RichardY

@Cortex What paragraphs did you find interesting?

@luckieluuke Uhmm to summon Pumpkin head? If I really knew, I probably wouldn't be here. Is that profile pic pumpkin head or a cowboy?

Perseverance. Many of the colonists in North America were German, Irish & Dutch. Fleeing various oppression. Initial settlers fleeing religious persecution. Persistence is mentioned a bit about, and presumably by Einstein as being important. Considering he was a patent clerk and not a professor or even a high school teacher initially. Before being recognised. Long term planning.

@Sbilko Was listening to "a Critique of Pure Reason." literally a day or two before your post. Anyway the part I got up to, is basically Kant trying to justify an alternative realm where "freewill" is possible, as the natural world according to Kant, conforms to various laws. In opposition to a "soulless materialism". The notion of "freewill" being central and essential to his deontological(Duty) ethics. So he has to establish "another realm" where freewill is possible, and that can be perceived by some. In keeping with a transcendent God outside of space and time. Personally I think of equating God with consciousness? I think an Immanent(with us) God might be more in keeping with Orthodox Christianity or Judaism. Tend not to be too attached to various philosophers, more like skimming the cream, if I can... Or a process of elimination.

@stevegan928 Not sure what suicide is about, but as a generality; a desire for more or a lack of something, which I think are the same. Sorry for your loss, not sure what a person can add.

@stevegan928 As the guy was your best friend. Would considering what you valued, be worth while?

Forget the "The Power of Now." "The Naked Now" all the way

1:09:32 Rocks & Intelligence I find that Leibnizian monadology is compatible with Carl Jungs Aion. The image of wholeness as referred to by Jung as perhaps a kind of construct of consciousness. Perhaps like taking a backup image of the HDD. Just the Best of all possible Worlds I don't like.

I like the term essentialist better than minimalist.

Says something a bit different according to his website. Is memory really a thought? OPRAH: The Power of Now has saved me many, many times. As a matter of fact, this has been one of the most hectic days. I just got back from Africa. I'm sleep deprived, and I woke up this morning thinking, Oh my God, I'm going to be so stressed. But I let that go and just thought, I will be present now. I taped four television shows today, and I was very excited about being able to talk to you, but I kept saying to myself, Don't think about how many other things you have to do. Just be present now. And that is what has gotten me to the end of the day, in this moment. ECKHART: That's a continuous refocusing on what really matters—what matters most in anybody's life, which is the present moment. People don't realize that now is all there ever is; there is no past or future except as memory or anticipation in your mind. https://www.eckharttolle.com/article/Eckhart-Tolle-Oprah-Winfrey-O-Magazine-Interview

If the whole thing is happening in awareness, "the universe". That would mean something is being aware. Which would mean Deism, a form of absurdism. ----------------------------- @Naturalist When you say attributes of consciousness what do you mean by that? You make a distinction of mind consciousness. Are you in affect arguing for Substance Dualism ala Descartes. If so why have the duality? Why not try and reduce to Monism?

@Moreira Animals on islands aren't fearful. The ones that aren't "fearful"(they are). Are because they have been domesticated to a more collective nature. Take a dog or a child for instance, leave it by itself for 5 minutes, watch it obviously, and it'll go nuts, just a a question of scale. Same with chickens....., highly collective and domesticated. The more extroverted by temperament, the more nuts they'll go in isolation.

@Leo Gura It's not an agree, disagree situation. It either an impasse, Or one or both of you are wrong. Looking for the couch potato version of existence, maybe enlightenment, but not too fussed over that. Not the Alice in Wonderland version, or Shaolin Monk version. Yet. Not keen on "The best of all possible Worlds". Apparently Leibniz is ridiculed in Voltaire's Candide, so probably will give that a listen. Feel that Leibniz's premises might be right, it's the conclusion I'm suspect of. From Wikipedia Leibnizian Monadology This theory leads to: 1. Idealism, since it denies things in themselves (besides monads) and multiplies them in different points of view. Monads are “perpetual living mirrors of the universe.” 2. Metaphysical optimism, through the principle of sufficient reason, developed as follows: a) Everything exists according to a reason (by the axiom "Nothing arises from nothing"); b) Everything which exists has a sufficient reason to exist; c) Everything which exists is better than anything nonexistent (by the first point: since it is more rational, it also has more reality), and, consequently, it is the best possible being in the best of all possible worlds (by the axiom: "That which contains more reality is better than that which contains less reality"). ------------------------------- No idea if Spinoza would provide a better explanation of thing(s)? Or if another philosopher or poet... is more apt. I find the living nature of Leibniz more actual, than a vanilla neutral monism, where things are neither physical or mental, but potentially either. The phenomena of consciousness is not an activity of the "brain" that would lead to absurdism, or "return of the living dead" property dualism.

Don't do it.

Being a song by George Harrison, thought it was interesting that the song was influenced by vendanta. Have virtually no familiarity with Eastern philosophy and religion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedanta#Similarities_with_Spinoza's_philosophy

@Outer Perhaps a bit like a Beatles song, "Within You, Without You." Well I guess with Gestalt. Appearance does not exist. Might be wrong though, not sure how to think it through more deeply.

The future. It perpetuates, it memes.

So are you saying consciousness does not exist period? Or merely the appearance of consciousness? Kind of like a silhouette?

Success. If unsuccessful; upset people. Note upset: and not antagonise, troll, annoy etc.

I think if we are kind, it will be a kind world.

I know from reading some of Psychological Types 1921 that introversion is subjective thinking (A>B), where as extroversion is objective thinking (A = A). People using various modes, but fragmented, perhaps. Extreme Introversion - Schizophrenia. Extreme Extroversion - Psychopath. Like in the movies the psychopath is always the athletic weightlifting one, MEGA GAINS!!!! Perhaps like the Twilight Movies (Not seen it, but popular chick flick right?), shall I date the psychopath(werewolf) or the Schizophrenic (vampire)..... Projection - Not entirely sure how the various types use projection. I think the introverted type will tend to assume themselves as the object(existent), where as extrovert will project onto objects the contents of their psyche, strongly influenced by those around them. The following would be extreme introversion imo. Peter Pan - 1902 The Shadow - 1930 Bram Strokers Dracula - 1897 Or Extreme Extroversion.... Discretion Advised

@moon777light Aristotle or Aquinas if particularly religious. Ayn Rand instead of Descartes, if you are looking at rationalism. Although she would say Objectivism. David Hume instead of Nietzsche. While similar in someway, but radically different in writing style, Hume has a greater level of certainty that Nietzsche lacks. Early Socratic Dialogues. The History of Philosophy Bertrand Russel is long, and it doesn't go into any depth, about any philosophers. Also it was written pre and during world war 2. So misses any more modern American Philosophers. He does favourably mention Bishop Berkeley, which I recommend. Criticises Hegel and the German Continental school. Leibniz, Hegel, Kant. " While British Empiricism like a broad based pyramid maybe be partially right, the German apriori as narrow based pyramid maybe wholly wrong." Hegel also advocates for war, which is the result of imo a coherence based theory of truth, Hegel's Absolute Idealism. How did that work out. Utilitarians like John Stuart Mill, also fall into the same category, though through Determinism instead. Having listened to Walden by Henry David Thoreau recently, a fairly light book but good in it's wisdom. If looking for something more concentrated, Dostoevsky has a similar writing style.

@Pluck 1) Alternatives. While accusing Leo for starting a cult, you are recommending the main authorship work of someone who started a cult, Ayn Rand. Not that I think your recommendation of "Atlas Shrugged" is not without merit, seen it referenced a lot, even the first Bioshock game referenced Ayn Rand. Probably listen to it on Audible sometime. Would you kindly recommend a contemporary better or different thinker/mystic? 2) Psychedelics. I have wondered if taking psychedelics, while increasing openness, may decrease conscientiousness fragmenting a personality. Leading to a less non dual state and more contradictions/duality in language. Not all win. 3) Truth. I take it that you perhaps subscribe to a correspondence theory of truth? Been thinking about an infinitism expression of truth. Could be vanity and Nihilism not too fussed. Although while saying that truth is not expressed in English, why should I take what you say seriously, how are you being any different? 4) Forum. Pretty ace. Who else is doing something like it? ok politics is iffy, although can blow up in big arguments leaving people perhaps drained or upset, not bothered personally. But plenty of other topics are talked about or provide the opportunity to mention. 5) Personally I Trust no one. Which precludes doing philosophy. Although reading philosophy, has implications in metaphysics, mathematics and how we structure or unstructure reality.

Maybe it's kind of a Gestalt Therapy.

"I don't avoid women Mandrake, but I do deny them my essence".