Reply #148: Reminds me of a Zen Joke

[Warren DeMontague]

The student comes running in to see the master...

"Master! Master! I understand! That Rock over there.. is inside my head!"

The Master replies:

"You must have a very big head... to hold a rock that size"

My opinion:

Names, in fact all semantic abstractions, are useful because the human manipulation of symbols allows us to understand our environment in a far deeper way than most of our other primate relatives. However, people have an uncanny knack for confusing the symbol or name with the concept or unnameable reality it is meant to represent. Sort of like trying to vacation on a map of Pismo Beach or eat the menu at your favorite restaurant. (For example, this sort of confusion is precisely why otherwise sensible people are willing to trash the first amendment to ban the burning of a flag)

"Names" are useful but they can also be a crutch or a limiting factor when attempting to fathom the infinite.