Danger this is deep water:
Much of my understanding of how the universe works is based
off the incredibly realist (and depressing) idea that every positive event is ultimately
followed by an equal negative event. It’s
not karma. It’s a sequence of “good”
followed by “bad” followed by “good” for all eternity. There are a few exemptions to this
system. The exchange of money for a product
applies to both “good” and “bad” because you are giving something up to receive something else. Also, newsworthy catastrophes do not count
because it is to be assumed that an equal event of greater “good” will follow
and not receive enough (if any) news coverage.
After reading my explanation of how the universe works the realism
is clear. I’m clearly building a
solution to understanding something that is far beyond me off of a few shreds
of truth and massive amounts of assumptions and interpretations. Yet I think about this constantly, every time
telling myself how ridiculous a thing it is to assume.
For example: In
Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations
and The Remaking of The World Order,
Huntington argues that all future international conflicts shall be between “the
west and the rest of the world.” He builds this idea off the obvious fact that
it is unlikely there shall ever be a war between any European and North
American country, not to mention the constant historical motif that the empire
on top is always opposed by virtually everyone.
This kind of thinking can lead to short term decisions that
do not help in the long run. As a result
of taking a realist stance on my interpretation of reality, I stop searching
and close myself off to any other new idea. As a result of Mr. Huntington pitting the west
against the world, he stops looking for a solution resulting in world unity.
Realism is shortsighted and dangerous; never stop looking
for the best possible outcome.
