they think they know, are Facts, are not established Facts at all, but, simply, theories.

I have previously given as an example Abraham Maslow, the Psychologist, who was trained to accept Freudian theories of human development. Somewhat later, having received Indoctrination in the Skinnerian theory of behavior, he abandoned his belief in Freud's Theories of Human Development. Somewhat later, he married and started a family, having two children, whereupon he decided, having witnessed the growth of those two children, that both the Freudian and Skinnerian theories were incapable of explaining what he witnessed personally in their development and behavior. He went on to write about what he subsequently learned about human behavior, and the problems with, then, established Facts about Human Development and Behavior.

Unfortunately, many individuals, who personally experience events which are considered "impossible" by current "Established Facts" about reality, opt to dismiss what they have experienced as, "impossible," or their, "imagination," and do their best to deny what they experienced, as well as try to forget the disturbing event altogether. Many such individuals go on to doubt their sanity, wishing only to be, "Normal."

If you can convince yourself to accept the possibility that what you have been taught are, "Facts" may actually be wrong, and open yourself up to new, alternative information, you will, perhaps, be able to actually begin to think, as opposed to the rearranging of Beliefs and Indoctrinated theories, as well as pointless rehashing of past events, (dwelling in the past) which usually passes for, "thinking."

By introducing alternative information and theories, or researching subjects you have an interest in, you can begin to open up your thinking processes; it really doesn't matter where you begin, if you start, you can end up anywhere.

So saying, I end today's blog.

Shirley Gallup