The time has come where I reach the midway to the completion of the thesis. At this point, I put all my knowledge, experience and passion to the touchstone of peer review at a proposal public defense. In the game of chess, we are taught that a player cannot make an illegal move, atop of which is to play alone, and I have been playing alone for a while. At this moment, I am supposed to present the philosophy of my work and defend my thoughts, and I will do that fiercely. This is the duty of a researcher who believes in his project, but who is also prepared to bear the consequences of wrong choices and biased inclinations. But, everything happens for a purpose and is, somehow, predetermined, as Spinoza holds.
There will be a debate, a give-and-take and there will be compromises, with the goal of perfecting the work. It is not in anyone’s interest for a weak proposal to be passed, when improvements can, otherwise, be made. The ultimate goal for the judges is to reach reality, and for me it is to know myself better through the minds of others.
As humans, we see reality in our own ways, just as Plato told us. Reality is one and unique in the sublime world. It was set to the empirical test of Aristotle, challenged against the idols of Bacon and doubted by Descartes. But our ways of seeing it are different. Our human biases blind one eye, leaving us to encounter the outside world with the second eye, already covered by treacle. Perfection is unattainable, and pursuing it may end in the destruction of its seeker, but it is a noble cause, worth the attempt. Blessed are those whose blood and judgment are so well commingled, says Shakespeare. Nevertheless, there are other versions of perfection, customized for mortals. They can be found in the golden mean of Aristotle, the embodiment of the tathagata of Buddha but certainly the middle way of Islam.
The road to the thesis is not easy. We, as researchers, face many difficulties at the beginning. The simplest difficulty is a stumbling stone. We easily fall by the gentlest breeze, not to mention a violent storm, but we rise again, steadier and more determined to continue the journey until the end, or until we see the end. As days go by, we come to understand that the barriers, obstacles and hurdles were the products of our prejudices, impatience and ignorance. Even little knowledge is dangerous, as Alexander Pope puts it.
On the road, however, we are not alone. Our companions are the higher values that we cherish in our lives. Honesty, integrity and transparency are some of those values. Researchers who had taken up the journey tell us about success and the recipe includes a daring soul, a brave heart and a brilliant mind. They tell us about the feelings they have now, and notwithstanding the moments of sweat and tears (and coffee of course), they completed the journey. Perhaps, the work they did was not perfect, but it still gives them a genuine sense of pride. Reflecting on everything they did, they enjoy the mixed feelings of happiness and pain they have been through. They enjoy it because it made them better, more knowledgeable and wiser. They enjoy it as they have become contributors to society and humanity at large. They enjoy it, simply because it is impossible not to enjoy it.
We will be there one day. It only takes time. It only takes patience. It only takes an attitude and a smile.
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