Why Fish Don't Exist

Chaos serves as the master of human existence, yet the pursuit of order often leads to both profound discovery and dangerous rigidity. David Starr Jordan, a 19th-century naturalist and Stanford’s first president, epitomized this struggle by attempting to classify thousands of fish species, only to see his work repeatedly undone by natural disasters and personal tragedy. His life illustrates the peril of clinging to fixed categories, as his obsession with hierarchy eventually fueled his advocacy for eugenics. The term "fish" itself functions as a flawed, human-made construct that obscures biological reality, mirroring how arbitrary social labels can justify discrimination. Ultimately, embracing the inherent messiness of the world rather than forcing it into rigid structures provides a more resilient way to navigate life’s inevitable uncertainties and moments of profound doubt.