Perspectivus

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

- Albert Einstein

It is in my mind an indisputable fact that there exists some arbitrary absolute truth, upon which all other truth depends. (If it does not exist, then all the "subjective" truths themselves become arbitrary and absolute.) Some would call this absolute the Theory of Everything; others call it God. Very few are willing to deny it. "Everything happens for a reason," we say, but eventually there must something that is...just because. For no reason in particular. "At the heart of reality lies a paradox which we may worship or deride, but never understand." And that very idea - that we cannot explain everything rationally, but must accept some things because that's just the way it is - should fill us all with awe. It is, in short, miraculous.

And so we should be fascinated by everything around us and within us. Dimensionless constants are fascinating to me. The human capacity for love - and for hatred - is fascinating. I fear that we have neglected our childish amazement in a foolish and vain over-estimation of our feeble knowledge. Blaise Pascal said, "The eternal silence of these infinite spaces terrifies me." The thought that we even exist should stun us. The thought that space-time is curved should dumbfound us. I will never understand how Claude Debussy somehow composed Clair de lune. It just doesn't make sense to me. It's amazing.

I encourage us all to listen for the eternal silence. It is always there.