the urge to know

In many cases the urge to know surpasses what can be known; questions without answers. Many people, finding this impossible to accept, seek solace in mythic expressions. So attuned is the human mind to look for and find answers that sometimes it extracts meaning where none exists: the face of an old man, a witch, or the image of a monster, seen in an inkspot; psychic portent attributed to mere coincidence; the cry of "why me?" when natural disaster strikes, as if the agent of disaster chooses its victim; the perception of supernatural anger expressed in the violence of an earthquake. Human consciousness demands explanations about the world and is resourceful at creating explanations where none naturally exist.
From Origins Reconsidered, by Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin

A nice review/tribute here, my previous post here, the Leakey Foundation here.

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