Man-made machines

Most of what we accept as “reality” is arbitrary.

We are on a ball in the middle of space. Which side is “up” (north) or “down” (south) is made up. There is no “land of the rising sun” (Japan). The sun is always rising somewhere. Who is to say where it happens first each day?

Roads are made up, too. We drive on slabs of open concrete that we make sense of by drawing lines to guide our path.

We spend fake money to buy real things. The Federal Reserve creates the former out of nothing and then we exchange paper (or bytes of data) that we collectively agree has value.

And those are just a few of the macro illusions we’ve created and agree upon. So much of what we assume to be “real” are really man-made machines.

Most of these machines have utility. Cardinal directions and maps allow us to navigate and explore and engage one another. Roads provide a reliable means of transporting goods, and ourselves, with relatively little friction. Money serves as a medium of exchange to buy the things we need and want in life without having to barter with our own items.

We have our own man-made machines that we build, and most of them are simply mindsets – things we won’t try, think we can’t do. Sometimes, these limitations and boundaries we set are useful. They can protect us from harm or heartache.

Other times, they prevent us from living a life worthy of our existence. Put down your phone, take a walk outside, and think on it. What are the assumptions you make, the lines you draw?

Are they real? Or are they imaginary shackles inside of your head, waiting to be broken?