El Mundo - Reality

El Mundo is definitely an insightful book. Not necessarily for the content, although its content is very interesting, but for the way it causes one's mind to race with thoughts after each paragraph. Usually I will read a book for pages and pages because it paints a picture/movie in my mind, which is not a bad thing at all. But I found myself delving into memories and philosophical thoughts after seemingly every paragraph or page in this book. I love thinking, going off tangents, and thinking about the world from different perspectives. I truly admire Millas way of thinking about the world. Although he himself admits that he has some mental issues, for me, that doesn't detract at all from the fact that he is able to let go of preconceived notions and associations in this world. Our minds are wired to make these associations and make them seem like absolute truths, probably for survival reasons. He is able to disconnect this wiring, to view the world like a child at all times, always questioning associations and the perceived reality.

The fact is that Millas is right in his thinking. Our perception of what we think of as reality is truly only a fraction of what actually exists. Even on the brightest of days, our senses give us only a tiny part of what exists in the world. We only see a very limited part of the spectrum of light; we only hear from 20-20,000 Hz; animals can smell much, much more than we can; the list goes on. We are constantly being bombarded by particles at all times, things we can never see or feel.

When you look at your skin, you think you are seeing something solid. Your touch even makes this claim stronger. Yet we know that on the microscopic level we are a bunch of atoms connected together by their natural bonds of attraction. And what is an atom at the most basic level? It is a tiny nucleus with electrons flying around it. If we were to make an analogy of this, an atom would be the size of the Horseshoe and the nucleus of the atom would be a single pea on the 50 yard line. The rest is empty space where even tinier electrons fly around in a sort of cloud of energy. So if we are made up entirely of atoms, and atoms are almost entirely empty space, then aren't we not mostly empty space??

So what is the implication of thinking about reality like this, similar to how Millas views the world in different ways. The point is that life and reality are not what they seem to be. It teaches us not to take things at face value, for granted, or for certain. What may seem like an absolute truth is really not at the fundamental level. We are made of constantly changing particles that eventually will run out of juice and cease to function. So, as Millas has done, make the best out of any situation in life. While some days may seem like the most terrible day to you, there are millions of others out there having a terrible day as well. Life goes on still. There isn't a right or wrong way to view an experience. Experiences are what we make them to be, just as Millas has done.