Conversations For Transformation: Essays Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

Conversations For Transformation

Essays By Laurence Platt

Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

And More

Thoughts Of Genius

Exertec Health and Fitness Center, Napa, California, USA

February 2, 2019


"First thoughts are the thoughts of genius." ... my father Dr Asher Manfred Platt

"My goal is simple: it is complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is, and why it exists at all." ... Stephen Hawking
This essay, Thoughts Of Genius, is the second in a trilogy on Genius:



The truth is simple - even if it's not always easy. You saw everything you needed to see, the first time. You got everything you needed to know, the first time. The trouble is: what you saw and what you got, was so simple and so pure, that you didn't (ie you couldn't) accept what you were seeing ie you couldn't grok  what was right in front of you. You were convinced it couldn't be that  simple. You were absolutely certain  nothing of any value could be so obvious. Here's what you did:

You looked for the meaning of Life. You didn't find it. So you searched for it. That was your first mistake. You looked for the purpose of Life. You didn't find it. So you searched for it. That was your second mistake. You looked for the significance of Life. You didn't find it. So you searched for it. That was your third mistake.

Try this on for size - not like it's the right answer  but like it's a possibility:  you didn't find the meaning of Life initially because there is none. You got it right the first time. First thoughts are the thoughts of genius. You didn't find the purpose of Life initially because there is none. You got it right the first time. First thoughts are the thoughts of genius. You didn't find the significance of Life initially because there is none. You got it right the first time. First thoughts are the thoughts of genius.

If you got there's no meaning of Life the first time, you could have gotten any meaning you subsequently found, was self-made. If you got there's no purpose of Life the first time, you could have gotten any purpose you subsequently found, was self-made. If you got there's no significance of Life the first time, you could have gotten any significance you subsequently found, was self-made. There's nothing wrong with no meaning, purpose, or significance. They're self-made. That's powerful.

Look: if you get the meaning of Life is self-made, then you can get you're endowed with the power to make up any meaning you like  for yourself that's worthwhile and that serves the greater good. If you get the purpose of Life is self-made, then you can get you're endowed with the power to make up any purpose you like for yourself that's worthwhile and that serves the greater good. If you get the significance of Life is self-made, then you can get you're endowed with the power to make up any significance you like for yourself that's worthwhile and that serves the greater good.

You're also therefore endowed with the power to not  make up any meaning at all, and still live a life that's full, whole, and complete. You're also therefore endowed with the power to not make up any purpose at all, and still live a life that's full, whole, and complete. You're also therefore endowed with the power to not make up any significance at all, and still live a life that's full, whole, and complete (it's alright to make up meaning, purpose, and significance - it's what the machine does).

Listen: it always was  full ... until you made up it was otherwise, yes? It always was whole ... until you made up it was otherwise, yes? It always was complete ... until you made up it was otherwise, yes? Here are the possibilities: being full, whole, and complete is a matter of getting that it's already  full, whole, and complete ... or  ... it's a matter of making up  that it's full, whole, and complete ... or ... it's a matter of stopping  making up that it's not  already full, whole, and complete. It  has no meaning, purpose, or significance (that's why you couldn't find them when you first looked) other than what you make up. First thoughts are the thoughts of genius.

Thanks Dad.


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