Accepting unreality

Kiri-Kin-Tha’s first law of metaphysics is: ‘Nothing unreal exists.’

Bear with me; I hope you’ll be able to see where I’m going with this shortly.

As far as I know, none of you exist. From a certain point of view, this could even be true: none of us can prove that the universe is real. All any of us has to go on is nerve inputs interpreted by our brains so that what’s ‘out there’ makes sense to us in some way. Reality could, in fact, be very different from what we perceive it to be.

If, of course, it is true that you aren’t there, then I am clearly insane — because I’m talking to myself :)

For argument’s sake, let ‘us’ assume that I am all there is in the — in my — universe. If nothing exists beyond me, my inability to give up this disgusting habit I have (smoking) suddenly becomes far more important. From this viewpoint, like Thomas Covenant’s leprosy, my self-destructive addiction takes on mythic proportions. I’m corrupting my very essence.

Now, if we compare the ‘me-universe’ with the ‘real’ one that most people would argue actually does exist, where in the former there’s just me, in the latter there’s all of humanity. And, just like me with my smoking, humanity has self-destructive corrupting addictions that it really ought to face up to, and address.

Perhaps you disagree; but while not all of our planet is totally trashed quite yet, we seem to me to be addicted to the idea of parking lots being more desirable than paradise.

Sadly, even if I were able to find the wherewithal to finally give up the weed, this wouldn’t prove that humanity will ever be able to recognise — let alone fix — its own faults.

“Humankind cannot bear too much reality,” said T.S. Eliott. Al Gore also pointed out that “… unfortunately we still live in a bubble of unreality.”

Ain’t that the truth.