‘What if’ is a question often posed in the context of counterfactual history; what would have happened if some event would have turned out in a different way? There are countless of inconsequential questions that occupy the time of people that have nothing to do but to waste their time in cheap philosophical thoughts that lead to nowhere; these kinds of questions are good for nothing and just contribute to more idle and ignorant minds in a world already overwhelmed by them.
No doubt, It is oftentimes useful to analyze relevant ‘what if’ questions dealing with events that took place in some certain way, to study previous knowledge, to formulate hypothetical situations, to elucidate possible future events and their outcomes, and to apply any measures and corrections necessary to modify, improve, or make certain that a result will come up as desired.
However, the kinds of questions which I find completely unproductive are those ‘what if…’ questions that introduce hypothetical new factors when reconstructing historic events, making us follow vague train of thoughts to imagine the situations from radically different perspectives, speculate about the resulting consequences of those modified events, and start general, ambiguous, endless, and useless debates from which irrelevant conclusions are spitted out indiscriminately, remaining in the air for a few moments, and soon forgotten... For instance, I feel uneasy and find totally unproductive when people start debating historical events for the sake of cheap philosophizing, and say: what if this or that would have happened? how would the world be like? What if Jesus wouldn’t have been killed? What if Hitler would have won the war? What if Marx wouldn’t have been born? What if Newton wouldn’t have seen the apple fall? What if the father of capitalism, Adam Smith, would have been born in Marx’s country, Germany? What if Marx would have been born in Scotland? (I must admit these last two are pretty interesting to consider) What if…What if…
These events have already happened in a certain way, and their consequences have henceforth already taken place in history; why wonder about different hypothetical outcomes for events which have precise moments in history, precise and definite outcomes, and is therefore senseless analyzing them more than just accepting them as facts?
Not only are these purposeless questions limited to imagining modified historic events, but also there are many philosophical questions from which no rational definite answer could ever be obtained, and this weakness renders them of little practical significance, almost useless. For instance, what if a question that has distressed and entertained philosophers for centuries was solved? What if there’s actually no especial meaning in life? Why not to accept we don’t have predisposed lives and that we give our lives the meaning and purpose we want to? (Why don’t we just assume we are all animals and our life is as meaningful as that of an ant, if we were to place ourselves in the role it plays in its own simple and minuscule ‘society’?) (hehe we are not of that ‘little’ importance, but the analogy makes the point…here religion could come in, but I don’t want to get into that…) If there is only one truth, what is that truth? … What if there are only two truths, what are those two truths?? … What if there are three???…
I must admit it is fun from time to time to divagate in such inconsequential questions just for the sake of imagining the situations and letting our imagination flow freely across the immensity and abstraction of ideas, to try to deform already established facts and events, bend them in the air, remake them as desired, and with the pressure of our insistent and full of imagination thoughts, have a real deterministic effect on them. It is in fact amusing to believe that, for an instant at least, our powerful mind can actually change events determined by a chain of prior occurrences; however, I believe that even though it might be fun, these kinds of questions should not be seriously considered.
Having said this, here are a few ‘what if’ questions for you to think about, and if you have others, feel free to share them in the comments section :)
* What if America would not have been conquered by the Europeans, and the Mayans, Incas, and other Native American civilizations would have prevailed? How different would the present America be?
* What if in Africa there were the same proportion of psychologists and therapists per capita that currently exist in the US?
(Millions of children would not only have aids, but also ADD, ADHD, anxiety disorders, stress, autism, depression, etc., etc., etc. - There’s a subtle and very controversial view here. - )
* What if the most transcendental, used, and relied upon invention of humankind, time, would have never been conceived? For instance, what if the world, especially densely populated cities, would live one day without time i.e. no watches, no clocks, just the sun?
* What if powder would have never been invented?
* What if humans walked in four legs?
* What if some people were not so big?
* What if humans were not so stupid?
* What if another one of the best inventions of humankind, the toilette, would have never been invented?
* What if a tree fell and crushed George Bush in the forest? Would anyone care?
* What if we wouldn't need to sleep?
Serious neck injuries would be prevented hahaha! (Mi viejo. Un grande!)
* What if spaghettis and pizzas were not around? What would humanity be like?
* What if Jesus would have left any written legacy?
* What if Irak would have invaded the U.S.?* What if in an experimental society the 7 capital sins Lust (Luxuria), Gluttony (Gula), Greed (Avaritia), Sloth (Acedia), Wrath (Ira), Envy (Invidia), Pride (Superbia) were not considered sins?
* What if people, instead of labeling this man a rebel/totatalitarian/communist, would know and understand what he fought for?
* What if I stopped writing my blog? :P
* What if…
