GENIUS FORUMS

I read alternatingly that causality is either

A) The most important thing to understand

or

B) Just an illusion

Which is it?

I believe it's the most important thing to understand.

It seems like many here vassalate depending upon which truths the causality illuminates in any given argument, and how those truths play into your notions of self, and which politically correct pose you're trying to assume.

I know. I know. what is "correct"? what is "how"? what is "is"? Let's just for shits and grins pretend like words actually mean things.

The most important thing to understand.

Your forgetting that everyone's mind is different, but still part of the indifferent quality of Nature.

Steven Coyle wrote:The most important thing to understand.

Your forgetting that everyone's mind is different, but still part of the indifferent quality of Nature.

What is the evidence that I've forgotten this?

Hey Mill,

Do you think that the 'totality' is a concept or reality that is worth considering?

And if so, do you think the totality is caused, or uncaused?

Cory Duchesne wrote:Hey Mill,

Do you think that the 'totality' is a concept or reality that is worth considering?

And if so, do you think the totality is caused, or uncaused?

I think talk like this is a bunch of utterly meaningless crap.

millipodium wrote:

Steven Coyle wrote:The most important thing to understand.

Your forgetting that everyone's mind is different, but still part of the indifferent quality of Nature.

What is the evidence that I've forgotten this?

Ah, just your trenchant personality.

Cory: Hey Mill,

Do you think that the 'totality' is a concept or reality that is worth considering?

And if so, do you think the totality is caused, or uncaused?


Mill: I think talk like this is a bunch of utterly meaningless crap.

Why?

Cory Duchesne wrote:

Cory: Hey Mill,

Do you think that the 'totality' is a concept or reality that is worth considering?

And if so, do you think the totality is caused, or uncaused?


Mill: I think talk like this is a bunch of utterly meaningless crap.

Why?

Explain to me how pondering "the totality" is valuable. I know it's valuable to your enemies, as it keeps your mind lost in meaninglessness, instead of being focused on survival-oriented issues.

millipodium wrote:

Cory Duchesne wrote:

Cory: Hey Mill,

Do you think that the 'totality' is a concept or reality that is worth considering?

And if so, do you think the totality is caused, or uncaused?


Mill: I think talk like this is a bunch of utterly meaningless crap.

Why?

Explain to me how pondering "the totality" is valuable. I know it's valuable to your enemies, as it keeps your mind lost in meaninglessness, instead of being focused on survival-oriented issues.

Mill wrote:

I read alternatingly that causality is either

A) The most important thing to understand

or

B) Just an illusion

Which is it?

I believe it's the most important thing to understand.

If causality is the most important thing to understand, then undestanding what caused the totality would be the fundamentally most important thing to understand.

Elizabeth Isabelle wrote:

millipodium wrote:

Cory Duchesne wrote:

Cory: Hey Mill,

Do you think that the 'totality' is a concept or reality that is worth considering?

And if so, do you think the totality is caused, or uncaused?


Mill: I think talk like this is a bunch of utterly meaningless crap.

Why?

Explain to me how pondering "the totality" is valuable. I know it's valuable to your enemies, as it keeps your mind lost in meaninglessness, instead of being focused on survival-oriented issues.

Mill wrote:

I read alternatingly that causality is either

A) The most important thing to understand

or

B) Just an illusion

Which is it?

I believe it's the most important thing to understand.

If causality is the most important thing to understand, then undestanding what caused the totality would be the fundamentally most important thing to understand.

The totality is just a mental construct of extreme unity. There can be no causality when everything is considered as one big thing, because understanding causality needs at least two conceptual things: Thing a to cause thing b. Got it?

Mill: Explain to me how pondering "the totality" is valuable.

If you value not being emotional, or at least having your emotions shortlived and subordinated to your intellect, then being flexible and relaxed enough to ponder (and eventually identify yourself as) the totality is invaluable.

As for survival - I think its obvious that tribalism has outlived its usefulness when it becomes inflated into patriotism and nationalism, as it is these days.

Cory Duchesne wrote:

Mill: Explain to me how pondering "the totality" is valuable.

If you value not being emotional, or at least having your emotions shortlived and subordinated to your intellect, then being flexible and relaxed enough to ponder (and eventually identify yourself as) the totality is invaluable.

As for survival - I think its obvious that tribalism has outlived its usefulness when it becomes inflated into patriotism and nationalism, as it is these days.

But your are NOT the totality. You are part of it. Destroying your concepts of parts and whole is destroying your very ability to think critically.

The concept of people banding together in different sized groups along different lines is one that will always be with us. It makes sense. Internationalism is nothing more than the elites in government and business drawing a new line for demarcating survival groups, it's them versus everyone else. Your failure to comprehend this perplexes me.

millipodium wrote:it's them versus everyone else.

I think each group just thinks it knows best about how to live.

I think having different countries is a good experiment to see which set of rules do work out the best for the people of the given countries, but the big problems (i.e. war) happen when one country tries to force its ideals on another country. If one country really was doing things all that much better than another country, all the people would want to either be in the other country or make their country like the other country.

Milli wrote:

But your are NOT the totality. You are part of it. Destroying your concepts of parts and whole is destroying your very ability to think critically.

My concepts of parts and wholes are still intact, but it is supremely practical (if you value clarity) to see how two things which appear to be seperate are really undivided from each other - like pleasure and pain for instance.

If the country, the family, or the wife is irrational than I am that irrationality to the degree that I depend on such apparent agencies for my orientation and sense of well being.

But I am not dependent in such a manner.

I am a relatively low-maintenance human being, and will continue to make progress in that field. I don't need chocolate, alcohol, gambling, drugs, viagra, sports, television, sugar - -all these products enslave the population to stupid activities and work, ruin their minds, and feed the wallets of 'the corrupt elitists'.

But the population wants these products, so they are their own worst enemy and the only thing I can do is to learn how to communicate to them in the most effective way.

If one cleary sees that pleasure is undivided from sorrow, fear and anger, then one cannot help but turn away from wordly pleasure like its a poisonous snake.

That is why it is good to see cause and effect as one undivided whole, rather than two seperate things. To percieve in that way IS radical action, rather than feeble action (such as drinking, junk eating and sex)

I am this corrupt world to the degree that I use it for my own gratification. And I am irrational and suffering to that same degree as well.

Milli: The concept of people banding together in different sized groups along different lines is one that will always be with us.

People will do what they will. I personally have no need to bandy up with people, but only offer and accept that which seems to be the best.

Mill: Internationalism is nothing more than the elites in government and business drawing a new line for demarcating survival groups, it's them versus everyone else. Your failure to comprehend this perplexes me.

The vulgar have great power only because people give them the power. Personally I buy my food from local and organic outlets, I grow my own food, and I buy my clothes second hand.

Cory Duchesne wrote: I personally have no need to bandy up with people, but only offer and accept that which seems to be the best.

You have this feeling of individual control because people have died to preserve your freedom, you ingrate.

You're right on a lot of stuff though.

Cory: I personally have no need to bandy up with people, but only offer and accept that which seems to be the best.

Milli: You have this feeling of individual control because people have died to preserve your freedom, you ingrate.

And you think that they chose to? An animal does not choose to fight back when cornered, and its success, failure and existence depends on its genes and good or bad fortune, not on any inherently existing characteristic.

Likewise, any soldiers whose lives that I've benifited from had no choice to do what they did, they were an expression of nature, and likewise I have no choice to do what I am doing, as my expression is involuntary as well.

Gratitude is rooted in resentment, as pride is rooted in shame, and so I do away with such irrational emotions. The people before me couldnt help it, as I likewise cannot help it.

Cory Duchesne wrote:

Cory: I personally have no need to bandy up with people, but only offer and accept that which seems to be the best.

Milli: You have this feeling of individual control because people have died to preserve your freedom, you ingrate.

And you think that they chose to? An animal does not choose to fight back when cornered, and its success, failure and existence depends on its genes and good or bad fortune, not on any inherently existing characteristic.

Likewise, any soldiers whose lives that I've benifited from had no choice to do what they did, they were an expression of nature, and likewise I have no choice to do what I am doing, as my expression is involuntary as well.

Gratitude is rooted in resentment, as pride is rooted in shame, and so I do away with such irrational emotions. The people before me couldnt help it, as I likewise cannot help it.

You're totally full of shit. you pair opposite words to negate others who for your freedom. you really suck shit at this point. You need to grow up.

Cory Duchesne wrote:

Cory: I personally have no need to bandy up with people, but only offer and accept that which seems to be the best.

Milli: You have this feeling of individual control because people have died to preserve your freedom, you ingrate.

And you think that they chose to? An animal does not choose to fight back when cornered, and its success, failure and existence depends on its genes and good or bad fortune, not on any inherently existing characteristic.

Likewise, any soldiers whose lives that I've benifited from had no choice to do what they did, they were an expression of nature, and likewise I have no choice to do what I am doing, as my expression is involuntary as well.

Gratitude is rooted in resentment, as pride is rooted in shame, and so I do away with such irrational emotions. The people before me couldnt help it, as I likewise cannot help it.

You're totally full of shit. you pair opposite words to negate others who die for your freedom. You need to grow up.

Milli: You're totally full of shit. you pair opposite words to negate others who die for your freedom. You need to grow up.

As long as you think your freedom is caused by something, then you are not free.

Cory Duchesne wrote:

Milli: You're totally full of shit. you pair opposite words to negate others who die for your freedom. You need to grow up.

As long as you think your freedom is caused by something, then you are not free.

That makes no sense. It sounds deep and all, but it's a load of crap.

Mill,

I've noticed that people here speak what is on their minds. You mention various terms for fecal matter a lot.

Elizabeth Isabelle wrote:Mill,

I've noticed that people here speak what is on their minds. You mention various terms for fecal matter a lot.

Well, it's true I require a lot of dietary fiber.

lol