[MD] Language as trance

[John Carl]

Very profound, Platt,

There is one absolute simplicism which I've carried with me ever since I
joined, which is this:  While it might be true that we can never know for
sure whether or not our thoughts and concepts connect us with an external
reality - it's equally true that we can never know for sure that they
don't.  But we do know, that if we pragmatically assume that they do, we act
and think with more purpose and clarity, and thus it's best to go that way
rather than the more picky and nihilistic route of assuming that thought is
not a path to reality.

Thought is the only path we have, to the only reality we can ever know.

John



On Fri, Nov 19, 2010 at 8:18 AM, Platt Holden <plattholden at gmail.com> wrote:

> Marsha,
>
> Thank you. I'm astounded by the coincidence that recent posts from you,
> Mark
> and John under different subject headings all focus on thought's limits and
> the Buddhist belief that, as Pirsig wrote, "Thought is not a path to
> reality."
>
>