A Stitch in Time
Hello, and welcome! Welcome to... My Webl. Please, have a cup of cocoa (courtesy of Mai Lan... ok, ok, I already drank it... but it's the thought that counts, right?) and relax by the fire (generously supplied by an imagination near you, if yours is broken :D).
I know, it has been quite a while since I've written. Now, I'm sure you've all been starved for my writing, either that or quite sick of me ranting on. Either way, feel free to skip over my entry, or read it... I merely provide a choice.
Perhaps some of you haven't noticed, but there's a secret about me that I'll let you in on... I like to debate. I love to talk about ideas, to have conflicting ideas, show somebody a new way of looking at something and even... *gasp* yes, even look at something differently myself. Just in case I've failed to mark this journal clearly before, let it be known from now for all time that My Webl is always open to ideas. If they contradict what I say here, great, I'd love to debate them with you... if they agree with what I say, thank you for the support... if they are completely random, it fits in perfectly with how I seem to appear to people sometimes, so by all means, share :)
On that vein, I'd also like to clarify something else. I will sometimes support a position with which I disagree. Foolish some say, and perhaps they are right... but please, hear me out. Even though I may disagree with the position, I still feel there is merit in it that is being overlooked. I don't think I have ever defended a position for which I thought there was no merit, unless I am clearly joking (for example, Sally and my debate about which colour is better, blue or green). It is also easy for me to get caught up in a debate, so that I, to an untrained observer, may appear to be fully behind a position with which I disagree. This is not intentional deception, perhaps I have a genetic vulnerability to arguing.
Thank you everyone, I just thought I'd make sure that was clear from here on in :)
Now a personal interlude: Mental note to myself... er, make that a livejournal note to myself. If I ever find myself seriously depressed, that life is no longer worth it for me, or a general pointlessness, remember to spend time with friends! This past year, during the break between this term and the last, I was considerably stabilized and cheered by spending time with many old high school friends. To all of you, though you may never read this... thank you. This personal interlude was brought to you by the letters D, A and N... my initials :D
Where were we? Ah yes! Perhaps there may come a time in my life where I feel as I did this past summer once again. I am both hopeful and scared of that time, should it come. In case... my mind fails and I lose everything, I think I'll copy a few important ideas here, so they will not be lost:
1) People must learn to look at the logical consequences of their actions, and plan ahead. Harming the future is, in some ways, equivalent to harming the present. A stitch in time saves nine.
2) People must learn to look at how their actions affect others. The key is understanding yourself as one of many, rather than the most important one. Try to look from an objective standpoint, if such a standpoint exists... having someone else be happy instead of you is just as acceptable in an objective standpoint. Having someone live instead of you being happy is even better.
3) A universe with consciousness in it has good, a universe without does not. This principle is the basis for objective definitions of what is good.
4) People's actions are always based on the positives. A killer kills either to protect others, themself, or even just for pleasure. The worst of humanity is based on positive urges. At worst these are selfish, next are selfless, the best is recognizing yourself as part of everything.
5) The positives are increases, either in an individual or in the interconnectivity. A prime example of interconnectivity is love. A few good examples of increases in individuals are strength, intelligence, etc.
6) Having a spiritual side to your life is good. Even if something isn't true in reality, mere belief itself can help. Not that we have a firm grasp on reality in the first place ;)
7) Many people can't see how God who is benevolent can allow terrible things to happen in the world. I think that they are not even trying to think like an omnipotent being. Imagine that consciousness is something special. Imagine also that it requires free will. People are hardwired to have pleasure at increases, but are still capable of choices. Let's assume God wanted there to be consciousness. Therefore, there must be choices. For humanity to truly develop its consciousness, perhaps it is necessary for us not to constantly being proved that there is a God. So, now you have a picture: Consciousness is good, choices must be necessary, and for God to directly intervene may be counter-productive to the development of consciousness. So what, as an omniscient omnipotent God would you do? I propose this: Every single choice possible ultimately leads to a good result, at least potentially. I think that all people who die connect with God in a way, but that can't really be proved, so let's stay out of that realm. Try taking a look at history, or your own life. At every single event, you have the potential to learn something, even when bad things happen. All of human history can teach future humanity, and we get closer to understanding... the world, the universe, ourselves.
Maybe this is all complete rambling, it's nearly 4 in the morning and I should go to sleep, but I just wanted to get these thoughts down, just in case. For those of you who don't read this, may you be happy... and for those who do read it, may you be thoughtful. At least, that's my hope... and what would life be without hope? Goodnight to all of you.
P.S. I highly recommend watching I, Robot. It's one of the best spiritual movies I've seen, and I think it highlights some of the ideas I put forward here... anyway, great movie :)
I know, it has been quite a while since I've written. Now, I'm sure you've all been starved for my writing, either that or quite sick of me ranting on. Either way, feel free to skip over my entry, or read it... I merely provide a choice.
Perhaps some of you haven't noticed, but there's a secret about me that I'll let you in on... I like to debate. I love to talk about ideas, to have conflicting ideas, show somebody a new way of looking at something and even... *gasp* yes, even look at something differently myself. Just in case I've failed to mark this journal clearly before, let it be known from now for all time that My Webl is always open to ideas. If they contradict what I say here, great, I'd love to debate them with you... if they agree with what I say, thank you for the support... if they are completely random, it fits in perfectly with how I seem to appear to people sometimes, so by all means, share :)
On that vein, I'd also like to clarify something else. I will sometimes support a position with which I disagree. Foolish some say, and perhaps they are right... but please, hear me out. Even though I may disagree with the position, I still feel there is merit in it that is being overlooked. I don't think I have ever defended a position for which I thought there was no merit, unless I am clearly joking (for example, Sally and my debate about which colour is better, blue or green). It is also easy for me to get caught up in a debate, so that I, to an untrained observer, may appear to be fully behind a position with which I disagree. This is not intentional deception, perhaps I have a genetic vulnerability to arguing.
Thank you everyone, I just thought I'd make sure that was clear from here on in :)
Now a personal interlude: Mental note to myself... er, make that a livejournal note to myself. If I ever find myself seriously depressed, that life is no longer worth it for me, or a general pointlessness, remember to spend time with friends! This past year, during the break between this term and the last, I was considerably stabilized and cheered by spending time with many old high school friends. To all of you, though you may never read this... thank you. This personal interlude was brought to you by the letters D, A and N... my initials :D
Where were we? Ah yes! Perhaps there may come a time in my life where I feel as I did this past summer once again. I am both hopeful and scared of that time, should it come. In case... my mind fails and I lose everything, I think I'll copy a few important ideas here, so they will not be lost:
1) People must learn to look at the logical consequences of their actions, and plan ahead. Harming the future is, in some ways, equivalent to harming the present. A stitch in time saves nine.
2) People must learn to look at how their actions affect others. The key is understanding yourself as one of many, rather than the most important one. Try to look from an objective standpoint, if such a standpoint exists... having someone else be happy instead of you is just as acceptable in an objective standpoint. Having someone live instead of you being happy is even better.
3) A universe with consciousness in it has good, a universe without does not. This principle is the basis for objective definitions of what is good.
4) People's actions are always based on the positives. A killer kills either to protect others, themself, or even just for pleasure. The worst of humanity is based on positive urges. At worst these are selfish, next are selfless, the best is recognizing yourself as part of everything.
5) The positives are increases, either in an individual or in the interconnectivity. A prime example of interconnectivity is love. A few good examples of increases in individuals are strength, intelligence, etc.
6) Having a spiritual side to your life is good. Even if something isn't true in reality, mere belief itself can help. Not that we have a firm grasp on reality in the first place ;)
7) Many people can't see how God who is benevolent can allow terrible things to happen in the world. I think that they are not even trying to think like an omnipotent being. Imagine that consciousness is something special. Imagine also that it requires free will. People are hardwired to have pleasure at increases, but are still capable of choices. Let's assume God wanted there to be consciousness. Therefore, there must be choices. For humanity to truly develop its consciousness, perhaps it is necessary for us not to constantly being proved that there is a God. So, now you have a picture: Consciousness is good, choices must be necessary, and for God to directly intervene may be counter-productive to the development of consciousness. So what, as an omniscient omnipotent God would you do? I propose this: Every single choice possible ultimately leads to a good result, at least potentially. I think that all people who die connect with God in a way, but that can't really be proved, so let's stay out of that realm. Try taking a look at history, or your own life. At every single event, you have the potential to learn something, even when bad things happen. All of human history can teach future humanity, and we get closer to understanding... the world, the universe, ourselves.
Maybe this is all complete rambling, it's nearly 4 in the morning and I should go to sleep, but I just wanted to get these thoughts down, just in case. For those of you who don't read this, may you be happy... and for those who do read it, may you be thoughtful. At least, that's my hope... and what would life be without hope? Goodnight to all of you.
P.S. I highly recommend watching I, Robot. It's one of the best spiritual movies I've seen, and I think it highlights some of the ideas I put forward here... anyway, great movie :)