June 6, 1998
"Understanding is a three-edged sword." --Kosh to Talia, Babylon 5 "Deathwalker"
"Ignore the propaganda, focus on what you see." --Commander Sinclair, Babylon 5 "Midnight on the Firing Line"
"Everything operates, not on reality, but on the perception of reality." --Sneakers
"Reality depends on perspective." --Thomas Veil, Nowhere Man "Gemini"
Funny you should ask. Like Delenn, I have been unable to answer these questions without falling back on how others see me, defining myself with duty and responsibility. But I keep trying, and in the process learn more.
From the quotes at the top of the page, one might draw two conclusions about me. First, I'm a science fiction fan, especially Babylon 5. Second, I believe that reality is subjective. The world around us is what we think we see. There is more truth in that statement than most people want to admit. But suppose that rumors start circulaing that a bank is in trouble. Panicked investors withdraw their money. Soon the bank collapses, all on the basis of rumor. The same holds for the stock market, which rises and falls hundreds of points on rumors of less. Even the economy as a whole is subject to these perceptions of reality. Empires rise and fall, all on the basis of a rumor.
On an individual level, reality really is a matter of perspective. To each of us, the world is what we believe it to be. We each have different histories, different experiences to shape and color what we see around us. So the world to us is what we believe it to be. But at the same time, we shape the world with our words and actions, which are based on what we believe we see around us. We make the world, and the world makes us.
Ah, would that I were a philosopher. But since I'm just an engineer and scientist with a few crazy ideas, I seek truth in other ways. I'll post updates and essays as I find new ideas.
Rachel M. Thurston
surakofb5@yahoo.com
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