Fantasy and fantastic

Most people think it is easier to work on trivial problems than on fundamental problems. This is not always the case.

Fundamental problems are the things we proclaim all the time, the things we are most familiar with. Hence, fundamental problems are easiest to work with. But the things we proclaim most are the things we probe least. Any probing is a suspect of blasphemy.

We love fantastic ideas, fantastic goals and fantastic future. A theory, or a theology, becomes popular because it is fantastic. The ones develop fantastic theories (theologies) become gods or prophets. But something fantastic is often, well, fantasy. It is easy to relate fantastic to fantasy. But it is no easy life if you relate fantastic to fantasy.

People are honest on most unimportant things. But on fundamental issues, statements are often enhanced from reality. You may not claim yourself parting the Red Sea. But you insist Moses parting the Red Sea. It is often easy to spot problems on the foundation of a popular theory, which has to be a fantastic theory. But this will make people mad.

The miracles in popular ancient social theories are based on the will of the God. The miracles in popular modern social theories are based on the proof of mathematics. Those who provide the proofs, such as Arrow and Debreu, become the modern day gods. But those proofs contain holes. That is why miracles can be proved. When you point out those holes, you commit the sin of blasphemy. You become the public enemy.

Contrary to popular myth, working on a fundamental problem is often easy. But living becomes difficult once working on fundamental problems.