Complexions Contemporary Ballet put on a good show of human flexibility and finesse. Just like my experience at a prior dance performance, my attention was drawn to the lithe movements of the dancers. This performance was much more focused, however; it was one dance company that performed throughout, and they focused their multiple dances to convey a common theme.
The prominent theme that ran through their work was “free thought”. In their music, one related phrase came up that was quite interesting: “If only fools are satisfied, take my sanity away.” The logical nature of this statement is appealing, and it pleads for analysis.
This statement is a plea by the singer and the dance company to someone with the power to give and take away sanity. The contrapositive of the statement reads thus: “If my sanity is not taken away, then fools are not the only ones to be satisfied.” This contrapositive should be equivalent to the statement by the formal logic taught in high school geometry class.
The problem with this contrapositive, however, is that it involves a plea to someone. That someone could lie and take away sanity even if it knows fools aren’t the only ones that are satisfied. That someone could simply not answer. That someone might not even know whether only fools are satisfied. Therefore, there is no conclusion that can be made about this statement by changing its form.
What is determinable by the statement above is that these dancers and the singer behind the music would dearly love to be satisfied. It’s also quite easy to see that the singer and dancers feel, to some degree, that only fools are satisfied. And, that is human desire, is it not? Wouldn’t we all love to be satisfied? I know I would!
I just don’t think that only fools are satisfied.
