So you know, would you prefer to know the myth of how the Grand Canyon was formed? Or would you have to know the logical answer? (This doesn't just pertain to the Grand Canyon, I'm just trying to make a statement.) I would prefer to just leave it at myth, because while the logical facts do sometimes answers questions, I could live with those questions. The human race annoys me in that we have to answer everything, and nothing can remain magickal or special, it has to be answered by cold hard facts, or some people refuse to see it. I think there needs to be some mystery in the world, or else we would have nothing to ask questions about and strive to think up answers to.
it isn't necessarily that humans "have to have the answer", it's more like this. Imagine if you were a geologist. The thing is with science, scientist want, usually more than anything, to be remembered for something big when they die. They want to have a legacy, like Isaac Newton or Charles Darwin. If you were the geologist who discovered how the Grand Canyon was formed, people would definitely remember you. I was learning in Philosophy today that being remembered after you die is especially important in scientists that don't believe in an afterlife. They want to be remembered. IMO, that's why we have so many people searching for a logical answer. Personally, I don't care. My belief is that it was formed during the great flood in Genesis.
So we need to strive to find those answers, but not find them? The more we know, the more we can do. With the Grand Canyon, it's like Bushido said. But I think that we need to know everything we possibly can about the Earth at least. Let's say the Grand Canyon formed through some geological catalyst. We could find that it could happen again or something. Knowledge is power is what I'm trying to say here.
Some myths are fascinating to have around and to read up on. A good story is quite entertaining. However, I fail to see why the truth of how something occurred or still does reoccur etc, is any less fascinating than a good yarn. One is fun to tell as a story, but the other is the truth and is intriguing and a powerful thing in its own way. I like to read the old west tales, mythologies, fables etc, as they are fun and it's interesting to also ponder how people thought them up. I just don't think that these leave 'mystery' as some people suggest. More that they give answers in a way that satisfies some curiosity in a fun way. Many people for some reason seem to fear that understanding science takes away the mystery of life but I would seriously beg to differ with that. Science and philosophy go hand in hand and for every question answered, more questions arise. There is so much out there to learn, study and a person can feel free to even go explore and discover things on their own too. We can be part of our world more with this than we can from any 'story' given to us. As I am training in archeology and also study rocks and geology, biology etc... I have really been amazed at some of the things I have been able to hold in my hands, or dig through the dirt and find. I can tell layers of earth and what it means. I've seen Lucy up front and held skulls of beings from thousands or hundreds of thousands of years ago. Seen tools that are extremely old. Studied various flora and fauna, etc. You can really touch, see, taste, smell, .. you can just be a real part of life through science that I think too many people forget about and assume it's so boring. We cannot answer everything, regardless of what a person believes. The moment we choose to stop learning and stop caring is the moment we limit ourselves to the experiences of life. Also, those of us who actually like to explore and find out things... maybe some are like anyone else in any other occupation and want to be reknown for something... but others of us just like to explore and know our world and space etc for what we can know it for. It's not about -we- want to be remembered but more like we want to remember and know our surroundings for what they are. There are glory hounds out there in any field of life. Some people though just really are more appeased by sating curiosity and keeping the brain working through life.
Right, I agree with this. And just to clarify, if i came off like all people are "glory hounds" in my post, I didn't mean to. I'm well aware lots of people are genuinely interested in these things.
I really don't see how knowing the actual physical way in which the Grand Canyon was formed takes away from how amazing and spectacular it is. In my opinion the fact that it has a completely natural origin makes even more amazing. It's really all about how you look at it. Think about a magicians trick, of course knowing how they do it takes away from the magic but it is still a spectacle and the fact that they can do things without people knowing how is still pretty special.
Myth please, it sounds better hearing that gods and stuff created these things, rather than erosion or some real crap.
I see what you're saying, but even if we have the facts it can still be magickal or special. There are many things in this world that are just that, you just have look more closely :)
People who are off-put by scientific explanations to biological phenomena do not understand the beauty of science. Why is something suddenly so unappealing when it is completely explainable? With such simple motions as a flex of my hand, I can think of articles on nervous reaction, the communication of the brain with various parts of the body, and even the phenomena that cause the pigmentation of my skin, and thus onward to how my eyes perceive this pigmentation. Explanation is a journey; answers open gateways and forked roads to more questions. Magick and mythology is a destination; mystifying the unknown inadvertently shuts the doors, surrenders to ignorance of the unknown and says that "A wizard did it." My wording makes me sound awfully biased against myth and magick. To tell the truth, I do not make a distinction between them; all are fields to be studied, collections to be classified, marvels to behold, and mysteries to explore. And all contain endless wonder if one simply thinks of how much goes into every little phenomena we perceive. Our minds could, for instance, make no physical distinction between sky and ground, and see both as a bluish-green blob. Our hands could be on our heads, halfway down our arms, or not there at all. Things as fundamental as the way we walk or the way we speak contain so many complex variables. In short, I see the science in magick and the magick in science; and both astound me, so I do not care which I am handed.
It's human nature to pursue knowledge, don't you think? Even if we learn the secret to the trick, it doesn't necessarily take away the magic from it; all depends on the capacity of people to appreciate the trick's performance. Personally, both the myth of Paul Bunyan's unintentions and what people who seriously studied this phenomenon are both intriguing. Sure, it can get irritating how humans must have reasons for everything, but there's something to be said about how there's no foreseeable limit of questions; no wonder humans can't stop trying to find explanation if there's always going to be another question afterwards. I believe everyone here has said what I've just said and, quite frankly, I'm inclined to agree.
I'd like to know the answers. not because I MUST know them, but because I'm not ready to make assumptions about ****, then go preach about it. Plus it makes anyone's perspective more thorough.
I would rather understand the logical reason why it was formed. Perhaps if we were to learn this, we could form another reason to build on the fact that we already know about the Grand Canyon. Magick, I do agree that myths and special characteristics are important to think about because if we have too much facts, there is little room for imagination and creativity, but with knowing facts about certain things, I think we can use imagination to help make them seem better. I hope that made sense. Anyways, that's just my opinion.
Continuing to imagine anything beyond the already well-established and proven facts is stupid. "Imagination" may allow for fantastic stories (and believe me, I love reading fiction) but it has no place in the real world when facts are involved. In fact, fiction is a complete and utter insult to knowledge when such knowledge exists. And in most cases the knowledge does exist, so the imagination is pointless.
We should never prefer to remain ignorant and ignore facts simply because we like fantastical explanations better. While they are good for inspiration and entertainment, having the knowledge of how things probably really work is always more useful. Knowledge is power, the more knowledge we have of the world around us, the more we become capable of improving our lives as well our planet, so we should never give up trying to learn.
A lot of people have said the same kind of thing as me, but I'll say it anyway. I don't think that people wanting to know about how things came to be is bas thing. Its very entertaining to create fantasical stories about something, or to create an 'air of mystery', but isn't the whole point of a mystery that you solve it? Say I am reading one of Agatha Christie's many murder mystery books. I have been hooked on the complex plot for a while, trying my best to piece together the clues, and right as I turn the last page to find the answer...I stop. I never read the ending, because it would ruin the 'air of mystery'. I, personally, find that mysteries are the most satisfying when they are solved. But they can still remain interesting and 'magical'. You can silently marvel at how clever the villain was, the lengths they had gone to to hide their crime. You can still marvel at how the simple flowing of a stream can shape the surface of the land over millions of years, or how so many intricate systems make up the world- interactions between particles, atoms, cells, organs, plants, animals, humans, wind, water, rock, and how all of this is just a tiny part of systems of planets, stars, galaxies, clusters and nebulae...how anyone can say that knowing the truth takes away the power and majesty of something is beyond me.
Ignorance of something just so that we can hold onto a story is silly. There are a lot of myths and legends I find fascinating for what they are, but I wouldn't trade knowledge to live in a world where we believe fairies pull the washing off the line and a bug pushes the sun across the sky. Something doesn't have to originate in magic to be magical. If that makes sense? Though I also don't believe in pure fact. Knowledge changes constantly and to think we know everything is both arrogant and false. A few hundred years ago we KNEW that the Earth was the centre of the universe, in history we KNEW that the Earth was flat. What we know now may not be what we know in the future. So I think it is best to be open minded with fact.
I always prefer a good story on how things happened than what people find out. Stories always apply to who I am. People who want to be remembered after they die try to make the next big discovery and I think that it is silly to try and make a name for yourself. When the human race dies out no one will be there to remember you anyway so I think it would be a waste of time trying to find out all the facts.
