Oct 31, 2022·edited Oct 31, 2022Liked by Étienne Fortier-Dubois
This hits hard. I enjoyed both the old essay and your new take on it. The updated thoughts (14 months lates) rather add new layers to the old essay. For me, the important specification lays within this:
> The true, good kind of infinity appears when we do things — art, travel, research, engineering, relationships, whatever. It is the fake, artificial kind that we should not get attached to. We should destroy any feelings of infinity that come from keeping our eyes shut when we could just open them.
I think, chasing those 'artificial' kinds of infinity, you can only get to it as close as Achilles can ever get to the tortoise :) while (perhaps) in the case of 'real' kinds of infinity their roles reverse and now the tortoise starts chasing Achilles. (maybe I've just said something dumb)
There is so, so much that we don't yet know. Mysteries yet waiting to be revealed. About ourselves, we flawed, fascinating humans, and every other living thing on our planet. And some of these mysteries don't easily reveal their secrets.
Just came across this article tonight on cell signalling and depression and other forms of mental illness, not long before reading this re-visitation of your earlier takes on mysteries and infinities ...
Here's another: tacit knowledge, transmitted lovingly across generations, not easily communicable or replicable, extremely complex to study even by modern means. And tiny, unique worlds of microorganisms, living in hides and wooden vessels, that could disappear from our planet if the humans tending them were to leave for cities.
I’ve been contemplating this a lot. Growing up, moved every two years and I loved it. Now I’ve lived in the same place for seven years, the longest I’ve lived anywhere, and I can say that I am both antsy to blow up my entire life and do something completely different, and also see the value of being settled, of having friends for a long time, of having a home that I’ve customized over time to my exact liking, of exploring new interests (like taking singing lessons!) instead of new places, of not needing to do something crazy to have a completely beautiful day.
In a lot of ways I can’t decide which I prefer? Or maybe it’s that I need to have a little bit of both.
This hits hard. I enjoyed both the old essay and your new take on it. The updated thoughts (14 months lates) rather add new layers to the old essay. For me, the important specification lays within this:
> The true, good kind of infinity appears when we do things — art, travel, research, engineering, relationships, whatever. It is the fake, artificial kind that we should not get attached to. We should destroy any feelings of infinity that come from keeping our eyes shut when we could just open them.
I think, chasing those 'artificial' kinds of infinity, you can only get to it as close as Achilles can ever get to the tortoise :) while (perhaps) in the case of 'real' kinds of infinity their roles reverse and now the tortoise starts chasing Achilles. (maybe I've just said something dumb)
Anyway, great essay, thank you for it.
There is so, so much that we don't yet know. Mysteries yet waiting to be revealed. About ourselves, we flawed, fascinating humans, and every other living thing on our planet. And some of these mysteries don't easily reveal their secrets.
Just came across this article tonight on cell signalling and depression and other forms of mental illness, not long before reading this re-visitation of your earlier takes on mysteries and infinities ...
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/oct/22/it-is-a-flaw-in-our-cells-that-becomes-a-flaw-in-love-doctor-siddhartha-mukherjee-on-the-search-for-a-cure-for-depression
Here's another: tacit knowledge, transmitted lovingly across generations, not easily communicable or replicable, extremely complex to study even by modern means. And tiny, unique worlds of microorganisms, living in hides and wooden vessels, that could disappear from our planet if the humans tending them were to leave for cities.
https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/what-mongolias-dairy-farmers-have-to-teach-us-about-the-hidden-history-of
I’ve been contemplating this a lot. Growing up, moved every two years and I loved it. Now I’ve lived in the same place for seven years, the longest I’ve lived anywhere, and I can say that I am both antsy to blow up my entire life and do something completely different, and also see the value of being settled, of having friends for a long time, of having a home that I’ve customized over time to my exact liking, of exploring new interests (like taking singing lessons!) instead of new places, of not needing to do something crazy to have a completely beautiful day.
In a lot of ways I can’t decide which I prefer? Or maybe it’s that I need to have a little bit of both.