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Mon 26 Apr, 2010 02:54 am
I think I'm crazy, in fact I know I don't think normally anymore, most people think simply on what they do and what they are going to do, their lives, their fantasies, and miscellaneous other things , I still do these things as I am human of coarse, as it is our nature to wish and dream of things bigger than ourselves. But I had a life changing experience which made me view things differently to a point where I can't 100% accept reality anymore, not in the suicidal sense, I just can't be sure that I am what I i think I am. I think I am crazy, which in a sense is true, but something tells me that it's OK to be crazy as long as you know it, Now that I have told you what I think that I know about myself I'll tell you what I have experienced.
I recently started thinking about life and death in quiet moments more often then I did, my father once told me, in the span of the universe our knowledge of it will measure to the equivalent of attempting to teach an ant to use a super computer. We know nothing, we rarely think about the universe and what it is, but it is more real than anything else, its the great mystery of existence, that we will more than likely never know or comprehend. We live on a speck of dust equivalent to a grain of sand on the earth. I wonder what really happened "In the beginning" was there really nothing? Would it be possible? We don't know. We don't know if there is anything beyond this place we call reality, light can only travel so fast to show us what there is. I wonder if there is something beyond death, but the simple fact is we don't know. We don't know a lot of things, and that's why I question things I take as facts as well.
I think that I am a conscious being, because I think, but I don't know. I hope that every other human is a conscious being, but as much as you tell me that you think and you reason and discuss with me everything that you think you know, the simple fact is that I don't. I think that everyone else is a conscious being but I don't know, it's as simple as that. In my opinion I don't think there are facts, I think there are things that we think we know, such as that you were once young, and you grew older and you are presently where you are now, but the present never stays the same.
I think Religion is the thing we as people cling to, to give life meaning and some people will tell you that they know that there is a God, and others will tell you they know there isn't a God. I personally think after my experience that there is a God, I don't know what it is, but my completely fabricated theory on the matter is that God is existence, God is reality, everything, and I think that there is a Consciousness behind everything. In a sense karma, things that you do to other will affect you, even if it isn't immediate. I think the most relate-able Religion I look on when I think these things is Christianity, namely that you are part of the body of Christ and that Christ is everywhere. Believing is all you can do in life, knowing shouldn't be a word.
I'm interested to hear what people have to say, I'm creating a new alias to post this on the internet, so I can still use my normal name without being called crazy or being ridiculed.
I understand that my ideas aren't completely organized but I just wanted to see what other think.
@Wealldietheend,
Hello wadte (short for you avatar) and please do allow us to know your name. Perhaps your avatar is an indication of why you think you are crazy, ha! It can be a bit confusing leading one to believe 'what's the use', huh?
You do bring to the fore some good points but before we address those let's allow others here to greet you and make their introductions to you. Welcome aboard and I hope you have a pleasant voyage. Btw, you are most definitely not crazy.
William
@Wealldietheend,
Some people suddenly begin to see the comfortable world as a series of tremendous questions and problems. These question marks can initially seem overwhelming and one despairs at ever solving or answering them. There are two existential attitudes to this. E
either one can step back from the abyss, turn around, and run as fast as one can to safety. Or one can accept the challenge to try as best as one can to accept these questions as a natural part of the world and then to begin seriously work through them (even though one knows there may not be a final answer). The latter seems to be the predicament of philosophical, in a general sense, thinking.
Welcome to Philforum!
Regards,
John
@William,
William;156680 wrote:. Btw, you are most definitely not crazy.
William
At least, no more so than many other people who indulge in philosophizing of the kind you indulge in. So you have a lot of company.
---------- Post added 04-26-2010 at 09:53 AM ----------
jgweed;156698 wrote:Some people suddenly begin to see the comfortable world as a series of tremendous questions and problems. These question marks can initially seem overwhelming and one despairs at ever solving or answering them. There are two existential attitudes to this. E
either one can step back from the abyss, turn around, and run as fast as one can to safety. Or one can accept the challenge to try as best as one can to accept these questions as a natural part of the world and then to begin seriously work through them (even though one knows there may not be a final answer). The latter seems to be the predicament of philosophical, in a general sense, thinking.
Welcome to Philforum!
Regards,
John
Sometimes there are definitive answers to philosophical questions. But those questions have (as they do in science) to be clearly asked, and approached in an analytic way. Hand-waving gets nowhere, either in philosophy or in science. As Talleyrand said to his aides, "Above all, no zeal". Philosophers themselves create the predicament of the inability to give definitive answers. As one great philosopher, Bishop Berkeley wrote, "Philosophers themselves raise the dust, and then complain they cannot see". Of course, Berkeley gave definitive answers himself. Unfortunately they were mostly wrong answers. But he gave the lie to those who hold that philosophy is unable to provide definitive answers. Other philosophers have, by careful analysis, been able to provide definitive answers to properly posed questions.
@Wealldietheend,
Welcome! You are, at least, no crazier than I am. You seem, so far at least, to be saner than the majority of this largely insane human species. That doesn't make for an easy life, unfortunately.
P.S. Don't be put off by kennethamy's abrupt response.
He seems to think that rigour of argument is all that matters; but it is not all that matters, not even in pure mathematics, and certainly not in philosophy.
To say this, of course, is not to despise rigour of argument! (As any logical person can see.)
Indeed, I think it might be quite important to allow oneself to go a little mad (not too much, mind! - "Madness is Not Fun"), and then try to learn to reason about one's mad beliefs.
@kennethamy,
kennethamy;156702 wrote:At least, no more so than many other people who indulge in philosophizing of the kind you indulge in. So you have a lot of company.
Ha! ken, like I said before, you are so predictable. I don't philosophize Ken or haven't you noticed? And yes my company is picking up. Yes, it seems I am a bit of a thorn in your side. It will be up to you to "pick" it out. You love the status quo and you are it's pet pawn or an image in your own mind. It's difficult to determine which is the most accurate.
If what you offered John is evidence of accurate philosophical thought, then yes I am crazy, happily so.
William
@William,
While we wait patiently for someone among us to go completely mad while at the same time being completely logical about it (thus either saving or destroying the world), there is nothing very much wrong with a philosophical division of labour, in which some of us go mad (at least some of the time), and others pick the ideas of the madmen to pieces (perhaps even succeeding in putting them together again, in better working order).
It takes all sorts to remake a world. And one man in his time may play many parts.
@Twirlip,
Good question; are we what we think we are? more? less? nothing? anything? everything?
What was the experience?
What do you think crazy is?
For surely it is not this new availablity you have towards philosophy and language.
Begs the question are you more crazy the more you know or the mor eyou ask?
Perhaps those who know nothing and ask nothing are the real crazy ones?
I would say you may have been enlightened not sent mad.
They both sense the same, but look at the outcome, you are here among others of your kind.
Yes philosophers are a breed and can be bred.
Ah the great 'i dont know' or 'i know nothing' you may very well be having your first existential experience or crisis, but hold on tight the you get used to the velocity, it can even become fun.
The present may be the absolute only thing that stays the same?
Hello there and welcome to the forum.
Please dont leave us waiting to long for more you.
We need each other.
Welcome and have a good trip.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
sometime sun
@Twirlip,
Twirlip;156724 wrote:
P.S. Don't be put off by kennethamy's abrupt response.
He seems to think that rigour of argument is all that matters; but it is not all that matters, not even in pure mathematics, and certainly not in philosophy.
.
But you are mistaken. I think that accuracy, and care (rigor?) matters. But that does not mean I think that is all that matters. Wherever did you get that idea? For example, what certainly matters far more than rigor is that the argument be sound. What good is rigor when the argument is not sound?
@kennethamy,
wealldietheend wrote:I think I'm crazy, in fact I know I don't think normally anymore, most people think simply on what they do and what they are going to do, their lives, their fantasies, and miscellaneous other things , I still do these things as I am human of coarse, as it is our nature to wish and dream of things bigger than ourselves.
That's not the slightest bit crazy. If you look around the forum and read through an encyclopedia of philosophy, you'll see these thoughts discussed at length. As you say, you are still hum and do normal human things.
@Jebediah,
Jebediah;156764 wrote:That's not the slightest bit crazy. If you look around the forum and read through an encyclopedia of philosophy, you'll see these thoughts discussed at length.
That's a really very weak argument. Lots of nutty things are discussed in philosophy.
@kennethamy,
kennethamy;156773 wrote:That's a really very weak argument. Lots of nutty things are discussed in philosophy.
Ah, true, lot's of crazy things are discussed. But thinking about them doesn't make you crazy, and believing them will probably only make you weird at worst.
@Wealldietheend,
I do not think it too crazy what you think. Hoe old are you ? I udsed to have this to when I was younger. Cherish it, later you have to conform. The forum can use wild ideas, ideas form new ideas and how knows we agree in the end.
My: alias Pepijn Sweep