Why is it that people would want to think? Because there are so many reasons not to. Just imagine: if thinking is movement, you’re moving out of your cave’s safety. Why? Why would you want to expose yourself to dangers and move out of there?
When you think, and it’s movement, it’s something that’s like being on a tightrope, and being at the edge. One side, and you fall on the left. The other, you might fall on the right. And you’re teetering. If you don’t move, not much is happening, but at least you’re not falling.
So why? Why would you take that risk? And then, thinking means engaging with concepts. Engaging: Another word for it is wrestling. There’s a struggle. There’s an effort. And again, there’s a risk. So why? Why, why on earth would you ever want to think?
Why is it that we would leave the safety and face danger and uncertainty?
Because there is no possibility of finding something new, something creative unless we abandon what is safe and sound. That motivation is the same motivation that has been pushing people to discover new lands, to be pioneers, to be explorers. The promise of the new land, where there are open horizons, opens the possibility of something new and gratifying.
How is it that we engage in this adventure? We recognize that it is impossible to move forward without facing uncertainty. But we also start to realize that uncertainty is only one side of the coin. The other side of the coin is the possibility of the new and the reward. We are, of course, scared by the uncertainty. Still, we keep remembering that the uncertainty is also what makes it possible to find the new land.
So, it is beneficial not to think about it in the traditional sense of thinking when we engage in thinking.
Think of it as an adventure, as movement, as something that’s going to involve emotions.
Emotions mean being moved. This includes fear. It includes pleasure. It includes stimulation. And so, move while thinking, as opposed to being stuck in one place. Also: Move in the sense of talking to people, making it a moment of connection, of stimulation. Even emotions that are more difficult, like fear, are part of the fuel for this movement.
If thinking is movement, go for it!
Evelyn Fendler-Lee and Serge Prengel have been exploring creative ways to think about thinking in such a way that it opens up new horizons. This process involves sharing some of what comes up as we proceed. We feel that the sharing broadens our exploration as it stimulates further thoughts in you.
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