I am an Existentialist

reply to post by HunkaHunka


I'm going to take this slowly, because you have this odd penchant for being fractally wrong, so I can't really take it point by point.

In short: Your postmodernism is crap.

In the long form: There is a right and wrong, there are objective standards to measure things by. Are they influenced by many factors? Yes. Does that mean that emotional justifications have any usage? Hell no.

Emotions are temporary. I feel happy one minute, I can feel sad the next if the wrong thing happens. And frankly, any emotional justification, excuse, or objection to my position or how I put it is just crap. If religion makes you feel happy, keep it to yourself, but know that it's a really bad justification for believing something. If you object to what I do on the basis that it offends you, too bad for you. Sometimes the sacred cow must be challenged for the sake of getting to a better understanding.

Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
reply to post by HunkaHunka

 

I'm going to take this slowly, because you have this odd penchant for being fractally wrong, so I can't really take it point by point.

There you go again pointing out where you believe people to be wrong as your introduction... that's a habit with you isn't it?

In short: Your postmodernism is crap.

Really? Why? Because you think so? What about the fact that it makes perfect sense to me in the same way that it is crap to you?

In the long form: There is a right and wrong, there are objective standards to measure things by. Are they influenced by many factors? Yes. Does that mean that emotional justifications have any usage? Hell no.

Really depends upon what is being called right or wrong... emotional justifications definitely have usage...

Emotions are temporary.

No Emotions are constant... their fluctuations are temporary... you will, as long as you are alive, be subject to your emotional state. It is true that if you feel one way one minute that you truly can feel another the next... but what is also true is that you can have much longer experiences of any of these than you would assume or even wish to be true.

I feel happy one minute, I can feel sad the next if the wrong thing happens.

Ahh... only if your happiness is subject to the world of things, or the rigid concepts which we use to represent the world of things.... it doesn't have to be

And frankly, any emotional justification, excuse, or objection to my position or how I put it is just crap. If religion makes you feel happy, keep it to yourself, but know that it's a really bad justification for believing something.

I'm not religious... what brings me happiness is simply realizing that nothing really matters all that much when happiness is so incredibly malleable and thoughts of limitations are just as malleable... The fact that I am a human which can accomplish so much using my imagination is enough of a wellspring to see me through any tragedy, and I've been through plenty...

Not sure why happiness is a bad justification for anything though...isn't that the highest goal? It is for me.

If you object to what I do on the basis that it offends you, too bad for you. Sometimes the sacred cow must be challenged for the sake of getting to a better understanding.

I believe in skewering the sacred cow, I really do... and we all have them.... What you do doesn't offend me, and I don't object to it... On the contrary I quite enjoy this tete a tete as the process of exploring different genres of discourse brings me happiness.

reply to post by HunkaHunka


Dup

reply to post by HunkaHunka




So on the one hand you have religion and on the other science.... and you lump Atheism in with science...

Makes no sense.


You could not believe in god and not give a toss about science either, the two are not inextricably linked,
as someone with no interest in religion or god, I'm not sitting around waiting for science to prove anything about my existence, nor am I waiting secretly for some kind of religious sign.

I just live my life with all the same fears and troubles and joys and stresses as anyone.


I've read many decent books on Existentialism.... Sartre, Nietzsche... Kafka.... and many, many others.... but then I've also read many books on Eastern Philosophy.... and books on Paranormal and Spiritual experiences.

To give yourself any label is to limit your understanding.... you may discount other ideas or theories because you say "oh no, it doesn't matter... I'm an Existentialist"

It's pointless... labels are pointless.

You're a human being who has read some books and like what you've read about Existentialism.... great, it fits, you get it... you feel the same why and you are in control of your destiny, that's cool.... but so is everyone.... even silly religious people who give themselves over to god in order to not have to think for themselves.

Everyone is their own god/master/guru/savant/sage and whatever else.

It all comes from looking inside yourself and from watching other people... taking notice, picking up on things, thinking about things/meditating... any of these guys who wrote the books, that's all they did.
They may have had epiphanies and there may well be some fantastic quotes, like the one in my signature, but at the end of the day....


as Nietzsche said...... All credibility, all good conscience, all evidence of truth come only from the senses

reply to post by HunkaHunka

Originally posted by HunkaHunka

Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
reply to post by HunkaHunka

 

I'm going to take this slowly, because you have this odd penchant for being fractally wrong, so I can't really take it point by point.

There you go again pointing out where you believe people to be wrong as your introduction... that's a habit with you isn't it?

When I can demonstrate, yes. It's merely good presentation. There's the odd vaudeville line: Tell the audience what you're going to do, do it, then explain that you did it.

Introduction
Body
Conclusion
...hm...very familiar form.

Also, this is an argumentum ad hominem, you're trying to shift the focus of the argument to my habits rather than my positions.

In short: Your postmodernism is crap.

Really? Why? Because you think so? What about the fact that it makes perfect sense to me in the same way that it is crap to you?

Well, that doesn't matter. What makes sense to an individual isn't what matters, it's what is defensible with evidence and argument. The objective exists in this universe, you're merely ignoring it.

In the long form: There is a right and wrong, there are objective standards to measure things by. Are they influenced by many factors? Yes. Does that mean that emotional justifications have any usage? Hell no.

Really depends upon what is being called right or wrong... emotional justifications definitely have usage...

What usages are those? And no, there is a definitely 'right' and 'wrong', if only by objective standards based on the comparison of two situations.

Emotions are temporary.

No Emotions are constant... their fluctuations are temporary... you will, as long as you are alive, be subject to your emotional state. It is true that if you feel one way one minute that you truly can feel another the next... but what is also true is that you can have much longer experiences of any of these than you would assume or even wish to be true.

...I never said that they weren't. Thank you for expounding on something nobody would disagree with.

[

I feel happy one minute, I can feel sad the next if the wrong thing happens.

Ahh... only if your happiness is subject to the world of things, or the rigid concepts which we use to represent the world of things.... it doesn't have to be

..yes it does. Why? It is function of my brain. Your mind is a product of brain meat. Get used to it. The function of that brain meat is subject to the outside world.

And frankly, any emotional justification, excuse, or objection to my position or how I put it is just crap. If religion makes you feel happy, keep it to yourself, but know that it's a really bad justification for believing something.

I'm not religious... what brings me happiness is simply realizing that nothing really matters all that much when happiness is so incredibly malleable and thoughts of limitations are just as malleable... The fact that I am a human which can accomplish so much using my imagination is enough of a wellspring to see me through any tragedy, and I've been through plenty...

Again, happiness is no justification for something.

Not sure why happiness is a bad justification for anything though...isn't that the highest goal? It is for me.

So pure hedonism is your goal? I'm sorry, but the logical consequences of hedonism are indefensible.

reply to post by blupblup


Very well put... I'd agree wholeheartedly that everyone is indeed at the helm of their destiny regardless of labels...


Thank you for a very well and thought out post which, honestly, I can respect.

reply to post by madnessinmysoul


Why isn't happiness a justification? I mean honestly, what scientific principle does that break?

Happiness and hedonism are not necessarily the same thing... In fact,it's true that many find happiness in an ascetic way of life...

There is no higher goal than happiness and self actualization, not only in my opinion, but in the estimation of many learned men who come before me. This is separate from the "no higher goal than pleasure" because often to obtain the happiness you want in life you must go through a flame...

What do you know about self-actualization?