Tyler van Opstal "Object Permanence"

     The development of object permanence, the understanding that objects continue to exist when not observed is one of the important early mental developments for young children. Eventually they also learn that while unobserved objects remain existent when not observed, they do not always remain unaltered. The most "Academic" way to demonstrate this is Schrodinger's Cat- object permanence informs us that the cat remains existent, philosophy tells us we cannot be certain whether there is an alive cat or deceased cat until we see it. For a much less academic example, consider a helium balloon that has been released by a young child and lost track of. For the child, object permanence informs him that the balloon still exists even though he can no longer see it, but he cannot be sure whether the balloon is whole or popped. For both Schrodinger's Cat and the child's balloon, the only remedy to reacquire certainty is to see the subject again. 

    For a cat or a balloon, these are fairly easily done. But for some things, we cannot see them again at all. Myth is something for which object permanence fails us completely. We can be introduced to a myth just as we can be to any object (for objects do not have to be physical, we take note of mental objects as well- in addition to telling us that the physical object Dr. Redick's body exists when not observed, object permanence also tells us that the mental object that is Dr. Redick also exists when not observed), we cannot see it again to be reassured of its continued state. I can see Dr. Redick to be reassured his body exists, I can speak to Dr. Redick to be reassured his mind exists, but I cannot see or speak to a myth. Instead, faith must be employed, a frightening idea when other things can be confirmed with only the primary senses. When we hear a new story, we immediately know it exists even when not being spoken, but it is up to us to determine things like "Is it true?" "Is it real?" and "What does this mean for me?" - that is to say, rather than being able to open a box to check if the proverbial cat is alive or dead a ponderer of story must instead stare at an unopenable box and decide for themselves. 

    Of course, we can ask other people to tell us the answers to these questions, just as you could ask someone else to tell you if the cat is alive or dead. But no one that can be asked on Earth can look into the box of mythos to check, so to interpret story from others is to pit their story against the one they dissect.