I was recently reminded of Dumbledore’s words from the last Harry Potter film. Harry Potter has been killed, or thinks he has been killed, and has a vision of the old dead wizard. He asks his vision something like: “Is this real? Or is it just happening inside my head?” To which Dumbledore (or Harry’s vision of him) replies something like:

Of course it’s happening inside your head, Harry. But why on earth should that mean that it’s not real?

Questioning the nature of reality is in and of itself all well and good. But I have trouble having much respect for a wizard who would encourage, nay, corrupt the youth of this world to fail to distinguish between the objective existence of this world and the fantasies of the mind. No, it cannot be happening inside Harry’s head and be “real” in the sense that Harry is talking about at the same time. Dumbledore, YOU FAIL! This is a stupid quote.

Or maybe he’s not even answering Harry’s question, and is just trying to tell him it’s not real using the Socratic method?


2 Comments

LanthonyS · March 2, 2012 at 8:50 AM

Remember, it’s not real; we should be blaming Harry and his stupid imagination 😀

S P Hannifin · March 2, 2012 at 9:18 AM

But if I blame Harry, I have to envy his ability to have his visions that make him ask the question in the first place. Whenever I question reality in a dream, I realize it’s a dream and either start flying or wake up. I can’t do anything as useful as conversing with the dead, even if they would say silly things.

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