I am considering a relaunch of our Think Shop. Many years ago a certain comedian misrepresented our Think Shop, and this lead me into trouble. In those days comedians had to caricature real people. It was the best way to get laughs from the audience. As if I am not funny enough already, my search for wisdom was twisted to make it an appealing subject for theatre. They laughed. I laughed. And Aristophanes won third prize for his comedy--not the best of achievements considering only three plays were entered.
The problem is, people left the theatre thinking of me as an atheist who spends his time questioning things that should not to be questioned, and encouraging young people to do the same. It is difficult to defend against a misrepresentation. Everything I did seemed to reinforce their impression of me. People saw me as a trouble maker. Many years later, I was placed on trial for these misdeeds. No-one wanted to say it, but I suspect they thought my teaching was partly responsible for the war. People didn't talk about the war. The citizens were bound by an oath never to mention the war. So atheism was the charge.
But that was a long time ago. Athens is a distant memory for me. It is distant in space too, since I now live thousands of miles away. I reside in the beautiful country New Zealand. It is a temporary home. One day I shall return to my beloved Athens. But in the meantime, this country is a safe haven. It is a good place for me to relaunch the Think Shop.
-- Socrates (NZ)
