Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Consensus Reality


One of the rudimentary beliefs of Jain philosophy is the idea that because reality is multifaceted, it is impossible to view its entirety. No single statement or set of statements can capture the entire truth about anything described. The story above is an example.

This concept of reality vaguely resembles the western notion of the Heisenberg Principle in that the observer changes the observed.

To function in effectively, we build a consensus reality. That's not to say we don't also break our own rules to push the boundaries of thinking. However, like the wise person in the story, we are also required to understand the context.

Breaking the rules for purposes of innovation works best after you learn the rules.