Truth

After attempting to explain to someone what the real intentions are behind all the economic machinations of our government, my listener's response was to ridicule me. Apparently what's wrong with me is that I think "the sky is falling"!!!

I've heard this more than once recently, and I'm sure a lot of us get a similar response these days. It's good to keep in mind Arthur Schopenhauer's observation about truths: "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."

A noted philosopher, Schopenhauer lived from 1788 to 1860. Among the many reasons I like his thinking is the fact that he called Hegel (a contemporary) a "clumsy charlatan" and often took on Hegel's work, exposing the fallacies Hegel camped on. I've already written here about the Hegelian Dialectic. If you don't understand it yet (as my listener today so clearly didn't) you need to read up.

(And no, I don't think the sky is falling, but that brings back to mind a great atmospheric analogy I've been contemplating. I'll try to turn it into a post sometime soon.)