12/366 – Locked Away

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January 12, 2012 – Finally got all the Christmas decorations out of the back of the truck and back to the storage locker for another year. And isn’t it funny how the simplest things can catch your eye if the light is right and you are feeling creative. Like a simple lock.

An Irish saying is “A lock is better than suspicion.” I’m not suspicious by nature, although I am a skeptic – probably why I enjoyed the life sciences so much. Sometimes I get complacent and let down my guard though, and I forget to be skeptical and suspicious. While it’s often said that you should take things at face value, sometimes it’s wise not to, because there are frequently situations that may significantly obscure the truth, things that may be twisted to suit the agendas of others. Better to be judicious with trust and keep an eye out for ulterior motives. Otherwise you can mistakenly find yourself believing something without any defensible foundation, usually simply because you want to believe. The funny thing is, once intelligent people take a position they will often defend it simply because they are afraid to be wrong. So they lock themselves into a position and simply refuse to budge or recognize when they have taken an indefensible stance based on cherry picking information, or ignoring pertinent details because it doesn’t suit them.

I am helping out with a workshop, in an advisory capacity (sort of helping to train the trainer), this weekend. The topics are contentious, and the people attending are passionate about what they do. I’m there for moral support, to answer any hard biological questions. It should be quite interesting.

This photo reminded me of a bit from Jack Sparrow….

Gibbs: So, we’re setting out to find whatever this key unlocks.

Jack Sparrow: No. If we don’t have the key, we can’t open whatever we don’t have that it unlocks. So what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don’t have, without first having found the key what unlocks it?

Well said!!