Thoughts

Open questions and inner life

15% of my brain Read against the machine

AI-generated editorial illustration of a quiet desk with an open notebook, magnifying glass, scientific model, and worn book.
Illustration generated with ChatGPT by OpenAI for Greg Conrad Smith, 2026.

All my life there has been a tension between humanistic and scientific pursuits. My exploration of the classics and philosophy was an antidote of sorts for my largely technical education.

Agitation over what I perceived to be endless disquisition and commentary has matured into a thorough distrust of all viewpoints, including my own. Such a low opinion of human opinion would be a death sentence for an essayist, save for hope in imagination, discovery, and revelation.

For me, the key is open questions and inner life.

A voice from D. T. Suzuki: “When words cease to correspond with facts,” return to facts.

A voice from Rachel Howlett: “When I rest in what I do not know, I stick up for myself.”