Thales and the comedy of superficiality

In an era dominated by social media, instant news, and ephemeral trends, the urgent often imposes itself as a tyranny, overshadowing deeper concerns. The author recounts a personal struggle with technology, attempting to connect a phone to a TV via AirPlay for the World Cup, which resulted in humorous self-deprecation and a realization of aging. This experience highlights a common disconnect: as one ages, the ability to keep up with every new app or viral trend diminishes, prompting a reevaluation of what truly merits attention.

The passage of time, while revealing a lack of familiarity with certain novelties, offers a curious advantage: a growing suspicion that not all things demand the same urgency. Distinguishing between the important and the merely new becomes challenging, and later, one recognizes that many week-long preoccupations vanish without a trace, while truly decisive questions linger. This reflection leads to the philosophical anecdote of Thales of Miletus.

Thales, an ancient Greek sage from Miletus (circa 624 BCE), renowned as the first philosopher and scientist, was known for his insatiable curiosity about the underlying order of reality. While contemplating the stars one night, he fell into a well. A Thracian girl passing by laughed, remarking, "He tries to know what is in the sky, but he cannot see what is at his feet." This jibe, seemingly about a clumsy, distracted individual, carries a deeper meaning: the practical, everyday world's reaction to someone venturing into contemplative thought beyond the immediate.

The laughter represents the spontaneous response of the mundane to the contemplative, the urgent to the important. However, the girl missed a crucial point: Thales was not distracted but absorbed, attempting to comprehend the world's root, the very foundation of existence. His fall, therefore, is not just a comical accident but a symbol of the risk inherent in looking beyond the immediate. The author suggests this scene constantly repeats in contemporary times, with the Thracian girl's laughter echoing in our superficial, fast-paced digital age.

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He tries to know what is in the sky, but he cannot see what is at his feet.