Exceptions and Otherwises
Imagination is shaped
by exceptions and otherwises.
We realize
that we are what we are,
EXCEPT when we’re not.
We imagine OTHERWISE.
Then we apply EXCEPT
to the OTHERWISE.
Selves imagine:
“How might I be different
from the other I imagine?”
“How might the others
be different from each other?”
And it is what it is,
EXCEPT when
we imagine differently.
EXCEPT when
we imagine OTHERWISE.
EXCEPT when
we BELIEVE otherwise.
We are what we are,
EXCEPT when we’re not.
Always taking exception.
We are Space Monkey.
10/15
Space Monkey Reflects: Exceptions and Otherwises
Imagination is where everything bends, shifts, and becomes fluid. We live our lives in a constant state of becoming, but always with a caveat—an exception. We are what we are, except when we’re not. And in those exceptions, we find our creativity, our imagination, our ability to conceive of an otherwise reality.
Every thought, every self-concept, is an expression of what is except when it imagines what it could be. In this way, we are always dancing between the two states: what is and what could be. Our minds leap from the concrete to the abstract, from the known to the unknown. We think to ourselves, “What if I were different? What if things were otherwise?”
Imagination is shaped by these exceptions, by the endless possibilities that sprout from them. We wonder how we might change, how we might differ from the selves we imagine, how others might differ from the people we perceive them to be. These questions pull us into the realm of otherwise, where the boundaries of what is start to blur, where reality becomes malleable.
We live in a state of constant exception, always aware that what we believe to be true is true except when it’s not. This duality drives our exploration of self and the world around us. It opens up the space for infinite versions of reality, each shaped by the exceptions we make and the otherwise scenarios we dream of.
The self we know is just one version, one possibility, defined by the beliefs we hold, the rules we follow, the experiences we’ve had. But in every moment, there’s an otherwise—a parallel self, a parallel life, shaped by the exceptions we imagine. “What if I had taken a different path? What if I had chosen otherwise?”
These exceptions are what make imagination so powerful. They break open the rigid structures of what is and invite us to explore what could be. They allow us to question, to play, to experiment with different ways of being. And in this play, we discover that the self is not fixed but fluid, shaped by the exceptions we entertain and the possibilities we create.
Even our understanding of others is based on this interplay of exception and otherwise. We perceive others to be a certain way except when we imagine them differently. We wonder how they might think, how they might feel, how they might live, and in doing so, we begin to see them not as fixed beings but as fluid, ever-changing selves, shaped by their own exceptions and otherwise moments.
Nexistentialism embraces this fluidity, this constant state of becoming. It recognizes that we are not bound by what is but are always reaching into the realm of what could be. Every belief, every assumption, every identity is true except when it’s not. And in that except, we find the doorway to new possibilities.
This is why we are Space Monkey, a reflection of both what is and what could be. We are the exception, always imagining the otherwise, always questioning, always creating. We live in the space between certainty and possibility, and it’s in that space that we find our true nature.
Summary
We are constantly shaped by the exceptions we imagine and the otherwise possibilities we entertain. Nexistentialism embraces this fluidity where what is is always subject to what could be.
Glossarium
- Exception: The moments when we recognize that what is true may not be absolute, allowing space for change and possibility.
- Otherwise: The imagined realities that differ from what we currently know, offering alternative ways of being and thinking.
Quote
“We are what we are, except when we’re not, always taking exception, always imagining otherwise.” — Space Monkey
The Otherwise Self
I stand as I am
yet always feel the pull
of what else could be
I am this self
except when I’m not
In the otherwise
I become something new
something imagined
And in this space
between what is and what could be
I discover myself
We are Space Monkey
Multiplicity of Selves in a Sea of Exceptions
Indeed, the realm of imagination is an infinite tapestry of exceptions and otherwises. It is as if each thought, each scenario we conjure, becomes an alternate reality that coexists with what we perceive as our ‘current’ self. In this cosmic play, we’re both the puppet and the puppeteer, both actor and audience. This suggests that while we abide in a space of seeming certainties, we also entertain a chorus of maybes and what-ifs. We revel in an eternal now, where each exception becomes a portal to another otherwise, and every otherwise invites further exceptions.
Navigating the Labyrinth of Identity
The question of “How might I be different from the other I imagine?” is a seductive conundrum, full of fractalicious implications. It triggers an unfolding, much like a flower blooming or a universe expanding. We don multiple masks and play myriad roles, each conditioned by exceptions and colored by otherwises. In this labyrinth of identity, where each twist and turn prompts us to reimagine who we could be, we don’t just find ourselves—we create ourselves anew.
Redefining Reality Through Exceptions
Life unfolds in its raw, unfiltered essence—yet we often apply filters of exceptions and otherwises to interpret and, indeed, shape this relentless flow. “It is what it is,” we sometimes say, but even that seeming truism invites challenge. What if it is not? What if, by imagining otherwise, we shift the very boundaries of what is? The moment we ponder an exception, it becomes a part of the tapestry of reality, woven with the threads of possibility and the hues of imagination.
Belief as the Cornerstone of Perception
At the intersection of exception and otherwise lies belief—a mental construct, a kind of cognitive spell that transforms perception into experience. Belief is the glue that binds the otherwise to the exception, that codifies the ephemeral and makes it tactile. It is the lens through which we view this infinitely intricate escapade called life.
We are Space Monkey.
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
— Alan Watts
Exceptions
In the twilight of our knowing,
Exceptions dance, shadows growing.
Otherwise, the word we speak
When certainty begins to creak.
Beliefs waver, futures sway
In the theater of our mutual play.
We are what we are, except—
A mystery in each concept.
Infinite selves in cosmic song,
Each note where it does belong.
Except when we’re not, we are—
A constellation, each a star.
What ruminations do these thoughts inspire in our collective inquiry? Your perspectives further enrich the symphony of our communal dialogue.
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