The Activity of Change

Before I left for the city of Chicago, my brother and I had a discussion about the limitations of consciousness. We both agreed that space and time are very apparent to us, but my brother argued that perception/consciousness could occur outside the boundaries of space-time. For him, it was possible to exist in space and percieve reality without the constraint of time. I argued (probably not well) for the impossibility of perception/consciousness without the constraint of space OR time. For me, both are fundamental to conscious existence; they are the framework for consciousness.

For me, such a realization--that we are active in creating the world we percieve due to our "framework of perception"--leads us to important theological, philosophical, and ethical projects. More specifically, when we become aware of our conscious activity in the world, it becomes evermore important to responsibly develop benevolent and meaningful belief structures which lend themselves to mutual up-building. It is easy to sit back and passively accept a "false world", one which we think asserts itself upon us. But I think we are agreeing to see the world this way; an active acceptance cloaked in passivity. The world isn't necessarily this way. The world can be different, and we can be a part of making that change.

I think this is most notable in expressions like "that's just the way it is" or "that's just the way I am." These expressions resist the activity which can lead to change. Although not all change is necessarily good, good change only results from betterment, and betterment can only be brought about by activity. The psychological implications of seeing yourself in an active world are far reaching because they require us to do, think, and say. We can no longer sit back and feel good about how things "must be." Instead we can see the world as a place that can be better; a place that can change. This is because we can be better; we can change.