| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

Altering Reality

Page history last edited by Paul Hazelden 2 years, 11 months ago

Just Human?hit counter

Introduction  |  Community  |  Challenges  |  News  |  Resources  |  Contact  |  Join  |  Admin

(Back to Home ... Challenges)

 

Altering Reality

Introduction

Forgetting about Quantum Mechanics and time travel for now: let us assume that there is only one reality, and the past cannot be changed.  In abstract terms, this is probably the case; but in practical terms, both the past and our present reality can be changed.

 

What matters to us is usually not what actually happened, but the story we tell ourselves about what happened.  If the story changes, then our past has changed, and with it the reality we are living in.

 

So how do we change the story we tell about the past?  Here are several ways, which are relevant whether we are talking about a work of fiction or a description of the real world.

  • Scope.  What is relevant to this story?  I can change the selection criteria, alter what factors I consider to be relevant and what factors I consider to be irrelevant.
  • Context.  Where does this story fit within the wider picture?  I can change the context of this story, the larger setting in which this story takes place.
  • Focus.  Who or what in this story do I focus on?  Even if the story is told from one perspective, I can change where I focus my attention; I can often choose which character or characters I identify with, and that choice significantly affects the nature of the story.
  • Perspective.  Where am I standing when I consider this story?  Every story is told from some perspective: when I change the perspective, the story changes with it.
  • Priority.  I bring my own values to my interpretation of the story: some things are more important than others, and these values can change with time, thus changing the significance of the events in the story.  Sometimes we just need to revisit an old story, and bring into it our current values and perspectives.
  • Interpretation.  I cannot change what people actually said and did, but I can change my understanding of what they intended by those word and actions.  Was that criticism a cruel putdown, or a friendly joke?

 

 

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.