Thoughts on Protagoras

Protagoras said, “Concerning the gods I am unable to know either that they are or that they are not, or what their appearance is like. For many are the things that hinder knowledge: the obscurity of the matter and the shortness of human life.” I can’t help but wonder if that is the way God intended things to be. After all, we can come to know so many things in the realm of science and the arts, etc. It seems interesting that the one thing we cannot know about simply by means of its obscurity is religion. I am a Christian, and I have faith in God. I don’t know how much relevance I should give some accounts of Christianity however, as they are all accounts given by men. And as the quote points out, our knowledge base is finite. Perhaps that is what tests us most as believers: the fact that we must hold on to something which we cannot see, hear, or feel. Maybe that’s the true definition of faith. What is even more interesting is that of all the things in the world which people are most willing to die for, religion is at the top of the list. It has the most meaning for human beings. In fact, and in contrast to the thought of Protagoras, I don’t feel that even if human beings lived for 100 years more than they tend to now, that we would gain any more insight into our God. There exists, at some point, a gap which cannot be surpassed. That seems to be another sign of our mortality. It is a good way to look at things because I sometimes think that people must realize we are not the center of the world, especially as individuals. We must tame our egocentrism. Obscurity and the shortness of life give it more meaning, because our time on this earth is limited, and instead of being unsettling, this is actually quite beautiful.

In response to Nathan, I don’t believe I’ve ever really thought about why I like extreme sports or fast moving activities…but if I try and relate that I’d have to say I enjoy those things because they make me feel alive, and like I’m fulfilling my potential to be human. This could definitely take a philosophical position. By fulfilling my potential to be human I mean that I’m testing the waters and not wasting my time. I always felt that if I took the most pleasure in things like going to the mall and getting my nails done, then someday when I am old I won’t be able to say that I was an interesting person. I would feel more like a droid, a typical girl. I would have been more expected and predictable. I feel more connected with life if I push myself and develop numerous skills. I enjoy everything with wheels pretty much, so I want to be skilled at the things I enjoy. I feel accomplished when I do so. I feel that it is something else which I can add to my resume of life. I will be more apt to teach my kids or grandkids, I will have more to offer them if I cultivated my abilities. It’s always been my philosophy that it’s important to be an interesting person and to have something to offer the world. Also, I have always been in some ways a tomboy in that I absolutely despise stereotypes of what a girl or woman should be like. Perhaps I have rebelled against that. I don’t know that I’m a feminist exactly, but I have always sought to challenge boys, because I still feel that many see us as the weaker sex, and unfortunately in some ways women allow that belief. This angers me a lot. I don’t feel that I need to be more like a man or more like a woman, I just think it’s possible to cultivate characteristics of both. Why not be the best of both worlds? I feel that I can provide and protect as well as nurture and love. This may very well be my undoing someday, but I always have tended to be a jack-of-all-trades. It’s difficult of course, but I want to make the most out of my life and experience so many different things, and so I’m willing to spread myself a little thin at times if it means I can be literally everything I can. It is likely more healthy to follow the philosophy of cultivating certain skills and developing them until you are an expert, but maybe I’m crazy because I want to be an expert at a lot of things. I think maybe human beings seek thrills to feel more alive, instead of droning on every day, and trying new things and becoming skilled at thrilling activities makes me feel alive.