The Zany Answer and the Mundane One

Way back in the day, around 2012, I read a book by a philosopher. It was about…

I’m not sure.

It had something to do with not fearing the 2012 ‘apocalypse’ everyone was in a huff about at the time. I think his point was that we should all embrace his particular laid-back view of time. There was probably more to it, but I could not bring myself to finish the book.

I got as far as his explanation for how he discovered that time was circular. See, once when he was in college, he and his buddy got high on pot and went to a museum. He and his buddy experienced time as circular that night.

When they were high on a drug known to distort your perception of time and standing in a building meant to bring time periods together.

This experience meant that he had clearly come to some noble truth, and therefore…something.

The Student’s Question

He claimed he wrote this book because a student of his had asked an astronomy professor about the 2012 apocalypse.

The astronomy professor had brushed it off, been rude, or generally gave the vibe of not caring much for the question.

The philosophy professor asked her what she would do if the world did end in 2012, she replied she would go hang with her mother, and he told her to go do that.

And then he wrote his dumb book about his trip on weed.

Why Did The Student Ask the Philosophy Major, Anyway?

We can’t know how the conversation actually happened, or if it ever did. Maybe it did. Maybe it didn’t.

Let’s pretend for a minute that what actually happened was similar to what was described.

If you remember the 2012 apocalypse, it was supposed to come about because of some alignment of the planets or comet or something. Astronomy professors were getting bombarded with these sorts of questions because it had something to do with space.

Why talk to a philosophy major who doesn’t know anything about planets?

Possible reason 1: Astronomy professor didn’t give her the answer she wanted. She was, in essence, doctor shopping.

Why would she prefer the answer that the world would end in 2012? Maybe she was bored with life. Maybe she had some pet theory she needed to prove.

Possible reason 2: Her real question wasn’t about planets. It was about what she should do with her life.

Philosophy can help with that.

Possible reason 3: She was distracting him. The philosophy teacher had a pet bee in his bonnet and asking him about it prevented him from assigning homework.

Some teachers aren’t much for teaching, anyway.

Possible reason 4: She doesn’t understand specialization.

All smart people most know everything, according to her.

What Can We Learn From This Experience?

People come to their conclusions for their own reasons, and no one explanation is ever going to be enough

Also, if you go to a museum while high, you can write a book about it.