Getting to the Essence

Sails billowing, a three-masted sailing ship parts the waves as if they were melting butter. All the pieces of the picture puzzle that lets you see this are there except the one that shows the flag the ship is flying, which could be a legitimate maritime flag (friendly or hostile), a plain white flag (perhaps of truce), a flag of an unknown nation, or even the Jolly Roger. One flag is as good as another? Hardly. The essence of that ship and its crew will differ markedly according to which flag the ship is flying. Or suppose at first the ship flies one flag and then suddenly pulls it down and raises another. What change in essence do you see in your mental picture of that ship and its crew. Or suppose the ship flies no flag at all. But you need to ascertain the essence of that ship and its crew. Essence in itself is important, but it is even more important in the overall Neothink puzzle along with fully rationally integrated honesty. Sometimes just one puzzle piece can be decisive.