What a difference

Six years without using this site.

I know what I know, more or less.

THEN:  I hunker down in the waning light of my man cave and consider that I know what I know, but I seldom understand what I know. I’m serious, the only thing I can reasonably prove to myself, is that I exist. Other people claim to exist, but I cannot prove their existence to the degree of certainty that I hold in my own existence. Also, despite their claims to the contrary, I sometimes feel that they only exist when I want them to exist. They come and go, but I have no obvious control over that. That is worry some. It appears to me that there are degrees, or levels, and maybe plateaus of what I know. To me, this is both serious and curious. I quickly gather some clay and a stick, and scratch a circle on the wall, and carefully place a small dot in the center. That’s me in my world.

I drift off to sleep, and when I awaken, light is getting stronger. I am hungry. If I am lucky, I may find some berries or a small rabbit. I grab a sharp stick, something may want to eat me. It’s a relative jungle out there.

NOW:  I settle down in the waning light of my home office and consider that I know what I know, but I seldom understand what I know. I’m serious, the only thing I can reasonably prove to myself, is that I exist. Other people claim to exist, but I cannot prove their existence to the degree of certainty that I hold in my own existence. Also, despite their claims to the contrary, I sometimes feel that they only exist when I want them to exist. They come and go, but I have no obvious control over that. That is worry some. It appears to me that there are degrees, or levels, and maybe plateaus of what I know. To me, this is both serious and curious. I quickly gather some paper and a pen, and draw a circle and stick it on the wall, and then I carefully place a small dot in the center. That’s me in my world.

I drift off to sleep, and when I awaken, light is getting stronger. I am hungry. If I am lucky, I may find some fruit or a small sandwich. I grab my pepper spray, something may want to eat me. It’s a relative jungle out there.

THEN:  In search for food, I climb down the hill into the small valley. I want to check out the watering hole first, where food gathers. I find that the small black berries have finally ripened. Then I notice a small, dead rabbit by the water. I have a choice, one or the other, or both! I examine the rabbit It is wrinkled, dry, and smells bad. I’ve eaten food like that before, it made me sick. If I take the time to save it, I expose myself to other eaters. There would be some risk in eating it. I forgo the rabbit, and choose for the berries.

NOW:  In search for food, I climb down the steps into the small street. I want to check out the neighborhood store first, where they have food. I find that the fresh fruit by the cold drinks. Next to that, I notice a small, cold sandwich. I have a choice, one or the other, or both! I examine the sandwich.  It is wrinkled, dry, and smells bad. I’ve eaten food like that before, it made me sick. If I take the time to save it, I expose myself to other eaters. There would be some risk in eating it. I forgo the sandwich and choose the fruit.

THEN:  I act, and gather berries, enough to feed me all day. There will more tomorrow. I am happy.

NOW: I act, and gather fruit, enough to feed me all day. There will more tomorrow. I am happy.

THEN:  I return to my man cave and gaze upon what I have drawn. On the wall is a circle and a dot. What does it mean? The dot in the circle is me, of that I am certain. The circle is everything else, of that I am also certain. I stare at the drawing for a long time. There is a message hidden there, I am sure of it. I can see it, but I don’t understand. What does it mean? What does the drawing want to tell me?

THEN: I return to my home office and gaze upon what I have drawn. On the wall is a circle and a dot. What does it mean? The dot in the circle is me, of that I am certain. The circle is everything else, of that I am also certain. I stare at the drawing for a long time. There is a message hidden there, I am sure of it. I can see it, but I don’t understand. What does it mean? What does the drawing want to tell me?

THEN:  Many times the season of berries has passed. I have made a decision.  I have used all my knowledge and truths to unlock the message of the drawing, the circle and its dot. Many times I I constructed elaborate logical constructions for what I felt I knew. I often felt certain about my understanding, and every time that certainty has proven incorrect. The message in the drawing has escaped me. I will no longer try to understand. If the drawing wants me to know, it will tell me on its own terms. I drift off to sleep.

I awaken at dawn. Something has changed. What? I look at my surroundings, the ceiling, the walls, the floor, even the light seem the same, but different. I look outside at all the familiar trees, rocks and sky, all are un-definably changed. I gaze in wonder at the sameness that is different, full of what? Joy?. Finally, I go back inside and look at the drawing, and then I know. I smile, and say “Thank you”.

I got the message.

NOW:  Many years have passed. I have made a decision.  I have used all my knowledge and truths to unlock the message of the drawing, the circle and its dot. Many times I I constructed elaborate logical constructions for what I felt I knew. I often felt certain about my understanding, and every time that certainty has proven incorrect. The message in the drawing has escaped me. I will no longer try to understand. If the drawing wants me to know, it will tell me on its own terms. I drift off to sleep.

I awaken at dawn. Something has changed. What? I look at my surroundings, the ceiling, the walls, the floor, even the light seem the same, but different. I look outside at all the familiar trees, rocks and sky, all are un-definably changed. I gaze in wonder at the sameness that is different, full of what? Joy?. Finally, I go back inside and look at the drawing, and then I know. I smile, and say “Thank you”.

I got the message.

THEN AND NOW:  Everything changes, no exceptions. Things always change, always have, and always will. The only certainty is that there is a pattern to the motion of change. We can see it, if we shut up and listen. The pattern defines us, everything else, and how we understand and relate to anything and everything.

Prelude.

I often hear people say “in a perfect world…” as if there is, in some far off universe, a world of perfect ideals, a mythical perfection, a beckoning bliss beyond the grasp of mere man. In my contrary manner, I myself proclaim our world to be a realm of wonder and it is, in fact, a perfect world. We are provided with a certainty of being, opportunities of choice, and freedom in our actions, the three seeds of heaven. Our world provides all that is necessary for all of man to exist in comfortable materiality and spirituality. Only a perfect world can allow imperfection. The reality of our world is a crystal palace, we can make it sing as a symphony, or continue to shatter it and pierce ourselves with the pieces, and bleed. We seem to prefer to intentionally ignore the obvious and embrace the convenient, and we do so at our peril. We force our own judgments of what something should be, upon what it actually is. We forgo signs and wonder, for sins and plunder. But, we can change, if we want to, and make the effort to effect the change required. We have to change our viewpoint, our philosophy. The law of the jungle is a map to extinction, because little fish sustain big fish.

In a practical reality, a philosophy is only as good as the results it produces. It should follow that the ideal philosophy should apply to everything (as theory, design, construction, and operation), including itself, with no exceptions.  In addition, it should also follow that the ideal philosophy would describe intrinsic aspects of itself as well as the intrinsic aspects of everything else. Finally, the ideal philosophy should be readily and universally observable in operation within the capacity and willingness of the observer that may or may not participate.

I submit that the ideal pattern is that of a Positional Relativity that applies to everything participating in a common volume, even if the volume is open, closed, or both. I also submit that this pattern has been casually observed and ignored since the dawn of mankind. I present the foundation of my assertions, it will be up to the reader to prove me wrong. One rule applies, my definitions prevail because yours don’t work very well, especially if they have been adapted to dogmatic disciplines (sciences, politics, religions, etc.). Active participation in the integrity of the communication process is vital.

My applications of word definitions are derived from a common dictionary (Webster’s complete and unabridged Dictionary of the English Language).  I try to use common words familiar to high school students. Many of the words I use have synonyms of like meaning which you may prefer and use if my original intent or nuance remains.  You may also refer to the Oxford Dictionary if more convenient.

THE THEORY & REALITY OF NOTHING

We need to talk.

Seriously, we need to talk about nothing, and everything else, staring with the concept that “Something created everything from nothing”. You already knew that, and also know the fact that “you/I exist.” Neither statement is earth shattering. However, individually, and together, they shape who you are, and how you perceive and interact with reality. These two statements underlie, and form the foundation of, social structures. communities, governments, sciences, religions, and of our selves. The statements are simple and straightforward, and they reflect a single concept of “me, myself, and “I”, or simply, “I”. What that single concept implies, is huge.

What we consider nothing is actually something that is part of everything, and therefore, I exist as a single thing avoiding a void in a something that is everything else that we consider as being nothing. That is the basic utility of Positional Relativity, that we can understand that we collect very general data and apply a specific meaning to the collection, and from that specific meaning, we apply a generalization to everything else.

That leads us to the conclusion that any two things are in a relationship, in direct proportion to their juxtaposition and participation, as a third thing. We can further conclude that a relationship exists between a non-visible thing and a something that we can see. Everything has three states of existing, and all three states are distinct according to the relative participation of the individual states. We need to talk about that, a lot. That is our relationship, of you and me, as three.

Hello world!

Positional Relativity = [<=>c=>R<=>e<=>] = Motion of Change = Who You Are.

INTRODUCING

The Pattern of the Universe

PREMISE, PROBLEM, PURPOSE, AND PROCESS

Premise
People are unclear about the meaning and application of concepts. The more common the concept, the more unclear the meaning and application in daily use becomes. The lack of clarity is directly related to conceptual language, vocabulary, and words. The utility of concepts is dependent upon a focus of the concept (language in potential meaning), the intensity of the concept (vocabulary as probable meaning), and the intent of expressing the concept (word as a finite possibility of meaning).

Problem
The lack of clarity causes the original concept to diverge from its original meaning and purpose. Additionally, unclear concepts tend to gather in groups, and merge. The synergistic result of a conceptually unclear total being greater than the sum of its parts, is informational chaos. This is why people argue, nations go to war, and why we can’t all get along.

Purpose
The Pattern of the Universe is a frontal assault on the lack of conceptual clarity.

Process
The Pattern of the Universe builds upon a base of universally held concepts in order to bring a consensus of applied meaning to the internal consciousness of the self, and subsequently, in the external relationships with others. This is a simple cause and effect relationship, improve the self, improve the world.