Philosophy has helped define us. A Fifth Century BC philosopher,
Heraclitus, coined the phrase, “There are no constants but change.”

As he stepped into a fast-moving river, the thought occurred to him, that
the swift current surrounding his foot one moment, was replaced by water
upstream. There was no way to repeat the previous moment.

From time immemorial philosophers have expended energy, carving out axioms
and categories for us to think into and from.

The western mind is the most comfortable with categorical thinking.

We tend to take all the things coming at us, and hold them up against what
we know; and validate them if we can find an existing category to place
them in. Or, discard them if not.

This split-second occurrence goes unnoticed; but it’s part of the cement of
a static reality.

4/6/04