Key West The Newspaper

by Kirby Congdon…….

The consistency of science lets us extract from the vast multiplicity of the universe the common sense of reason that we need to stay sane. At the same time, we, as individuals, try, through control or persuasion, to be exceptions to the norm. We do this by either avoiding any risk of death or, with elaborate fantasies, deny it.

On top of that one side of us wants everything to remain the same so that, in effect, we remain in a second childhood, secure and stable. Another side of us wants progress, movement, and change and that feeling of accomplishment that lets us feel we are in control.

In any case, however, behaving as human beings is not to enter heaven. Behaving as human beings, however difficult, is simply the means for behaving well as human beings. Doing that is pretty heroic one would think and so I’ve heard. What more can we achieve? Higher goals only come off as self-congratulatory or imaginary. Probably both! The overall approach that we come to rely on is, being pulled and pushed at the same time, our brains and minds learn to cope as whole communities, countries and generations do, too.