Philosophy!

i think Reno’s post was incredibly interesting.

there’s an Incubus lyric that goes : “isn’t it strange how a privilage can feel like a chore?”
this is kinda related because we all feel (occasionally) that we are trudging through life and that life has no adherant value.

i’m currently learning about buddhism because enlightenment is really attractive.
is anyone else interested in buddhism?

there’s another quote from an unknown source that says : “all the creatures of earth, except humans, understand the purpose of life is to simply enjoy it.”

so why is it so hard for human’s to enjoy life?
i think we are distracted.

does anyone else agree that the environment we live in doesn’t have much room for thinkers?

True, I do believe most of us are caught up in our own agendas, trying to move through life experiencing everything that our society offers to us, but never looking inward and seeing what we have to offer ourselves. I defiantly believe that those who truly have the time, should take the time, to think of things like this.

I think about everything so thoroghly that I often “Miss the point” on ELA type questions even though my point is better. Also many scientific theories that are complete rubbish in my mind but i am fored to “belive” in them. i.e. The big bag theory

Whats your point? When living in this world, you are forced to settle into the system and fall into a class.

The poor starving masses are absolutely spending time wishing they had nicer stuff and more money. Everyone does. We allow the big capitalists to decide our desires while we are young and vulnerable.

Yes, a majority of people are ignorant to this fact. If your going to deny the fact that almost everything we do is somehow correlated toward getting money or possessions, then I can’t even take your words seriously.

Envy doesn’t create classes, money creates classes. Envy creates further tension between classes.

If you are born into poverty, based on how you were raised you probably will be able to provide yourself food and shelter at least (in most cases mainly referring to the US). It comes down to needs vs. wants.

I’m just curious as to how anyone is disagreeing. Look around, it’s right in your face everywhere you look.

All right, let’s take a look here… :smile:

Read this quote, carefully…

What I was saying there was that I agree with you that our society is centered around money, but that the way you worded what you said made it sound as though you thought everyone in the world has the time to contemplate life, where, in reality, many people don’t even have a place to call home. I was saying that their #1 concern should be acquiring enough material goods/money so that they can live comfortably; that is the top priority of any creature, survival. The way you said things made it seem as though you looked down upon anyone who didn’t take the time to think of life in any form other than a game of survial, when I knew you meant only the people who were capable of doing so (capable of getting through each day alive and well-off).

My point is that I agree with you, but am telling you to watch how you word things because someone who comes from a background filled with poverty would take what you said the wrong way. I was only saying that you should be more descriptive because what I said in my original post is one example of a misinterpretation of what you said. Your statements were vague, so I was able to take what you said and turn it into something you didn’t intend it to be.

I agree, but from your last post, it sounds like you’re looking down on anyone who does settle into the system when you said just now that everyone is forced to.

Um… I don’t believe I said anything about people not wanting money, (unless you’re talking about the alleyway thing I mentioned, but that was complete sarcasm) actually, I think my post said everything about people wanting money. I may be wrong though, If you still think so, please post the exact quote and I’ll try to explain it more clearly, (maybe I’m the one who’s being vague! :content: )

Ya see? I agree with what you’re saying, I just thought you should watch how you say it.

No hard feelings, kay?
:handshake:
:hugs:

It’s a very general topic.

Now since I don’t really know how to work forums very well I’m not going to be using quotes.

I find it to be a problem that not everyone has the time to contemplate life. The system we have established turns people into drones. You don’t even need a high school education to survive. Why do people look down upon those who don’t go to college? Survival=need, $100,000 car=want.

Frankly if someone wants to take what I said the wrong way, I couldn’t care less. I am speaking out against everything we know, it is expected to get some disapproval.

I look down on those who truly settle into it, the ones who see nothing more important than getting that project done in time so they can afford the expansion on their house. The ones who push their kids in school to a point of unhealthy stress and anxiety, so they can be more comfortably distracted by nice things before they inevitably die. It is mainstream, it is how humans live now a days. As kids yes, we are forced into it, however when maturity rolls around the smart ones at least give the topic a thought.

I have a Buddhist temple near where I live, and I tell you those are the truly happiest people I have ever met.

So if I want to finish that project just for the sake of creation, is it bad? Can’t I be happy without thinking of myu existence?

You do need to understand, I do agree with much of what you have said. I just think that if someone gets happy from creating, or by helping others, its just as good as getting happy from understanding our purpose in life.
Do you agree with that?

yeah i agree.
the little things can get you through.

I do this constantly. I remember a job interview where the guy was asking me what I would do under such and such circumstances. I replied with complex philosophical statements detailing every possible outcome based on my supposed future knowledge of such phenomena, how well I knew the people involved, and the time frames involved in the resolution. The guy actually stopped me to tell me that I’m “not supposed to think about it” and just answer. I told him I wasn’t thinking, that in fact my answer WAS the first thing that came to mind.

It seems that I am “missing the point” daily, as even my answers to obvious everyday questions are way above people’s heads. You should see what happened last time my sister asked about my religion. It was a mess.

IMHO, most people could do with a bit more thinking. Even my best friends seem very provincial to me.

I also stopped filling out general surveys because the bullet multiple-choice canned answers are simply inadequate, especially if the surveys are about religous beliefs. I quit college for the same reason. About ninety percent of what I learned wasn’t really true. Not only was it false, but most of it was complete trash that wasn’t even worth believing in the first place. About the only class I learned anything in was Geology, and of course the Existentialism course.

i’m like you guys too.
i get too caught up in the ‘whys’ and forget to enjoy life.

Well I can’t speak for everyone obviously, but I find that understanding the ‘whys’ makes my life more enjoyable :yes:

yeah.
i get what you mean josh…

but we can never know the answers to all life’s questions.

That’s what makes it fun.

Then that would just get annoying, but life is annoying sometimes.

Absolutely true. There are certain things that you just have to accept and hope that by accepting the truth you’ll be less annoyed.
I would love to know everything. In direct contradiction to that first statement, I would hate to know everything. Omnipotence requires that we know of all joy and elation but also of all pain and suffering. I assume that the sum of omnipotence is indifference, because I believe that equality must be maintained throughout creation. Matter must be counter-balanced by antimatter, love is countered with loathing, humanity is balanced by insanity. To know all would be to experience all of these things at once.

Hi,
I was directed over here and told there would be some philosopy posts. As you may guess from my name I am quite interested in the subject. The topics that intestest me most at the moment is Libertarianism I have yet to do any serious reading on the subject but I like the idea of personal freedom that is expounded (is that the right word?) in this theory.
Favourite philosopers of mine include Mill, Scorates, Richard Dawkins (an evolutionary biologist by trade I know but I like the way he thinks) and Matt Stone & Trey Parker (creators of South Park one of the most philosophical t.v programme ever made!)

Hopefully there will be some intesting discussions to join in on in here.

Socrates is one of my favorites as well. As for Matt Stone and Trey Parker, their show is absolutely brilliant now a days and always has a great message to give to society. They deserve more respect amongst the intellectual population. I’m in a hurry to leave but when I come back I’ll post more philosophical ideas around here.

Hopefully there will be some intesting discussions to join in on in here.

Edit: Wow this post was messed up… :eh:

I also have to put myself in the “thinks everyone else is stupid”
well not everyone, but there’s ALOT of stupid people out there. :open_mouth:
About the materialist stuff, I don’t think we’re raised into materialists, we’re born this way, we’re programmed this way since the beginning of men.

That’s pretty much why we are where we are today, if people back then would’ve settled for what they had we would still be in stone age.
It’ just the evolution of men, everything evolves around power and money, I’m not saying that’s a good thing but that’s why we are where we are today(that might not be a good thing either).

south park philosophical ? you must be kidding …

I think that we are neithere pure materialist , nor pure altruists per birth , but a mixture of the two . We are raised and one or the other character trade comes out , or is twisted … , just my two cents :happy:

Nope I am totally serious just think about some of the issues its deals with (capitalism, reigion, abortion, liberalism, vegitarianism, existensialism, gay marridge to name just a few) . Alot of the shows revolve around some serious moral or ethical issuse. What usually comes out at the end is a very balanced look at the issuse they are focusing on. South Park uses extreme views to show people that is probably good to be tollerant. There is even an episode where Kyle questions where or not he or anything else exists.

If you need more convincing on this issue then read South Park and Philosophy edited by Robert Arp.