Wanderer and his Shadow 2.1

Wanderer- Where does a thought come from?

The Shadow- How is it that you always forget to ask this question when you are happy.

W :-Well I am asking it now.

S:-Are you happy right now?

W:-Hhmm Not really. But I am not sad either. Just content I guess. But hey, would you stop answering my questions with questions of your own.

S:-Why? Do I remind you too much of Socrates?

W:-That also sounds like a question.

S:-I thought you trusted me. And after what I did for you today.... Are you sure you are not agitated?

W:-"Sigh". Ok fine. Now would you answer my question please?

S:-Havent I already?

W:-Hhmmm. I see your point. But that only shows how one thread of thought leads to another thread of thought. I wish to know where does the first thought come from. Any thought that just comes out of the blue. Like when I am driving and I suddenly think of the George Carlin kitten video that I enjoyed watching so many times a few days ago.

S:-I can answer your question, but if you know me, as I am sure you are getting to, it wont be a straight one.

W:-Why is that? Why cant I get a straight answer to my question? You think I am stupid?

S:-What is stupid? Actually never mind. I cant answer your question directly because you are not asking me what country the wall of china is in. I have to take you through the maze, show you all the dead ends of thoughts before you find your way out to justify answering a question not only abstract but very elusive.

W:-Hhmmm. ok. I am ready.

S:-You are a multiplicity.

W:-Yes you told me that last time and I have been thinking about it.

S:-What have you found out so far?

W:-That the illusion of the unity of self called by many different names, Ego, I , Consciousness is a necessary one.

S-Very good , keep going. And keep in mind the example of Lassi and Yogurt from out last conversation. That one idea builds on the other and to understand the one on the very top, you must first climb all the lower ladders of ideas. Like if I tell you now that I can tell you the meaning of life and that it is 42.

W- Oh yeah, I remember that. A novice can never figure out the first time why it is 42. I have tried it.

S- So you were saying....?

W- Where was I. Yes... That we are a multiplicity posited as a unity. It goes parallel and was helped in understanding by Freud when he spoke of drives that live within us. They can be counted on fingers when spoken psychologically but going after their philosophical extensions, every moment in our minds there are countless ideas struggling to leap into our conscious mind from unconscious mind. With practice we can stop, if need be, any one idea from taking over our active drive mode and making us believe its absolute legitimacy. Necessary as it may appear at the moment that an idea or a thought has taken over our being, it can always be substituted by a different one because that illusion of necessity, of legitimacy, of importance that we feel about a thought is only a function, an essential function of that very thought. For a thought to successfully occupy our mind, it has to make us believe that no other thought would do at the moment.

S:- wow wow slow down...

W:- sorry. I guess the thought of explaining myself hijacked my mind, and left behind the other thought that considers brevity.

S:- You know its not easy being honest. The dishonest ideas are the worst pirates. Self deception, in our long evolutionary history may have been advantageous at times but in the absence of a sharp governing intellect the devil can make us believe that he does not exist while it steers our life away in any one direction and feed us dopamine and other people's admiration, keeping our vanity polished to ensure its invisibility and survival.

W:- How do I know you are not that devil. How do I know that you are not that one pirate idea that has hijacked my mind and will not let your competitor ideas and thoughts come forward?

S:- I knew you would ask me that question sooner or later. Did I not come to your rescue today when you were sad and anxious and restless. Was I not the one that put a smile on your face, scared away the anxiety and told you all was ok or will be ok? Have I not been your best friend in the past?

W:- You make a good case, but do not sit too easy. I am not done with you yet.

S:- You are a good student.