Depth

I had a conversation a while ago about depth which at the time left me a bit disillusioned and frustrated. The conversation was relatively short in duration, but I have always remembered it.

My family owns a piano moving company so a major part of my informative years involved sitting in a truck driving to a move. I usually napped or read during the trips. Due to my reclusive nature, I typically refrained from speaking. But every once in a while I tried to open up and hold conversations with whoever was in the seat next to me. This time my brother was at the helm.

I don't remember how the conversion begin, but my memory picks up with me stating some life aspirations. I described how I wanted to be a thinker and write books on such topics. My brother, upon hearing, inquired after some specifics. What kind of things would I write about? The obvious answer of course was "Deep things." I was feeling particularity clever with my next phrase, "Ya, deep things. Like what is depth?" I was inwardly congratulating myself for thinking of something I believed to be a sufficient answer when my brother began to chuckle and stated that thinking about depth wasn't deep at all. Honestly, I was taken aback. Philosophical depth seemed like a truly intelligent thing to consider. The problem was, I couldn't explain why I thought that. The only thing left to do was sit in silence and steam. Its a bit annoying to explain what you want to do later in life and have your example shoved back in your face. It's even more annoying to have no response.

I still think depth was a pretty good answer. Later, for one of my classes, I had to read a book called Moral Wisdom and Good Lives by John Kekes who had a significant section dealing with what he conceived depth to be. Did I know that at the time? No. But I get the feeling that most people don't consider depth to be deep at all. Depth, to most, has a simple definition. That which is not shallow. Such a definition doesn't describe or define depth at all. It is too pat and contained to fully describe a term meant for something extensive and incontainable. The more one actually considers what depth is, beyond simply that which is not shallow, the more there is to consider.

The previous post contains a story. It is by Kierkegaard. I didn't mention it in the last post because I didn't know at the time. Forgive me.