Why "Second Hand"?

“What’s with ‘Second Hand’?" you might ask. Well, there are a few reasons why I’ve chosen that name:

I like the way it sounds. :)

I like that it has connection with time. One might argue that the second hand of the clock is the most important hand – it corresponds to and represents the basic unit of time.

It moves quickly reminding us how time is slipping away from us - unstoppable, irreversible and cruel. It is also the most energetic hand on the clock. Unlike liturgic minute hand or hour hand that seems to be frozen in time the second hand flies by, it is full of energy and life.

Perhaps it represents everything young, progressive and new. It might not be as wise or as stable as the other two hands, but who are we to blame it? We were just like that at some point, without a worry, sure of ourselves, open to the world. Well, hopefully some of us still are like that. But I digress.

A noun “Second hand” is defined as “an intermediate person or means”; an adjective “secondhand” is defined by Merriam-Webster’s as “acquired after being used by another, not new”. What does this have to do with someone thoughts?

Well, I believe that hardly any ideas are really new. Most of the thoughts, ideas and images that come to our mind are recollections of things we’ve read, heard or seen. Even the ideas that came to be known as the greatest inventions of their times where hardy completely original. People do not really invent new things out of thin air. New ideas are products of integration of old concepts and approaches.

It is not necessarily the ability to come up with original thoughts (even if it was possible) that is important. It is the ability to assemble old ideas into new configurations, patterns and concepts that makes the difference. It is ability to look at things from the new angles, to look at them thru different “eyes” that leads to inventions, breakthroughs and intellectual revolutions.

So perhaps there is nothing wrong with being a “second hand thinker”. As long as we don’t become “second rate” thinkers we shall be fine… :)