We live most of our days carefully keeping most of our inner life secret. We are in hiding, as if in a witness protection program. John Prine’s great song “Hello in There” says, “Old people just grow lonesome / Waiting for someone to say, ‘Hello in there, hello.’” But, in fact, the prison we live in is of our own making. Prine is right that we grow lonely and dream of someone rescuing us, unlocking the doors. But at the same time, more often than not, while we pay lip service to openness, we mostly refuse to leave our hiding places, even for those closest to us. Far from being an occasional neurosis, secrecy seems to be the human condition. Why is this, especially since we are miserable in our isolation?
You continue to dazzle and inform us, Michael. Thank you. I have always found it fascinating that there was a transition during Milton's lifetime from writing about "natural secrets" to "natural knowledge," as well as one from "natural philosophy" to "natural science."
You continue to dazzle and inform us, Michael. Thank you. I have always found it fascinating that there was a transition during Milton's lifetime from writing about "natural secrets" to "natural knowledge," as well as one from "natural philosophy" to "natural science."