Things I Don’t Know:
1)
I Don’t Know Why People Do the Things They Do. I can observe people’s actions and behaviors,
but I can only guess at why they act the way they do. I make a grave error when I assume somebody’s
motives and reasons based on how their behavior affects me or others around
them. I may assume malice or affection
when they haven’t felt either. Even if
they tell me their reasons, I may only get half the story as people are
complicated and may have multiple, even conflicting, reasons behind their
choices. The lesson? It is a dangerous self deception to
categorize or stereotype others based solely on their observed behavior or
choices. Deal with the behavior and
actions without assuming the motives. I
should explain the consequences of others’ actions and negotiate a change in
behavior rather than try and change what I might think are the other person’s
ideas or assumptions.
2)
I Can’t Speak for God. Whether you believe in God, providential
fate, or just the random chance of life, I don’t know the mind of the
universe. I can’t define for you the
ultimate truth. I can’t tell you who God
loves or hates (although I hope he doesn’t hate) or why he allows or causes
certain things. I can tell you what I
believe based on my own experience and thoughts, but I can’t extend that out to
apply to all humanity as the one and ultimate truth. Nor do I feel comfortable in telling most
that their beliefs are deluded, evil, or just wrong. I can only say what I believe and how I might
feel different from them and allow them to accept or reject it as they
choose. The lesson is that I’m slow to
accept the ultimate truth as presented by others without first gaining a
testimony of those truths through my own experience and rumination. Even then, I can only adopt it as what I now
believe and not assume everybody will or should believe the same.
3)
I Don’t Know History: I consider myself an amateur historian, but I
also recognize that most of what I’ve learned about history is from what
somebody else wrote, and often that was written based on what still others may
have presented earlier--resulting in opinions and perceptions based on opinions
and perceptions. History is written by
historians and few, if any of them present an unbiased view. And, the farther we go back in time, the
fewer are the verifiable facts from which to draw assumptions. Hence, we are left to try and draw
conclusions from incomplete information often handed down from biased sources. The lesson?
Take all historical “facts” with a large grain of salt. It’s always a valid question to ask, “how do
we really know that?” And on a related
note. . .
4)
I Don’t Know Reality: My limited understanding of quantum physics
is that scientists have shown that the very act of observing a thing, changes
the thing. Further, objects and
situations can appear vastly different depending on the focus and perception of
the viewer. Hence, it seems that our
limited mortal viewpoint makes it impossible to have a conclusive perception of
reality. Rather, all I have is my
perception of reality as I see it--which is likely skewed and incomplete at
best. I have told others that I don’t
think anybody has a right to an opinion until they can understand and argue the
facts from at least three different and opposing perceptions. Even then, I realize a true reality may be
vastly different still. The lesson is to
recognize and accept that how we see our reality is a child of our perception
and not our perceptions being the children of any fully discernible reality.
5)
I Don’t Know that I’m Right: I can know my opinion and preferences. I can know what I think is best, at least for
me. I can express and explain my
perception. But, I can never know with
complete certainty that I’m right.
Why? To be absolutely sure that I’m
right, I would need to meet a few impossible criteria. One, I would need to have a complete
understanding of the situation from all the different perspectives. I would need to understand the thoughts,
motivations, and intentions of all the other people involved. I would need to feel comfortable that my own
intentions and perceptions were all motivated by the greater good for all
involved, including individuals, other life forms affected, and the environment. If you can find somebody who is able to say
they meet all those criteria, then they can say they are right--but they are
also deluded. Lesson? Humility and a willingness to always
entertain the possibility of more information and a better
understanding--leading to the possibility you may NOT be totally right.
6) I Don’t Know Jack: Bottom line is that I don’t know Jack. Like all of you I am muddling my way through life based on too little information and not enough understanding. I’m just trying to do the best I can with what I got--and often I mess up. My only hope is that if I’m trying to do little harm and occasionally some good, that whatever fate comes next in the eternities it will take that into account and not dump me in some proverbial lake of fire and brimstone. Good luck out there in your own journey towards knowing what you don’t know.
6) I Don’t Know Jack: Bottom line is that I don’t know Jack. Like all of you I am muddling my way through life based on too little information and not enough understanding. I’m just trying to do the best I can with what I got--and often I mess up. My only hope is that if I’m trying to do little harm and occasionally some good, that whatever fate comes next in the eternities it will take that into account and not dump me in some proverbial lake of fire and brimstone. Good luck out there in your own journey towards knowing what you don’t know.
