Why are we here?
No, this isn't a cry of existential angst to the heavens, but something altogether more light weight and (I hope) entertaining. I'm wondering why you and I are here, in this forum. What do we hope to gain by contributing to this forum?
I'll go first: I'm here to exchange ideas, to discover new and interesting ideas, or to extend/enhance old and interesting ideas. :up:
N.B. It may be that some (many? all?) of my posts don't reflect my lofty ideals, but let's not pursue that. We're all human, and therefore fallible in this regard. :wink:
So why are you here?
I'll go first: I'm here to exchange ideas, to discover new and interesting ideas, or to extend/enhance old and interesting ideas. :up:
N.B. It may be that some (many? all?) of my posts don't reflect my lofty ideals, but let's not pursue that. We're all human, and therefore fallible in this regard. :wink:
So why are you here?
Comments (21)
I like to wallow; but, I'm in a constant struggle to wallow less and philosophize more.
Oh well.
My reasons are mostly what you gave.
I am certainly running into some of my own fallibility. I already regret saying some things the way I did.
My work life is very far from this sort of thing so I am trying to keep the ember from going dark.
I have spent years closely reading some works but there are many perspectives I am only marginally aware of, if at all, in others.
This modern terminology of distinguishing various theories from each other that is the lingua franca on the forum has been a trip for me. The practice makes me nervous, not the disputations involved but the unspoken agreements.
Enough about me.
I'd like to hear more, if you'd care to expand...?
I have been checking out the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy a lot lately to understand themes and theories I am not familiar with. I have also been checking out articles on things I think I am familiar with. Wayfarer recently referred me to the site that made a careful comparison of how properties of "substances" were described in Descartes, Spinoza, and other philosophers in that time period. It was helpful and accurate as a matter of bringing those differences into focus. But I was struck by how differently those properties appear in the actual texts of Spinoza and Descartes. The point of view used to compare the two from the outside misses elements of how meaning is developed on the inside.
There is something about the history of philosophy and how ideas are explained by other ideas that puts works at a distance. Description as a form of judgement, if you will.
Hah.
Children are the most dangerous thing in your home.
Right? And unlike grown ups, they never fail to notice the smallest lapses in attention. Spaces within which to move freely. Or even more horrifying, mirroring the strained haggard expressions of the haunted, so that they may be infected too. The cost of loving you.
One could write a history of the world based upon strategies to limit the results of the perception.
This way my thinking gets stronger, this is the daily gym for thinkanauts.
Our grace came from the sea, our strength came from the land, our soul from the stars.
That's pretty damn ominous...
It's a reference to the three beasts of revelation.
If I hang around magic monkeys maybe their magic will rub off on me, despite my incompetence.
De omnibus dubitandum est
The devil is like the predator aspect, and the soul the prey. You can tell it because it feels really good to be on top, and not so much to be on the bottom. All submissive elements are in the prey, including gratitude, appreciation, love, sadness, remorse. So that, if one is to appreciate the sacrifices of the saints and true followers, they are to appreciate, with grief, mourning, gratitude, awe. One does not throw bodies at a problem and then be pleased. One does not corrupt the covenant with frivolity, with greed, elation, drunkenness, excitement.
And I wouldn't know all of these things right now to be paranoid about if it wasn't for you, I'd still be allowed to curse and profane, which is totally like my favorite thing, besides making light and laughing at everything. With barely containable glee, and pleasure at my own appreciations of something others died for, and I praise myself for seeing. Like praising your eyeballs for being able to see the artist's painting.
:up: All of God's creatures are welcome here. :smile: Especially the dragons.
Also because I got expelled from all my previous forums for, well having thoughts of my own and not just be a PC sheep.
"I don't know,"said the oyster,"all I know is you're bloody irritating."
But the pearl fisher knows.