Curse of Knowledge

“Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” - Thoreau

When the act of knowing our fate cannot affect it in any way, is it better to be blissful in ignorance? In Never Let Me Go, Ruth lives a life of believing instead of knowing, hoping instead of searching for truth. It is easy to codemn her actions as ignorant and unrealistic, however she lived a life full of hope and optimism, something many other carers were incapable of. Why look down on an individual for being happy? Some, such as Thoreau, would speculate that Kathy and Tommy's knowledge, fallout, and heartbreak make them better than Ruth's daydreams, however I do not think the answer is that clear. I think without the spark of dreamers and the optimists, the darkness of reality would be crushing. However, time often requires that we lose our innocence, no matter how much we wish to never let it go.

Foundations of Reality

For those who have yet to see Shutter Island, I would hate to ruin the experience for you, but essentially the viewer learns to question what appears to be real. Our experience of reality is simply the firing of neural pathways. Like all circuitry, it is prone to break... so how can we trust our senses, our perception of the world and what is real? Leonardo DiCaprio's character has a difficult time adjusting, constantly battling his own psyche. I saw many existentialist themes throughout Shutter Island and thought it fitting that it came out during our Existentialist unit. However, I do hope Never Let Me Go doesn't have as big of a surprise ending... I can't handle the foundations of reality breaking under my feet another time.

Lion and Men

"There is nothing alive more agonized than man
of all that breathe and crawl across the earth." - The Iliad



As individuals, what is the strength of the bond we share with others? For Achilles and Patroclus, it unleashed a rage that slaughtered hordes of men. For the greater and lesser Ajax, it gave them strength to protect their ships from ruin. However strong these bonds are, they can be used to manipulate the other. Hera blinds Zeus with passion and betrays his orders, and the Gods consistently abuse mortals trust to get them to do their bidding.

As Valentine's Day came around, I was presented with two views of relationships: the power to destroy or the power to create. While Hallmark cards whispered sweet nothings into a couples heart, Homer revealed the power that lies within a pact between men. The suffering we endure throughout life, agony not apparent in many other lifeforms, lies in our ability to form relationships with others. When Achilles refuses to make a pact with Hector, he essentially refuses to form a bond with him, thus shielding himself from the strongest blow Hector could possibly give.

Entaglement

Recently, a physicist has discovered how to transport energy, utilizing the quantum theory of entanglement. Two "entangled" particles can exist that share the same existence, and a "measurement on one particle immediately influences the other, even though they are light-years apart."

Despite its incredible impact on the scientific community, entanglement holds more value to humanity and existence than advancing technology, as it gives us insight into the
nature of the universe. The idea that space separating matter can be an illusion for these molecules that exist simultaneously in two places, emboldens romanticists everywhere.



Even though we may be insignificant masses of carbon, the universe lets us be linked to other human beings just as these entangled molecules are to each other. When you know you aren't alone, the dark void of space is a little less frightening. In The Illiad, the relationships between fighters are the driving force that keeps them moving, running into sharp point of death only because their comrade is right beside them. The next time I look up and am belittled by the vastness of the universe, I will keep in mind how connected everything really is.