Friday, June 17, 2011

Word maps versus the Territory

When it comes to building maps of reality using words, I try to avoid building maps that are elaborate.

Word maps of reality should move like poetry.

There is no need to try to be 'exact' -- there is no such thing as 'exact'. It is an imaginary thing.

Whatever reality is, it's beyond word-maps, and can be comprehended only through the DIRECT EXPERIENCE.

Reality is totally different from the maps we build.

For example, consider the statement:

"We apply a certain force to a mass, and the mass moves through a distance as predicted by the laws of motion".

This statement is ok, as far as engineering is concerned.

But it is NOT OK, as far as the real flow of reality is concerned.

So what would be the REAL flow of reality in the above mentioned situation?

Answer: IN-DETERMINISTIC. Cannot be defined, cannot be expressed in words. It is a dance of quality that involves all of infinity. That's the only thing that can be said.

Robert M. Pirsig has the following to say, Chapter 5, Lila:

"The fundamental nature of reality is outside language. Language splits things up into parts while the true nature of reality is undivided." [While talking about the POV of mystics.]

He also says..."Quality does not have to be defined. You understand it without definition, ahead of definition. Quality is a direct experience independent of and prior to intellectual abstractions."

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