Metaphysical Dialog

Ian and I were reading "Seven Blind Mice" - a children's book that basically re-tells the tale of the seven mice - or monkeys, etc. - who find an elephant and can (mis-)identify one particular part of the creature, but don't understand the "gestalt" or whole of the creature. I told Ian that we all suffer from this condition of "not seeing the forest for the trees," and Ian offered his own philosophical insight - much the way that a person might quote Plato's Republic:

"I heard this on Star Wars I: 'The ability to speak is not the ability to understand.'"

(May 21, 2011)