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Truth,
Lies, Codification and The Happy Paradox of Science and Belief W.H.Orchard, December 2001 It is at this time of year that we ponder the wonder of childhood and the state in which we once existed, able to believe in Father Christmas. In current times, living in an increasingly atheistic society, such a belief seems to be a preserve of only the most naive, unknowing and as yet unenlightened members of society. We all know that there is no Father Christmas, that it is impossible for one man to fly around the world in a night, delivering presents to every child in the world, and that reindeer cannot fly. But before we rush off to burden future generations with the truth that knowledge begins, letŐs pause for thought. From a recontexualist point of view, we should look at the fact that the Father Christmas story has changed with the changing culture and purpose of Christmas and other mid winter festivals. So the additions about the flying sleigh and the entrance through the chimney are less important than the basic establishment of the belief in this gift giving character. So how does the belief work? From the perspective of the child, there is good proof that Father Christmas exists. Firstly, everyone says he does.Secondly, the sherry and pies left out in the morning have gone.Thirdly and most importantly, the presents are there. LetŐs hold back judgement of the innocence of the child before we look at each of those justifications. For, in the context of the childŐs world each of them must be true. If Father Christmas does not exist (not even ac considered possibility for why should he not exist) then the following must be true: Firstly everyone is lying. But why would anyone want to lie?Or everyone else is deluded too. Why is everyone deluded? Secondly, someone is deliberately falsifying the evidence? But why would someone deliberately set up the pie and sherry story to quite deliberately perpetuate a lie. Thirdly, the presents must be provided by someone else. Why pay for presents just to perpetuate the lie? Why doesnŐt the real person take the credit for gift giving? When broken down, this does seem a ridiculous charade to maintain. So why do we do it? And why did it start? Some possible ideas include establishing the basis for a belief system. Perhaps in times before now, belief was an important help to getting through life. Marx described religion as the opium of the masses. So is belief something which can be used to accentuate reality, numb the pain, exaggerate the experience of life? Why would we need to believe? Because quite simply, if we do not take certain things 'on faith' we would become mentally unstable. It is an inherent psychological trait that codifies things as accepted truths so that we can get on with day to day tasks. For example, when we go into a half built structure, we are wary of walking around in case anything is as yet unsecured. But when we walk around the houses of friends, we take it on faith that when we go upstairs, we are not going to fall through the floor. The mind codifies things that are unnecessary for us to think about, such as the details of our regular surroundings. For example, when we first see a room, we will give it more analysis than the utterly subconscious way we navigate around our kitchens in the morning. We quite literally do not see the kitchen consciously, but the minutiae of the task we are performing unique to that morning. When we remember an object, we often see the icon, not the actual. For if we did not codify our surroundings, we would be walking around in constant state of thorough investigation. A bit like the experience induced by some narcotics. It is our ability to switch off the input of our senses that allows us to get on with tasks. It is our ability to be blinded by our minds that allows us to see. But with the child it does not matter if it walks around in a state of constant investigation. In fact that is probably a good things so that what it takes 'on faith' later on in life is based on strong analysis! But why confuse the issue with a story about a jolly old man. Is it because we want to teach children early on how easy it is to be lied to? Is it because we need to reawaken their questioning of reality? Let us consider how we describe the Father Christmas phenomena. Is it a lie? If so, should we call all fictional stories lies or just stories?Is it a story? If it is should we invest the same energy in backing up random facts about all our fictional stories?Is it a myth? So is part based in truth, or is it about something that is psychologically true?Is it a tool? Just like Christmas itself all the midwinter festivals are in some way linked to combatting the fears of illness, hunger and bleakness of the dark and cold nights. What is the Father Christmas story used to achieve? Awareness of lying, awareness of belief, letting the child believe in magic? Is it a paradox? Perhaps a simple device to open the childŐs mind to possibility that two things can be true, even though they cannot both be true. (The laws of time and the flight around the world.) Is it a cover story? An opportunity for a child to experience what it is to be given something utterly altruistically? Where the parents do not take credit. Just a man, who does nothing but give for no reward, but who has magical powers to go round the world in a night. And is it perhaps a warning to us that everything we belief isnŐt necessarily so just because: Everyone says so. The evidence is there to be analytically recorded. And most importantly, the presents are there. It strikes me that we want to believe things because the facts say so and because we benefit from a convenient existence by taking certain things on faith. That doesnŐt necessarily mean you think it means. But how much do we let ourselves believe in order to get 'presents'. Do you know that magic tricks are tricks? Or do you reach that point when you canŐt understand how they can be done that it ceases to be a trick and it actually becomes magic. Perhaps that state of belief is a wonderful state in which we can belief anything and as Goethe says, when you are bold and believe you can do anything, for boldess has magic in it. Or have certain people benefitted through the abuse of belief systems? Is hope a dangerous thing not letting us see the truth? But beware the context of your criticism. Judge each case as it comes, for by rash judgement you can lose one thing in order to gain another. Instead, hold your judgement and stop for a moment. And like all good recontextualists do at Christmas, savour the paradox that states that perhaps you can be decieved and know the truth all at the same time. Before you pack this away with the rest of your things, ask yourself what you believe. For more information, email: recontexture@lumachroma.com |
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