It could be worse...

And so the saying goes.

Recently, a friend of mine was having a discussion with a co-worker.  He was discussing a perceived injustice in the system.  The argument went back and forth with my friend clearly asking more and more pointed questions until finally, his co-worker responded with "look, at least you have a job, right?"

And there it was.

"It could be worse."

The conversation was pretty much over then, but it got me thinking.  I was genuinely annoyed by that response.  I started analyzing it. Digging into what it meant and why it got under my skin. What I found was nothing less than a light bulb!

There are three ways that the concept of "it could be worse" can be applied.  The first is simply a matter of trying to get someone to put something into perspective.  In my experience, this typically has to do with an overreaction  to a relatively minor event.  I picture kids reacting to getting a minor scrape like they just lost a limb, or maybe a girl being consoled by her best friend after breaking up with her boyfriend.  It has a hopeful connotation like the saying "it isn't the end of the world".  It is saying "keep it in perspective."  This, by itself, is okay.

The second is a threat.  You have heard it.  If you a parent, you might have used it.  If your kid is complaining about having to clean his room before he can play, you might fire off "It could be worse, you could clean your room and then go straight to bed."  Yeah, I've done that.  It isn't nice, but it is still what I would call a legitimate use of the phrase.

The third is a red herring.  And that just ticks me off.  It is what happened to my friend.  It isn't related to the conversation, and it isn't related to the argument.  It is nothing more than a red herring that one person uses to get the argument off track.  I don't like logical fallacies, but this one really gets under my skin somehow.  It is dismissive and totally not relevant.  If there is something that needs correcting, then that should be addressed.  The answer shouldn't be "At least you have a job."  You could have said anything negative and it would be no more relevant.  "At least you are alive", "At least you aren't on fire", "At least the earth hasn't exploded", etc.  It isn't related to the conversation and it is a crappy way to try and end the argument.  I tell you, it makes me want to beat my head against a wall.

But, I guess it could be worse...

Does the world really make sense?

I expect the world to make sense.  Before anyone gets all huffy or argumentative, let me clarify that I don't mean that I should understand every little bit of everything that happens.  Some things that happen will certainly appear as random and/or coincidental. But I believe that everything that happens has a reason.  Heh, in a way, it is Anselm's most famous proposition:

Everything that begins has a cause.

I really believe that.  I may not know the cause and I may not understand the cause, but I believe that there is a cause that is knowable and understandable.  We exist in the midst of an overwhelmingly complex series of causes.  I hesitate to say cause and effect because each effect is simply another cause.  It's mind-boggling and huge and damn-near impossible to comprehend, but it's the truth.  However, each cause can be rationally explained by detailing the causes behind it.  Does that lead to an infinite regression?  Not really infinite, but pretty much, yeah.

That's what I mean when I say that I expect the world to make sense.  I expect that everything that happens has a rational explanation.  Some things seem random, but nothing really is.  Those moments where things click are when we comprehend the rationale behind what seems to be incomprehensible.  It is understanding a few more causes and incorporating them into our own limited experience.

It is a pretty profound concept.  Simple, but profound.

Everything that begins has a cause.

I wonder, then, if every bit of understanding and learning move us, in some small way, toward the first cause.  It's something to ponder.

Watching for Light Bulbs

Everyone has that moment when it clicks. It might be an idea you've been wrestling with, a routine you have been learning, or a concept that you just can't seem to wrap your head around.

And then it clicks.

And the light bulb turns on.

And it all suddenly makes sense.

And that is what this blog is about. It is about me trying to make something (and sometimes everything) click. But not just for me, it is about waiting to see if something that I say helps something click for someone else. There are billions of people in the world. Millions of light bulbs clicking every day. Each one is unique, special, and utterly fantastic. Watching my kids grow and learn is a humbling and exhilarating process. Watching my sons and daughter take their first steps, taste their first foods, and speak their first words have been wonderful times for me.

I like a world that makes sense and I love it when something clicks for me. And I love it when something clicks for someone else and you can see the light go on in their eyes.

So that is what this is about. My thoughts and watching for those light bulb moments. Thanks for reading.