We appear to have lost the instructions
Composed as a lyrical musing on Similarly …
As a pragmatic, I approach reality with this simple question: within my perceptions, what is there to be known? Instinctively, I look for patterns, for ‘the point’, for ‘take-aways’. Meanwhile, Peter urges: “Merely experience complexity; witness how it cannot be captured.” His ‘point’ is fascinating, yet for the mind who wants to know, it is indeed dizzying.
My son is in second grade, and complains regularly about it. Part of it is my fault; I’ve been pushing him to read, both together with me and on his own, since he could speak, and he now reads a lot. Unfortunately, the books of the moment are from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. I take heart in the fact that it’s written about and for middle school boys, and my son is thus reading comfortably at a level three of four levels above his grade. But the books do encourage a negative attitude about school in general. His second grade teacher is good, but this is her first experience at this grade level: interestingly, up until now in her career, she’s been a middle school teacher. And like his father, my son is a relentless and laser sharp critic.
Mark’s most recent post had me thinking on multiple levels – about the way education works, also prompted by a link to another essay which bothered me to no end from Matt Boutte, who trenchantly commented on Mark’s ramblings – about economics as a discipline, and how it intersects (or really acts as a skew line) versus the actual conduct of economic activity – about the actual articles he cited, one of which I read and had a similarly visceral reaction to, the other of which I stand tempted to read but, really, why?
And then I got distracted.
I had planned to write about philosophy. To be precise, to write about my personal philosophy: what it is and how I came to it. I intended to approach my theme obliquely, by saying something about economics. I still plan to do this, but not today – and, therefore, not this year – because I have been distracted. Instead, in this text I will write more directly about economics, because that is now the subject at the front of my mind.
Two weeks ago, another deadline passed, and nothing happened. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland remains a member of the European Union. For the third time this year my country failed in the task it has set itself. We will try again next January. In the meantime, we will have a general election. One of my American friends reminds me of some lines from a famous song from the late seventies: “You can check out any time you like/ But you can never leave.” Hotel Brussels doesn’t quite capture the glamour associated with the original lyrics, but the message of the song continues to resonate: wanting is not the same as getting.