i confess i gave this thread a contraversial title to get you to come in and read some thoughts, and hopefully share your thoughts. Thanks in advance
for getting past the title!
Have you ever been asked:
"What makes you think what you say is the truth, and not just your opinion?"
one possible response could be:
"What is the process that results in the opinions one has? If you can answer this question, it will permit me to answer your question.
Ironically though, if you already had the answer to this question, then perhaps you would not have to ask me: "What makes you think what you say is
the truth, and not just your opinion?""
Why is this thread in Skunkworks?
This is a new initiative kicked off by this Skunk Works forum to have a dedicated place for ATS members to engage in speculative conspiracy theory
discussions of all topics, angles, and targets. Our regular ATS forums have long since evolved into excellent zones of critical thinking and analysis
that often either reveal or discredit many conspiracy theories. This attribute of ATS is certainly an important factor of our growth as we're the
largest "alternative topic" discussion board by a major factor.
However, the skeptical and often intense nature of our regular forums can often be an intimidating environment for members with conspiracy theories
based on more loosely connected tidbits of information (or even pure speculation) than is typically expected of posts in our main forums. Skeptical
analysis and fact checking is certainly a cornerstone in the art of "Denying Ignorance", however, as the wonderful Mr. Einstein once said,
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." The true denial of ignorance must also include and often embrace even the most fanciful
exaggerations of possibilities in order to understand and explore the upper limits of what might be possible.
So, let's ask ourselves:
1) What is an opinion?
2) What is the process in which opinions are formed?
3) Are opinions more helpful or more detrimental in our quest to deny ignorance?
If someone can think of any other questions to pose to the members considering "opinions", please share.
Here are some answers i believe do parallel the truth, but are not the whole answers in their entirety. other contributors to this thread will offer
more input, of that we can be sure.
1) What is an opinion?
-- i say an "opinion" is a nice word meaning the same as "prejudice", since both mean the same thing essentially: to pre-judge based upon
previously acquired knowledge.
2) What is the process in which "opinions" are formed?
-- please follow along with my train of thought on this one, as i believe it is to your benefit, as well as all ATS memebers, as well.
Opinion = first accepted truths + "law of association".
what i am trying to convey by the term "law of association" is that our minds work much the same way. We can not accept a newly learned concept or
idea unless we can attach it to pre-existing concepts of ideas that we have already accepted as truth, or plausibility. A prime example of this is
the fact that on the first day of kindergarden you did not start by learning multiplication or algebra. First you had to learn to count and accept
numbers as real. And would you have truly been able to comprehend the concept of "5" without first accepting that 1, 2, 3, and 4 were in fact
real?
So, where does an opinion begin from? Where does a personality start?
It begins with the first accepted truths. And your first accepted truth at the cellular level was:
"Self Pre-Serve", aka "self before i serve".
What does your instinct mean?
Self = Me
Pre = Before
Serve = Help, Assist, Aide, Share, Heal, Teach, etc....
And, the first by-product of the above primary genetic command is: FEAR. Fear is the tool necessary for one to identify what has the potential to
harm them or harm that which they want/need/love.
So, essentially it seems that an opinion is:
1)"I am ME before i serve, help, assist, aide, share with, heal, or teach anyone or anything" + 2) FEAR + 3) Whatever truths can comply and attach
to the previous 2.
Where does experience factor in?
Simply stated, experience is not a factor in forming an opinion.
Why?
Glad you asked.
What is experience?
experience is the accumilation of sensory input provided by the senses and delivered to the brain.
But, all sensory input first gets delivered to the subconscious mind, not the conscious portion which is where the personality and the opinion reside,
and from where they dictate your mind's policies.
The conscious portion of the mind generally produces 2,000 impulses of electricity between the synapses per second. This is what conscious thoughts
are consisted of.
The subconscious portion of the mind generally produces 400,000,000,000 impulses of electricity between the synapses per second. This is what
subconscious thoughts are consisted of.
So, if experience is the accumilation of sensory input from the senses, and all sensory input first gets delivered to the subconscious mind, and the
conscious mind can only accept truths that are compliant with the truths of one's opinion, then essentially what i am trying to say is this:
conscious mind = 2,000 bits of information being integrated per second.
subconscious = 400,000,000,000 bits of information being integrated per second.
here is the ratio of conscious to subconscious:
conscious experience = 0.000000002%
subconscious experience = 99.999999997%
so, since ALL sensor input first gets delivered to the 99.999999997% of the mind that people are not consciously aware of, their opinion is relatively
0.000000002% of their total experiences.
Summary Points:
1) An "opinion" is a nice word meaning the same as "prejudice", since both mean the same thing essentially: to pre-judge based upon previously
acquired knowledge.
2) Opinion = first accepted truths + "law of association".
3) So, essentially it seems that an opinion is:
*1 "I am ME before i serve, help, assist, aide, share with, heal, or teach anyone or anything" + *2 FEAR + *3 Whatever truths can comply and attach
to the previous 2.
4) Essentially people rely upon 0.000000002% of their experiences coupled with "i am ME before i serve, help, assist, aide, share with, heal, or
teach anyone or anything" + Fear + Through the Law Of Association whatever truths can be easily integrated with the previous 3 parts of the formula
(conscious minds thoughts, instinct of self pre-serve, the byproduct of instinct: fear). While ignoring 99.999999997% of their own brain, as well as
at least 99.999999997% of their own experiences (as they are not experiencing them consciously).
Of course, this is merely my stupid opinion, and i don't know if i can trust my opinion.
So, if you are game, i'm interested in hearing what is your opinion on what an opinion is? Please feel free to answer any or all of the following
questions. Your contributions are always welcome, even if you don't agree with my opinion. Beleive me, my feelings are not hurt, i assure you.
1) So, what is the magic formula that supplies you with your opinion?
2) What is an opinion?
3) What is the process in which opinions are formed?
4) Are opinions more helpful or more detrimental in our quest to deny ignorance?
I whole heartedly thank you in advance for your contributions. I know this could be a very touchy subject, considering we are attempting to dissect
not only what opinions are, but also what forms personalities and character. Be gentle, and remember it may not be too polite to dissect one's mind
while they are still using it. So, i'll try my best to not be harsh or be-littling, and request that all contributors please do the same.
i don't expect everyone to believe or subscribe to all the concepts i presented here, but just offer your thoughts about them.
thanks,
john
[edit on 18-11-2006 by Esoteric Teacher]