Institutional Directive #2: The Categorization of Certainty
In 2002, the United States, Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld began a rhetorical meandering that revolved around the concept of known knowns, unknown knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns. Mr. Rumsfeld’s use of the terms listed above served as a logical shell game meant to confuse the public and his logic was met with startling success. A sort of Vaseline with which might help one cram a hotdog through a gun barrel.
While we disagree with the use of these tactics in this situation, The Preservation Society Board of Dictatorial Governance took the device and has since applied it to our ideology, with some modification of course. We don't consider this stealing from Mr. Rumsfeld, just standing on his shoulders and helping ourselves to what happened to be in his pockets. Below is our interpretation of Mr. Rumsfeld's process.
Certain Certainties are ideas or assertions which we know and we know that we know them. These are to be celebrated under a watchful and suspicious eye and relinquished when necessary. Certain Certainties can be likened to an egg cracked and in a pan. The egg is white and yellow and tasty.
Uncertain Certainties these ideas or assertions are that which we do not know but we understand that they can be known. Uncertain certainties are solvable mysteries that can be likened to an unopened egg. We understand that in a moment the egg can be cracked open and a tiny bird, yolk, or another mystery might be inside. The egg remains intact and in hand.
Certain Uncertainties are ideas or assertions which we do not know, and we are satisfied with their unknowableness. The metaphorical egg is supposedly under the hen but confirming this fact would rob us of the joy of unknowing. That and the fact that we run the risk of a stern pecking from mama hen. The possibility that there is an egg is fantastic and we are content with the possibility of its presence or lack thereof.
Uncertain Uncertainties are ideas or assertions which we do not know and we don't know that we don't know them. In this metaphorical scenario, we seem neither hungry nor interested in what keeps making a mess on the Buick.
By categorizing ideals into these terms, we are able to celebrate and disarm our relationship to certainty, uncertainty, reality, unreality, and eggs.
