Comes The Dawn

THE CASE FOR SEEKING

No one knows more than a millionth of one per cent of anything.

—THOMAS ALVA EDISON

Edison’s phrase, “a millionth of one per cent,” is a figure of speech. Had he said a trillionth or an octillionth he would have made his point. Why? Whatever the fraction, Edison’s meaning has to do with our finite understanding relative to Infinite Knowledge, Intelligence, Consciousness. Comparing a particle of dust to a galaxy would suggest only an infinitesimal beginning of this infinite difference—limitless!

Thomas Edison excelled any human being known to me—past or present—in the sheer quantity of what he knew; bits of knowledge by the tens of thousands. But he was really knowledgeable only in contrast with other humans who do not know “more than a millionth of one per cent of anything.”

There is, however, a crowning accolade we can confer upon this inventive genius: he knew so much that he knew he knew nothing! As Socrates remarked: “I know nothing, but I know I know nothing.” This is the brand of knowledge—really the only kind—that can grace humanity.

At the outset, a confession. My aim in life resembles Edison’s in one respect—inventiveness. He aimed at inventing electrical and comparable aids to mankind—the incandescent bulb, for instance. And succeeded beyond the dreams of those who had gone before! My aim for years has encompassed the freedom philosophy and inventing ways to communicate the appropriate methods for a restoration of freedom. Up until now I have failed so miserably that I know I don’t know anything—which is one blessing! But I haven’t given up, and never intend to do so. By seeking, I have come upon a clue that could lead to success, a truism by the wizard of Menlo Park: “No one knows more than a millionth of one per cent of anything.” Thanks to you, wonderful wizard!

One of the most brilliant individuals of my wide acquaintance, when asked, “How are you, Hutch?” would respond, “Compared to what?” When compared to the rest of us, he was near the top of the intellectual and philosophical totem pole. But—and this is my point—when compared to Infinite Knowledge, he ranked with Edison, Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, all the kings, politicians, and bureaucrats who have inhabited this earth—a mere neophyte! Hutch, in this latter ranking, knew nothing; but, bless his soul, he knew it!

Reflect on the manner in which most people grade themselves. The question, “compared to what?” never enters their heads. They rarely judge themselves in terms of the highest principles they know; rather, it is “compared to whom?”—other people. And what fallacies they tumble into by using this unmindful form of self-assessment! They ferret out other people’s shortcomings, and then compare some strength of theirs with the weakness of another. They elevate themselves into a feeling of general superiority if they happen to be merely a better speaker, actor, musician, novelist, manufacturer, politician, power monger, or any other of countless thousands of occupations. They fail to realize that all human beings above the moronic level are superior to them in one or more ways. Without question, all of us are neophytes, more particularly those who don’t know they know not—the big I-AMS!

It is necessary to compare our finite minds with the Infinite Mind in order to recognize what neophytes we are. Indeed, there is no human being—past or present—who has the slightest idea of his own composition. Composed, as I am, of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 atoms, I don’t even know what an atom is. Nor does anyone else!

Considering that I know not one octillionth of one per cent of anything—a lowly neophyte, indeed—reflect on the utter absurdity of my coercively running your life. Even God doesn’t lord it over us, but millions of neophytes do. Egomania on the rampage!

Exposing the dictocratic absurdity, however, is not the object of this brevity. Rather, I wish to comment critically on what seems to be a common folly on the part of ever so many who recognize the dictocratic absurdity, are alarmed at what’s going on, and are determined to correct the mess we’re in. ’Tis their method that is here at issue; they’re bent on reforming teachers, students, employees, clergymen, businessmen, labor union officials, neighbors—everyone who doesn’t stand against the rapidly growing socialism.

What’s the pitch of one so cocksure of himself? “Beam my ideas at them” or “I must reach this or that category of the population,” is the gist of this rapidly growing tactic. It’s nothing less than “If those nincompoops were only up to me in their thinking, all would be hunky-dory.” Were all like me, think what a wonderful world this would be!

But such a thought is instantly absurd once I realize what a lowly neophyte I am. Multiply a zero times ten, a million, or an octillion, and the answer is still zero.

How do we move away from this zero position, this nothingness? The formula which I have repeated time and again is simple: Instead of trying to reach others, see if we can achieve that point in understanding—attractiveness—when others will reach for us. Away with trying to cast others in our images. First, it can’t be done; second, nothing would be gained were it possible.

The answer is in seeking, not human duplicates, but truth. Seemingly, most of those in today’s world have all but forgotten what a few of the ancients so clearly perceived:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Matthew VII:7-8

For those of us interested in human freedom—each individual free to act creatively as he or she pleases—let the method fit the problem: seeking. Believing this, I sought and came upon that enlightening truism by Thomas Alva Edison quoted at the head of this chapter. Edison’s humility before Truth is a revelation by one who knew that he didn’t know one millionth of one per cent of anything. I’ll wager that he did a lot of knocking, for observe all that opened unto him. May all freedom devotees learn from this man, remarkable compared to whom? To the most of us—by far!