Zachary Mendoza2 said:We consider humans more intelligent than animals, possessing mental capacities far beyond them. Speech, abstract reasoning, technology—these define us. At times, it feels as though we have grabbed fate by the reins, establishing ourselves as a unique species: creators and rulers over nature.
Conversely, psychology views the human psyche through two lenses: genetic inheritance and learned behavior. Regarding learning, we acquire knowledge through experience, meaning we absorb whatever we encounter. In this context, I want to introduce the concept of "original thought," which I will attempt to clarify, as it is something I am curious about.
Unlike simply adopting what already exists, true insights occasionally emerge. These are breakthroughs like mastering fire, or the use of tools and weaponry. The first person to conceive of such things could not have observed them beforehand. It was not programmed into their genes. They simply thought, and they realized. They did not copy an existing insight; they created a new one. I would argue that such moments are what make us creators. Without them, we are merely blank slates upon which the environment can write anything, potentially leading to total indoctrination (Goebel's successes serve as a known example supporting this view). Now, I am interested in this human creativity we take such pride in. Truly, we enjoy countless blessings today—the fruits of human genius—and we can trace their development through written history over the last few millennia. Writing allowed us to accumulate all this progress across generations, moving from very simple lives to our modern era in just a few thousand years. One might assume humans are highly capable of "original thought" given how much has been achieved in such a short span. However, if we expand the timeline to several million years since the first human appeared, we see that over those millions of years, humans did not invent fire, weapons, agriculture, or anything else that significantly improved life 😕 There were thousands upon thousands of generations of people born, living, and dying without anyone ever conceiving of anything new. 😕 Based on this, one might say that humans are actually quite incapable of "original thought." Indeed, looking back at recorded history, the knowledge that accumulates is largely learned through experience; "original thought" is only required when creating entirely new knowledge, which is relatively rare considering the number of people and the length of their lifespans.
This is what puzzles me—how capable is a human, truly, of creating or independently gaining new insights? Currently, I have the impression that we are not particularly gifted in this ability. Even my own life experiences suggest that most people are simply dullards who lack the capacity for independent thought. 👎
Nathan Peterson11 said:Or maybe you actually do? Do you have any memory of a past life, dying, or whatever happens next? Probably not. But then again, some people claim they remember—and if reincarnation is even a thing, who knows? They also say a soul can linger on this earth for quite a while—especially if someone dies suddenly in an accident and hasn't processed it yet—before finally moving on to higher planes.
I can barely remember what I was doing when I was five years old, let alone something like that. First off, this whole idea is pure ego—we just assume our souls are too important to simply pass on, but that's not how it works. 😈
Look, I'll go as far as to say I've seen winged monkeys, but nobody—absolutely nobody—believes me.
Look, they’re just animals—wild creatures that can deliver a lethal bite. Half the time, we actually provoke them just by acting terrified, which triggers an attack. I once saw a professional alligator wrestler handle them easily; if you actually understand what you're up against, there's no reason to be afraid.
As for the fear of death? Personally, I figure being dead feels exactly like how it felt before you were even conceived—total nothingness. Why waste energy worrying about it? It's an inevitability for everyone. We might as well enjoy whatever life throws our way instead of living in fear. Besides, I won't be around to care when it happens, because I won't be there to experience it.
Look, what I’m trying to get at is that a lot of this stuff is just garbage—pure commercialism and absolute nonsense... But I can deal with it—I know the world doesn't revolve around me.
Yeah, I've definitely noticed that pattern with girls who just end up listening to whatever their boyfriend plays 😁
I had this one girlfriend—back when she was single, she was strictly into R&B. Then she started hanging out with this guy who lived for country music, and she slowly drifted that way. By the time I actually approached her, she’d already moved on to enjoying punk and punk rock!
I respect people's taste—period. Even if I haven't heard a specific genre or a particular track before, I'll give it a listen. Right now, my rotation is mostly punk and rock, but I can appreciate plenty of country and rap too. I know how to adapt. 😁
The only music I struggle to find anything decent in is stuff by Britney Spears or Jack Houdak... What's the term for that?
I usually lose my cool when things go this far off-topic, but this? This actually had me looking at the world from a completely different perspective. LOL
First off, I don't have a secondary account on this forum. Second—kudos to the only member here who actually gave a sane response to the topic. Third, I didn't come here to mess with you guys—well, maybe I did, but I'll save that for when I've settled in longer. And fourth—why the hell is everyone targeting me?!!