Ive often thought there ought to be a manual to hand to little kids, telling them what kind of planet theyre on, why they dont fall off it, how much time theyve probably got here, how to avoid poison ivy, and so on. I tried to write one once. It was called Welcome to Earth. But I got stuck on explaining why we dont fall off the planet. Gravity is just a word. It doesnt explain anything. If I could get past gravity, Id tell them how we reproduce, how long weve been here, apparently, and a little bit about evolution. I didnt learn until I was in college about all the other cultures, and I should have learned that in the first grade. A first grader should understand that his or her culture isnt a rational invention; that there are thousands of other cultures and they all work pretty well; that all cultures function on faith rather than truth; that there are lots of alternatives to our own society. Cultural relativity is defensible and attractive. Its also a source of hope. It means we dont have to continue this way if we dont like it. Kurt Vonnegut Probably one of the best things Ive ever read. My life evolves around faith, rather than truth
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 13:18:44 +0000
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