Push the Button

Reality can be very forgiving: We can go for years, even lifetimes believing something that isn’t true simply because our belief never gets tested against Reality. Much of what we believe is inconsequential–until that day when it matters a lot whether we have it right or not. Because when it comes down to it, Reality doesn’t care what anyone believes.

 “It’s not what I don’t know that gets me in trouble, it’s what I know that just ain’t so.”

I believe that was said by Will Rogers. I could be wrong, but it doesn’t matter unless I put money on it, or a life. 

Of course, Reality does test our beliefs sometimes subtly, and the only clue we have that we’ve been tested is when our answer to whatever the question is, doesn’t work. We assemble the intellectual Rube Goldberg device made of logics and reasonings, of evidences and bits of the puzzle we have collected, of things people we trust have told us, of what 10 million Frenchman swear is true! We polish it up, set it on the floor or the stage or a pedestal, then we push the button, and our construction makes a funny noise and falls over.

Frustration is the result of a failed Reality Test. Disappointment comes from unrealistic expectations, based on mistaken beliefs. At which point, you can sulk and go to bed, or go find some entertainment to take your mind off the failure–or you can take your machine apart, you can examine the pieces, take another deeper look at the logics and examine the reasonings, and make some changes until you believe you have it right.

Then, push the button again, and see what happens.