Did Descartes really mean, “I am, therefore I think.” Might be more accurate. (I think)
There are definitely times in my life when I feel a need to know for sure, instead of what others may ‘think.’
I’m not referring to those times when I actually ask, “What do you think?” At those times, I am quite open to pure opinion, and am more tuned to the common usage of thinking as ‘hammering away at’ or ‘pounding one’s brain’ or ‘running it up the flagpole and seeing if anyone salutes!’
I was standing in front of a shelf of books in one of my favorite used book stores a few days ago. A lady entered the store, quite distraught, it seemed. She asked for the return of a book from a stack of used books that her husband had dropped off earlier in the week ….this particular book was included by mistake.
Being close enough to hear some of the conversation……okay, a few words here and there……I heard the lady say something like, “I think the book helps me focus on my life. Also, it has an inscription inside the cover, written by a dear friend. I think he’d be upset if I lost the book.”
I thought, “Hmm. I think the connection to that friend is what is focusing her life.”
Then it sunk in…..how many times in the past few days alone, did I use or hear the word ‘think’ as if it were relating to something I knew to be the truth?
I have no idea what the book inscription was or meant, yet here I am ‘thinking’ that somehow I knew something that I really didn’t.
When I related this little encounter to a friend, without a moment’s hesitation, he offered, “Well, because you have studied people, I think that’s why you thought what you thought.” Holy smoke! It’s automatic! He didn’t even realize that he had just proven my point. We engage, and if we aren’t sure, we engage anyway, with our ‘think’ comments.
It is quite amazing to hear the experts expound on the talk shows and in newspaper articles. Being asked for answers to issues, their responses begin with, “I think…..”
Heck, if all you want is thinking, you may as well ask me….or anyone at random, for that matter. We just add someone’s ‘think’ to our own ‘think’ and now we live an unsatisfied life of ‘thinking’ we are really participating….we only ‘think’ we are. (I think I just broke a blood vessel in my brain!)
What we need are more persons who are willing to be accountable for what they give as their expertise….or decline the invitation to be considered an expert. Ah, maybe that’s the reason for any reluctance to decline? Jeepers, we can’t walk around saying “I don’t know” to everything, can we?
It might matter that we do, however, if it applies. At least long enough to notice that sometimes we are windbagging. Ouch! Well, when I notice myself doing it, it sure feels like windbagging. One thing I do know at that time, and that is that I’m not sure and would dearly love to opine anyway so I don’t appear totally dumb!
Yeah, as a community working to live together in harmony, making a difference with each other, it would really matter that we notice when we, along with scientists, psychologists, store clerks, weight-control advertisers, doctors, preachers, teachers, family, friends, and their writings or pronouncements, are merely ‘thinking’ we all know something.
Some have learned to add the little cautionary phrase, “I could be wrong.” Yeah, I suppose you could, but you have just used an hour of my time and I thought you knew something when we started the conversation!
I ‘think’ we have created a society where it is not cool to not have an answer…to everything! Actually, I ‘know’ we have! Hey, to admit that, kinda felt freeing.
Oh, and with Valentine’s Day approaching, it would not be a great idea to suggest, “I ‘think’ I love you!”
Rich