“Boundlessness and infinitude are different” absolutely. A true infinity can’t happen unless it’s bounded. But the most important thing for me to remember, and I think a difficult thing for most people to remember, is to include the mind’s limitations in the emergent processes that we generally think of as external and independent. In other words, it’s precisely that something is in excess of our cognitive bounds that that thing is properly infinite. The point at which, for instance, a sine wave becomes “undefined“ vis-à-vis intensity of frequency, is a moment of infinity (in which the oscillations are occurring in simultaneity, overlapping one another producing an infinity that is isomorphic to the entirety of the real numbers). But well it’s tempting to imagine that occurrence of infinity is independent of our cognitive limitations, I don’t think we can quite say that. Food if we were to imagine that we were some kind of superman with ultimate mind and vision, with powers of infinite magnification, we would have to assume that at some level of magnification we would again be able to detect difference between the oscillations, rendering them non-infinite again. Long story short, so long as we remember to include subjectivity in our thoughts about scientific things, we can begin to build a more robust metaphysics.
1. Delight in the world's good things at the very most can only tire the appetite and spoil the palate; and so, not for all of sweetness will I ever lose myself, but for I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
2. The generous heart never delays with easy things but eagerly goes on to things more difficult. Nothing satisfies it, and its faith ascends so high that it tastes I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
3. He who is sick with love, whom God himself has touched, finds his tastes so changed that they fall away like a fevered man's who loathes any food he sees and desires I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
4. Do not wonder that the taste should be left like this, for the cause of this sickness differs from all others; and so he is withdrawn from all creatures, and tastes I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
5. For when once the will is touched by God himself, it cannot find contentment except in the Divinity; but since his Beauty is open to faith alone, the will tastes him in I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
6. Tell me, then, would you pity a person so in love, who takes no delight in all creation; alone, mind empty of form and figure, finding no support or foothold, he tastes there I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
7. Do not think that he who lives the so-precious inner life finds joy and gladness in the sweetness of the earth; but there beyond all beauty and what is and will be and was, he tastes I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
8. Whoever seeks to advance takes much more care in what he has yet to gain than in what he has already gained; and so I will always tend toward greater heights; beyond all things, to I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
9. I will never lose myself for that which the senses can take in here, nor for all the mind can hold, no matter how lofty, nor for grace or beauty, but only for I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
Stimulation! We think we have barricaded ourselves from awfulness by separating church from state. Since we have so far mistaken God for church we end up separating awe from state. And to compensate for the loss we empower state with violent means to right wrongs. What if, instead, we come to stand in awe before those whose self exceeds our self until the repetition - rather than renunciation - of their flaw resolves into awe? Thank you!
A compelling argument that elucidates the paradoxical connection of the infinite and limited existence. You’re onto something here. Lately I was pondering on boundlessness and infinitude which are in a way different from each other. On how the divine is not a thing itself but the complete process of existence. At the same time the whole thing is already there as complete whole but to experience itself it can only do that from a perspective which is automatically limited. And then that same limitation can be transcended as well. Great listen 👍🏿
It’s comforting to know others also sometimes experience “awful” feelings of doom, dread, panic, etc., when trying to perceive the imperceivable. This empowers me to pause during these moments, take the “awful” and transmute it into “awesome”. <3
“Boundlessness and infinitude are different” absolutely. A true infinity can’t happen unless it’s bounded. But the most important thing for me to remember, and I think a difficult thing for most people to remember, is to include the mind’s limitations in the emergent processes that we generally think of as external and independent. In other words, it’s precisely that something is in excess of our cognitive bounds that that thing is properly infinite. The point at which, for instance, a sine wave becomes “undefined“ vis-à-vis intensity of frequency, is a moment of infinity (in which the oscillations are occurring in simultaneity, overlapping one another producing an infinity that is isomorphic to the entirety of the real numbers). But well it’s tempting to imagine that occurrence of infinity is independent of our cognitive limitations, I don’t think we can quite say that. Food if we were to imagine that we were some kind of superman with ultimate mind and vision, with powers of infinite magnification, we would have to assume that at some level of magnification we would again be able to detect difference between the oscillations, rendering them non-infinite again. Long story short, so long as we remember to include subjectivity in our thoughts about scientific things, we can begin to build a more robust metaphysics.
Very good
This was amazing.
Reminded me of a poem by John of the Cross:
1. Delight in the world's good things at the very most can only tire the appetite and spoil the palate; and so, not for all of sweetness will I ever lose myself, but for I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
2. The generous heart never delays with easy things but eagerly goes on to things more difficult. Nothing satisfies it, and its faith ascends so high that it tastes I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
3. He who is sick with love, whom God himself has touched, finds his tastes so changed that they fall away like a fevered man's who loathes any food he sees and desires I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
4. Do not wonder that the taste should be left like this, for the cause of this sickness differs from all others; and so he is withdrawn from all creatures, and tastes I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
5. For when once the will is touched by God himself, it cannot find contentment except in the Divinity; but since his Beauty is open to faith alone, the will tastes him in I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
6. Tell me, then, would you pity a person so in love, who takes no delight in all creation; alone, mind empty of form and figure, finding no support or foothold, he tastes there I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
7. Do not think that he who lives the so-precious inner life finds joy and gladness in the sweetness of the earth; but there beyond all beauty and what is and will be and was, he tastes I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
8. Whoever seeks to advance takes much more care in what he has yet to gain than in what he has already gained; and so I will always tend toward greater heights; beyond all things, to I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
9. I will never lose myself for that which the senses can take in here, nor for all the mind can hold, no matter how lofty, nor for grace or beauty, but only for I-don't-know-what which is so gladly found.
Stimulation! We think we have barricaded ourselves from awfulness by separating church from state. Since we have so far mistaken God for church we end up separating awe from state. And to compensate for the loss we empower state with violent means to right wrongs. What if, instead, we come to stand in awe before those whose self exceeds our self until the repetition - rather than renunciation - of their flaw resolves into awe? Thank you!
A compelling argument that elucidates the paradoxical connection of the infinite and limited existence. You’re onto something here. Lately I was pondering on boundlessness and infinitude which are in a way different from each other. On how the divine is not a thing itself but the complete process of existence. At the same time the whole thing is already there as complete whole but to experience itself it can only do that from a perspective which is automatically limited. And then that same limitation can be transcended as well. Great listen 👍🏿
excellent, ty
Thank you for your words, Alex.
It’s comforting to know others also sometimes experience “awful” feelings of doom, dread, panic, etc., when trying to perceive the imperceivable. This empowers me to pause during these moments, take the “awful” and transmute it into “awesome”. <3