HOW DO WE LEARN ABOUT OURSELVES?

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), philosopher of science, explains that the color, texture, and shape of a table may be very different from what we actually receive thru the senses and yet we always know it to be the same table. We usually admire the man who says, “Show me or prove it to me first.” Prove it, usually means provide evidence that is sensory.
 And yet, there are many times in our existence where we must act without this kind of sensory knowledge to survive and to prosper. We sometimes need to make conclusions based on reasoning and circumstantial evidence. We need to be aware that our hard to observe feelings are also part of reality.  Un-observables can, do, and should guide us. Thus, while a high level of observable objectivity is of great value, it alone cannot answer life’s questions about our  spirit, feelings, and emotions. Sometimes we must make subjective judgments in the absence of sensory data. It is necessary to add reasoning and other methods of knowing to go beyond what we observe.