Moving this here, as it’s clearly OT to the OT.
Correct.
Incorrect. Gotta watch them assumptions. I don’t think the imagination is a bad thing, or that imaginary things should be shunned. But if some empires out there are going to use these imaginary things as the foundational basis for why trillions of human beings should suffer, well, then before they do that, they and anyone else who wants these imaginary things taken seriously had damned well better be prepared to demonstrate that it’s more than a delusion.
That’s a thumbsup parrot. It’s used to denote agreement with some measure of levity.
I’m glad you asked! There is, in fact, empirical proof that there are parts of the brain whose activity corresponds pretty universally to abstract reasoning and the awareness of things that aren’t there, but could be. You know, visualizing potential and things like that.
ie: imagining things.
Newp, once again, you gotta watch them assumptions. What I’ve said is that I won’t accept it unless it’s demonstrated, either by direct observation or other empirical data that supports the existence of such a thing. I also don’t reject it. How could I? The soul hasn’t been proven not to exist.
But just because something hasn’t been proven not to exist doesn’t mean I can take it as a given that it does. After all, Terrans haven’t been proven not to exist. But you don’t see me advocating national policy measures based on the idea that somewhere out there is a hyperadvanced form of human whose technology dwarfs that of even the Jove, Sleepers, and Triglavians, waiting to annihilate us all.
I also don’t believe I don’t. Only that I don’t need to care if I do or not, because not caring about it has been shown to be valid. Belief and disbelief are both active positions. Mine is ‘I don’t know, I don’t see any evidence one way or the other, so I don’t see any need to factor this into my decisions’. Thus my flippant ‘if it’s out there, it can stay out there, I haven’t needed [to find it] so far’.
Consider the idea? I have. Many times. Haven’t found any reason to say ‘this explicitly doesn’t exist’, but also haven’t found any reason to say ‘this does exist’ or even ‘this is a useful thing to spend my time thinking about’, except, you know, where it concerns discussion.
No, just rationality, and no particular need for a metaphysical crutch.
You mean, beyond the 700+ years that left indelible psychological and emotional scarring on my entire nation?
Good!
I dunno, like I said: I seem to have found enough happiness without it. Is there a particular reason my current level of happiness is inadequate? What’s wrong with just saying ‘I hope your way brings you happiness, as mine has brought me’?