So let’s say that you come across a secret source that happens to have all the knowledge in the universe. Interestingly enough, this source is duty bound to answer one question for you with complete truthfulness. You trust that it knows what it’s talking about, even if you don’t like the answer it gives you. Keeping in mind that you only get one question to last you for the rest of your life, and that whatever the source says is the indisputable truth, what’s the question that you ask?
Mine would probably be something along the lines of “what will happen to humanity/the world in the future?” This is a fairly open-ended question, and the source will give as much information as one would want. Will humans learn to get along better? Cure diseases? Cure death? Explode in a fiery blaze? I’d be tempted to ask “is there a God/afterlife?” just to confirm my suspicions. Since I’m fairly sure of the truth, though, it would be kind of a waste of the question.
So this oracle can see the future? Cool. I’d be tempted to ask if Yellowstone will blow in my lifetime, but if the answer is yes that would be way too depressing and if it’s no, then I’d think it was a waste of a question, like you. I don’t think I’d want to know what ultimately happens to mankind. I have a feeling the answer would be horrific.
It’d be nice to know, not if, but how much of the rest of the universe is populated. But then, that’d be depressing too, since I don’t believe in UFOs or alien visitors and would just know that we’ll probably never meet/see any of them.
In the end, I’d have to make it personal. I wouldn’t be able to help myself. I’d have to ask this:
“Will this artist ever get the acclaim and respect from the music world* that she deserves, either in her lifetime or beyond?”
If the answer is yes, then I can be satisfied, knowing that even if I don’t live to see it happen, it WILL happen.
If the answer is no, then I’ll just have to live with it.
Actually, I’m certain it will happen, but it would be nice to know for absolute sure.
*an important distinction, since I’m not concerned with the general public, only other musicians and music historians.
JFK/Hooover in a dress, Lincolns lost speech, was jeusu real are all well and good, but Ill take the numbers for the next powerball drawing …
Ignorance may be bliss, and money may not buy happiness but I can get a hell of a computer and look shit up in the internet and rent me some happiness for a few hundred million dollars=)
This was my thought also. Even if I had the answer to some GREAT QUESTION[sup]TM[/sup], what would I do with it? No one’s going to listen to me. If I posted the answer here, all that would happen is someone would respond cite?
I would ask if there is a God. I’m not religious in any way at all because I just don’t understand it. I don’t understand how people can put so much faith into something that doesn’t definitely exist. I’d like some scientific proof behind it.
I’d like to know how my life might have been changed had I made different choices. Had I made a left instead of a right - had my first breakup with my ex been my last - had I gone to school for what I wanted to, instead of what I was advised to go for.
All that is assuming I can’t get the Powerball numbers for next week.
