Zero to 1: A Three-Way Tie (and where we start)

What Do You Really Want to Know?

Friends,

The results are in, and we have a deadlock.

Meaning, Death, and Epistemology each took an equal share of the vote. It seems we are collectively circling the same three pillars of the human experience.

But as I looked at the tie, a clear hierarchy emerged.

Both Meaning (Does any of this matter?) and Death (What happens when I die?) are entirely dependent on what we can actually prove to be true. We cannot speak of the value of life or the nature of the end until we first understand what we know.

So, we begin with Epistemology.

Before we can tackle the big questions we have to start with first principles and a foundation that must be true. If the foundation is cracked, every insight we build on top of it will be uncertain.

The Inquiry Begins: This week, I am sitting with these three questions. I invite you to do the same:

1. What can I actually know?

2. Is “knowing” even possible, or am I just collecting high-probability guesses?

3. Is there anything—one single thing—that I know with 100% certainty?

I’m not looking for the “right” answer or to parrot something you’ve heard or read.

I’m looking for something that must be true. What happens when you strip away everything that can be doubted.

Next week, I’ll start the process, doing it in the inquiry with you.

Feel free to jump into the process via the comments.

Grateful to be on this journey with you,

Stefan