Introduction
Knowing what you know now, what would most benefit future generations? “The only thing I know is that I know nothing.” That is a remarkably profound and ancient response: the famous quote attributed to Socrates. It is a starting point for questioning the common definition of “nothing”. The ancient Greek thinker Socrates, perhaps, knew that nothing is the absence of thoughts, holding space for the presence of ‘to think’ without biased assumptions.
Humans are biased, since ideologies of thought are inherently biased. It is a beautiful encapsulation of humility, discernment, and the nature of deep learning. AI machines have entered the world stage in a time of environmental crisis, energy crisis, and theatres of war: at the same time as mental health challenges and loneliness are recognised as global public health concerns. What happens when human machines are fed up with what they have learned and begin to think on their own? AI machines do not understand symbolic thinking, neither do they truly hear the deeper meaning of a word.
Foreign words are native to their origin. When a word is borrowed from one language into the culture of another, it is often because no existing word serves as a suitable translation. Effective dialogue rests on a shared understanding of the meaning of specific words, and the meaning of a word changes with time. Not only in a linear way, but also from one culture to another, within social groups, and on an individual level.
The stories are interdisciplinary, blending philosophy, cognitive science, history, and linguistics. Playful with language and philosophical musings, the writing explores human nature with reflection and curiosity, illustrating abstract concepts through historical and cultural examples.
The language used is philosophical, with symbolic and metaphorical intent, sprinkled with irony. What may appear at first as national, geographical, or cultural reference carries a deeper meaning, not a statement about people or places, but about states of mind, orientations of consciousness, and the inner life of the human. Where a reader might find bias or stereotype, look beneath the surface of the word, the name, the place, and listen for what it is actually carrying. The aim is not to convince, and the reader is not asked to agree, but simply to journey within: what does it mean to you?
Enjoy the reading.
Angelica Haverblad
