January 23, 1945 Tuesday

Darling-

You see, again I am able to keep my promise to write again. Seems so good! I succeeded also today in buying some airmail envelopes, so things are shaping up. I did all I planned for today, except see the Finance Officer and that can wait all right. Big, good-natured Ernie Shelton was moved upstairs today because they have to start him on penicillin shots. Down here we are in a no-treatment ward, and scarcely see a medic all day. I like that.

Rebound thoughts still come to me from Day’s “Simian World,” altho today I have been reading a short story by Thomas Mann, my Whitaker’s recent history, and (as literature) a copy of the Gospel of St. Mark. I just love this chance to read again. Day had some challenging points in his book. He said curiosity & gregariousness (or chatter) were the outstanding human traits and ones that could if organized bring the race to undreamed of heights. Curiosity leads to a search for truthand gregariousness to group effort or brotherhood. See how that begins to look like our own base points? They are both essential to a better race. Brotherhood because only by working for the race as a whole do we have the chance of infinite progress or, if you wish, immortality. Up at the front, too, you can see the importance of living a life dedicated to something bigger than yourself. The men who consider their own bodies the most important things in the world, cut a pretty poor picture there. You can spot them at once—cowering, frightened, ignominious, despised, tremendously unhappy. Men who waited too long to find out how frail and fleeting a thing one body is—how futile to make it the basis of your philosophy. The idea of selfishness looks ridiculous and silly—and it shows up so very plainly under fire. Others, who based their lives on a purpose or an ideal that they know will go on even if they don’t, shared a very different feeling at the front. While they may not have been happy, they were at least in harmony with themselves—and basically content. In addition, that feeling of brotherhood is a positive emotion in itself, a self-rewarding one. I have been very impressed lately watching those who are leading “dedicated lives”—that’s the latest phrase I have been using to describe it. Such people find life much more rewarding.

Day also covered a lot on the search for the truth and the rewards we get from it. Aside from the obvious physical rewards of increased ease & comfort, I always ask where the search will lead us ultimately. What are the undreamed of heights that we may rise up to? That is a question that cannot be answered completely. For one thing, it is like demanding an answer before the question has been investigated—the search for truth seeks to answer that question. Religion and philosophy often try to answer it and succeed only in making out search of truth prejudiced & unreal. We set out to confirm a conviction rather than find an answer. Day has some good satire on this in his chapters on religion.

Another thing, it is impossible to answer this question absolutely, because it is not a question of mankind reaching a definite, prescribed goal. As surely as this is a real world, it is an infinite one. If it is real, it is run by the natural laws of cause and effect. Causes must precede effects.

Since each cause is also the effect of a preceding cause, we have an eternal precedence of causes; thus, infinity. (Hon, if you can follow that, you’re on your way to being a real philosopher!). Now with infinity postulated, you can see the impossibility of an absolute goal for mankind. Rather it must be an infinitely expanding purpose—one that can never reach an end, since infinity has no end. I always add at this point that no one can really comprehend that, because a finite human cannot possibly comprehend infinity. Logic leads us to believe it inevitably, however, so it doesn’t matter. The massof mankind does have immortality (or infinity) but not individuals.

Well, then, what can we say of Day’s “undreamed-of heights”? If we don’t know what they are, are they worth seeking? Certainly. A child who likes a child’s song, continues his study of music because each step brings him to a greater appreciation of music. Each step is rewarding in itself, & gradually he comes to a point where he can appreciate a symphony. He hasn’t know what was ahead at each step; or if he had heard the symphony at first, he may have decided it was nothing worth working for. So with people. Life is abundant & harmonious to an extent now. As we grow in knowledge & understanding both will increase—infinitely. Life will be more abundant, more rewarding, and we will come to understand and come into harmony with more & greater forces in the world. And it will go on infinitely, getting ever deeper, richer. As in music, the harmonies of today were not understood yesterday. So with men, we cannot see what the rewards & understandings of tomorrow will be. We only know they will be greater than those we have. We go on to “more abundant & harmonious lives of comprehension, sympathy, & pleasure.” Comprehension comes from knowing the truth, sympathy from love, and pleasure from both.

All my love,

Wallace.