THINKING 101, Lesson 5: Three Realities

When trying to understand the universe, it helps to remember that Reality comes in basically 3 flavors.

THINGS: atoms, molecules, and energy. This includes our bodies, air, water, food, the Earth, sunshine, stars, and all things physical.

MEANINGS: only accessible by mind, it includes everything we would call information and feelings, such as ideas, words, symbols, numbers, pictures, emotions, opinions, and all things social, like culture and politics.

VALUES: only accessible by the higher functions of mind (sometimes called "spirit"), this level is about the "important stuff" contained in meanings. A being that can think at this level is called "sapient" (not "sentient" which merely means aware of the environment).

Extra credit: The well-known phrase "Goodness, Truth, and Beauty" lists the ideal states of the 3 types of reality, but in a different order than they are listed above. Can you match them up?