Posts by Eric Wells3

Einstein said:Which "History of Philosophy" would you all recommend to me? Should I go with Canadian, Kalin, Bazati, or Windelband?

In my estimation, Abagnano and Russell are the superior choices, though I must point out that while Russell occasionally spouts absolute nonsense, his ability to explain complex concepts is nothing short of brilliant.👍

Rachel Bishop said:Every single religion possesses at least some form of evidence

And I must ask, what sort of empirical evidence could one possibly provide to prove the existence of Santa Claus? On that particular matter, there isn't even a single witness to be found.😁

Consider this hypothetical scenario: if an individual asserts their belief in Santa Claus, does that assertion carry any "equivalent" weight to the conviction that rain will fall tomorrow based upon our empirical observations and accumulated experience?

blueranger12 said:We are dealing with those who are pathologically insecure and utterly lacking in experience. A person with a relatively healthy level of self-doubt, such as Nathan Wells45, doesn't even belong in that category because they possess the basic intuition to realize that something smells fishy over in Denmark.

One must first establish a precise definition of what it actually means to "love" them. Insecure individuals tend to gravitate toward other insecure people simply because they find them easy to get along with—they are pleasant, warm, and harmless. However, if I may be so bold as to share what my own life experiences have taught me, true passion is something one only ever feels toward someone who possesses genuine confidence.

As for Nathan Wells45... either she is a deeply confident individual, or she is fundamentally a stranger to her own soul.😉

velvetpilot212 said:you aren't. That is simply how every single person lacking self-assurance reacts.👍

On the contrary. It is a fundamental truth that those who suffer from a lack of self-belief absolutely adore people who possess unwavering confidence.😉

Enchantress said:But what about prayer?

Prayer is nothing more than a mere formality, a triviality. It is simply an expression of CONSCIOUSNESS—specifically, the manifestation of our own conscious desires.

To suggest that prayer holds some profound spiritual weight is just as absurd as claiming a toilet brush possesses mystical properties; you simply state what you want to happen, and that is the extent of the matter.🙄

Edina said:What is the actual definition of a liberal?

One must understand that liberalism operates on two distinct planes: the economic and the political. When we discuss political liberalism, we are referring to the points previously raised by Obelix. However, economic liberalism, at its core, advocates for minimizing state interference in the distribution of resources and goods.

The extreme right-wing iteration of economic liberalism—which we commonly identify as neoliberalism—demands an absolute withdrawal of the federal government from the economic sphere entirely. In this view, the state’s involvement in the economy should be strictly limited to maintaining the police and the military to ensure basic order and national defense; everything else, including healthcare and education, ought to be fully privatized.

Conversely, the extreme left-wing version of economic liberalism—or rather, the total absence of it—is socialism. And for heaven's sake, I really shouldn't have to explain what that entails.😁

Eric Wells3 said: Under this specific framework, the inherent value of any given idea is dictated entirely by its practical efficacy. An idea that proves utterly useless—take metaphysics, for instance, which offers zero tangible benefit within the parameters defined by those particular pragmatists—becomes, in essence, a false idea, because truth itself is reduced to nothing more than utility or successful application. The very foundation of theoretical knowledge rests upon one's capacity for adaptation and functional implementation.

To put it bluntly in a single sentence: an idea is nothing more than a blueprint for action.

If you look at the top of this subforum, you will find the "philosophical lexicon." That is where you will find most of the definitions you are searching for.👋

restlessmarlin6 said:Some people don't even need to meditate before they start talking absolute nonsense.

All it takes is one book or a single article about, say, Taoism, and suddenly you think you're an expert. 😁

I personally limit my meditation to once a week at most, and frankly, I haven't experienced any sort of earth-shattering enlightenment. I just enjoy the sense of relaxation, which is perfectly fine by me.
Afterward, I am completely wiped out 🙂 and sleep like a baby 🙂

But if you suggest that it’s actually dangerous... well, hmmm... 🤔 😉

Once a week? You’re practically an infant; I know folks who do it every single day or every other day, and let me tell you, those people are absolutely lost.😁 😁

Then again, there isn't much harm coming to those people who spend their lives lost in intense, fervent delusions.😉

restlessmarlin6 said:Hold on just a second, what makes you think you actually know that’s true? Have you even bothered to try meditating yet?

jep😉
It isn't as if anything significant is going to happen just because you sit down to meditate a couple of times, after all. If you were to do it with absolute, unwavering regularity, then maybe you’d end up becoming someone like Kueljo.😁

No, seriously, there exists a fundamental blockage within the human brain—positioned right between the conscious and the subconscious mind—and it serves a purpose, believe me! Under specific circumstances, this barrier can be loosened or tightened, and all those various spiritual frameworks that delve deep into the psyche serve only to weaken that protective block.

You know that feeling when you have something you desperately want to say, but you ultimately hold yourself back because the sentence feels utterly foolish? Well, once you start meditating constantly, things don't seem quite so foolish anymore.😁 It’s like being high on something.😁 You honestly convince yourself that you’ve somehow absorbed all the wisdom in the world, when in reality, you’re just acting like a complete idiot.😁

restlessmarlin6 said:In what sense, exactly?
I am being entirely serious here; I genuinely want an answer.

You end up behaving like one of those stereotypical Easterners you see in cartoons.😁

You just spout these endless, rambling nonsense platitudes that attempt to sound profound, when in reality, they are utterly useless and fit for nothing else. You essentially turn into Coelh.

Simona said:He didn't "misunderstand" a single thing. The fault lies entirely with those misguided individuals who haven't bothered to read a solitary word he has written, yet they remain remarkably quick to act whenever there is an opportunity to pigeonhole him into some convenient little category.
For his entire existence, he spent his life studying the collective unconsciousness, yet paradoxically, it was his own Christian followers who most vehemently rejected his insights. It is truly remarkable how human nature functions; immediately following his passing, once his "autobiography" finally laid bare his true convictions regarding faith, those very same critics suddenly pivoted, declaring him an absolute authority on the matter. 😉

It is quite possible that this is all due to her yoga practice! 😁

Look, I’m fully aware of what’s going on here; I was merely indulging in a bit of mockery.😉

I honestly cannot wrap my head around why anyone would bother with this whole yoga obsession; it seems like such a colossal waste of time to me. I mean, what is the actual point of all that stretching and breathing exercises? It’s frankly baffling. You shouldn't need to pose like a pretzel or find some inner zen just to experience a moment of genuine contentment in this life. One should be able to achieve true happiness through grit, hard work, and a solid sense of purpose, rather than relying on these ridiculous, trendy fads that people cling to just to feel something. It’s utterly absurd.😕 Furthermore, one must consider that meditation isn't some harmless little hobby; it actually penetrates the deepest reaches of the brain and the subconscious mind, and if you indulge in it excessively over a long period, it can quite frankly mess you up in a significant way.

Eric Wells3 said:marijuana just makes everything in their lives go downhill.

Once again, we are dealing with complete nonsense. Marijuana CANNOT make things worse.
The only people capable of making such a claim are those judging cannabis through the lens of some narrow-minded, small-town bigot who wouldn't know reality if it hit them in the face.

Enchantress said:A few days after I finished reading this particular thread, I happened to stumble upon a television program discussing a young man who decided to join some sort of Far East religious organization, only to end up in a psychiatric ward after living with them for a few months. He was suffering from seizures that looked remarkably like epilepsy and was clearly in a state of severe nervous breakdown. Beyond just interviewing the individual, they actually interviewed his psychiatrist, who offered a rather striking explanation: he suggested that Far Eastern spiritual approaches are fundamentally mismatched for the Western psyche. The core issue, according to him, lies in the fact that our genetically inherited subconscious archetypes are entirely different from those found in people from the Far East. Engaging in these Eastern spiritual practices can be profoundly damaging to a Westerner's mental stability precisely because it awakens these incompatible archetypes. To drive the point home, the psychiatrist asserted that the psychological trauma this young man experienced would likely never have occurred had he sought guidance within a traditional Christian church instead.

I am curious to hear the community's thoughts on this matter and how much credence we should give to such an argument.

It is quite clear that Jung completely misunderstood the mechanics at play here; frankly, anyone seeking out yoga in the first place must already be significantly disturbed...

Eric Wells3 said:I would strongly suggest you take a long walk down to the local psychiatric clinic here in Chicago and ask them to point you toward the crowd of thirty-somethings who have developed full-blown schizophrenia after years of heavy marijuana use.

🤣

Enchantress said:As far as I am aware, marijuana is categorized as a soft drug. There must be a legitimate reason why experts have classified it that way.

The sole reason for such a classification is sheer terror and profound ignorance.
Those moralizing hypocrites and complete idiots have never even touched weed, yet they sit there passing judgment based on absolutely nothing at all. They write utter nonsense. It really comes down to the fact that they are developmentally stunted; science has actually moved forward while they stayed stuck in the past.

These very same fools will insist on dividing drugs into "soft" categories—those that supposedly don't cause physical addiction—and "hard" ones that do, only to then pivot and claim that marijuana doesn't cause any addiction whatsoever.☕

New research clearly demonstrates that long-term cannabis use does NOT diminish intelligence. Furthermore, NEW DRUG DEFINITIONS indicate that certain substances can permanently alter the brain.

yeah Eric Wells3, marijuana (including hash) are hallucinogenic drugs.

Hallucinogenic, yet they don't produce hallucinations?😕 😕 😕

What on earth do you even mean by "hallucinogenic"???

Alexander Watson said:Alcohol is undeniably a far greater evil than marijuana, and on that specific point, the two of us will always find common ground, though I am certainly not suggesting that marijuana should be classified as something "desirable."

And when exactly did I assert that everyone ought to be smoking weed because it is somehow beneficial? Marijuana undoubtedly causes harm, and it offers no true utility whatsoever. However, the damage simply isn't severe enough for me to label it a drug in the traditional sense.

ezra said:in the second category of halucinogen

Halucinogen 😕 😕 😕

Just go home already... 🙂

placidotter15 said:So, you're telling me ecstasy is scientifically proven to impact the brain in this specific way, yet weed doesn't even come close to having similar consequences?

What kind of logic is that, honestly? Do you actually believe the tortoise is faster than the hare?