A recent Aeon-Psyche article stated that “language both enables and interferes with our grasp of reality”. Indeed, our language enables our communication and/but will also result in confusion (eg, meaning, translation). Actually, everything that enables will also interfere (eg, life vs death).
This phenomenon may relate to dualism (eg, knowledge = power) and/or gravity (eg, what goes up must come down) but – more likely – it relates to Isaac Newton‘s third law of motion: “for every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction” (source). The why behind this is still a debate.
To some extent, famous Dutch soccer player Johan Cruyff (1947-2016) referred to the same phenomenon (albeit its reciprocal) when he stated: “every disadvantage has its advantage“. Hence, what interferes (eg, dominant left foot) also enables (eg, right curve ball).
Essentially, motion = change. Hence, for every change, there is an equal and opposite change.
In 1994, my father’s expanding brain tumor caused a faltering brain (eg, speech). The successful removal of the tumor resulted in a functioning brain. Unfortunately, the brain tumor returned and ended his life. Where life enables, death interferes.
It’s tempting to argue that an expanding Universe must imply a shrinking “something” (eg, a shrinking parallel universe).
Is doing “nothing” an alternative or option? Even while we sleep, the position of our body changes. Moreover, after our body’s demise, entropy takes over. Hence, in my view, “nothing” is a hypothetical concept and does not exist in reality. Also see my 2018 blog Nothing.
Change is the default situation in our lives (eg, climate change). Most of us do not like change. We prefer an equilibrium while change may create chaos, its opposite. We should always expect a reaction from our actions. Proverbs 11-27: “Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it.”
Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (208-235) once stated: “Quod tibi non vis fieri, alteri ne feceris”. The English equivalent is: “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.” Remarkably, the much older Delphic maxims (c.5th century BC) do not show an equivalent. Still, a combination of those 150 maxims comes close.
“When the work takes over, then the artist is enabled to get out of the way, not to interfere. When the work takes over, then the artist listens.”
A quote by American writer Madeleine L’Engle (1918-2007)
Interference (2014) by Thom Yorke
artist, lyrics, video, Wiki-artist, Wiki-album+song
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless in quotes or stated otherwise.
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