“Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.”
— Isaac Newton, physicist and theologian
Confusion
Allan Ropper says, in his book Reaching Down the Rabbit Hole (2014): “An understanding of confusion has yet to be operationalized... It is not, technically, a disease, but a syndrome, a collection of problems.”
Confusion exists on an interesting spectrum. We have a rough idea of what it means to have no confusion and what it means to be entirely confused. But on closer inspection, a complete absence of confusion has much in common with being completely confused. The difference in the two extremes is somewhat subjective. It’s what you decide to be.
In this series, I’d like to contrast different kinds of confusion in order to clarify that we all are confused all the time. Insanity can bring confusion, but there is nothing insane about being confused.
I want to begin with a confusing concept in physics. At least I hope it will confuse you. In this way, I would like you to experience the intellectual confusion of a sane and well-balanced person, namely yourself. I would like to make the point that our minds have a particular way of isolating confusion so that we can cope with it.
To Be Confused I – Physics (podcast)