Editorial August 17, 1987 Issue

False realism

Allison W. Phinney, Jr.

I've never seen a survey on the subject, but my guess is that if people were asked whether they considered themselves "not at all realistic," "somewhat realistic," or "very realistic," most would see themselves in the final category We tend to think of ourselves as being able to assess things pretty realistically, being able to see through pretense and falsity to the hard facts.

But suppose for a moment that you've never read or heard that the earth is spinning through space at a speed of approximately 66,000 miles per hour. You can't detect through the material senses even so much as a celestial breeze from all this. Are you therefore totally convinced that the earth under your feet is stable and unmoving? And will you be "realistic"—that is, skeptical—about any other possibility?

In so many human situations it takes more than common sense impressions or even shrewd assessments to come up with what is truly realistic. It requires some knowledge, perhaps disciplined observation, previous experience, and understanding of law—elements often associated with a scientific approach.

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