It is known that Whistler when asked how long it took him to paint one of his 'nocturnes' answered: 'All of my life.' With the same rigor he could have said that all of the centuries that preceded the moment when he painted were necessary. From that correct application of the law of causality it follows that the slightest event presupposes the inconceivable universe and, conversely, that the universe needs even the slightest of events.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Even the smallest event requires the whole universe to exist, and the universe depends on that event.
- In plain terms
- Every tiny thing needs the whole universe, and the universe needs that tiny thing.
- What can you take from it?
- Small actions matter to the entire system.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What small event matters most?
- How connected are we to the universe?
Another view
Not every event is equally necessary for the universe.
More from Jorge Luis Borges
Art always opts for the individual, the concrete; art is not Platonic.
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