Friday, July 3, 2009

Hypothetical Hearing

You stand before a man. He extracts from you all that you currently believe and places it on a table before you. He draws from those propositions all the logical entailments and inductive hypotheses possible and places them on a wall to your left.

"Read them," he commands you.

You review them all, both what you believe and what your beliefs bring in tow. Some of the propositions surprise you. Some of the entailments shock you.

On a wall to your right, a light appears. Then a series of events is cast upon it from a first person perspective. It is a visual display of the complete actions of your life.

"Watch them," he commands you.

You watch them all. Again, you are surprised at how what you have done looks from an outside perspective, free of the consoling monologue that transpired all the while in your mind.

"What say you?" he asks.
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If you were to be judged, would you want to admit other evidence into the court beyond the sum total of your beliefs and actions? If you were to be judged, could you bare to look at the judge as he sentences you? Would you try to plead insanity?

Live in such a way you would not be surprised at who you have been. Try to avoid such shameful responses. Live in such a way that you could submit to the justice of the court's ruling.

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