The Perception of Theories

         Theories aren’t really something I enjoy learning or studying about probably because math made a bad impression of it to me. I’ve always hated math lessons that are based on a certain theory because its proofs never appeared to be crystal clear to me. Although I can dislike theories forever, I cannot deny the fact that they are part of my life in one-way or another. According to last week’s class discussion, theories are certain beliefs towards a phenomenon. We also discussed that the explanation towards these beliefs cannot just be a haphazard explanation but in Mr. Beiver’s words, explanations that have “justified and rationalized components.”       

         In my own point of view, a theory is a conclusion that can explain a particular event. It cannot simply be unsupported answers to questions like: why is the sky blue? or why does the heart pump blood. Research and testing must be done for the answers to be proved right and for the theories to be taken seriously. People usually confuse the definition of theory with the meaning of idea. An idea does not have to be or is not supported by anything other than one’s opinion. I always thought that I had my own theory about our lives, only in our discussion about theories did I realize that what I thought was a theory is a mere idea. Despite that, I believe that my idea will be proved to be a theory in the future. Let me share with you my very own idea about our lives, but let me make it clear, this is NOT a theory, it is just an idea.

         One night, I was wide-awake just lying down in my bed staring at the ceiling making friends with shadows on my wall(matchbox 20), when I came up with an idea about our lives. Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, life is just an illusion? We are probably just lying down in heaven dreaming about our lives as it flashes as abstract thoughts in our heads. Moments in our lives right now are passing us so quickly that by the time we want to grab it, it has gone to be part of the past. At this very moment my sister is singing a song, yes she can sing that song forever, but as the lyrics of the song come out of her mouth, that moment has past and I cannot go back to that moment and grab it. Life is just flashing in our heads as moments or like a slideshow that is being presented so fast that it feels like it is really happening and that we are really experiencing it, but really it’s all just a power point presentation being presented in our heads. Go try it now, try to grab that moment of life in front of you. Faster! Try doing it faster! See? Can you grab that moment? Surely you cannot. This is all because life is just an illusion; it is merely a something like a power point presentation or gifs being presented in our heads as we lay in heaven.

         This idea of mine is not a theory. Although it is something I always thought of as one. This is the common mistake of people and how they confuse the true meaning of a theory. This is the perfect example of that mistake and I in all honestly have been committing that mistake all my life.  For this idea to become a theory, it has to have justified and rationalized explanations. I cannot just claim this idea of mine as a theory because it has to pass certain elements in order to be considered one. Ideas must first have the ability to be able to be proved right, it must also have the ability to keep its truth despite other factors, and other elements to be able to be called a theory.  

         But everyone, please do not be discouraged with your ideas! It is not impossible to prove your ideas and have them called as theories. You just need perseverance and determination and who knows, you might probably be part of your children’s’ lessons in the future.