Editorial April 18, 1988 Issue

Genuine scientific breakthrough

Michael D. Rissler

A writer assigned to do research about a controversial person whom he had never met was talking about his initial feelings. Because much of what he had heard and read was critical, he didn't have a good opinion of the person.

What struck me was the transformation to his later viewpoint that had come during the period in which he came to know the individual through letters, journals, and various articles this person had authored. You could actually hear a modulation in his voice as he recounted the change that overtook him. He had been thoroughly won over by learning what the individual actually was trying to accomplish.

This kind of change hints at what happens when reality finally overcomes appearances and biased impressions. It's a sublime experience. It makes me wonder what it would be like if we measured our own life's progress in terms of such transformations?

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