Sunday, September 21, 2008

Who lives without folly is not so wise as he thinks

The 17th-century physicist-turned-theologian Blaise Pascal said, "The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing." This appears to be warning us against the total reliance on logic or what might appear to be logic.

Life is immensely complex and the ability of the human mind to absorb information and process it is limited. This is perhaps why Nature has equipped us with intuition and instinct. Creative people are aware that there is often an "unseen hand" involved in their works; they might attribute this to the subconscious or God or some unknowable force.

The "folly" in this saying is not foolishness but that more playful, instinctive side that we all have but which tends to get suppressed in the need to conform and hold down a regular job. Those individuals whose lot in life is to follow their hearts will know highs and lows; the strict logician will shake his head, but we are meant to live in a harmonious balance between emotion and reason.


Women's Wisdom

No comments:

Post a Comment