{photographs taken with Pentax K1000 35mm camera and Kodak Portra 400 film}
I am deep into a mission to try to limit my own tendency toward binary thinking. I see the way it is harmful to label things as good or bad, right or wrong. And now that I’ve seen it, it cannot be unseen. It’s everywhere.
I am learning from wise teachers, like Alan Levinovitz, associate professor of philosophy and religion at James Madison University. Sharing an excerpt from his essay, In Praise of Bewilderment.
“For those who find bewilderment terrifying, who value the integrity of their web of belief, I can only offer the reassurance of my own experience. There is, I admit, an initial shock to the system, like when you jump into a frigid lake. But the shock doesn’t last. It quickly gives way to relief, even comfort. You no longer need to exhaust yourself pretending to understand what you don’t or making pronouncements about questions that are above your pay grade. You can trade false simplicity for complicated truth. And the resulting worldview is more useful and more beautiful because it genuinely reflects reality. That’s why a synonym for bewilderment is wonder, which, at least for me, is not terrifying but exhilarating.”