Synonyms, Antonyms, Anonymity

Saturday, February 8, 2025

What is the universe? To know what something is, we must know what something is not, hence the theory of relativity. So how would we compare the universe to what’s not the universe? The same thing would apply to the question, where is the universe or how much does it weigh? If we could weigh it, or locate it, wouldn’t we need to stand outside of it? In theory, yes.

In these existential questions, one must come to the realization that IN and IS are synonymous. What’s in the universe is the universe and vice versa. Humans think we live in the universe. We take ourselves outside of the picture we create.

When I gaze into the universe, am I outside looking in? No. I’m in the universe looking into the universe from within the universe. I must be some kind of aperture from which the universe looks upon itself. Aperture is an opening or open space, from Latin apertūra (“an opening”), from aperiō (“to uncover, make or lay bare”). What is this uncovering that sees itself covered and this covering that sees itself uncovered at the same time?

I love questions like this. I love knowing that there is no picture I am not also a part of, yet in some mysterious way, I stand outside of said picture looking in. How else could we out-picture? Jesus said, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.”

We are in the universe and we are the universe; and that part of us that seems to stand “outside” of time and space is the unspeakable aperture. Interestingly, all of these labels are synonyms for the universe! Is there an antonym? Not unless there is an anonymity which I don’t know literally, but can talk about figuratively.