Nothing is a just a story

Phenomenology is the study of consciousness.

How things appear in our own subjective, direct experience.

Husserl, the founding father of this discipline, said that the number one job of the phenomenologist is to describe. To denote any ordinary thing or object or event as it presents itself to our experience, rather than as it may or may not be in reality.

What’s beautiful about this philosophy is, it’s wildly human.

Because each and every one of us do exactly that.

With our own combination of perceptions, thoughts, fantasies, memories, emotions, and wishes, we see exactly what we want to see. We see things as we are, not as they are.

And so, inside of our heads, we have what we believe to be an accurate view of reality. And as long as it keeps us happy, we keep the camera rolling.

But is it the right story? Is there even a such thing as the right story?

Doesn’t matter. Phenomenology scholars say that we can describe our experience as they feel from the inside without having to prove that they represent the world accurately.

Dr. Seuss was one of the greatest practitioners of this discipline. From a young age, he had a penchant for telling stories that never actually happened, or embellishing ones that did. His anecdotes, not unlike his products, were novelty products. And those who knew him best made the same comment.

They were unable to separate fact from fiction. The man and the myth were one and the same.

Was it a true story? Well, it’s certainly true that it was a story.

But that’s what makes him one of my heroes. Seuss mastered the inner game of representing his experiences in his consciousness, and sharing them in a way that brought joy to others.

To me, that’s more important than accuracy and facts. And so, the questions we have to ask ourselves are as follows:

*What if fantasy and reality were not a pair of binary oppositions?

*What if, instead of categorizing the world into fact or fiction, the two could coexist?

Many people would debate those ideas. Saying that the truth is the truth and nothing but the truth so help me god. And that’s fine.

But in my forty plus years experience as a total bullshitter, I do believe fantasy has utilitarian value. It shows us another way of seeing and accepting life.

Which, considering how horrible life can be sometimes, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. What’s wrong with telling the truth by embellishing the facts if it makes us happier?

It’s not just a story. Nothing is a just a story. It’s a tool for creating meaning in a world that is utterly devoid of it.

Call it phenomenology, call it storytelling, call it selective perception, but remember, we all do what we have to do to survive. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Do you have any proof that humanity prefers fantasy over truth?