“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates
I’m laying bare on a cold slab of concrete. I look around the dimly lit room and it’s totally empty except for a tap and washbasin in the corner. Cracked white tiles line the walls, and an old window rusted shut from age kindly allows some rays of sun to pass through its murky panes. The caked dust has accumulated on the outside over the years into a solid layer, and only the sporadic desert rain has created artificial gaps that permit light to enter. I try to move my arms but can’t. I try to wiggle a toe but it’s impossible. A terrific weight smothers my body and I can’t even turn my head. I open my mouth to shout but nothing comes out. The air is thick and dense, and it seems even sound isn’t allowed in here. I try to breathe but it’s an impossible task. The panic sets in and I try to struggle against the invisible force and I start falling fast. I kick out and wake up in bed, drenched in sweat trying to figure out where I am. Oh, I’m in my bedroom. The clock on the wall smiles 2:13 and the faint light from the cracked open bathroom door tells me to breathe; it was just a dream.
I walk down to the kitchen and fill a large mug with ice and cold water. As I thirstily gulp it down I wonder what the dream meant, if anything at all. I make a turkey sandwich and sit at the counter contemplating life. Being awake while the world sleeps is the best thing; I own the night and the time is all mine. I know nobody would be messaging or calling me. Earlier in the day, I had a discussion with some people and they kept hammering me with their ideas. Even though I assume I had way more information than they did about the subject, they forced their opinions down my throat and didn’t leave room for me to talk. I quietly listened as I started thinking less and less of them as their words poured out. When they finished I packed my points and left the conversation.
Life is so short, and we know so little. Tiny insects scurrying about trying to make sense of everything. We think we have control, and we believe we are important as a species (and even funnier, important as individuals). It’s so hard to find people that realize how much they don’t know. I started to understand that I need to listen more to silence than to noise. Those who have something valuable to say are usually quiet. Those who have nothing to say will talk a lot. About nothing. So what’s my point?
My point is to listen more and talk less. You might learn something. Open your mind and don’t take everything you hear for granted. Even when you think you are right, you can be very wrong. Nothing is really as it seems. Question everything. People who try convincing you of something too hard are probably idiots. Listen to the real words of quiet people, their minds are much better than loud ones. Be a simple person. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Love more hate less. Life is short so try to have a positive impact. Know what you’re living for, and don’t just go through the motions. Think. Speak. Change. We don’t know everything.
