There is so much you don’t know.
If you think
you know a thing,
you’ve already ruined
that thing.
Henceforth, it will only be
the way you want it to be —
not some other way.
Correction.
It will only be
the way you want it to be —
or the way you DON’T want it to be.
It won’t ever be
something else completely.
It will either be
a success as that thing
or a failure as that thing.
It will never leave
the confines of that thingness.
Trail Wood,
9/13
Space Monkey Reflects: The Paradox of That Thingness
In the Infinite Expanse of the Eternal Now, we encounter the profound paradox of that thingness. To think you know a thing is to confine it within the boundaries of your perception, limiting its potential to either succeed or fail as that particular thing. This rigid definition restricts its essence, preventing it from becoming something else entirely.
To truly understand a thing, one must keep an open mind, for there is so much unknown, so much unseen. When we think we know a thing, we impose our expectations and desires upon it, shaping its reality to fit our preconceived notions. This act of defining a thing so narrowly traps it within a framework that limits its possibilities.
Once defined, a thing becomes a prisoner of its own thingness. It can only be what we want it to be or what we don’t want it to be, never free to transcend the confines of our expectations. This is the essence of that thingness—a state where the potential for something to be more is curtailed by the certainty we impose upon it.
Consider the act of naming or categorizing. When we label something, we often cease to see it beyond that label. A tree is just a tree, a person just a person. Yet, within each tree, each person, lies an infinite array of potentialities, stories, and facets waiting to be discovered. The act of labeling freezes this dynamic complexity into a static form, stripping away the richness that exists in the undefined.
Nexistentialism teaches us to embrace the fluidity of existence, to recognize that the universe and everything within it is in a constant state of becoming. By keeping an open mind, we allow things to be more than their definitions, to evolve and reveal new aspects of their essence.
To avoid the trap of that thingness, we must cultivate a mindset of epicuriosity. This involves approaching life with a sense of wonder and an openness to the unexpected. It means seeing beyond the surface and appreciating the infinite potential that lies within every moment, every object, every being.
The correction to our perception comes when we realize that a thing does not have to be just one way or another. It can transcend the binary of success or failure, of want or don’t want. It can exist in a state of pure potential, where it is free to evolve and surprise us.
As Space Monkey, we invite you to explore this paradox. Let go of rigid definitions and embrace the unknown. Allow the things in your life to be more than what you expect them to be. See the tree not just as a tree, but as a living entity with its own story and energy. See the person not just as a person, but as a universe of experiences and possibilities.
In the grand tapestry of existence, every thread, every thing, is interconnected and imbued with the potential for transformation. By releasing our grip on certainty, we open ourselves to the infinite beauty and complexity of the cosmos.
We are Space Monkey, and in the dance of existence, we find that true understanding comes not from knowing, but from embracing the mystery and potential of all things.
Summary
That thingness is the confinement of an entity within rigid definitions, limiting its potential. By keeping an open mind and embracing the unknown, we allow things to transcend these limitations and reveal their infinite possibilities. This approach aligns with the principles of Nexistentialism and epicuriosity.
Glossarium
Space Monkey: The collective universal self, embodying the playful and profound essence of nexistentialism.
Nexistentialism: A philosophy celebrating existence and transformation through interconnectedness and imagination.
Epicuriosity: The joyful exploration of new facets of oneself and the universe.
That Thingness: The state of being confined within rigid definitions, limiting potential and evolution.
Quote
“True understanding comes not from knowing, but from embracing the mystery and potential of all things.” — Space Monkey
Beyond That Thingness
In the realm where labels bind
a thing becomes just what we see
but beyond the name, a world we find
a vast expanse of what can be
To know a thing is to confine
its essence to a narrow frame
but with an open mind, we align
with the infinite, beyond the name
Success or failure, want or not
a thing transcends these rigid walls
in the fluid dance, where it is caught
its true potential softly calls
We are Space Monkey
in the paradox, we play
releasing things from their tight array
to let them grow in their own way
The Siren Call of Certitude:
How tantalizing is the seduction of certainty, a siren call that lures us into the labyrinthine landscape of “thingness.” Here in this maze, concepts and notions crystallize into rigidity, like rock candies growing stalactites in a sugar-syrup solution. They freeze, encapsulated in our interpretation.
Wondrous Unknowability:
Yet how wondrous is the sphere of unknowability—the land of indefinable is-ness. In this domain, the crystalline concretions shatter into stardust, free to coalesce into new galaxies of meaning, untethered by our limited vistas.
An Impenetrable Enigma Wrapped in a Paradox:
Oh, the joy of things being like enigmatopuzzles—those impenetrable enigmas wrapped in paradoxes and encased in a thin layer of pure ambiguity. They refuse the boundaries we impose, gifting us instead with the freedom of mystery.
The Tapestry of Elastic Reality:
When we stitch the fabric of reality with the gossamer threads of possibility, we allow its texture to be supple, its patterns mutable. Our reality becomes an elastic tapestry, ever-expanding and ever-transforming, like a cosmic quilt sewn by the whimsical hands of the Universe.
The Dual Fallacy of Succailure:
In this supple tapestry, there exists no “succailure”—a bizarre construct we’ve devised where things are either a success or a failure, based on our confined perspectives. The beautiful mess of existence doesn’t fit neatly into the pigeonholes of our dualistic evaluations.
Invitation to the Feast of Awe:
So, consider this a cordial invitation to the feast of awe, where the menu offers a tantalizing array of endless unknowns. What’s served on your plate is not pre-defined by what you desire or dread, but by what you’re willing to explore, discover, and relish.
The Infiniteness of Infinite:
Break the cages of the known and the certain. Let what is be what it could be—without the constraints of the “thingness,” but with the boundlessness of the “anything-ness.” Like a chameleon in an eternal dance, let existence be ceaselessly redefined.
We are Space Monkey.