“We are continually shaped by the forces of
coincidence, our lifelong certainties about the world can be demolished in a
single second.”
Paul
Auster
Writer Paul Auster once said the quote above. This simple sentence
holds in itself many different meanings that may confront the various
certainties of the modern world. With
this quote Auster affirms that man can’t have assurance for everything depends
on coincidence that is uncertain. Therefore man’s knowledge can’t be more than
hypothesis for there are no absolute truths. With this quote Auster takes away
the certainty of an absolute truth that men so desires. The quote also means
that all the elements that have build the individual’s identity are simply
cause by coincidence and consequently man is a mere product of coincidence.
With demolished certainties and coincidence as a ruler, humanity is left to
derive in an uncertain world.
Auster with a simple phrase diminishes sciences and their knowledge;
the beliefs men have gained through their lives, the confidence in “truths”
humanity has gotten through its history and eventually the identity of men,
their essence. Coincidence is unreliable and if its forces shape the world then
the world becomes unreliable. Paul Auster sentence may cause that the individual
loses all its certainties and instead only gains uncertainties but that’s they
way the world and life work, according to Auster. And even if the quote’s effect
is not so radical it still causes doubt whether there are absolute truths or
only probable hypothesis.
I like the approach to the quote and the interpretation you give to it. As seen in the post there is a conception of the author towards memory that can be related to his life and mainly to his book "The Invention of Solitude" it is interesting how a topic that could be so crude sounds really interesting and fascinating.
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