Pathways

Reason is the means by which we trace a path between what we want and what we can have; to rationalize is to construct for ourselves a way of believing that there is something we think is important which is also attainable.

And yet this fabulous tool can lead us nowhere without a starting point, for reason cannot establish the relevance of any new idea without assuming that of an old one. We only pursue truths we think are important, and so for any pursuit of truth one must first have a sense that something matters, has an intrinsic value which relates to nothing at all but the world we'd like to live in. This I understand as having values, believing in things passionately, and as far as I can tell the character and depth of a person's values say more about their beliefs than any particular interaction they ever have with reality.