Our lack of Purpose

[Greylorn Ell]

Gl

It seems to me that the ability to study a problem in depth and analyze the shit out of it until it is solved is a better ability than the confidence that once the problem has been solved, it can be successfully presented to the myriad of others who imagine, mistakenly, that they've done the same.
Is confidence.

For they who mistakenly 'did' the same. did not,
They took another pov and called it their own.

I noticed Eisenhower is not on your list. nor mine.. his parting speech was an eye opener
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUXtyIQjubU

that is confidence.
-----------------------------------
ps plan 9 was brilliant in its own way. many 50's 60's sf were.
original startrek caused much lament in certain circles.. a black woman on bridge. nippon and russian helmsmen.
scotty can't be replaced a scot engineer is the only choice. And a true alien. spock ~logic machine as xo. And counterpoint to Kirk.
-----------------------------------

live long and prosper

Prill

-------------------------
the 60's/70's were a great time to be alive. some say the best in history for 1st worlders.
Now i seem stuck in this surrealistic bureaucratic nightmare called 'our world'..help me please.

Prill,

Replying to someone with whom I agree is a surprising challenge. Your remarks about confidence fire up lots of agreeable neurons. Looking back, confidence in my problem solving skills was never an issue, and I believed that my early version of Beon Theory had solved the primary metaphysical problems and bridged the chasm between science and religion. I realized that there was more work to be done, but I did not want to do it. Getting a robotic space telescope to observe UV starlight and return its information seemed more fun, and had the advantage of providing dependable income. My confidence was elsewhere, and dreadfully mistaken, for I believed that those who were actually interested in philosophy and theology would see the obvious merit of my perspective and develop it accordingly.

Back then I had little appreciation for the overwhelming control that brain-level programming, the adopted viewpoint of others that you mentioned, has over otherwise intelligent human minds. Now, my theory explains this problem. It also explains why those whose minds are programmed by the POVs of others will not or cannot examine my theories. Oh, well.

Confidence morphed into persistence, as I realized that my ideas were good enough to piss off scientists and religionists equally, and that philosophers, choosing ignorance of physics, were incapable of dealing with any philosophical ideas that demanded some physics knowledge. Yet without my initial confidence that my ideas would be valued by others, I'd never have taken the trouble to develop and export them. So after thinking perhaps too loudly about the merits of confidence, thanks to your insights, I'm coming to the opinion that persistence is more important.

Thank you!! for the Eisenhower speech. I'd heard of it later-- "Beware the military-industrial complex," but was in grade school at the time of its presentation. Good speech, intense, honest, and concise, putting his oft-quoted warning into clear context. He has been proven correct, so far. Yet I think that his words have been heeded by the occasional few who take politics both seriously and honestly, and that their choices helped divert resources that would otherwise have gone into armaments, into space exploration and high-tech science.

Of course there is an intersection between military and science applications. I don't think that we can predict the long term outcome at this point, because we do not know some important variables.

On the aside into early sf films, you might be pleased to know that the computer program which controlled the first ground-base automatic telescope was named StarTrak. Thanks for calling attention to the ethnic mix on Star Trek; I was focused on the storylines' plot flaws, and mostly dismissed it because of them.

In the early fifties my little mind was permanently imprinted by the 1936 Flash Gordon serial, and came to an appreciation of the series' head villain, a family man with a planet to run, beset by adversaries, working out of a palace laboratory with cool Jacob's ladders zapping away in the background like electronic wasps, for ominous ambiance. Of course the image you've chosen for your posts was no accident. When reading your comments, I cannot escape the feeling that I'm being wisely advised by another incarnation of Ming the Merciless.

LL & P to you too.
Gl

P.S. My solution to the bureaucratic nightmare was to move to a cabin in the mountains, learn how to operate a chainsaw, and empty my mailbox no more often than once a week on my way to a scruffy country saloon for a night of dancing.

Email exchanges with friends and enemies, plus a dish for football games and news, allow me to observe the 'crats from afar while maintaining as much "afar" as possible. That works for me, but might not work for many others or for you. So, ask yourself, "What would Ming do?"

[Hjarloprillar]

I must say your posts are refreshing in honesty.

I have many great faults. i slept back soon

[Greylorn Ell]

I must say your posts are refreshing in honesty.

I have many great faults. i slept back soon

Prill,

I'm curious about your qualities and contributions, past and future, and have no more interest in your real or self-perceived faults than you do of mine.

Requesting permission to call you "Ming" in any future correspondences. I can pronounce that name.

Gl

[Greylorn Ell]

Your purpose is to create your purpose

Drat,

So, you've taken the old "est training," or a derivative seminar, wherein the leaders claim to know more than you, and endow you with an undefined sense of purpose that leaves you dependent upon them to define it. Or, you've adopted and believe in New Age metaphysics or another form of channeled drivel.

Your choice. For the record, I think that NA metaphysics is dumber than all of humanity's absurd religious beliefs packed in the same garbage pail. It's object is the same as its predecessors, to foster the silly notion that the human mind/soul/whatever is in some way highly regarded by superior entities.

I propose a higher level of purpose, one that initiated the development of conscious minds not for the benefit of those individual minds, but in furtherance of a more interesting agenda that has nothing to do with the momentary happiness or long-term expectations of our little minds.

[Hjarloprillar]

Your purpose is to create your purpose

Drat,

So, you've taken the old "est training," or a derivative seminar, wherein the leaders claim to know more than you, and endow you with an undefined sense of purpose that leaves you dependent upon them to define it. Or, you've adopted and believe in New Age metaphysics or another form of channeled drivel.

Your choice. For the record, I think that NA metaphysics is dumber than all of humanity's absurd religious beliefs packed in the same garbage pail. It's object is the same as its predecessors, to foster the silly notion that the human mind/soul/whatever is in some way highly regarded by superior entities.

I propose a higher level of purpose, one that initiated the development of conscious minds not for the benefit of those individual minds, but in furtherance of a more interesting agenda that has nothing to do with the momentary happiness or long-term expectations of our little minds.

EL

what? did i say that? i was wrong.[probably tipsey in my cups] "i let loosed the dogs of stupid." Have no ideea what est is. motivation seminars are cross finger hiss to me.
'back hound of satan' i have my brain . do you?[have one]
A 'system' cannot define itself.
my belief in direction precludes such.

and i agree
"I propose a higher level of purpose, one that initiated the development of conscious minds not for the benefit of those individual minds, but in furtherance of a more interesting agenda that has nothing to do with the momentary happiness or long-term expectations of our little minds."
word for word.

What a pleasure it is to find a like mind. Tho SoB is very smart he is mercurial. go figure.

i am mildly aspie which made my life not the usual
blunt and demanding 'one poster said a 'good general"

hmmmm

prill or Ming as is your wish .. for i can be merciless
the avatar is 'riddick' a screen capture from said movie where he as [new . you keep what you kill] leader of necros army. has no idea what to do with them.
his passion to " be left alone' is my passion..too
but always more peeps want advice or a leader. the nature of man is to seek those who do not want power.

ming

prill shorthttp://s30.postimg.org/cwq5hslu9/tesla_7.jpg for hjarloprillar is character in L Nivens 'ringworld'.. hard speculative fiction. [i don't read fantasy beside say tolkien]his science is sound his characters interesting.
another avatar is luwewoo [ short for Louis gridley wu ] the main character in ring world

[Greylorn Ell]

Your purpose is to create your purpose

Drat,

So, you've taken the old "est training," or a derivative seminar, wherein the leaders claim to know more than you, and endow you with an undefined sense of purpose that leaves you dependent upon them to define it. Or, you've adopted and believe in New Age metaphysics or another form of channeled drivel.

Your choice. For the record, I think that NA metaphysics is dumber than all of humanity's absurd religious beliefs packed in the same garbage pail. It's object is the same as its predecessors, to foster the silly notion that the human mind/soul/whatever is in some way highly regarded by superior entities.

I propose a higher level of purpose, one that initiated the development of conscious minds not for the benefit of those individual minds, but in furtherance of a more interesting agenda that has nothing to do with the momentary happiness or long-term expectations of our little minds.

EL

what? did i say that? i was wrong.[probably tipsey in my cups] "i let loosed the dogs of stupid." Have no ideea what est is. motivation seminars are cross finger hiss to me.
'back hound of satan' i have my brain . do you?[have one]
A 'system' cannot define itself.
my belief in direction precludes such.

and i agree
"I propose a higher level of purpose, one that initiated the development of conscious minds not for the benefit of those individual minds, but in furtherance of a more interesting agenda that has nothing to do with the momentary happiness or long-term expectations of our little minds."
word for word.

What a pleasure it is to find a like mind. Tho SoB is very smart he is mercurial. go figure.

i am mildly aspie which made my life not the usual
blunt and demanding 'one poster said a 'good general"

hmmmm

prill or Ming as is your wish .. for i can be merciless
the avatar is 'riddick' a screen capture from said movie where he as [new . you keep what you kill] leader of necros army. has no idea what to do with them.
his passion to " be left alone' is my passion..too
but always more peeps want advice or a leader. the nature of man is to seek those who do not want power.

ming

prill short for hjarloprillar is character in L Nivens 'ringworld'.. hard speculative fiction. [i don't read fantasy beside say tolkien]his science is sound his characters interesting.
another avatar is luwewoo [ short for Louis gridley wu ] the main character in ring world

Ming,

Thanks for the permission. You are correct that you did not write the quote you included with this note. "Drat" was my tentatively friendly version of "dratsab" who was responsible for that post, from the end of the forum page (#2 ?) preceding this. With luck, that might have put a minor scare into you.

I never write anything or ask a gal to dance until I've had a few drinks. Not only does ethanol dull the fears of exploring a new social encounter, it can provide an acceptable excuse for blowing that encounter.

I only half-watched parts of "Riddick," but saw enough to get your avatar. I got the sense of independence, and will watch it more carefully when it next appears. I highly recommend that you add some awful (but pioneering) 78 year old Flash Gordon serials to your repertoire of movies. You might appreciate the historical background, and with a few shots of vodka might enjoy the material in its own right. May I also propose that as a man with a sense of humor who appreciates J.R.R. Tolkien, you do whatever it takes to obtain and read a copy of "Bored of the Rings," preferably out loud among friends with whom you've shared a few libations. ?

I've not read "Ringworld" and probably will not try to fit it into an ebbing lifespan. Non-fiction stuff like Penrose's "Consciousness and the Universe" seem more purposeful at this point in life.

Thank you for the "aspie" admission. It would be cool if others on these forums would admit to their brain-level difficulties. I'm curious about your particular area of focus. Yep, that's personal. So PM if you prefer.

My theory of mind includes a somewhat Cartesian-like entity (I call it "beon" instead of soul, because it involves a different concept than that of the Christian soul) that is connected with the brain, and provides the only really interesting components of an individual's personality. So in forum conversations I look for those who are interesting at the beon-level.

"Smart but mercurial" suggests various possibilities, including an excess of brain altering chemicals. I more commonly associate that description with individuals who are brain-smart, but beon (or soul) stupid.

Gl

[Hjarloprillar]

Thank you for the "aspie" admission. It would be cool if others on these forums would admit to their brain-level difficulties. I'm curious about your particular area of focus. Yep, that's personal.
Gl

It is to me a boon. I find lying useless, even if all human society is ruled by it.
My lack of emotional 'reflex' can get me in trouble. I talk back to police exct.
The aspie trait alters my pov not power of it. i still rate well over 150 in w.a.i.s test.

On reading 'Drat'.. i thought of elmer fudd and that waskally wabbit. no more

Cartesian and beon. we are how far apart.

i see soul in living things.
To be found out after the event. not by living thought.
we all go there. if there is a 'there' as opposed to not there which is oblivion. i may even beat you.. i have incurable...
at pearly gates you ramble up ..'oh greylorn . i was waiting..
shall we find a suitable residence.. this catholic disaster of architects is not my thing.

Riddick is brutal and bleak. not many like it in fact it attracts girls if 12-13 more than any other section of society
interesting for them and my own persona. 'ex gladio equitas' made real in film. He cannot die. or justice will die as well.
redemption too and free will unbounded.

beon all you can be

Ming [the MERCILESS]

-----------------
i spent an hour in local book shop doing research for kids books [my gran daughter is 3] some of them are far out to use hippy talk.
great stuff. Great to see imagination is still alive and well.
jfk [total 20 mb. 3.5 minutes]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7ptp7yTS8o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwFvJog2dMw
imagination made real.. purpose "we must be bold"
The only great president, for all his faults. Eisenhower was right. the unsane rule
and we liv now in flaccid security of state . "unbold"

[Greylorn Ell]

Thank you for the "aspie" admission. It would be cool if others on these forums would admit to their brain-level difficulties. I'm curious about your particular area of focus. Yep, that's personal.
Gl

It is to me a boon. I find lying useless, even if all human society is ruled by it.
My lack of emotional 'reflex' can get me in trouble. I talk back to police exct.
The aspie trait alters my pov not power of it. i still rate well over 150 in w.a.i.s test.

Then we are within the range necessary for coherent communication. Kinda figured that.

I had to look up the Wechsler test, one of which I probably took awhile back. I'd never considered the philosophy behind an IQ test until perusing the Wiki explanations, so thanks for the thought-fodder. I regard human information processing (otherwise known as thought) as a composite function, with the brain accounting for most of it in about 90% of individuals. Beon (my physics-defined version of soul) accounts for the interesting, imaginative thought. Looks to me like Wechsler's ideas were designed to measure both brain and beon components, rather than just the brain-level part like the Stanford Binet tests.

Cartesian and beon. we are how far apart.

We don't know how far apart or how close together we might be, since I do not know what you mean by soul, no more than you know what I mean by beon.

i see soul in living things.

Lots of people do. I once knew a woman who believed that rocks have souls. For her, it followed that molecules have souls, as do atoms. I wasn't drunk enough to discuss quarks and leptons with her.

However I noted that her position was more enlightened than that of most New Agers, who have a lot of trouble when asked how an assembly of molecules into a prokaryote might give that bacterial cell a soul. For her, since atoms have souls, single-celled critters must have a larger, greater soul.

So, to what level of life do you attribute "soul?" What do you mean by "soul?"

Do you think that computers, or computer-controlled independent automatons possess a soul?

To be found out after the event. not by living thought.

Well documented paranormal studies have verified that some component of conscious intelligence persists independently of the brain. Near death experiences have changed the lives of many-- not always for the good. F.W.H. Myers provided excellent evidence for the continuity of his excellent and unique mind, post demise, a century ago.

You are, all by yourself, an example showing that conscious intelligence is not a function of brain, else how does it persist so effectively within a brain affected by Asperger's? Do you genuinely believe that your 150 came from an abnormal brain?

we all go there.

That's a religious teaching, wherein religions differentiate themselves from one another by defining a different "there." My experiences are consistent with my theories, suggesting that the "there" to which we go is a function of the "there" to which you expect to go.

if there is a 'there' as opposed to not there which is oblivion. i may even beat you.. i have incurable...
at pearly gates you ramble up ..'oh greylorn . i was waiting..

I'm still waiting.

shall we find a suitable residence.. this catholic disaster of architects is not my thing.

Nor is it mine. Once a devout Catholic. My first mentor, who encouraged and supported the development of Beon Theory long ago was a Norbertine Priest, demoted from Abbot of a Catholic College to obscure parish priest shortly after passing copies of my first book around to fellow priests.

Were the Pope to read my current book, I'd expect nothing less than an official excommunication, followed by posters in the vestibules of churches within my anticipated range of travel, with a big red X over my photo. If the Vatican has a hitman under contract, I'd be disappointed not to encounter him.

Riddick is brutal and bleak. not many like it in fact it attracts girls if 12-13 more than any other section of society
interesting for them and my own persona. 'ex gladio equitas' made real in film. He cannot die. or justice will die as well.

Yes. First encountered the Riddick character in Pitch Black but never persisted through to the ending. I found the character interesting but the plot logic dreadfully flawed. Got about halfway through Chronicles..., which I recall as being too slow moving, with exaggerated promotions of the character's prowess, and a plot line that made only marginal sense. But I'll try one of these again to gain insights into your perspectives.

BTW I rarely actually watch a movie in the normal sense. The information density is so low that movies usually put me to sleep, so I watch them on a background screen while writing or reading something else via computer. I prefer action to drama, but most action movies are riddled with annoying background music to which I refuse to listen. That may be why I did not follow the Riddick series, but I don't recall.

redemption too and free will unbounded.

A working requirement of successful movies is that redemption, and/or transformation, be built into the plot. Free will seems to me to be less of a focus these days, but I'll start looking at movies from that perspective as well.

beon all you can be

Ming [the MERCILESS]

I like that! Thanks!

Speaking of books, I'd like Ming the Merciless to comment on mine, which I'll freely provide if he's curious.

I have the same incurable and terminal disease as you, called "biological life." I'd love to find someone conscious enough to return useful information if they disincorporate before I do, and if they do so while I'm still functional enough to make use of their post-demise observations. You seem a good candidate because I think that your relationship with your brain is more flexible than most.

Thus you might be less inclined to lament or ignore your post-demise state than most, not wasting precious moments of waning self-awareness in complaint and skepticism. You might be capable enough to analyze the details of your experience, and also willing to transmit your observations and insights. Or, maybe not.

Greylorn

[dratsab]

Your purpose is to create your purpose

Drat,

So, you've taken the old "est training," or a derivative seminar, wherein the leaders claim to know more than you, and endow you with an undefined sense of purpose that leaves you dependent upon them to define it. Or, you've adopted and believe in New Age metaphysics or another form of channeled drivel.

Your choice. For the record, I think that NA metaphysics is dumber than all of humanity's absurd religious beliefs packed in the same garbage pail. It's object is the same as its predecessors, to foster the silly notion that the human mind/soul/whatever is in some way highly regarded by superior entities.

I propose a higher level of purpose, one that initiated the development of conscious minds not for the benefit of those individual minds, but in furtherance of a more interesting agenda that has nothing to do with the momentary happiness or long-term expectations of our little minds.

I think you misunderstand me. I am invoking existentialism rather than some new age hippie thing. I hope what I said isn't be confused for something someone would read in "The Secret." All I am saying is that existence precedes essence. We must set our own goals, not rely on society to set them for us or religion. We must use our introspection and rationality to think about what will make us happy in life and do that as long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of others.

[Greylorn Ell]

Your purpose is to create your purpose

Drat,

So, you've taken the old "est training," or a derivative seminar, wherein the leaders claim to know more than you, and endow you with an undefined sense of purpose that leaves you dependent upon them to define it. Or, you've adopted and believe in New Age metaphysics or another form of channeled drivel.

Your choice. For the record, I think that NA metaphysics is dumber than all of humanity's absurd religious beliefs packed in the same garbage pail. It's object is the same as its predecessors, to foster the silly notion that the human mind/soul/whatever is in some way highly regarded by superior entities.

I propose a higher level of purpose, one that initiated the development of conscious minds not for the benefit of those individual minds, but in furtherance of a more interesting agenda that has nothing to do with the momentary happiness or long-term expectations of our little minds.

I think you misunderstand me. I am invoking existentialism rather than some new age hippie thing. I hope what I said isn't be confused for something someone would read in "The Secret." All I am saying is that existence precedes essence. We must set our own goals, not rely on society to set them for us or religion. We must use our introspection and rationality to think about what will make us happy in life and do that as long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of others.

Drat,

That is a more clear explanation, but disagreeable nonetheless. Existentialism has always struck me as the philosophers' version of quantum mechanics, and both theories are fundamentally flawed. My opinion, of course.

The notion that each individual is free to choose his purpose and presumably his life course appeals to many, but mostly it appeals to irresponsible nitwits, druggies, adult children living with their parents, and millions of folks on welfare-- i.e. people who expect society to take care of them for no reason other than that they happen to exist and wish to continue doing so.

Existentialism works nicely as a philosophy designed to turn a productive society into a welfare state, a socialistic world where the many live off the few who are either willing to produce things, or those who are forced to work. Stalin's Russia, North Korea, and Mao's China come to mind.

The est training to which I referred, and various derivative seminars are all derived from existentialist philosophies. New Age religion is derived from the teachings of "channeled" spooks who blended existentialism with a goofy God-was-bored theory. Hence my opinion.

When simple logic is applied to common beliefs, it is clear that every man is created by forces beyond himself. Darwinist atheists are logically compelled to adopt Richard Dawkins' opinion that we exist only to serve DNA molecules, by propagating the best of them. Any purpose you think you have outside the purpose of this powerful biological force was therefore created by DNA. If you imagine that you actually choose your purposes, you are merely misinterpreting your brain's programming. If you actually do choose your purposes, that can only be, by Darwinist standards, the consequence of faulty DNA. It will therefore be erased, in time, by large scale genetic forces.

The common alternative is to assume that man is created by a God. Although Christian religionists claim falsely that this almighty and omniscent entity Who knows past, present and future, including every action each human being and termite will take during the course of its life, has "free will" to choose, so what? Religionists assure us that God has a plan and purpose, including His perpetual worship, which we are to fulfill whether we want to or not, else be banished to a nasty place for eternity.

A Hollywood-class movie, Little Nicky, is all about existentialism. In that context it portrays the relationships between the Devil and mankind. While not in the class of Dante's Inferno which provided its roots, the consequences of the existentialist life are clearly portrayed by the movie's Adolph Hitler character, whose every day begins with a brief session with Satan, who shoves an unpeeled pineapple up Hitler's ass-- the consequence of Hitler's previous acts of free will in pursuit of his purpose. Yet existentialism still hangs in there, shown by Hitler using his free will and powers of persuasion in hopes that one morning, Satan will select a small pineapple.

Now you can argue that Hitler was not a true existentialist because he hurt others in the process of fulfilling his purpose. But it is impossible to do otherwise, because the purposes of one person often conflict with the purposes of others. Imagine a world in which no one dates for fear of breaking somebody's heart. Or a world where no one can start a business, because his success will cause the failure of inferior businesses, driving their owners into bankruptcy and damaging their self-esteem.

The notion that one is completely free to chose one's purpose does not work in a competitive society. At best we are free to choose within broad ranges. I once had the choice between working for Boeing or for the United Aircraft Research Division, or for the University from which I graduated. I could also have chosen to work for a supermarket. Not everyone has that range of choices. Four years earlier I could have worked for a supermarket, a restaurant (doing dishes), or McDonalds. Had I been born in Mao's China, I'd likely have had no choices. And in every one of my possible choices, I'd have been serving someone else's purpose.

That is because my purpose, like yours and everyone's, is constrained by circumstances. Foremost by biology. We must eat, drink, stay healthy, find warmth in winter, shade in summertime. We need shelter from the elements. Ultimately we must serve our own bodies. Except in extremely stupid and short-lived societies, we have no choice in this.

Aw, poo! That's enough for my morning rant and hopefully enough pseudo-philosophical BS for the day. I got sidetracked and neglected to make the point that I was originally aiming at, which is---

Only an intelligent, self-aware entity that is not created, that is, not brought into existence by other entities or forces, can have a purpose of its own. I believe that at core, some humans meet this criterion, and have wrapped my own theory around this ill-regarded opinion.

IOW, few humans are qualified to have a purpose of their own. Your remarks suggest that you believe yourself to be one of those few. So I'm curious. Is it possible to create a purpose that is somehow only your own, a purpose not subject to those of others, or of external circumstances?

What's your purpose?

Greylorn

[dratsab]

"IOW, few humans are qualified to have a purpose of their own. Your remarks suggest that you believe yourself to be one of those few. So I'm curious. Is it possible to create a purpose that is somehow only your own, a purpose not subject to those of others, or of external circumstances?"

I am admittedly a determinist, so I won't say that we don't have constraints. The reason we were created by nature was survival + replication, however, just like an employee might be hired for a specific purpose, but given a lot of leeway, so man may have came about to survive and reproduce, but be given a lot of leeway in regards to what he really wants to craft out of the free time. Once man achieves his basic necessities, then he can move on to what motivates him. This motivation is given by nature, but man is a product of nature, and everything man crafts is also a product of nature in the same way. However, unlike an employer, nature really doesn't give a shit rather you survive or die, or reproduce or not. Survival is necessary to accomplish one's own meaning in life, but reproduction is a mere compulsion that can be prevented via the loopholes of contraceptives, thanks to the genius of man.

If man is capable of living a life of happiness on drugs and being a druggie doing nothing, more power to him (as long as he doesn't infringe on the rights of others). The problem is that most men, maybe none, can be happy living that life. They will become depressed and lash out at society. Thus, they failed to live a life of meaning, and failed to develop a goal for their life. However, if you set yourself a meaningful goal such as becoming an artist, architect, pioneer, writer, etc. and you achieve that goal, you have a higher chance of living happily, and that really is the goal isn't it? If you still aren't happy, then keep setting new goals for yourself. Stagnation seems to be the quickest way to depression and drug-dependence.

[Hjarloprillar]

Greylorn

Sorry, i was away. this happens now and then. A function of my life. not of any pov of this forum.

Your reply to my post fri april 18/ 3.15 pm.
changes much in my 'thinking'.
Im too flippant and ..hhhmm, wishy washy. disconnected in train of thought.

The joke " she fell out of ugly tree and hit very branch on way down applies to my cognitive regimen."
Or that W.A.I.S score is a waste of time.

I Wish to depart this world not with dignity but with good thinking.

Beon all you can be. I'm ordering you book tomorrow from only bookshop [collins] in town.. You deserve rights and %. *

Ming [THE MERCILESS]

*As one who has read thousands. im not an easy. expect crit [THE MERCILESS]

[Greylorn Ell]

Greylorn

Sorry, i was away. this happens now and then. A function of my life. not of any pov of this forum.

Your reply to my post fri april 18/ 3.15 pm.
changes much in my 'thinking'.
Im too flippant and ..hhhmm, wishy washy. disconnected in train of thought.

Ming! You're back!

A functional mind changes, by nature. Else not a mind, but a machine.

The joke " she fell out of ugly tree and hit very branch on way down applies to my cognitive regimen."

My ex-lover and current dance partner must have landed on you. Evidently the last branch broke her fall, but she's a big gal. I hope you're okay.

Or that W.A.I.S score is a waste of time.

Perhaps more of a measurement? Lots of people learn their I.Q. and then settle in on that. Like the guy who wins a drag race in a car he bought, then hangs onto that the rest of his life, while others build faster machines.

Seems to me that if you came into life at 150, you ought be leaving it, kicking and screaming, at 175.

I Wish to depart this world not with dignity but with good thinking.

Would Socrates have a better definition of "dignity?"

Beon all you can be. I'm ordering you book tomorrow from only bookshop [collins] in town.. You deserve rights and %. *

Ming [THE MERCILESS]

Thanks! I'll make about $2.37 profit, so two more and I can buy a six-pack of Blatz. The sale itself is more important, else when the books they have in stock are gone, Amazon will drop me. So, third party sales keep me alive. Appreciated.

*As one who has read thousands. im not an easy. expect crit [THE MERCILESS]

Never figured you for easy, but do for straight-up. If I wanted praise, I'd have written some other book. I wrote Digital Universe -- Analog Soul to evoke conversation, not agreement.

I invite you to open a thread that consists of your disagreements and counter-arguments to the book, open to anyone who's actually read the book. I promise to participate. No one else on this forum seems capable of learning anything beyond what they think that they know, and won't read the book, so it might be a semi-private thread populated by lurkers and the occasional nitwit who feels that his ignorance entitles him to an opinion. We will each learn from the process, and whether we agree or not, both of us will be better for the engagement.

I'll make it my purpose to assist you in going out in the style you wish.

Greylorn

[Hjarloprillar]

GI

"My ex-lover and current dance partner must have landed on you. Evidently the last branch broke her fall, but she's a big gal. I hope you're okay. "
Maxwell Smart and 'big girl' in recent remake of 'Get Smart' spring to mind.

lol

[thedoc]

This thread, and many who participate in it, seem to be of the opinion that it is humanity that lacks a purpose. Everything in the Universe has some function, including humans and that function could be interpreted as a purpose. Evolution is often used as an example of a process that is not guided by purpose, and that is correct, evolution is guided, (if guided is the proper term) by an organism's reaction to the environment. Each species strives to reproduce and this could well be described as a purpose. Perhaps those who don't see humanity as having a purpose, simply do not see the purpose right in front of them. Purpose might not always be profound, sometimes it could be quite mundane.