How to destroy the validity of your own mind.

by Terry 56 Replies latest jw friends

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  trevor

  Do you k now why we fly? because someone thought that, against reality, we could.

  My take on this is that, man has observed birds flying for many thousands of years. The reality has always been that with wings and a sufficient density of air, a creature can fly.

  The rules governing flight meant that flight was not possible for man unless he equipped himself properly and aligned himself with the principles of aviation. With trial and error, much of which involved observing birds in flight, the Wright brothers finally met the requirements for flight.

  Those requirements have always existed and have not have not changed since man mastered them. Our perception of what was possible for man has changed but reality has stayed constant.

  Our perception is subjective and often erroneous. Should the earth loose its atmosphere then aviation would no longer be possible nor would breathing. That reality would affect everyone and be an objective change.
• 

  PSacramento

  I think that you are viewing reality as a limit that is set and I am view it as a limit to be overcome.

  In this difference, we are on two separate pages.

  BUT, lets put that away for now.

  My point is that there are concrete realities and there are subjective ones, and too many times I see the subjective ones being removed from their philosophical areas and put in the concrete reality area that they don't really belong in.

  Concrete reality is, subjective reality changes, TRUE reality is a combination of both.
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  trevor

  I think that you are viewing reality as a limit that is set and I am view it as a limit to be overcome.

  With your experience of martial arts, I can see why you view limits as something to be overcome.

  Concrete reality is, subjective reality changes, TRUE reality is a combination of both.

  This has given me something to think about.
• 

  PSacramento

  Don't get me wrong Trevor, I believe in reality, I live it every freaking day !!! as do we all.

  I just think that, too many times we take our understanding of reality and try to apply it to things that are not really defined by reality in a conrete way.

  We must live in the reality that we live in and we MUSt understand what parts of that reality are base don our perception and thus are subjective and what parts are concrete and unyielding, what parts simple ARE.

  The greatest leaps we have had have been by those that view as subjective, what the majority views as concrete.
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  Terry

  I think that you are viewing reality as a limit that is set and I am view it as a limit to be overcome.

  Here is a problem. You can't use ONE word (reality) in contradictory ways equally true.

  Black cannot be black as you add white. It becomes grey.

  If, as you say, the absoluteness of BLACK is to be "overcome" by diluting it in use and thought to include instances of GREY, more

  violence has been done than benefit.

  If you use Black to mean any of the range of pastels the word Black loses its integrity.

  My point---THE WHOLE POINT of this Subject Header is the violence to comprehension and to thinking that is created

  by contaminating the tools of accurate thought. WORDS.

  Think of WORDS as quantities. REALITY is a word that has an absolute value. You can't treat it as a GENERIC value.

  REALITY matches "actually existing" instance.

  The soft drink COCA COLA was often (rurally) called a "Coke" for short. The Coca Cola company didn't like that and ignored that use for a long time.

  What happened was the identity of the brand was weakened. "Get me a Coke" often began to "mean" an Orange soda, or Pepsi, or Dr.Pepper

  as a GENERIC appellation!!

  Coca Cola company became greatly alarmed!! They applied for a patent on the term "COKE" and started an advertising campaign "THINGS go better with COKE" to re-establish the brand as a SPECIFIC identity.

  This same principle is at work alway in the words we ARE NOT CAREFUL TO USE SPECIFICALLY.

  We blur the edges of meaning and start a slippery slope FROM WHICH our mind cannot recover accuracy of thought.
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  tec

  Terry, who has reality, and how do you know if you have it? Or rather, WHAT is reality, and how do we know?
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  Snoozy

  Some people think so much they over think themselves...Sometimes you just have to admit it isn't possible to know if the chicken came first or the egg..

  Snoozy..
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  Terry

  Terry, who has reality, and how do you know if you have it? Or rather, WHAT is reality, and how do we know?

  This question is really easy to answer and very hard to ask.

  Reality is what each of us tries hard to AVOID because it is usually counter to our immediate plans and desires.

  A toothache is a good example. Who has time for a toothache? Who wants one? Yet, you have to STOP your plans and DEAL with it.

  A traffic accident. Who plans on that? Who wants to go through it? Yet--once again, there is NO ESCAPE.

  Is there any wonder each of us creates an alternate scenario full of interesting and exciting and mysterious possibilities WE WOULD PREFER to be true?

  REALITY is what is there regardless of your opinion or desire to the contrary.

  Gosh, is there no room for PLEASANT reality?

  Afraid there is very little. Our pleasures are SUBJECTIVE experiences dependant on our own opinion, nervous system and desires.

  I know people who think the smell of liver and onions is wonderful! They are full of shit--but, at least it isn't reality:)
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  Snoozy

  I know people who think the smell of liver and onions is wonderful! They are full of shit--but, at least it isn't reality:)

  I love Liver and Onions and they do they smell wonderful, that's reality!..Just shows what over thinking has done to your mind, you can no longer recognize reality....

  Snoozy
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  breakfast of champions

  I once had sautéed turkey livers in a creamy anchovy sauce in southwest France and it was DIVINE! And it was REAL!