The best way to learn (perhaps the only way) is by example. When you think about an example you understand that it cannot truly represent the concept that it is trying to explain. An example is a complexity introduced to explain a concept by reaching someone through something they are familiar with.
Let's looks at the concept of polymorphism. The idea is that we only need to know a little about something in order to complete our task. If we're making a fire, we only need to know that what we're throwing on it is going to burn, not if it's a tree, grass, or a penguin (yes, penguins burn). If you were anything like me, when you first learned about polymorphism you were a bit confused. However, once your teacher (or wikipedia) showed you an example, it made sense... hopefully. It's also interesting to note that once you learn a concept, it comes without effort.
So what's the lesson? It seems to me that complexity is introduced into our lives to help us understand simple concepts. It is God teaching us something by reaching us where we can relate. By observing the complexities of our lives and the world around us, maybe we can start to understand the concept that is "God", or the concept that God is teaching.
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i really like that main point... very interesting. i was thinking the other day about how we could never understand happiness untill we have experienced sorrow, or safety untill we felt very threatened. i wonder if the degrees of severity of the one effect our capacity for the other. for instance, would someone that experienced more sorrow then me be capable of experiencing happiness to a different extent then i would? what do you think? all kinda in the same vein of thought
ReplyDeleteHello Frank,
ReplyDeleteThat's actually something I think about quite often. That the strength of happiness increases with the strength of suffering I certainly believe is true (no one appreciates bread more than a man who's starving) but considering how quickly I begin to take happiness for granted, it makes for a scary world. I guess my only thought would be that a happiness that can be influenced by suffering is just as temporary (meaning that I don't believe the purpose of suffering is to produce that kind of happiness).