October 9, 2017

The Map Of Everything

By wise sloth

Line drawing of a gear with an 8-pointed star inside, with every point connected by a straight line

 

Life is an absurd existential dilemma. There’s no map or instructions to tell us where we should be going or what we should be doing. The universe doesn’t have a center, and if it did, there’s no reason to go there. There’s no cosmic rule which says anyone has to be anywhere. We’re born lost. We live our lives so lost that we don’t even know we’re lost, and we’re destined to die lost never knowing for sure if anything we do matters from the cosmic perspective.

So while there’s no map to tell us where to go and what to do, I have a philosophy that provides some guidance. I call this philosophy “The Map of Everything.” It’s represented by a circle with 8 points evenly spaced along its perimeter. Every point is connected directly to every other point by a straight line. This “map” is a simplified 2D version of an impossible graphic where the circle is a sphere that has every possible point connected to every other point.

The 8-pointed circle represents an observation about the nature of the universe. There isn’t a physical line drawn between every atom in the universe, but every point in time and space are logically connected directly and indirectly, and every logical relationship between everything that exists can be traced and extrapolated. If you study the connections between the objects and events in the universe, you’ll find patterns in the behavior of everything. Chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, logic, and psychology are merely the study of patterns. Once you understand those patterns you can follow them, learn from them, and use them to find a way to logically orientate yourself and direct your actions. Then, instead of being tossed around aimlessly by the forces around you, you’ll be able to harness those forces to help you get where you want to go.

When you were born, you couldn’t see any of the lines connecting the objects and events in your life, but the more you learn the more you’ll see those connections. Still, you’ll never know everything. So you’ll never be able to see all the lines.  If bad things keep happening to you, it’s probably because you’re missing connections and patterns.  It’s like trying to find where you’re going with half a map. Your ignorance is the root of your problems, and the solution is to find the connections and patterns you’re missing.

As you’re going through life, if you ever get discouraged by the fact that you’re wandering in an open maze and it seems like you’re not getting anywhere, you can look at the Map of Everything and remind yourself that everything is connected. Everything is part of the same whole. You are a part of the whole. So wherever you go, and whatever you do, you’ll never be truly alone. From one perspective you’ll never be lost either. This universe is your home. This is where you belong.

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, you’ll also like these:

 

The Meaning of Life
How to Think Like a Genius
Knowledge and Learning
Biker Philosophy
My Tweets About Philosophy 
This entry was posted on Monday, October 9th, 2017 at 8:14 pm and tagged with , , , , and posted in How to Think Like a Genius. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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