Darkness blinds us, making us unable to anticipate what's to come or what's right in front of us in the moment even, and this is very frightening. Humans like to be certain of the world, to completely organize and understand the world around them, but the darkness taunts us, showing us that certainty is impossible. We can never truly be certain of anything because we live in a universe filled with uncertainty. Thus, we're afraid of darkness because it reminds us of our vulnerability, how little we are in an immensely uncertain universe.
Darkness can have a positive association though as well. When we're having a bad day and want to escape the real world for a while, the darkness within our closed eyelids is a very good friend. Within this darkness we can either set our minds into a void of nothingness or we can dream of anything we want to, even the impossible. Also, the darkness a person may encounter when he or she dies--the darkness of eternal sleep--can be a very welcoming darkness. It contains the promise of no more struggles and no more pain, just a peaceful sleep with the welcoming, velvety embrace of darkness.
I marvel at how a single word can have so many unique definitions and/or associations. It just goes to show you that language can never truly define the world around us. The universe is far too complex and uncertain for that. And that is not something to be afraid of; it is something to marvel at and enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment