One Thing Leads to Another

Isn't thought process like this? One thought - "I think I'll quickly read this article," leads to another thought "the photo that was at the top of the article was really interesting. I wonder if there's a link?" which leads to another thought, and so on, and so on.

The creative process (by Wolbot) illustrates the convoluted
pathway our thoughts can take to get from an initial
thought to an actionable idea. 

This movement and jumping of thought from one stone to another is what allows us to investigate new ideas and concepts, develop new plot lines and characters, and become men and women of "mystery" (because friends and spouses can't follow the direction your conversation has just taken). Is this jumping and movement a good idea? Well, it's not a bad one.

Jumping from one rock to another to cross the river is very
possible, but eventually someone wants to make things easier
(or more controlled - pay that roll to cross the river). 

When I think of a society where people are oppressed and highly controlled, I think of a society that has just built bridges over the rushing waters of free thought. The people are ferried onto the bridges instead of jumping across the slick, unsafe rock pathways that had been used in the past. Everyone exclaims happily about how wonderful the bridge is and how safe it is now for them to cross the river. Those leaps of thought that had gotten them to that point have been forgotten, the knowledge is now considered rote, and nobody wants to shake the new foundation.

Ah, the Flat Earth vies of the universe. It's a view that actually looks
rather familiar to my Tolkien friends since Arda is usually pictured as flat. 

But people have to shake it. Without the courage to shake, we would still be in a world where the earth was flat and the sun and planets revolved around us. We would be in a world where smallpox killed and surgery didn't have anesthetics. We would be in a world where free thought was instantly quashed because the government feared for its own stability.

Free speech can be liberating, but also can be alienating.
For me, free speech doesn't mean hate speech or racist speech or
non-tolerant speech. To me, it means thoughtful speech, not rhetoric. 

Don't live in a world like that. Push for those who jump across on the rocks. Push for free and open thought and discussion. Don't allow fear or convenience to keep your thoughts silent. Speak out! Happy Thursday ...