understand

 Understanding is accepting the explanation. The explanation may go against your personal feelings, but the truth will remain. Consider something as simple as singing in the shower. Most of us believe we sound pretty darn good. Why is that? Because we hear the actual artist singing that song in our mind and feel like we sound just like that. At the same time, we understand that isn't the reality at all. It's just us singing in the shower. We are never going to be famous, make recordings and be adored by fans. Nor do we expect anyone else to pretend that we will. As for me I accept the explanation. I can't sing. I fully understand why others don't want to hear me sing. I've tried explaining to others how I'm just unique, a new voice, but they don't understand that. They don't accept that explanation at all. It also doesn't matter what I believe. The truth remains, I can't sing.

 It is nothing new this search for an explanation. Man has searched for a reason since he first looked to the skies. If we can explain something, the why of it, we feel more comfortable with whatever that is. It's true with the good or the bad things in life. As children we were often told stories to explain things we didn't understand. I remember being told that thunder was people bowling in heaven. The lightening was recharging the sun. I didn't feel quite so afraid then. It was in a context I could understand. As a child it made sense. Later in life as I matured, I learned the true explanation for those weather events. I gained a new understanding. An understanding based in fact. But facts don't always dispel a belief. Belief trumps all explanations and facts. Belief is the strongest force of all. 

 What is important to understand is accepting the explanation doesn't always make something right. You can understand why something is, accept the explanation for it being so, and the "thing" still be wrong. Consider robbing a store because you are hungry. I can understand why you did that; I can accept that explanation, but the robbery is still wrong. This is something I feel is getting lost today. Too many believing that as long as I have an explanation for something it's alright. The whole concept of I'm not hurting anyone else. Is that the sole measure of right and wrong? As long as it doesn't hurt someone else it is correct. No that is a logical fallacy. That isn't the test. Believing something doesn't make it real. That is another misconception being fostered today. The thing is, belief requires no proof. Empirical evidence in contradiction to belief remains as evidence. It may or may not dispel belief. Belief will not change the evidence. 

 The field of study involved with all of this is called epistemology. It's the theory of knowledge. A lot of very educated folks have written volumes on this topic. It's a sub-topic of philosophy. I find it interesting because it isn't much different than what people argue about every day on Facebook. What conditions must be met for a belief to be considered knowledge. Is knowledge truth? Is belief truth? That's the sort of thing being argued. Only difference being the choice of words used in those discussions. That's my feeling anyway. I have been thinking about this, writing about this stuff for years now. I wasn't aware it was called epistemology. I knew that an epistle was a fancy word for a letter. I never thought of a letter that way though, at least none of the letters I have ever written or received. Now after almost seventy years I have decided I might want to be an epistemologist. I wonder what my guidance counselor in high school would have had to say about that. 

 I wonder if I were to publish all these blogs if I could call it an epistle. The epistle of Ben. According to the internet I would have to dictate them to a scribe though. Scribes wrote them and the author read them over before being sent out. Near as I can tell no other epistles have ever been written since Paul wrote his. At least the internet doesn't tell of any. Wouldn't an epistemologist write epistles? Seems reasonable. Or would you have to apostolic to do that? Guess it all depends upon what you believe. Whatever explanation you accept is the understanding you will have. Still, understanding it doesn't make it true.