![The media file [Christian] is by CallahanFreet.](/artists/christian/christian_head_hu5cef231d8f4180b7a037182f38f41a4e_11594_800x0_resize_q82_h1_box_2.webp)
The Tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.
The unnamable is the eternally real.
When you think about it, humans really are quite funny animals. We fail to first search ourselves for answers; we seek knowledge even when it is meaningless; without even understanding what the terms mean, we convince ourselves that what we know is real and rarely question our conclusions.
![The media file [Definition] is by CallahanFreet.](/works/52weeks/2022/0205/20220205_huf51b9a390b1b9d014bf205f98bf9713d_205132_800x0_resize_q82_h1_box_2.webp)
There is a lake at the foot of these mountains. It is frozen now. It was unclear how thick the ice was, so we debated whether to walk on it when we visited. We thought skis would be safer, but who knows. Next time we will bring them and test our theory.
If you don’t believe me, try this thought experiment or simply do it if you can:
Imagine you have two blind friends who have never been able to see. As best as you can, paying attention to every excruciating detail, describe to them the picture above. Do it separately so that each independently receive the same message.
Do you believe in each of their imaginations they would ‘see’ the same image? Would they ‘see’ the image you do?
The hidden filters between us are impossible to convey. Our words, like our senses, are inadequate approximations — although we seem able to convey concepts, we don’t truly know the message that is received.
No one teaches us about this flimsy nature of words. It is a conclusion we must reach on our own. If we are lucky, we have a partner with whom to discuss it, but defining terms still requires a lifetime.