Thinking a New Thought by Orlando Bartro
Have all possible thoughts been thought?
It seems unlikely.
But if the brain has a finite capacity . . .
Let’s do the calculation.
Let’s assume there’s a finite number of thoughts within the reach of the human brain.
Then let’s estimate the number of people who have lived and the number of thoughts they have thought, and subtract all the redundant thoughts, and leave only the unique ones, and subtract all the trivial thoughts, and leave only the interesting ones.
Maybe all of the interesting thoughts have been thought already by someone somewhere.
There are, of course, many interesting thoughts found in classical books of philosophy, science, and mathematics, and in books about every possible subject of study, and many of these thoughts will be new to the individual person . . . and one or two of those new thoughts may even change a person’s life.
But almost everyone—including those who have broad knowledge—are only thinking the same thoughts that others have thought, in circles and cycles through history.
“Are they thinking the same thoughts as others or new thoughts?”
That said, I suppose there could be a few new thoughts within the reach of someone in the world this year.
Can you think an interesting thought that no one has ever thought before?
* Orlando Bartro is the author of Toward Two Words, a comical & surreal novel about a man who finds yet another woman he never knew, usually available on Amazon for $4.91.