The child, that great research cast into the labyrinth of the void.

Abstract

The term "research" has come down to us as something truly daunting—a labyrinth of unsolvable enigmas—yet it is, in reality, a marvelous and stimulating challenge, possessing the thrill of a pulsating, unsettling adventure directed toward the unknown and the wondrous; a unique, unrepeatable experience. And yet, the vast majority of people view it with dread—sometimes even panic—when it ought to draw us irresistibly into the adventure of knowledge, one of the most joyful justifications for our existence on earth: awakening the spirit of our delicate, creative imagination. Nevertheless, the first fervent appeal we must make is to overcome defeatist and dependent thinking—that parasitic mindset that plagues those who endure the daily tragedy of underdevelopment, bearing its terrible burdens. This mindset has become "second nature" for the simple reason that the capacity for—and the marvelous culture of—reflection have been systematically usurped from us since 1492, when the first great shipment of mirrors arrived from the Old World, effectively telling us: "Don't worry yourselves; don't bother thinking—the invention is already made; just use it and consume it."