the problem with the concept of Justice

the problem with the concept of Justice is that
1) it makes you think that people are either good or evil
2) it makes you think punishment somehow alleviates the victim's suffering
3) it makes you think being treated fairly is the natural order of all things
4) it makes you think the law is in itself a moral compass

the truth of notre dame

we feel so much more about notre dame than so many other issues simply because we have a personal connection with it. we've watched shows about it, read books about it. we've been there with someone memorable, we have photos to show. we have stories to tell about it. stories make things special to us. things that are special to us are beacons in a chaotic world; they give us a sense of direction and hope. that's why we hold them dear. 

if we need to feel empathy for important issues, we'll need to tell stories. we need to tell children new stories. but the problem is, we've surrendered our storytelling to Hollywood and the media. we're no longer in control of the stories that matter to us. social networks give us the platform to take back our stories but we end up echoing the stories handed down to us. Trend is the new Tradition. if there's one thing religions are doing right, it's that they're keeping their stories alive. 

maybe we're not so much in a post truth world as we are simply story-deprived. we are overwhelmed with facts that we do not know how to weave into a consistent story of the world out there. we do not know how to make a personal connection with all the science that is happening around us. we do not know how to engage with a world that is always changing. 

the world has never stopped or started changing. tradition is as much about change as it is about continuity - stability is simply an illusion. pro-science people, being incapable of accepting illusions, may want to get to the bottom of things. but we need illusions. we need lies that help is say to ourselves that we'll never quite be alright but it's okay. 

we value truth so much in science that we tend to present facts as-is and assume that "the facts speak for themselves". no, they don't. facts do not convince people; people convince people. 

i leave you with Pablo Picasso's famous quote which i think tells us how we need to tell our stories:

"We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies. If he only shows in his work that he has searched, and re-searched, for the way to put over lies, he would never accomplish anything."