33                                            Socks

When my laundry is dry, I put the shirts on hangers and my socks in the sock drawer. But having found one sock, I like to find its twin. Finding the twin is of course a convenience, enabling me to get on with the job, but is it also a pleasure? For me, I think Yes. For you? Only you can provide the answer.

        But what about the underlying point: is it likely that a fundamental feature of the human brain, with influence on the marvels of scientific discovery and the magic of soul-stirring music, is it likely that the same feature is at work when we sort socks? A different feature of the brain is that when a new task comes up, it uses an old mechanism if it possibly can, and on that basis I say it is likely; I think sock-sorting is a clue to a great deal of what is remarkable in the way we think.

        The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein made a relevant remark: "The aspects of things that are most important to us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity."

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