The conversation stalled.

My Science and Philosophy group was discussing Chapter IX of “Eternal Golden Braid.” After spending a third of his book constructing immaculate castles of logic, Hofstadter pivots—introducing Zen sayings as lived examples of Gödel’s self-referencing theorem.

Someone looked up.

“Well, this was the seventies…”

Up to this point, I’d felt like one of the least knowledgeable people in the room, outmatched in logic, computation, and formal systems. But, we were no longer discussing “science.”

I raised my hand, and a roomful of eyes turned towards me.

“The Zen sayings aren’t puzzles with answers.”

“The self is a loop.”

“Enlightenment comes from jamming the gears, stopping the loop, and stepping beyond it.”

Then the conversation stalled again.

~

While walking after, my friend turned to me.

“If you’re hungry, eat. If you’re tired, sleep.”

He laughed.

I raised a finger. Then only exhaled.

“Yes. Exactly like that.”

We walked the rest on the way in silence.