The question not a question not the question not a question

Abstract

To me, this counts as self-deprecating humour and letting off steam. It’s the Facebook generation version of my theologically more nuanced posts, falling flat in the gap between engagingly short and contentfully long, and is neither funny nor meaningful. On the other hand, humour is the death of self-pity. Perhaps this abstract is part of that meta-critique also.

The question (but not the question) is to correctly punctuate my title. Meta-answers on a postcard.

The real question is to consider the question not a question. I describe it as ‘not a question’ because, normatively it is not really a question from the point of view of the so-called questioner. “It’s um, well, I was thinking, about, um, well, life, so to speak, and thought I might, (if I may, without seeming too…), well….” [His eyebrows move, consonant with the vibrant and dynamic hum of the city, in such a way as to suggest a fixity of intention and fluidity of action. Suddenly a sparrow chirps, distantly off-stage, in order to evoke the elusive texture of the meta-narrative.] “So…? … It’s nice weather today, isn’t it?” The first point is clear.

The second reason to describe it as ‘not a question’ is that a real (not meta–) question should have more than one possible answer.

While the content (and it does exist) is real and mine, the style is Tom Stoppard’s. Pray for the Eden lads and watch the play. Every paragraph of this piece contains the syllable ‘meta–’. In conclusion, as the title suggests, there exists ‘The question not a question (not “the question, not ‘a’ question”)’.