🌌 Who Knows? The Enigma of Omniscience 🌠
The phrase “Who knows?” captures the mysteries and uncertainties of life, serving as a reminder that sometimes, only divine entities like God or Heaven might hold the answers. This locution has been around since at least the eighteenth century, illustrating how humans have always grappled with the unknown.
📝 Related Terms:
- God knows - A statement implying that only a divine being might know the truth.
- Heaven knows - Similar to “God knows,” often used to suggest something is beyond human comprehension.
- The Lord knows who/what/when - Used to express mystery or uncertainty about identity, nature, or time.
😄 Similar Expressions:
- It’s anybody’s guess - When the answer is as likely one thing as another.
- Beats me - A casual way of admitting ignorance.
📜 Outlandish Examples:
Daniel Defoe, in The True-Born Englishman (1701), offered a satire: “Great families of yesterday we show, and lords, whose parents were the Lord knows who.” Jonathan Swift, in Polite Conversation (1738), later evoked destiny tease: “Lord of the Lord knows what.”
📖 Literature:
- “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell - Discussing the vast unknown: “But at my back I always hear Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near.”
- “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost - Reflecting on life’s uncertainties and choices.
🎬 Movies:
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - Indy tackles quests with mysteries only he and divine intervention could navigate.
- Cloud Atlas - Narratives spanning epochs revealing that life’s certainties are like clouds—always shifting.
🎵 Songs:
- “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin - Explores cryptic, spiritual interpretations.
- “Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel - A haunting tone about unspoken thoughts.
💡 Thoughtful Quote:
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” - Socrates
May your inquiries into the unknown be as enlightening as they are bewildering. Go forth with curiosity and the eternal quest for knowledge.
Inspirational thought-provoking farewell, Penelope P. Rhetoric
