#06 The definition of a door
December 6, 2022•317 words
When I was a Master’s student, one of my professors asked us “How will you define a door?” He asked the question while explaining a biological concept, but I remember only the question as it made me think for a long time.
I told him “a door is an object that opens and closes, giving way into a room or an enclosed area”., He listened to me and said “Then how will you define a window?” I said, “People come and go through a door whereas windows are built for light and ventilation”.
He replied, "Doors can also provide light and ventilation. And, what about a thief?,
He can come and go through a window right?" I don’t know what to say. He then said, “Nothing ever created serves only one purpose. There’s always something more to it”. He was right in a way.
But, what shocked me was the fact that I was unable to explain something that l knew so well (or maybe I assumed that I knew it well.)
I wondered if this is how Philosophers and scientists stumbled upon great things. By trying to understand and make sense of the basic things around them. Socrates, Archimedes, and Issac Newton did nothing but tried to make sense of the basic things that we failed to notice.
People for several centuries must have seen an apple fall from the tree. But newton asked the basic questions. He tried to understand the basic science behind it. And, that led him to the discovery of gravity.
As humans, we’re crazy about growth. We want to move on. Get that new TV. Check out that fancy restaurant. Try our hands on the next big thing in science and technology. But, there are still fundamental concepts in life and science that remain a mystery. At times, we should get back to square one. It gives a whole new perspective.