Experience
I'm near the end of another one of C.S Lewis' books, The Screwtape Letters.
Creative. Provoking. Deeply entertaining. Passionate.
Yet again, a really great read from C.S Lewis.
On a side, and slightly related note, during my lift home from Dragonboat last night, my driver spoke about the subject of experience. And the role of experience in life.
To cut a long story short, personally, I disagreed with his view, which I quickly made known to him, prompting us into a fairly extended conversation. I don't discount the role, and the goodness found in experience, but I am wary of the value one can attach to it. That is, distorting it for what it is not. Or placing greater emphasis on it than what it deserves.
By way of interesting timing, last night as I read The Screwtape Letters prior to sleep, the chapter related to this very topic. To quote:
'Experience is the mother of illusion'
Without discussing the content of the chapter, I couldn't help but agree with the statement. Don't mistake me. I'm not trying to draw polarities. Experience has it's place. However, I suspect, to a large degree, we use experience to justify ourselves, and use it as a basis to form our world view.
To that, I disagree. Thus the danger. The illusion. The subtle permission of allowing our experiences to evolve, even if ever so slightly, in becoming our scapegoat.
Creative. Provoking. Deeply entertaining. Passionate.
Yet again, a really great read from C.S Lewis.
On a side, and slightly related note, during my lift home from Dragonboat last night, my driver spoke about the subject of experience. And the role of experience in life.
To cut a long story short, personally, I disagreed with his view, which I quickly made known to him, prompting us into a fairly extended conversation. I don't discount the role, and the goodness found in experience, but I am wary of the value one can attach to it. That is, distorting it for what it is not. Or placing greater emphasis on it than what it deserves.
By way of interesting timing, last night as I read The Screwtape Letters prior to sleep, the chapter related to this very topic. To quote:
'Experience is the mother of illusion'
Without discussing the content of the chapter, I couldn't help but agree with the statement. Don't mistake me. I'm not trying to draw polarities. Experience has it's place. However, I suspect, to a large degree, we use experience to justify ourselves, and use it as a basis to form our world view.
To that, I disagree. Thus the danger. The illusion. The subtle permission of allowing our experiences to evolve, even if ever so slightly, in becoming our scapegoat.
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