… we live in an age where we know so much, information is surplus, excessive is probably the appropriate word. We can interrogate almost anything, poke our little inquisitive finger into whatever ‘sacred’ pot of mystery we choose. There is no awe anymore, nothing is sacred, nothing is forebidden, we have tasted ‘the fruit’ and we now know we are naked and because we know, our heads are swollen, we feel like an all knowing, all seeing, all understanding being! But, are we truly better off with all these information and knowledge? Can we extract ‘the truth’ in it’s purest form from what we know? Are we set free? Or has knowledge enslaven us? I can never endorse ignorance over knowledge or enlightenment, neither can I embrace darkness over light. Consciousness will always be preferred to unconsciousness. But are we better off? I ask again.
In the simplest things of life, I have always wondered the wisdom of introducing a child to the stark reality of life and telling them neither Santa nor the Tooth Fairy exists. Why steal the magic of the moment from them? I know there is the school of thought that believes that in the long run the deception is damaging to the child. I am not sure I fully agree.
We now know the trick of the illusionist, he didn’t cut anyone into halves, two people were cunningly folded in his table! We can now easily spy on our neighbours , we know where they work, how much they bought their house, and a whole load of stuff that really is none of our business, we can now easily find out how to lay our hands on that ‘if-we-don’t-get-it-now-our-life-will never-be-fulfilled’ item, that in all truthfulness we probably do not need. We all now know how to reconnect with our long lost childhood sweetheart or ex, an endeavour best avoided and on and on it goes!
It has been said ‘we will know the truth and the truth will set us free’, but are we knowing the truth and are we free? Or are we enslaved to the excess knowledge and information? Are we any wiser?
I once read a story, some of the fine details are forgotten, but it goes something like this, there was once a lady that had started to loose her mind and believed that she was some kind of very rich ‘lady’ that lived in a manor, she was extremely happy in her make believe world though in reality she lived in abject poverty. Someone asked her psychiatrist why he wouldn’t cure her from her delusion. And he replied along the line of why would he want to bring her to the reality of her existence and make her miserable.
Some things, I believe are better not known, some mysteries are better untouched. Let the mysterious stay mysterious, the things that are revealed belongs to us and the things that are hidden we might just want to leave alone and let the unknown be blessed!
Beautiful Ivory 