It is ironic that what we call reality makes up such an infinitesimally amount of all that actually is.
What might exist outside the limits of visible light?
What sounds are there beyond our range of human hearing?
How much more could there be beyond our ability to even conceive of?
And yet we have the audacity to talk about "reality" and how much we "know."
The truth is we know next to nothing. Our bodies and brains are still largely a mystery to us and consciousness by its very nature defies the conscious mind's desire to define, measure or understand it. In all these areas we have our best guess, and that we can only hold on to until such time as we can make a better guess. And on and on it goes like an infinite set of Russian dolls. Atoms, sub atomic particles, the Higgs Boson particle.
Consciousness becoming conscious of itself like a dog chasing its tail.
But is it so terrible a thing to not know?
What are some of the potential benefits of not knowing?
Mystery
Curiosity
Possibility
Excitement
Adventure
LIFE
Not knowing may feel uncomfortable but without it our comfort zones become our prisons. We have no new experiences, our lives become meaningless. We see this first-hand in those who are no longer curious about life.
Our brains are wired to seek security as a survival instinct but the truth is knowing is a full-stop, a dead-end.
"Monotony collapses time, novelty expands it."
Justin Foer, Moonwalking With Einstein
Growth requires courage, vulnerability and uncertainty.
Letting go of what we know is necessary to be present and it requires courage, vulnerability and uncertainty. It takes humility and self-discipline to not be cowed by the "Little Me" within and step into the unknown in order to grow.
Our minds may not like not knowing, but not knowing is the only way forward.
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