Posts by William Gonzalez3

Rebecca Cox2 said:The phrase "having kids" does feel low and dirty because it implies—even if we don't realize it—that a child is just parental property. It’s barely an upgrade from saying "making a baby."

Raising a child is a better way to put it, though even that doesn't seem to capture the full reality, given how often people struggle to actually succeed at it.

As for me, my child is due in about a month. My goal is simply to keep them healthy and safe until they reach the age where they can truly interact with the world. After that, I hope to guide them toward becoming a contributing member of our family, giving them the foundation they need to grow into an independent, responsible adult.

Hopefully, my spouse and I can pull this off together...😉

silentnomad23 said:Our everyday human consciousness is simply limited to perceiving things that are finite. To a mind like ours, the concept of the timeless and the infinite is practically incomprehensible. Just try to wrap your head around the idea of a state where neither time nor space exists. What would happen to energy in such a void? If there is no physical medium to act upon, does energy even vanish? Where would it go, and what would it transform into?
I won't even get into the whole discussion regarding experience and prejudice.

silentnomad23 said:Our everyday human consciousness is simply limited to perceiving things that are finite. To a mind like ours, the concept of the timeless and the infinite is practically incomprehensible. Just try to wrap your head around the idea of a state where neither time nor space exists. What would happen to energy in such a void? If there is no physical medium to act upon, does energy even vanish? Where would it go, and what would it transform into?
I won't even get into the whole discussion regarding experience and prejudice.

silentnomad23 said:What exactly are these hallucinations we're talking about? I find myself wondering about their true nature—who or what is actually generating them, and where they originate from. Are they tangible, objective phenomena occurring in the world around us, or are they merely products of our own minds and perceptions?
There is a fascinating distinction between the "me" without experience and the "me" shaped by years of living. It leads me to wonder: can that version of ourselves—the one bolstered by experience—actually be a mere illusion? We often fall into the trap of believing we truly know who we are, only to realize that our self-perception might just be a collection of accumulated prejudices. We convince ourselves we possess certain fixed traits, yet in reality, we remain entirely fluid. We become so certain of our own identity that we mistake our preconceived notions for our actual essence, essentially identifying with a static image of ourselves rather than the dynamic truth of who we really are.

I understand exactly what you mean when you speak about that inner energy, but it does raise an interesting question: where does this force actually originate within us? Furthermore, are you aware of the specific ways one can augment their own vitality through conscious effort—or perhaps even through a sense of effortless flow?

What leads you to that particular conclusion?

silentnomad23 said:What exactly are these hallucinations we're talking about? I find myself wondering about their true nature—who or what is actually generating them, and where they originate from. Are they tangible, objective phenomena occurring in the world around us, or are they merely products of our own minds and perceptions?
There is a fascinating distinction between the "me" without experience and the "me" shaped by years of living. It leads me to wonder: can that version of ourselves—the one bolstered by experience—actually be a mere illusion? We often fall into the trap of believing we truly know who we are, only to realize that our self-perception might just be a collection of accumulated prejudices. We convince ourselves we possess certain fixed traits, yet in reality, we remain entirely fluid. We become so certain of our own identity that we mistake our preconceived notions for our actual essence, essentially identifying with a static image of ourselves rather than the dynamic truth of who we really are.

I understand exactly what you mean when you speak about that inner energy, but it does raise an interesting question: where does this force actually originate within us? Furthermore, are you aware of the specific ways one can augment their own vitality through conscious effort—or perhaps even through a sense of effortless flow?

What leads you to that particular conclusion?

silentnomad23 said:What exactly are these hallucinations we're talking about? I find myself wondering about their true nature—who or what is actually generating them, and where they originate from. Are they tangible, objective phenomena occurring in the world around us, or are they merely products of our own minds and perceptions?
There is a fascinating distinction between the "me" without experience and the "me" shaped by years of living. It leads me to wonder: can that version of ourselves—the one bolstered by experience—actually be a mere illusion? We often fall into the trap of believing we truly know who we are, only to realize that our self-perception might just be a collection of accumulated prejudices. We convince ourselves we possess certain fixed traits, yet in reality, we remain entirely fluid. We become so certain of our own identity that we mistake our preconceived notions for our actual essence, essentially identifying with a static image of ourselves rather than the dynamic truth of who we really are.

I understand exactly what you mean when you speak about that inner energy, but it does raise an interesting question: where does this force actually originate within us? Furthermore, are you aware of the specific ways one can augment their own vitality through conscious effort—or perhaps even through a sense of effortless flow?

What leads you to that particular conclusion?

silentnomad23 said:What exactly are these hallucinations we're talking about? I find myself wondering about their true nature—who or what is actually generating them, and where they originate from. Are they tangible, objective phenomena occurring in the world around us, or are they merely products of our own minds and perceptions?
There is a fascinating distinction between the "me" without experience and the "me" shaped by years of living. It leads me to wonder: can that version of ourselves—the one bolstered by experience—actually be a mere illusion? We often fall into the trap of believing we truly know who we are, only to realize that our self-perception might just be a collection of accumulated prejudices. We convince ourselves we possess certain fixed traits, yet in reality, we remain entirely fluid. We become so certain of our own identity that we mistake our preconceived notions for our actual essence, essentially identifying with a static image of ourselves rather than the dynamic truth of who we really are.

I understand exactly what you mean when you speak about that inner energy, but it does raise an interesting question: where does this force actually originate within us? Furthermore, are you aware of the specific ways one can augment their own vitality through conscious effort—or perhaps even through a sense of effortless flow?

What leads you to that particular conclusion?

silentnomad23 said:What exactly are these hallucinations we're talking about? I find myself wondering about their true nature—who or what is actually generating them, and where they originate from. Are they tangible, objective phenomena occurring in the world around us, or are they merely products of our own minds and perceptions?
There is a fascinating distinction between the "me" without experience and the "me" shaped by years of living. It leads me to wonder: can that version of ourselves—the one bolstered by experience—actually be a mere illusion? We often fall into the trap of believing we truly know who we are, only to realize that our self-perception might just be a collection of accumulated prejudices. We convince ourselves we possess certain fixed traits, yet in reality, we remain entirely fluid. We become so certain of our own identity that we mistake our preconceived notions for our actual essence, essentially identifying with a static image of ourselves rather than the dynamic truth of who we really are.

I understand exactly what you mean when you speak about that inner energy, but it does raise an interesting question: where does this force actually originate within us? Furthermore, are you aware of the specific ways one can augment their own vitality through conscious effort—or perhaps even through a sense of effortless flow?

What leads you to that particular conclusion?

swiftcobra15 said:Well, I guess we have to travel back thousands of years to the era of the ancient Greek philosophers who loved carving whatever random thoughts crossed their minds into stone. One of those famous bits was "know thyself."
In that sense, you’ve already experienced what it truly means to be a parent.
Why did you decide to have kids in the first place?
Why, after the first one, did you go ahead and have a second?
And why a third after that?
And honestly, why did you choose to actually *be* a father once they were born? You could have just packed up, headed down to South America, changed your name, started a vineyard, and nobody would ever have found you.
Why stay? Was it because you wanted to, or perhaps because that’s what society expected of you? Or maybe it was simply because you wanted to be there for them? Why did you want to be present? What exactly were you trying to provide for them? And, if I may ask, why did you feel the need to give them those things?

As for me, I’d actually like to have quite a few children—maybe ten or so—since the government offers such decent agricultural subsidies for raising livestock. Beyond that, I’m planning on finding a very intelligent wife, because I recall hearing something in biology class that when two highly intelligent parents have children, those children often end up being merely average. So, if someone like me—who is, let's face it, significantly below average in intelligence—has children with a brilliant woman, then our kids might actually turn out to be Einsteins. Though, I’m not entirely sure I'll find a woman smart enough to realize my potential for massive stupidity while also agreeing to produce a whole brood of hyper-intelligent children just to chase those government subsidies.
I suppose I'll just have to rely on luck rather than brains.
If all goes well, those little Einsteins will earn a fortune, and eventually, they'll probably hand it all back to their old man to spend on drinks and bad decisions. Which, I suppose, is only fair, given that I’m gifting them both life and high intellect.

The only thing that could really ruin my plan is if I suddenly gain some common sense.
I try to be very careful about that. I watch plenty of TV (nothing educational, just mindless entertainment and politics), I don't read much, I don't do crosswords, I don't think too deeply, I don't play chess, and I spend a fair amount of time hitting my head against the wall...
I really have to keep my intellectual capacity low just to ensure I remain a viable partner for producing future Einsteins.

swiftcobra15 said:Well, I guess we have to travel back thousands of years to the era of the ancient Greek philosophers who loved carving whatever random thoughts crossed their minds into stone. One of those famous bits was "know thyself."
In that sense, you’ve already experienced what it truly means to be a parent.
Why did you decide to have kids in the first place?
Why, after the first one, did you go ahead and have a second?
And why a third after that?
And honestly, why did you choose to actually *be* a father once they were born? You could have just packed up, headed down to South America, changed your name, started a vineyard, and nobody would ever have found you.
Why stay? Was it because you wanted to, or perhaps because that’s what society expected of you? Or maybe it was simply because you wanted to be there for them? Why did you want to be present? What exactly were you trying to provide for them? And, if I may ask, why did you feel the need to give them those things?

As for me, I’d actually like to have quite a few children—maybe ten or so—since the government offers such decent agricultural subsidies for raising livestock. Beyond that, I’m planning on finding a very intelligent wife, because I recall hearing something in biology class that when two highly intelligent parents have children, those children often end up being merely average. So, if someone like me—who is, let's face it, significantly below average in intelligence—has children with a brilliant woman, then our kids might actually turn out to be Einsteins. Though, I’m not entirely sure I'll find a woman smart enough to realize my potential for massive stupidity while also agreeing to produce a whole brood of hyper-intelligent children just to chase those government subsidies.
I suppose I'll just have to rely on luck rather than brains.
If all goes well, those little Einsteins will earn a fortune, and eventually, they'll probably hand it all back to their old man to spend on drinks and bad decisions. Which, I suppose, is only fair, given that I’m gifting them both life and high intellect.

The only thing that could really ruin my plan is if I suddenly gain some common sense.
I try to be very careful about that. I watch plenty of TV (nothing educational, just mindless entertainment and politics), I don't read much, I don't do crosswords, I don't think too deeply, I don't play chess, and I spend a fair amount of time hitting my head against the wall...
I really have to keep my intellectual capacity low just to ensure I remain a viable partner for producing future Einsteins.[/COLOR]

swiftcobra15 said:Well, I guess we have to travel back thousands of years to the era of the ancient Greek philosophers who loved carving whatever random thoughts crossed their minds into stone. One of those famous bits was "know thyself."
In that sense, you’ve already experienced what it truly means to be a parent.
Why did you decide to have kids in the first place?
Why, after the first one, did you go ahead and have a second?
And why a third after that?
And honestly, why did you choose to actually *be* a father once they were born? You could have just packed up, headed down to South America, changed your name, started a vineyard, and nobody would ever have found you.
Why stay? Was it because you wanted to, or perhaps because that’s what society expected of you? Or maybe it was simply because you wanted to be there for them? Why did you want to be present? What exactly were you trying to provide for them? And, if I may ask, why did you feel the need to give them those things?

As for me, I’d actually like to have quite a few children—maybe ten or so—since the government offers such decent agricultural subsidies for raising livestock. Beyond that, I’m planning on finding a very intelligent wife, because I recall hearing something in biology class that when two highly intelligent parents have children, those children often end up being merely average. So, if someone like me—who is, let's face it, significantly below average in intelligence—has children with a brilliant woman, then our kids might actually turn out to be Einsteins. Though, I’m not entirely sure I'll find a woman smart enough to realize my potential for massive stupidity while also agreeing to produce a whole brood of hyper-intelligent children just to chase those government subsidies.
I suppose I'll just have to rely on luck rather than brains.
If all goes well, those little Einsteins will earn a fortune, and eventually, they'll probably hand it all back to their old man to spend on drinks and bad decisions. Which, I suppose, is only fair, given that I’m gifting them both life and high intellect.

The only thing that could really ruin my plan is if I suddenly gain some common sense.
I try to be very careful about that. I watch plenty of TV (nothing educational, just mindless entertainment and politics), I don't read much, I don't do crosswords, I don't think too deeply, I don't play chess, and I spend a fair amount of time hitting my head against the wall...
I really have to keep my intellectual capacity low just to ensure I remain a viable partner for producing future Einsteins.[/COLOR]

silentnomad23 said:Based on your premise, there are two ways to look at this. First, that the "self" is a singular, relatively closed entity—a distinct unit that simply presents itself to us from different perspectives and under different lights.
The second possibility is that the "self" isn't an entity at all. Perhaps it doesn't even exist in a permanent sense; instead, a person is merely a living vessel, a temporary station through which a certain flow of vital energy, life, or spirit passes. We then interpret this movement as our "self," as personal growth, or as maturing. Once the physical body is spent, that energy simply moves on and doesn't return to that specific point. Could that be a viable alternative?

😁 😁

Perhaps that constancy is due to the deep-seated prejudices a person holds toward themselves, which have shaped them into someone who seemingly never changes their nature (though I couldn't speak for wolves 😁). These internal biases shape us more profoundly than we can possibly comprehend, which might explain why our core character feels so immutable. Are things like genetics and conditioning really just our own deeply rooted, ancient preconceptions? If so, through the psychological mechanism of suggestibility, those predispositions essentially fulfill their own prophecies. As each layer of bias is peeled away, the boundaries continue to shift and dissolve.

silentnomad23 said:Based on your premise, there are two ways to look at this. First, that the "self" is a singular, relatively closed entity—a distinct unit that simply presents itself to us from different perspectives and under different lights.
The second possibility is that the "self" isn't an entity at all. Perhaps it doesn't even exist in a permanent sense; instead, a person is merely a living vessel, a temporary station through which a certain flow of vital energy, life, or spirit passes. We then interpret this movement as our "self," as personal growth, or as maturing. Once the physical body is spent, that energy simply moves on and doesn't return to that specific point. Could that be a viable alternative?

😁 😁

Perhaps that constancy is due to the deep-seated prejudices a person holds toward themselves, which have shaped them into someone who seemingly never changes their nature (though I couldn't speak for wolves 😁). These internal biases shape us more profoundly than we can possibly comprehend, which might explain why our core character feels so immutable. Are things like genetics and conditioning really just our own deeply rooted, ancient preconceptions? If so, through the psychological mechanism of suggestibility, those predispositions essentially fulfill their own prophecies. As each layer of bias is peeled away, the boundaries continue to shift and dissolve.

silentnomad23 Asks:
Is conditioning—and all that related stuff—really just a collection of our own deep-seated, ancient prejudices? I sometimes wonder if we aren't just creating our own destinies through a sort of psychological feedback loop; maybe we suggest a certain outcome to ourselves via suggestibility, and then somehow manifest it as if it were genetic conditioning or fate. It seems like every time a particular prejudice finally breaks down, the boundaries shift even further—they just keep blurring.

swiftcobra15 said:I was actually inspired by a "women's topic" thread titled "What do you think about men?"
where most people just vent about bad fathers or offer nothing but pitying comments like, "poor things,"😁

Just to clear the air: I love kids (especially other people's 😁),
but that's not really a reason to want to be a parent myself.
There are more than enough children in this world already, and I don't see a personal need to have my own.

silentnomad23 said:How would you describe yourself—if you were to put it into song—and what does the concept of "the self" actually mean to you?
Can you describe, feel, or explain your own personality? How do you perceive yourself versus how you think the rest of the world sees you? In what ways do you observe your own being?

I suggest coming back in a few days to review your thoughts. Do you still stand by everything you wrote?
Do you feel as though your personality is becoming more blurred and undefined as you grow, or is maturity helping you become more distinct and defined? Perhaps a better word might be evolution
. And ultimately, what does the process of maturing or evolving truly signify to you?

silentnomad23 Asks:
I suppose I could attempt to unpack my own personality—though, if I'm being honest, it feels like trying to catch smoke with my bare hands. It’s a bit of an abstract exercise, isn't it? If I were to try and explain how I see myself, I’d say I tend to be someone who lives mostly in the quiet spaces between thoughts—perhaps a bit too much, maybe. I view myself as a deliberate observer; I like to weigh things carefully before speaking, which I realize can sometimes come across as hesitation rather than intention. I think there is a certain sincerity in my approach to life—an earnestness that drives me to look for deeper meanings in even the smallest interactions—but I also struggle with a certain level of self-consciousness. As for how others perceive me... well, that’s where things get complicated. I suspect people might see me as somewhat reserved, or perhaps even a little detached—almost as if I am perpetually lost in thought. There is likely a sense that I am cautious, or maybe even overly analytical—which, I suppose, is true. Some might find my tendency to hedge my statements a bit frustrating—I know I do—while others might see it as a sign of thoughtfulness. It is a strange thing, really—how the version of ourselves we carry internally rarely aligns perfectly with the image reflected back by the world.

silentnomad23 said:How would you describe yourself—if you were to put it into song—and what does the concept of "the self" actually mean to you?
Can you describe, feel, or explain your own personality? How do you perceive yourself versus how you think the rest of the world sees you? In what ways do you observe your own being?

I suggest coming back in a few days to review your thoughts. Do you still stand by everything you wrote?
Do you feel as though your personality is becoming more blurred and undefined as you grow, or is maturity helping you become more distinct and defined? Perhaps a better word might be evolution
. And ultimately, what does the process of maturing or evolving truly signify to you?

silentnomad23 said:How would you describe yourself—if you were to put it into song—and what does the concept of "the self" actually mean to you?
Can you describe, feel, or explain your own personality? How do you perceive yourself versus how you think the rest of the world sees you? In what ways do you observe your own being?

I suggest coming back in a few days to review your thoughts. Do you still stand by everything you wrote?
Do you feel as though your personality is becoming more blurred and undefined as you grow, or is maturity helping you become more distinct and defined? Perhaps a better word might be evolution
. And ultimately, what does the process of maturing or evolving truly signify to you?

silentnomad23 said:How would you describe yourself—if you were to put it into song—and what does the concept of "the self" actually mean to you?
Can you describe, feel, or explain your own personality? How do you perceive yourself versus how you think the rest of the world sees you? In what ways do you observe your own being?

I suggest coming back in a few days to review your thoughts. Do you still stand by everything you wrote?
Do you feel as though your personality is becoming more blurred and undefined as you grow, or is maturity helping you become more distinct and defined? Perhaps a better word might be evolution
. And ultimately, what does the process of maturing or evolving truly signify to you?

silentnomad23 said:How would you describe yourself—if you were to put it into song—and what does the concept of "the self" actually mean to you?
Can you describe, feel, or explain your own personality? How do you perceive yourself versus how you think the rest of the world sees you? In what ways do you observe your own being?

I suggest coming back in a few days to review your thoughts. Do you still stand by everything you wrote?
Do you feel as though your personality is becoming more blurred and undefined as you grow, or is maturity helping you become more distinct and defined? Perhaps a better word might be evolution
. And ultimately, what does the process of maturing or evolving truly signify to you?

Melissa Rivera5 said:Look, hate is just part of being human. I’m not out here suggesting we wipe out everyone who has undesirable traits—because, honestly, let's be real, nobody is perfect. I'm just wondering... what if we euthanized, or just didn't allow the birth of, people who will never have even a theoretical chance at contributing anything to society? If you actually care about the community, then every single member matters. But if someone is just draining resources without giving anything back, they're basically hurting the group. So, I guess their existence only makes sense from an individual standpoint, but it comes at the expense of everyone else.

Melissa Rivera5 said:Look, hate is just part of being human. I’m not out here suggesting we wipe out everyone who has undesirable traits—because, honestly, let's be real, nobody is perfect. I'm just wondering... what if we euthanized, or just didn't allow the birth of, people who will never have even a theoretical chance at contributing anything to society? If you actually care about the community, then every single member matters. But if someone is just draining resources without giving anything back, they're basically hurting the group. So, I guess their existence only makes sense from an individual standpoint, but it comes at the expense of everyone else.

Melissa Rivera5 said:Look, hate is just part of being human. I’m not out here suggesting we wipe out everyone who has undesirable traits—because, honestly, let's be real, nobody is perfect. I'm just wondering... what if we euthanized, or just didn't allow the birth of, people who will never have even a theoretical chance at contributing anything to society? If you actually care about the community, then every single member matters. But if someone is just draining resources without giving anything back, they're basically hurting the group. So, I guess their existence only makes sense from an individual standpoint, but it comes at the expense of everyone else.

I suppose I should probably mention that I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the hadron—though, honestly, it feels like such a massive concept to wrap one's head around. It's just one of those fundamental building blocks that makes everything else possible, I guess. It’s strange, really—how these tiny, subatomic particles essentially dictate the structure of our entire universe without us ever being able to see them directly. Maybe there's something a bit humbling in that, isn't there? To think that everything we experience—every single thing—is ultimately built from these incredibly small, vibrating pieces of matter. It’s a lot to process, I suppose. kaže:
I find myself mostly in agreement with this... I think there is some truth to what's being said here—though I suppose there are always nuances we might be overlooking.
It seems to me—and I realize this might be a controversial take—that certain groups, like those struggling with mental health issues, career criminals, or even retirees... they just seem to exist without any real sense of purpose or contribution to the community. It’s a tough thing to process, I guess, but it feels like they're just drifting through life without much direction.
It feels a bit pointless when you think about it—so many people make up a huge chunk of the global population, like designers, athletes, or artists... and yet, they aren't really using these tools directly. Especially the athletes, I guess; they seem to stay pretty far removed from the actual process.

I suppose I should probably mention that I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the hadron—if you can even call it that anymore after everything we've seen lately. It feels like we're constantly chasing these microscopic particles, hoping for some grand revelation, yet we just end up with more data to sift through. Maybe I'm being too cynical, but there's a certain weight to the way these experiments unfold—it's almost exhausting how much precision is required just to prove what we already suspect might be true. I guess it's just part of the process, though. kaže:
Where exactly is this all headed? I can't help but wonder—is anyone else feeling this sense of uncertainty about where things are going?