Mason Riggle

If I'm longing for something, then 'me longing for something' is what THIS already is, and is just as 'good/bad' as 'not longing'. Then recognizing this wouldn't make it any better. Then 'Heaven disguised as something else' is the same as 'Heaven'.

Yes, but they misunderstand solipsism, and are not, strictly speaking, 'solipsists'. This is similar to arguing that 'running' is actually slower than walking, because there are people who think that running means 'to crawl on your hands and knees'. This is not a case against 'running'.. and only shows how people do not understand what they are talking about when they say 'running'. "Well, he's a runner, and he thinks it means crawling on his hands and feet, so clearly this is a problem with the idea of 'running'." Again, 'doubting the existence of others' is not solipsism. Solipsism is all about what can be known, not what can't be known.

@Fran11 ^but this is not solipsism. This is a strawman. Solipsists don't claim 'others are not real', only that they can not know for sure. The questions wasn't, 'what if someone believes others are not real'.. the question was, "What difference could it possibly make whether there ARE other minds, or if it just SEEMS LIKE there are?"

@Hulia for Truth, transcend the 'real/illusion' duality. The problem of 'which came first, the chicken or the egg' goes away when it's realized that 'the chicken' and 'the egg' are the same thing.

to care about others only requires that it 'seems like' there are others.

@Fran11 lol.. I was actually asking, if anyone cares to try to answer.. What difference could it possibly make whether there ARE other minds, or if it just SEEMS LIKE there are? If there's a difference, I'd be interested in knowing what it is.

^this is the most important part to understand. What difference could it possibly make whether or not there ARE other minds (exist separate from experience of them) or there just SEEM TO BE other minds (exist as experience of them)??

@RMQualtrough This is not quite accurate. Solipsists understand (not believe) that their conscious experience is the only thing of which they can be 100% certain exists (this doesn't rule out the existence of other things, it only states that the solipsist can't be 100% certain that 'other things' 'really exist separate from the experience of them'), and perhaps they also understand (but it's not necessary that they do) that it doesn't matter whether or not there ARE other things, or it only SEEMS LIKE there are other things..

@Fran11 have you ever experienced 'subsconscious'? Have you ever experienced 'other minds'? You experience neither. Any 'evidence' for either, only exists as 'more experience' which may be 'actual' or 'imaginary'. Any evidence that your evidence is 'actual' or 'imaginary' only exists as 'more experience', which may be 'actual' or 'imaginary'... From the only perspective you have, it matters not which it is.

He's comparing them to show that 'other minds' and 'projections of your own subconscious' exist in the exact same way.. that is to say, there is NO DIFFERENCE. Whether other minds exist in 'actuality', or imaginarily, it doesn't matter.. there's LITERALLY no difference, from your perspective, the only one you will ever have.

@Fran11 his wording may be a little off, but his point is solid. 'Other minds' being a product of 'subconscious mind' is NO DIFFERENT than there being 'other minds'.

@RMQualtrough's point is that it doesn't matter if there are 'really' other minds, or if it only 'seems like' there are other minds. Just like it doesn't matter if you are 'really' reading this sentence on a 'real' forum, of it just 'seems like' you are, but it's all in your head. If you can't tell the difference, there is no difference.

An infinite fractal strange loop.

@Nightwise I went through the same phase of not saying fine or good. Great example of how to navigate a situation where the truth just complicates everything, and a white lie is relatively 'harmless'. "I'd rather not say.", I've found, is a great way to be honest, without saying anything at all.

@BipolarGrowth Que sera, sera Whatever will be, will be The future's not ours to see Que sera, sera

@Preety_India that's the hard part. It can be difficult to find kind ways to be honest, but usually it's not impossible.

@Preety_India it's already occurring. Any attempt to change how things are occurring is just more 'how things are occurring'.

Very nice.. but.. There is no other way. I already AM [being my ego AND God/all of Existence] at all times, even when I think I'm not. You can't try to be what you already are.. but perhaps, if it occurs to you, you can be aware that there's nothing to do, because you're already always 'being how you are'.

Because when you care about someone, you don't want to hurt them, so it becomes difficult to know which will hurt them more.. their weaknesses, or having their weaknesses pointed out. Often times we feel like we are in the position of choosing between being honest, and being kind. (the secret is finding creative ways to be honest and kind at the same time) These situations are not always easy to navigate. Just for a silly example, if you see someone who's zipper is down in public, do you tell them so, with everyone watching, perhaps causing them embarrassment, or do you just let them continue to look like a fool with their zipper down? Which one is the truly 'loving' thing to do? How will they react if you tell them? Some people will appreciate being told their fly is down, other's not so much.

@Preety_India it's like regular GOD, but without the 'big O'.

@Zeroguy oh I believe it.. as the saying goes, it's not the size that matters, but the potency of the toad sweat.

@Zeroguy haha, thanks? You spelled 'sarcastic' wrong though.

@Leo Gura tempted. She needs it.

Can confirm.. putting a toad between someone's legs while they sleep is a sure fire way to assure them you're perfectly sane.

I don't think there's much difference, if any. 'Going full circle' is a little more tangible, perhaps, where 'strange loop' is a bit more esoteric. I think it's easier to conceptualize a circle that starts where it ends (pick any point on the circumference as an arbitrary start/end point) in just 1 plane (like a flat circle on a page), than a 'strange loop' which is more of a 'shapeless' shape, it's less of a 2 dimensional circle, which circles around in only 1 plane of reference, and more of a 3d, or 4d, or infiniteD, which loops back on itself in however many planes one can imagine.