Comments on: The pesky problem of "thinking" http://www.wayofthemind.org/2006/01/09/the-pesky-problem-of-thinking/ Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:08:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Martian http://www.wayofthemind.org/2006/01/09/the-pesky-problem-of-thinking/#comment-362 Martian Sun, 12 Feb 2006 21:25:21 +0000 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2006/01/09/the-pesky-problem-of-thinking/#comment-362 I've never seen an episode, but I've been meaning to check it out. Think I'll put them in my Netflix que. Thanks for the links to me. You've got a really great blog here, it's the kind of stuff I like to read. I'll be posting a link to you later today. Martian I’ve never seen an episode, but I’ve been meaning to check it out. Think I’ll put them in my Netflix que.

Thanks for the links to me. You’ve got a really great blog here, it’s the kind of stuff I like to read. I’ll be posting a link to you later today.

Martian

]]> By: Allison http://www.wayofthemind.org/2006/01/09/the-pesky-problem-of-thinking/#comment-336 Allison Thu, 19 Jan 2006 22:30:41 +0000 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2006/01/09/the-pesky-problem-of-thinking/#comment-336 I read your post on individualism and my jaw was dropped to find someone else that shared my views on the topic. I started to read other posts of yours and found that it was more than just the individualism that we shared views on. Thusly, as you mention in this post that you're a Sci-Fi fan, I'm even more inclined to recommend to you the TV series Firefly and the movie Sereniy both by Joss Whedon. I'm not going to go into the details, in case you're already a fan, but if you're not, you should be, so e-mail me back and I'll tell you all about it. I read your post on individualism and my jaw was dropped to find someone else that shared my views on the topic.

I started to read other posts of yours and found that it was more than just the individualism that we shared views on.

Thusly, as you mention in this post that you’re a Sci-Fi fan, I’m even more inclined to recommend to you the TV series Firefly and the movie Sereniy both by Joss Whedon.

I’m not going to go into the details, in case you’re already a fan, but if you’re not, you should be, so e-mail me back and I’ll tell you all about it.

]]> By: Kanzentai http://www.wayofthemind.org/2006/01/09/the-pesky-problem-of-thinking/#comment-329 Kanzentai Mon, 16 Jan 2006 00:27:03 +0000 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2006/01/09/the-pesky-problem-of-thinking/#comment-329 PS: And I have absolutely no idea how placebos work, medically speaking. PS: And I have absolutely no idea how placebos work, medically speaking.

]]> By: Kanzentai http://www.wayofthemind.org/2006/01/09/the-pesky-problem-of-thinking/#comment-328 Kanzentai Mon, 16 Jan 2006 00:25:55 +0000 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2006/01/09/the-pesky-problem-of-thinking/#comment-328 I believe in souls, because I like the concept of it. That there's a mystical force inside everyone that drives them, makes them thrive. Of course, a "soul" may be the result of the billions of synapses that occur in the majority's brains. But isn't it still a "soul"? Once the synapses stop occurring, you're pretty much dead :) It's like giving your (insert object name here) a name that is not its normal designation. We give our pets names, and that doesn't change what they are, after all :) I enjoy the concepts of Heaven and Hell, but not the "Evil must be vanquished by the almighty God" version. Maybe it's because I've played Diablo II one hour too much, but its concept of the eternal battle between Heaven and Hell being "fought" on the mortal realm through "subliminal messages" and "conversions". There was even an angel that betrayed Heaven. Of course both the demons and angels there are much more corporeal than I assume they are in our reality. Heaven is nice to ease the "pain" of Death, Hell is nice to "ease" the pain of all kinds of abuse (meaning, the ones abusing will eventually burn in a thousand flames for all eternity). What if I think Lead should be called Polar-bearium because its chemical symbol is Pb? It's a "valid" (more like ridiculous) point :) Returning to the topic at hand, am I in the dark because I have chosen to believe in something that may not have a physical manifestation, but rather a spiritual one? I have no idea if there are souls, if there aren't, if they're the electric surges that happen all the time in my brain, or the effects the hormones my hypothalamus and hypophysis produce on my heartbeat? Being "a man of science", I am fully aware "the heart", and "feelings" are all results of a few chemical reactions. Yet I have opted not to go around "spoiling" every person who has "fallen in love"'s "happiness". It'd be wrong of me, they're not hurting anyone, it's harmless for them to "love". I won't digress into "hate", "rage", "anger", "jealousy", "thirst for revenge", "sleepiness", "libido" or even "indiference". Any good biochemistry book focused on neurological chemical reactions can cover those topics up waaaay better than I can at the moment :) I believe in souls, because I like the concept of it. That there’s a mystical force inside everyone that drives them, makes them thrive. Of course, a “soul” may be the result of the billions of synapses that occur in the majority’s brains. But isn’t it still a “soul”? Once the synapses stop occurring, you’re pretty much dead :) It’s like giving your (insert object name here) a name that is not its normal designation. We give our pets names, and that doesn’t change what they are, after all :)

I enjoy the concepts of Heaven and Hell, but not the “Evil must be vanquished by the almighty God” version. Maybe it’s because I’ve played Diablo II one hour too much, but its concept of the eternal battle between Heaven and Hell being “fought” on the mortal realm through “subliminal messages” and “conversions”. There was even an angel that betrayed Heaven. Of course both the demons and angels there are much more corporeal than I assume they are in our reality.

Heaven is nice to ease the “pain” of Death, Hell is nice to “ease” the pain of all kinds of abuse (meaning, the ones abusing will eventually burn in a thousand flames for all eternity).

What if I think Lead should be called Polar-bearium because its chemical symbol is Pb? It’s a “valid” (more like ridiculous) point :)

Returning to the topic at hand, am I in the dark because I have chosen to believe in something that may not have a physical manifestation, but rather a spiritual one? I have no idea if there are souls, if there aren’t, if they’re the electric surges that happen all the time in my brain, or the effects the hormones my hypothalamus and hypophysis produce on my heartbeat?

Being “a man of science”, I am fully aware “the heart”, and “feelings” are all results of a few chemical reactions. Yet I have opted not to go around “spoiling” every person who has “fallen in love”’s “happiness”. It’d be wrong of me, they’re not hurting anyone, it’s harmless for them to “love”. I won’t digress into “hate”, “rage”, “anger”, “jealousy”, “thirst for revenge”, “sleepiness”, “libido” or even “indiference”. Any good biochemistry book focused on neurological chemical reactions can cover those topics up waaaay better than I can at the moment :)

]]> By: Pedro Timóteo http://www.wayofthemind.org/2006/01/09/the-pesky-problem-of-thinking/#comment-324 Pedro Timóteo Fri, 13 Jan 2006 08:40:47 +0000 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2006/01/09/the-pesky-problem-of-thinking/#comment-324 Well, my point is that you only keep having irrational beliefs if you don't think too hard about them. Like in jms's example: the guy didn't have any problem with stuff he opposed, but stuff that got him <i>thinking</i> about whether souls existed or not, and what they were... now THAT was a problem. Why? Because irrational beliefs are like a form of life that only thrives in the darkness... you point a flashlight (reason) at them, and they wither and die. They cannot survive in the light. Intelligent people can, as you imply, keep such beliefs for decades, even their entire lives, because they unconsciously create a "defense mechanism" - <i>"I shall not question this"</i>, <i>"I shall not think too hard about this"</i>, <i>"I shall not submit this to the same standards I submit everything else in my life to"</i>, and so on. I was like that for 26 years of my life, as I said in the "I can sympathize" link. From that alone, you should see that I don't think "only complete idiots have religious beliefs". Well, my point is that you only keep having irrational beliefs if you don’t think too hard about them. Like in jms’s example: the guy didn’t have any problem with stuff he opposed, but stuff that got him thinking about whether souls existed or not, and what they were… now THAT was a problem. Why? Because irrational beliefs are like a form of life that only thrives in the darkness… you point a flashlight (reason) at them, and they wither and die. They cannot survive in the light.

Intelligent people can, as you imply, keep such beliefs for decades, even their entire lives, because they unconsciously create a “defense mechanism” - “I shall not question this”, “I shall not think too hard about this”, “I shall not submit this to the same standards I submit everything else in my life to”, and so on.

I was like that for 26 years of my life, as I said in the “I can sympathize” link. From that alone, you should see that I don’t think “only complete idiots have religious beliefs”.

]]> By: Kanzentai http://www.wayofthemind.org/2006/01/09/the-pesky-problem-of-thinking/#comment-322 Kanzentai Fri, 13 Jan 2006 02:07:38 +0000 http://www.wayofthemind.org/2006/01/09/the-pesky-problem-of-thinking/#comment-322 I think that last sentence, "Religion and thinking don’t mix…", is slightly taking it to the extreme. But since this is a philosophical blog, we're both entitled to our opinions :) I'll say little about it: I think someone's spiritual orientation should not be used to infer something about that same someone's intellectual (dis)ability. I think that's as bad as saying "atheists" are the spawn of the devil and, as such, must be wiped from the face of the Earth. Why can't someone both worship the Fetid Twin Gods of Destruction, Dogar and Kazon (some will recognise this small reference from somewhere else, but I digress), and bring about the unification of Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity into a single Theory of Quantum Gravity? Would it be worth that much less just because its creator liked to sacrifice living animals to his twisted creed? I am fully aware that is an extreme example, but I hope my point got across. I simply meant to say that thinking and "believing" aren't that intertwined at all. I think that last sentence, “Religion and thinking don’t mix…”, is slightly taking it to the extreme. But since this is a philosophical blog, we’re both entitled to our opinions :)

I’ll say little about it: I think someone’s spiritual orientation should not be used to infer something about that same someone’s intellectual (dis)ability. I think that’s as bad as saying “atheists” are the spawn of the devil and, as such, must be wiped from the face of the Earth.

Why can’t someone both worship the Fetid Twin Gods of Destruction, Dogar and Kazon (some will recognise this small reference from somewhere else, but I digress), and bring about the unification of Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity into a single Theory of Quantum Gravity? Would it be worth that much less just because its creator liked to sacrifice living animals to his twisted creed?

I am fully aware that is an extreme example, but I hope my point got across. I simply meant to say that thinking and “believing” aren’t that intertwined at all.

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