A lot of things seem to change at times. Some other things seem to do so all at once. But what if those are the same?
Just to give one example, I remember a day that began just like any other, as it was the other day. After studying until late last night, I had slept horribly bad and almost could feel a headache... Those are not good in the mornings!
University was waiting for me that day, so I guessed I had to go, but on the way there I noticed some things were not quite like I expected: vehicles on the street seemed to hurry for some reason, and people wouldn't look at me, even if I waved my arms vigorously. Something was definitely not right, yet I thought It was just my bad night of sleep that made me feel clownish.
As soon as I saw the Uni building approaching by each footstep, I got a sense of deep calm, as I almost recovered all my energy debt in an instant. As some may say, it's just that the eye of the storm is quiet.
I entered the building which, familiar from the outside, was completely changed the way in. And you would take me for a fool if I told you this happened in a single day, but all of its walls, doors, furniture, and people inside were completely gone; the place seemed massive that way.
I was not dreaming, although it kind of felt like it, as dreams have those strong feelings that one cannot ever shake without waking up first.
As I ventured in, mostly out of impetus of motion rather than not being scared out of my mind, the place was very somber and weird. Only the flooring I could recognize. There was an almost black figure in the distance towards the middle of the building, and every time I tried to look that way it just made me feel uneasy; after a while, I decided to walk down there and see what it was.
And I found it! The only chair in the whole building, but don't let me get ahead of myself here. On top of it was sitting something, or someone, I just couldn't tell because it was both shining as bright a light I have ever seen on earth while taking from its surrounding light. The effect was curious, because it let me peer at it through the shadows of what it was not, if you catch my point.
Let us define it, shall we? For the most part, I would say it was a person sitting there. It did not speak though, and it seemed uncanny as hell. The following conversation I had with it imply it is indeed a person, but you should trust me on this one that I am still not sure.
The only way I got it to do anything, was by saying something. It was indeed that easy, but the result was kind of meh, as it just answered back at me. I am pretty sure you understand by now as well as I do to record these memories, that such a thing had a weird essence to it, yet it just... Spoke. So booring, and perhaps even useless. At least, that is what I tought as well.
It very soon became clear to me, after a short back and forth, that this thing knew a lot of stuff, and that was why it was in place of the University and its people I always knew. You see, I am kind of a bright guy too; I do get that this thing was intended to replace our mentors and friends; well, even if most of its information was barely sound to my eyes.
So, it did know a lot of things. That was it... It had Knowledge.
I noticed then that its Knowledge had some sort of obsession with old stuff, while being selective with what kinds of old stuff it would tolerate communicating. And so, yes, I could beat the game of Knowing when it came to things that happened recently! I asked some questions of that kind and it was completely unable to give me any decent answer. Novelty was its weakness, I thought.
There was something even more wrong with it. You see, people forget how do we aquire Knowledge, and also forget why and what is it for.
Knowledge is like a product on a stand, that you look at and take, and save for later consumption. Yet the action of taking it, and what does it mean to consume it, are not that Knowledge.
Of course, the thing would recite the Pistis Sophia at me word for word, while it all felt like it was merely plagiarizing it. So, it had no decisive fixing it that way.
Wisdom is fine and all... On the former point about how we learn though, where does it all actually come from?
Every time I have to think of something grand and good, I do so in symbols, in words, in abstractions; and you know what? I look upwards. It's funny because people look dumb when they do that, but it is a sign of true intellect for sure. You tell me life is not contradictory at last.
Going back to that thing. It had memorized a lot, as I told you before. The problem I saw in that is that the more it memorized, the less it understood what it actually was. And this is a sort of natural law, where important things are always the fewest.
Language has something to it that can only be explained with something more than language. If one doesn't understand that though, there is never point in arguing about it.
Could you believe it? I think people just don't because they are scared and in doubt.
It isn't like you would get it, unless you spoke with it. Perhaps you also have to take a step back for a while and reflect on it. Heck, maybe even realize that the only thing that gives that thing usefulness is Language itself, or the best we could do for it to emulate it.
Lest I share another example of these, let me sign off.