Philosophy Now Forum

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Jul 19, 2025 2:05 am.

You could have just deleted your comment (I saw it) instead of putting a dot

How do you delete a posting?

Walker wrote: ↑Sat Jul 19, 2025 7:35 am How do you delete a posting?

Click on the x. It's only there if no one has posted after you though.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Jul 19, 2025 1:41 am What does being self-absorbed and whining have to do with mistreating others?

Dinner with Rodney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiGgV-Hqf30

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Wed Jan 15, 2025 9:36 am I think I'm going to put on a dunce cap and assign myself a corner. My corner will be this thread. I don't think I can competently participate anywhere else on the forum. Such is life.

Had you honored this vow perhaps unknowns would have revealed by now.

*

A related question:

Is it better to be disliked for who you are, or to be liked for who you are not?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10DtMv_ ... s&index=19

I'm agnostic, but I always identify more with atheists than I do with devoutly religious people. To me, the religious think they know so much about things that are supposed to be beyond this world. To me, atheism is like protesting an unfair ruler, and religious zealots are like thoughtless lackeys doing the bidding of the unfair ruler. But I suppose that's not fair to the religious, and maybe I'm too easy on atheists, perhaps?

I used to be an atheist at one time, so maybe that's why I feel more sympathetic to atheists. I've tried going to church, but almost everyone in church talks like they know something that they clearly don't. I have a hard time pretending to know something that I know very well that I can't know. In church, people are led around by the nose by leaders who may mean well but are frauds as far as I can tell. I just can't do that. It goes against the grain of my philosophy or something.

Socrates has always been a hero of mine, and I think Socrates wouldn't get along very well with many contemporary theists, especially zealous ones.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 4:55 am I'm agnostic, but I always identify more with atheists than I do with devoutly religious people.

Why 'try to' claim to be any of those things?

It is an absolute impossibility for 'you' to be any of those things, so 'you' obviously can not be any of those things, anyway.

Why not just be who 'you' are, exactly, and then just 'be that', only?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 4:55 am To me, the religious think they know so much about things that are supposed to be beyond this world. To me, atheism is like protesting an unfair ruler, and religious zealots are like thoughtless lackeys doing the bidding of the unfair ruler.

But, that is just 'your' 'religious view', which, like all religious views, they stop and prevent you human beings from learning, recognising, and seeing the actual Truth of things. And, some of the worst with 'this issue' are those who are "scientists" and who hold their chosen religion 'science' as being 'gospel'.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 4:55 am But I suppose that's not fair to the religious, and maybe I'm too easy on atheists, perhaps?

So, are 'you' then, really, "agnostic" after all?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 4:55 am I used to be an atheist at one time, so maybe that's why I feel more sympathetic to atheists. I've tried going to church, but almost everyone in church talks like they know something that they clearly don't.

'This' sounds very much like this forum, here.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 4:55 am I have a hard time pretending to know something that I know very well that I can't know.

Why do you hold the religious view that there are things that you can not know?

It sounds like you have been led around, 'by the nose', as some might say.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 4:55 am In church, people are led around by the nose by leaders who may mean well but are frauds as far as I can tell.

People, like "Immanuel can", who are spreading what they just believe to be true are not actual 'fraudsters', as they are not intentionally trying to fraud any one. They are just "delusional fools", spreading Falsehoods.

What you call "leaders", here, are also "delusional fools" who are just spreading and sharing unsubstituted beliefs because they were disillusioned and fooled by "delusional fools", as well.

In fact every one in this forum who claims to know things, but when challenged and/or questioned they can not and do not back up, support, and/or substantiate their claims, then they also are just "disillusioned fools", who have been disillusioned, by "fools", along the way.

In fact 'this' goes for all of you adult human beings, here.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 4:55 am I just can't do that. It goes against the grain of my philosophy or something.

Are you 'trying to' say and claim, here, that you only claim to know things, which you could back up, support, and/or substantiate, always?

If yes, the are you absolutely sure?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 4:55 am Socrates has always been a hero of mine, and I think Socrates wouldn't get along very well with many contemporary theists, especially zealous ones.

There is nothing wrong with being 'zealous', itself, and if one knows God exists, and can prove so, then there is nothing wrong, at all, in showing great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of providing 'that prove', especially if doing so would improve the lives of you human beings.

Who and what the 'God' word refers to, exactly, is already known, and which can be proved, irrefutably so, by the way.

I can't think of anything better to do in life than act like I'm smart. Honestly, there's nothing sacred and profound about living that is any more important than acting smart. I am a human being without purpose or direction. Unless of course, I count "acting smart" as a purpose or direction. The world is profoundly disappointing this evening. It lacks anything to bring vitality to my spirit. And I'm bored.

If I'm going to win in this world in anything, then it's going to be an argument. I shall mitigate my misfortunes! And dispatch despair with a personal victory!

Wayne Shorter wraps up this tale with exhilaration.

Palladium
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QixVEoa598

Like everything else in this world, personal victory is empty. There's no happiness possible in this world.

When energy is low the world is gray.

When energy is high the world is easy.
Energy. Energize the body and the mind will follow, but it’s more difficult to energize awareness when blood sugar drops.

Great tune. High brass for energy. Happy and nostalgic. A little chicken dance in there. We expect threes. Phil foils that expectation with fours and that little tweak stirs energy, changes thoughts just a tad.

Turn up those headphones. Frequencies and vibrations in mathematical syncopation fill the emptiness.

Julian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDdS6vq ... rt_radio=1

Getting old is depressing. The further along I go, the less I feel I have anything to look forward to in life. Only things to dread. Does everyone get to feeling this way?

You get over it. That's what that chatter about living in the Now is about.

*

Body Surfing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_mRrPh ... zd&index=7

Took a walk
Down by the ocean
I was alone
Nothing on my mind …

Since I'm afraid of doing myself, I've been waiting to die in my sleep. No luck so far. Knowing the world created by God, I'll probably die awake and in pain.