"Meditation in a Toolshed"

Looking at, or looking along?

This is the question that Lewis addresses in his short essay: "Meditation in a Toolshed". Since this issue can be applied to almost anything, he uses a plethora of real life examples in a successful attempt to assess whether looking at a situation from the outside or looking along a situation from the inside is the correct method to use.

In society, most often only one of these methods is considered because "it has even come to be taken for granted that the external account of a thing somehow refutes or "debunks" the account given from inside". Lewis, however, recognized this flaw and communicates it through this paper using relatable examples. For instance, a guy who falls in love with a girl. From the inside, the guy looks at this girl and views her as the most beautiful thing in the world and he sees no one else but her. From the outside, a scientist looks at the guy and concludes that this is just his hormones are at work, and because of the "biological stimulus" he is simply having an affair that is normal for any guy. What Lewis does is he reveals that it is not right to look either at, or along this situation (or any other situation) but that both must be considered. After all, "[w]e do not know in advance whether the lover or the psychologist is giving the more correct account of love”.

For the most part, I definitely agree with Lewis's view on this topic. Because "[y]ou get one experience of a thing when you look along it and another when you look at it" I think it is quite rational for us to have the obligation of analyzing both approaches, even if it seems like one may be correct. Just because of a personal opinion it is often difficult to judge "[w]hich is the "true" or "valid" experience" - that is to say whether looking at, or looking along is the best way. Whether it's discovering the "true account of religion", the "true account of sexual love", or simply the true account of someone missing a class. Regardless of the complexity of a given situation, it is essential to look at it and along it. After all, it is often easier to overlook the less complex situations such as the example of someone missing class. It's easy to assume that they slept in, or that they were just too lazy to come, and we forget that when we assume this we are only looking at the situation. Let's look along the situation. What if that person was ill, or had gotten in an accident on the way to class and is now in the hospital? This is a very simple example, but I used it because it is something everyone can relate to because we are habitually quick to judge using only one method (usually only by looking at).

I was almost in disagreement with Lewis when he said that "[i]n particular cases we shall find reason for regarding the one or the other vision as inferior". This makes it seem as though he is saying that one perspective is preferred over the other, but Lewis steered me back in the direction of agreement when shortly after he stated that "we must start with no prejudice for or against either kind of looking". It is important that we have no prejudice for ANY situation, no matter how strongly our personal bias is convinced of a certain conclusion. Similarly, when a crime is committed, all the evidence must be looked at critically, from all angles. Then, in court, the jury makes a final rational decision based on reason, ensuring that there is no bias.

Although it is crucial to look along AND at, "we are often deceived by things from the inside". On the contrary, "it is perfectly easy to go on all your life giving explanations of religion, love, morality, honour, and the like, without having been inside any of them". Lewis is spot on, with respect to both of these quotes and I think this is a danger for us to be aware of. Recall the discussion about how the Muslims, practicing the Islamic religion are submerged in their religion and are only looking along what they are practicing and not at it. It is important that they step back for a moment and look at it as well, especially the extremists who believe it is right to kill Christians. They are looking along their beliefs, but need to look AT what they are doing and realize that it is obviously immoral. Although this seems crazy to those of us who are Christians - we also need to be careful to look AT what we believe and not only ALONG. This is important so that we do not become hypocritical, because ultimately Christians can make the same mistake. This is just one example, but this principle can be applied to anything in life.

Overall, I believe it is necessary to carefully pinpoint a fine balance between rationally looking along, and looking at in every situation, while remembering to "start with no prejudice for or against either kind of looking". As long as this holds true, regardless of the situation - complex, or minuscule; difficult, or seemingly simple, "we just have to find out".