You are insignificant.

Originally posted by AQuestion
Dear scojak,

You got it also, do you think any life is meaningless or do we all matter? When I see a newborn I don't see it as insignificant, I see it as unlimited possibilities waiting to define itself. That is meaninful because only we create meaning to the universe, it has none on its own. Be well.

I think life is meaningless because we make it meaningless. Our society makes it meaningless. We have defined limits to our potential. Our minds are capable of so much more than what society accepts or allows. I know autistic kids who have mental capabilities that are truly astonishing. But the things they are capable of are feasible by anyone. But since those capabilities are labeled as strange and wrong, they are ignored as actual possibilities. Thus our limits are restrained and we do not advance.

I believe in reaching enlightenment, and that when one does, they reconnect themselves with life as a whole. Thus each life is significant because it is part of the whole. Without it, life cannot be complete.

reply to post by typwar


140,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 intellingent life forms, and each one is uniquely individual.

Insignificant? Sounds as though each one is MAGNIFICENT to me.

Originally posted by scojak

Originally posted by AQuestion
Dear scojak,

You got it also, do you think any life is meaningless or do we all matter? When I see a newborn I don't see it as insignificant, I see it as unlimited possibilities waiting to define itself. That is meaninful because only we create meaning to the universe, it has none on its own. Be well.

I think life is meaningless because we make it meaningless. Our society makes it meaningless. We have defined limits to our potential. Our minds are capable of so much more than what society accepts or allows. I know autistic kids who have mental capabilities that are truly astonishing. But the things they are capable of are feasible by anyone. But since those capabilities are labeled as strange and wrong, they are ignored as actual possibilities. Thus our limits are restrained and we do not advance.

I believe in reaching enlightenment, and that when one does, they reconnect themselves with life as a whole. Thus each life is significant because it is part of the whole. Without it, life cannot be complete.

Dear scojak,

As one of those autistic kids, glad you appreciate us, most do not. I am older but I still see them as my brothers and sisters and each one is unique, each is unique in a unique way. The beauty of autism is that it frees us to see without limits, there are no boxes to think outside of. But then everybody is unique, no two the same, it is just that we stand out more and cannot fake normal, that is why some beat their heads in the wall, I cry for them.

They call them low functioning; but, they are not. Sometimes they will wait until they are older and then speak in complete sentences all at once. They were observing and waiting till they could fit in. That is the disconnect, waiting to fit in whether you are autistic or not. We know we don't fit in; but, for the autistic we have to be us. "Normal" people would rather fit in, be comfortable, not make waves. No matter how hard they try, in the end they have to admit they don't match everyone else either.

Every one, everyone, all of us are unique and special and negate absolute zero. You matter, you matter to you and you are a sentient being capable of feeling pain and joy, emotions are the most important thing in the universe, it is how the universe gets its meaning, by our emotional responses. Be well.

Perhaps at the moment yes, however I aspire to be significant as all do and one day I/we will realize that goal...

I don't understand the criteria here. You are only talking about humans. We share 90%+ the same DNA as many other creatures on our own planet. There is no way that an intelligence from an alien world would care about us if we are not advanced enough to communicate with Dolphins, Chimpanzees, hell... even Bats. The limited human imagination sees peers in the skys, but ignores those that live in his backyard. No matter what alien race humans may one day encounter, I doubt that we have as much common ground with them as we do with our own Dog and Cat companions.

Originally posted by IsleptIdreamt
I don't understand the criteria here. You are only talking about humans. We share 90%+ the same DNA as many other creatures on our own planet. There is no way that an intelligence from an alien world would care about us if we are not advanced enough to communicate with Dolphins, Chimpanzees, hell... even Bats. The limited human imagination sees peers in the skys, but ignores those that live in his backyard. No matter what alien race humans may one day encounter, I doubt that we have as much common ground with them as we do with our own Dog and Cat companions.

Dear Isleptdreamt,

Who cares what aliens would see us as, do you not know that we matter? If the dogs and cats matter to us then why would advanced people not care about us. I happen to be very attached to my dog, he was abused. My dog doesn't have to be able to write or read to matter, he matters because he feels.

reply to post by typwar

Yes your right you (us or all the you's) are insignificant, but what if there is more to us than just the "you's"?
It could be that our significance is that we form part of the whole, not that we are better or worse. The tree is a representative of the whole and we could be if we had a change of view. Its all about choice and being ourselves.Thats what the difference in ATS selfish posts or posts that add to the whole.

reply to post by ancientthunder


Dear ancientthunder,

Gave you a star, loved your answer. I would have said we all matter individually the same and that together, in our uniqueness, we form a whole that is capable of anything. We combined are the sentience of the universe, we give everything else meaning and value. We are defined by our limits in all directions, once we understand the options, we will begin to stop making the worst of them, that is my hope.

reply to post by typwar

Wonderful post, the numbers are staggering when you start breaking it all down.

You are insignificant.

And arrogant if you think otherwise.

The Irony is that 10% of those Intelligent Lifeforms are Gay!

The very Significant reside throughout and so no one is left without!

Originally posted by AQuestion
reply to post by ancientthunder

 

Gave you a star, loved your answer. I would have said we all matter individually the same and that together, in our uniqueness, we form a whole that is capable of anything. We combined are the sentience of the universe, we give everything else meaning and value. We are defined by our limits in all directions, once we understand the options, we will begin to stop making the worst of them, that is my hope.

your answer is the cream on the cake, thanks for your view and your hope is my wish.

Originally posted by typwar
(Some of my math may be wrong, but this is just hypothetical and I was bored and found something to occupy me for a while, so don't criticize me too much.)

Drake's Equation suggests there are a possible 10 intelligent civilizations in our galaxy. Hypothetically assuming every galaxy will have the same amount, there is a total of 2,000,000,000,000 possible civilizations in the entire universe. Science suggests the universe has been around for about 18 billion years, and recognizable humans for 2.2 million. Over 2.2 million years we have amassed a population of 7 billion people, and other life forms could have existed 18 billion years ago and potentially have a population of 57,272,727,272,727 in their species. So that is just for one super-old civilization, and if there is a possible 2,000,000,000,000 civilizations with that population, there is a potential 140,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 intelligent life forms in the known universe. You are insignificant.

wow lucky I already knew that or you would have hurt my feelings

reply to post by that one dude


Considering you are the only one experiencing this experience, i consider that you are the nature of it all so how can that make you insignificant?
The reading of the numbers and conclusions, the belief or disbelief can not appear without the background that you are.
You are what makes all things seen seeable.
What ever it is that you are, you are the space for all that is seen.

Originally posted by thatonedude
reply to post by typwar

 

Wonderful post, the numbers are staggering when you start breaking it all down.

You are insignificant.

And arrogant if you think otherwise.

Pfft arrogance is a two way street. Some of us don't allow numbers to dissolve our worlds.
There is no beauty in a formula since you are deconstructing what already exists.

Take a step back and see the individual and not the collective

Reply to post by Itisnowagain

dont forget the unseen, the unthinkable and the unknown.
they are part of it too.

the absolute truth is made up of what i know, what you know, what the rest of us knows and what none of us knows.

the only certainty is that its not found separated.

we are insignificant as an individual, but that adds up to us being significative as a whole.

another poster already summed up this thread.

half empty or half full. its a matter of perspective.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by AnotherYOU


What is seen is seen by the unseen.
No 'thing' can be seen without the seer.
These look like two 'things', the seer and the seen.
However, try removing one, try to separate them.
It is not possible, it is the wholey union.
You are it/It is you.

reply to post by mr-lizard

Good point, and well put.
The universe is so vast and I am so small I can't help but feel insignificant.
It's too flawed a premise for a valid argument, thanks for giving me another outlook on it.

reply to post by Itisnowagain
Of course I am the nature of it.The thought stems from my mind after all.I can't comprehend time on the same scale as the universe, therefore a foreboding feeling of awe comes over me.I can't understand how my 70 plus years(if i'm lucky) can possibly matter in the grand scheme of a 13,000,000,000 year old universe.Insignificant may be too harsh a word since I feel we have some purpose for existing.Not so significant would probably better describe my take on it.Also, how do you know i'm the only one that feels this way?It's a common belief shared in many circles of respected minds.The arrogance comes into play when a person thinks the universe notices them.Although, that may be too harsh a word also.Replace arrogance with misinterpretation and it sounds less insulting.Sorry if my bad choice of words offended anyone..Thanks for the reply, it provoked an interesting thought on perception.

significans does not come from the deeds a being does, they come from the endresult that comes out after many insignificant bits have done their insignificant looking work. Right now I could start to tell about great works completed by many people who each did a little part. But I won I refuse it. I even hate to say it. Why?

Because it looks so perfect and yet is so flawed. I prefer my own analogy; we are sand, grains of sand in an endless desert. We can choose to be a grain of sand in the sandroad to a destination or a grain of saind somewhere else in the desert. While you might not realise you are a grain of sand in the road, you can espire to be one and hope your little meaningless sandy life will eventually help many other pieces of sand to form something so great that your feeble little mind can yet comprehend the endresult of the equation.

reply to post by that one dude


The experience you are having is the only experience you will ever be aware of, there is no other experience available. We can imagine other peoples feelings but we will never experience anybody elses feelings.
Experience then, is what you are.

You may have heard of the past and envision a future and together it looks massive and that makes you appear small. You, just a dot in the middle of all that time.
Neither the past or the future exist without you believing in them.
Without you and this present moment where would the past and future live?

You are the canvas for all the textures of paint (life).
Nothing can (appear) exist without you.