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Posts by steelridge58

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Welcome to the forum, Volver (Vivian)! in Philosophy ·
Look, before this thread gets buried so deep under the new posts that 🙂 I won't even be able to find it again to bump it up, I just wanted to say thank you once more to everyone for all the support you've shown me here, though what truly matters most to me is simply having you all here—not just because I hold a moderator role, but because you've treated me like a fellow member and a genuine friend, which honestly means the world to me.

🙂 Good luck to all of you out there dealing with me. 🙂
Welcome to the forum, Volver (Vivian)! in Philosophy ·
offtopic.
I really hope nobody noticed how this whole thread about getting older suddenly shot up to become the hottest topic over on the philosophy boards.

🙂

it's just...

thanks so much mistybison, Donna Campbell6, and Zack for all the smiles and the warm welcome! 🙂 🙂 🙂

rustymaker5, 🙂 thanks for that sharp eye of yours, and for the smiley—you caught me red-handed. 😉
Welcome to the forum, Volver (Vivian)! in Philosophy ·
A huge thank you to Harold James9 👍 for sharing this incredible Clapton's track. 🙂 🙂 .... I guess it’s just a thing for us old-school rockers....

🙂 🙂
Welcome to the forum, Volver (Vivian)! in Philosophy ·
Thanks, 🙂
I'll just keep this brief because, honestly, I think my fingers almost froze right there on the keyboard this morning when I realized that even swiftcobra15 could actually edit her posts. 🙂

Thank you so much. 🙂 For the photos, the emojis, the kind words, that gorgeous song from steelridge58... and most importantly, all those wonderful vibes. 🙂

Love you guys too.
🙂 🙂
Philosophical Question #6: How should we think? in Philosophy ·
How should we actually think?

Maybe the best approach is to steer clear of that whole idea of thinking "correctly," as if there were some arbitrary standard or checklist one could follow to satisfy a question like, "how should I be thinking?"
I mean, how should you love?
How should you listen to music?
Or how should you dream?
Those kinds of questions just don't make much sense when you really sit with them. But if we’re talking about a specific method—a disciplined way of processing things where the goal is to strip away the noise and get closer to the actual essence of what we're observing—then yes, I suppose there is a pursuit there. In that case, you really ought to strive to refine and polish your thoughts through constant mental effort, almost like you're trying to carve out a perfectly clear crystal of pure understanding.
Why are religious people filling up prisons? in Philosophy ·
You know, 🙂 I honestly have such a soft spot for those little little snippets you put in your titles, like when you write things like "Mary walks through the countryside..." and it’s just like this time. 🙂 It always makes me chuckle, and once I start laughing, all that heavy seriousness just evaporates, which actually makes it so much easier for me to see how being relaxed and lighthearted feels far more natural and beautiful than trying to carry around a heavy, serious attitude all the time. 🙂

But alright, let's get serious for a second...

swiftcobra15 said:If we take the title strictly, I wasn't being accurate. By "pious," I meant those who declare themselves believers.


That brings us to the question of how the church, or religion in general, relates to its members—whether they claim the faith or not, since, as you pointed out, you can't really measure someone's level of piety—and how that relates to the core values being championed, which ultimately leads to the question of the institution's relationship with itself.
Why are religious people filling up prisons? in Philosophy ·
adriatic, if we look at this through the lens of that other thread regarding how abortion legalization correlates with crime rates in the US, then maybe there isn't a direct link between being Catholic and the percentage of people behind bars; instead, what we might actually be seeing is a correlation between the neglect of unwanted children and the fact that certain religions—well, I assume most of them—prohibit abortion rights.

Now, if there really is a significant overlap between belonging to a specific religion and ending up behind bars, I don't think it has anything to do with actual piety, but rather its total absence—meaning religious affiliation is just purely performative, much like what Vergilius suggested (and by the way, 👋 a quick shout-out to Vergilius).

Or, looking at it a third way, if a religion’s concept of forgiveness is set up such that you can use it as an excuse to dodge personal accountability—as if someone else can forgive you for something that only you can truly reconcile within yourself—then it seems like the whole thing has been fundamentally misunderstood on a surface level.
Man as the measure of the immeasurable in Philosophy ·
fadedbison17 said:Just sleep on it, no rush 🙂
Good call (on starting a new thread), I'll think about it..

Go for it, then—once you've had a chance to chew on it and if you decide to go ahead, we can start putting together some real deep dives on this topic: 🙂

In order for consciousness to truly become aware of itself, it first has to be aware of something else entirely. It’s only after consciousness experiences something that it can achieve self-awareness through that very experience.
Without something—anything at all, any shred of reality—consciousness simply can't exist. Consciousness is fundamentally dependent on reality.

Which means consciousness is just one part of reality, rather than being outside of it.
And since consciousness is an integral part of reality, it follows that it must be objective, just like everything else within the fabric of our existence.
Man as the measure of the immeasurable in Philosophy ·
fadedbison17 said:It's not too long, but you definitely opened a massive can of worms here 🙂 Talking about the relationship between consciousness and reality—or if that even exists at all.

Generally speaking, there are two ways to look at it.
One is the subjective perspective, where consciousness is primary. This view suggests consciousness actually creates reality—or multiple realities—meaning nobody can ever know anything for certain.
Personally, I don't buy that. I lean toward the second one—the objective perspective—where reality is primary. It basically says reality is everything that exists, and humans just use consciousness to perceive it.

That "I" you mentioned is consciousness—the thing doing the observing. Consciousness looks outward (trees, rocks, other people...) and inward (fleeting feelings, memories, a pain in your leg, etc.).

Consciousness isn't separate from reality (everything that exists); it doesn't exist on its own. For consciousness to be aware of itself, it first has to be aware of *something*. And by "something," I mean anything—a cigarette, letters on a screen, a thought, a slight feeling of pleasure, heat in your body... Only after consciousness perceives something can it become aware of itself through that experience.
Without something (without reality), there is no consciousness. Consciousness relies on reality.

So, consciousness is a part of reality, not outside of it.
Since consciousness is part of reality, it's just like everything else in the universe—it's objective.

From what I've seen, most people dodge an objective perspective just because they're scared of losing their "humanity." But honestly? It's the exact opposite—embracing that objectivity actually helps you grasp reality better, which leads to a deeper understanding of consciousness and its quirks... and that naturally leads to much better mental health.

I can't really give you a proper answer right this second because I need to wrap my head around all of this, and honestly, it’s a lot to process. 🙂 even if I wanted to,

Anyway, if you want to dive deeper, maybe start a new thread about the relationship between consciousness and reality so we don't clutter up this specific discussion. Plus, I still owe you an answer regarding those apples we talked about.

🙂 So yeah, let me know if you want to go there.
Man as the measure of the immeasurable in Philosophy ·
fadedbison17 said:So, let me see if I'm following you—it sounds like a person can't really be an object because they're conscious? And consciousness is just one of those things that makes a human (as an object within reality) what it is.

Just to dive a bit deeper into the logic here so I'm clear on my use of the word object. From here on out, I’m gonna use the term entity. Basically, anything that exists in reality exists as *something*—something specifically defined. Anything at all is an entity. An entity has an identity (meaning it has specific traits; think Aristotelian law of identity: A is A).
For instance:
An apple is red, round, and smooth.
A human breathes, bleeds if cut, possesses consciousness, and has cognitive abilities.
Both examples describe the identity of an entity.

A person acts as a subject of perception during introspection—you know, when they're looking inward, feeling stuff, thinking, imagining, remembering, etc.
Even then, the person is still aware of objective reality; their inner world is just a characteristic of their consciousness. Being conscious is part of being human, and humans are part of reality. The fact that we can look inward doesn't negate reality—if anything, reality "allows" for that introspection to happen.

There isn't any other way for a person to be conscious besides through their own consciousness.
Might also be worth noting that humans make mistakes and aren't all-knowing—those are just more characteristics of our consciousness too...

Fair enough. So, I did a little digging through some texts I found, and here is what I came across:

Human consciousness seems to involve two conflicting concepts: the "I" as a subject and the "I" as an object. The subjective "I" is the pure form, which stands in contrast to the objective "I"—that material element—and together, they form a single being.

What I was trying to point out to you earlier wasn't that the person isn't an object because they observe, but rather that the very act of observing is something that flows directly from the subject. Basically, when a person perceives objective reality as something distinct from themselves—something they are constantly interacting with—they aren't just an object; they are the subject doing the perceiving and understanding of that world. Objects essentially serve as the bridge for our perception.

And honestly, you can't really split the real world into "objective" and "subjective" pieces without ignoring how everything is so deeply interconnected and tangled together into one single, unified field. That field is what makes up the world, and it's also the space where I exist.

But if I'm reading you right, the core logic behind why you view a human as an object within objective reality seems to be this: since you start with the idea that all of reality is objective, it follows logically for you that humans must also be objects as part of that larger whole.

On that note, I thought you might find this interesting ( regarding the concept of the embodied being ):

I am not this body, nor am I merely a human being or a persona; instead, it is through this body, as a human being, that I exist in a world alongside other "I's."

The human "I," through their physical body, exists in a world where self-actualization is only possible alongside other "I's" who exist in much the same way through their own bodies.

This "I" would be the pure subject. Consciousness of this self is always present, accompanying every single act of will and every moment of realization.

p.s. I didn't address your other points because I feel like I've already rambled on for far too long.
Man as the measure of the immeasurable in Philosophy ·
I honestly don't know if I should be laughing at myself or just feeling a little embarrassed because I always seem to find myself overthinking these things until my head starts spinning, but I really wanted to jump in here and share what's been on my mind lately regarding this whole situation. It feels like we’re all just trying to navigate this massive, complicated landscape without a map, and sometimes I feel like I'm stumbling around in the dark while everyone else seems to have found their footing, though that might just be my own clumsy perception talking. Anyway, I've been thinking about how much effort we put into these discussions and whether we're actually getting anywhere or if we're just circling the same drain, but even if we are, there's something strangely comforting about knowing we're all in this together, even when it feels completely overwhelming. kaže:
I’ve always felt that we aren't just some isolated observers floating through life, because when you really stop to think about it, a person is actually an integral part of objective reality itself—meaning that the moment you start perceiving the world around you, you cease being a mere subject and effectively become an object within that very reality.

fadedbison17, am I totally off base if I suggest that an object only becomes a subject at the exact moment it begins to perceive reality? It feels to me like that’s the whole point—that by using all those cognitive faculties that define its very existence, it transcends being just a mere thing or a simple occurrence; without the capacity to actually sense and feel, it would just be nothing more than a hollow presence in the world.

I honestly don't know why I even bother bringing these things up sometimes, because it feels like I'm just shouting into a void, but I really think we need to sit down and actually talk about how much everything is changing around us. It’s one of those things where you look back at how simple things used to be—and I mean truly, genuinely simple—and then you look at the chaos of today and realize how quickly the ground has shifted under our feet. I might be overthinking this, or maybe I'm just being overly dramatic, but there's a real sense that we're losing that core connection to what actually matters, and it honestly breaks my heart a little bit to see it happening in real-time. kaže:
Our cognitive abilities are really just the defining traits of being a human being existing as an object within the actual, physical reality of our world.

That’s actually exactly why I don’t look at him as some kind of object.
Man as the measure of the immeasurable in Philosophy ·
Lawrence Robinson5 said:If you're looking to dive deep into the whole debate over objectivity versus subjectivity, you really ought to check out my previous post about the future, the past, and the present... I think you'll find it pretty gripping. Honestly, it slipped my mind for a second just how much I poured into that one...
As for all those nitty-gritty details, I'm gonna tackle them here either later today or whenever the mood strikes me...😁

When it comes down to the whole debate over what is objective and what is subjective—and I really hope this fits within the scope of this discussion—I honestly find myself wondering how any piece of knowledge can truly be considered objective when it’s fundamentally born from a perspective that is inherently subjective (I know, I know, I've used the word "always" far too many times in this post 🙂), because, at its core, all perception emerges from the immeasurable field of the individual subject.

What I’m wrestling with now, looking at things from this angle, is this:

The realm of the objective is inextricably linked to the subject. Or rather, it's the limit of what a subject can actually reach, based on how much they are intellectually and intuitively capable of grasping the complex fabric of an objectively subjective reality. Since we are dealing with something immeasurable, the human being—the subject—will always serve as the yardstick for that reality, simply because we can't measure or perceive it from any vantage point outside of ourselves.

On the flip side, I tend to believe that objective reality (though one has to wonder what that actually looks like?) exists independently of us as subjects; in other words, that when a person dissolves—through death—they become part of that objective reality and merge with it.
After all, if we weren't set apart and placed in relation to the world—even if I'm just using these spatial metaphors to try and make sense of my thoughts—how else could we possibly perceive and witness the world while simultaneously discovering our own place within it?

But then again, what does any of this actually mean?

p.s. regarding that quantum physics stuff you bring up so often in your posts—which I'm actually pretty interested in myself—and what you wrote in that thread about time, I might have a question for you, but let me chew on it for a bit until I figure out how to phrase it properly...
Man as the measure of the immeasurable in Philosophy ·
Lawrence Robinson5 said:a few questions for everyone here:

I’ve been thinking lately—when did we collectively decide that being human, just as we are, isn't quite enough to grasp the truth? When did we decide our own minds aren't sufficient, that our feelings don't count, or that our physical senses are basically useless? Since when did perception become something we can't trust?

Think about it: everything we actually know comes through those exact things—our subjective, raw experiences. Every single insight we possess is thanks to individual breakthroughs, which are, by their very nature, subjective.
A crowd can't really birth an idea from scratch—but man, they sure can corrupt one if they feel like it. 😁
The machines we use to measure outcomes? Those are just physical manifestations of human ideas—products of an individual's mind and hands.
And even the conclusions we draw about "objective reality"? Those are brought to us by—you guessed it—(only) the human mind.

So why all this intense skepticism toward subjective impressions? Why do we give more weight to some machine's reading than to our own eyes and ears? Is it just because it's considered an "impression"? But that impression exists—it's just as real as anything else out there.

When did every single person on this planet ever agree that something is 100% objectively, undeniably real?

And honestly, why do you need—if you even do, though I think we all feel that itch sometimes—validation that you have a right to your views? It shouldn't matter, right? Because at the end of the day, you live by your own conclusions, your own convictions, your own willpower, your own grind, and your own strength—regardless of what anyone else tells you.

Do you actually live out what you write about?

Do you truly believe that what you put down on paper changes the reality of the people reading it? Is it a yes, a no, or maybe just sometimes? And if it's the latter, under what specific circumstances does that happen?

Does what you read change *your* reality? Do you feel threatened or even a little bit shaken when you stumble upon a solid argument that totally dismantles your own stance? Do you ever find yourself feeling afraid for your own identity?

And once you've chewed on all that, answer this too:

Is there any concept of reality in history that wasn't championed by someone who struggled to find "solid proof"? And is there a single one that hasn't been torn down, or at least challenged by a counter-argument, up to this point?

What's even the point of chasing the objective, when the only thing we ever truly achieve at the end of the search is a subjective internal shift? Or maybe... maybe that's exactly the whole point. 😉

I'm genuinely curious to hear what you guys think...

I'm right there with you on that one.

Lawrence Robinson5 said:a few questions for everyone here:

I’ve been thinking lately—when did we collectively decide that being human, just as we are, isn't quite enough to grasp the truth? When did we decide our own minds aren't sufficient, that our feelings don't count, or that our physical senses are basically useless? Since when did perception become something we can't trust?

Think about it: everything we actually know comes through those exact things—our subjective, raw experiences. Every single insight we possess is thanks to individual breakthroughs, which are, by their very nature, subjective.
A crowd can't really birth an idea from scratch—but man, they sure can corrupt one if they feel like it. 😁
The machines we use to measure outcomes? Those are just physical manifestations of human ideas—products of an individual's mind and hands.
And even the conclusions we draw about "objective reality"? Those are brought to us by—you guessed it—(only) the human mind.

So why all this intense skepticism toward subjective impressions? Why do we give more weight to some machine's reading than to our own eyes and ears? Is it just because it's considered an "impression"? But that impression exists—it's just as real as anything else out there.

When did every single person on this planet ever agree that something is 100% objectively, undeniably real?

And honestly, why do you need—if you even do, though I think we all feel that itch sometimes—validation that you have a right to your views? It shouldn't matter, right? Because at the end of the day, you live by your own conclusions, your own convictions, your own willpower, your own grind, and your own strength—regardless of what anyone else tells you.

Do you actually live out what you write about?

Do you truly believe that what you put down on paper changes the reality of the people reading it? Is it a yes, a no, or maybe just sometimes? And if it's the latter, under what specific circumstances does that happen?

Does what you read change *your* reality? Do you feel threatened or even a little bit shaken when you stumble upon a solid argument that totally dismantles your own stance? Do you ever find yourself feeling afraid for your own identity?

And once you've chewed on all that, answer this too:

Is there any concept of reality in history that wasn't championed by someone who struggled to find "solid proof"? And is there a single one that hasn't been torn down, or at least challenged by a counter-argument, up to this point?

What's even the point of chasing the objective, when the only thing we ever truly achieve at the end of the search is a subjective internal shift? Or maybe... maybe that's exactly the whole point. 😉

I'm genuinely curious to hear what you guys think...

It’s honestly more than just a grain of salt; it’s the whole damn seasoning of life itself. 🙂 When it comes to actually making an impact on the lives of those who sit down and read this stuff, I honestly couldn't ask for anything more.

Lawrence Robinson5 said:a few questions for everyone here:

I’ve been thinking lately—when did we collectively decide that being human, just as we are, isn't quite enough to grasp the truth? When did we decide our own minds aren't sufficient, that our feelings don't count, or that our physical senses are basically useless? Since when did perception become something we can't trust?

Think about it: everything we actually know comes through those exact things—our subjective, raw experiences. Every single insight we possess is thanks to individual breakthroughs, which are, by their very nature, subjective.
A crowd can't really birth an idea from scratch—but man, they sure can corrupt one if they feel like it. 😁
The machines we use to measure outcomes? Those are just physical manifestations of human ideas—products of an individual's mind and hands.
And even the conclusions we draw about "objective reality"? Those are brought to us by—you guessed it—(only) the human mind.

So why all this intense skepticism toward subjective impressions? Why do we give more weight to some machine's reading than to our own eyes and ears? Is it just because it's considered an "impression"? But that impression exists—it's just as real as anything else out there.

When did every single person on this planet ever agree that something is 100% objectively, undeniably real?

And honestly, why do you need—if you even do, though I think we all feel that itch sometimes—validation that you have a right to your views? It shouldn't matter, right? Because at the end of the day, you live by your own conclusions, your own convictions, your own willpower, your own grind, and your own strength—regardless of what anyone else tells you.

Do you actually live out what you write about?

Do you truly believe that what you put down on paper changes the reality of the people reading it? Is it a yes, a no, or maybe just sometimes? And if it's the latter, under what specific circumstances does that happen?

Does what you read change *your* reality? Do you feel threatened or even a little bit shaken when you stumble upon a solid argument that totally dismantles your own stance? Do you ever find yourself feeling afraid for your own identity?

And once you've chewed on all that, answer this too:

Is there any concept of reality in history that wasn't championed by someone who struggled to find "solid proof"? And is there a single one that hasn't been torn down, or at least challenged by a counter-argument, up to this point?

What's even the point of chasing the objective, when the only thing we ever truly achieve at the end of the search is a subjective internal shift? Or maybe... maybe that's exactly the whole point. 😉

I'm genuinely curious to hear what you guys think...

It changes things just enough to help me wrap my head around the concept, though I suppose it mostly just ends up opening up a whole new set of questions for me to wrestle with.

Honestly, I don't really see why anyone would feel threatened by a strong argument, because if I’m actually looking at something as a valid point that challenges my current way of thinking, then it’s essentially reshaping my own perspective, so there's no reason to feel like it's an attack. If it truly felt like a threat to me personally, then it wouldn't be a good argument worth considering in the first place—at least, that's how I make sense of it.

What even is this whole idea of having a "personal identity" anyway? I find myself sitting here, staring at the wall and wondering if there’s actually a core version of me somewhere underneath all these layers of habits and social expectations, or if we’re all just a collection of things we’ve picked up from the people around us. It feels like such a heavy, daunting concept to wrap my head around, especially when you realize how much of who you think you are might just be a reaction to the world, but I can't help but feel like there has to be something more substantial than that, something real and unchanging buried deep down inside. 🙄 I find myself constantly terrified of everything that feels like "too much"—all those extra layers and mental clutter that I end up generating myself, only to have them pile up until my vision gets completely clouded. I’m always fighting against this overwhelming excess, trying to strip away the noise, yet somehow I always fail because I just end up taking whatever is left over and twisting it into yet another unnecessary burden.

And once you've finally managed to address all of that, I'd really appreciate it if you could take a look at this too:
Is there actually a single concept of reality that hasn't been met with some demand for "undeniable proof" from the people championing it, and honestly, is there even one idea left standing that hasn't been torn down or at least aggressively challenged by a counter-argument?

I honestly don't know, there probably isn't one, though I suppose if there were, at least it wouldn't be under constant dispute.

What’s even the point of chasing after some grand, objective truth when, at the end of the day, the only thing we actually walk away with is a shift in our own subjective perspective? Or maybe—and I might be overthinking this one—maybe that’s actually the whole damn point of the search in the first place? 😉

Maybe it’s just that she never actually reaches an end, and honestly, as long as we keep searching—really digging for that objective truth while simultaneously chasing our own subjective feelings by diving headfirst into life—we’re just constantly pushing our own horizon further out, always reaching for just a little bit more.
Life is a trip—or just a total death trap! in Philosophy ·
Harold Adams5 said:Lovely 🙂steelridge58
I was at an exhibition in Vienna (over at Kusthale) recently
titled "long live death""
It featured contemporary artists from Latin America
exploring the concept of mortality through some pretty fascinating pieces.
In that part of the world, the cult of death is matched by an equally intense passion for living.

Yeah, that’s exactly how Latin Americans operate.

It’s like this constant, swirling dance where life and death are all tangled up together, almost like some kind of magic or alchemy that just explodes with energy, creating this space where both existence and passing away have finally made peace with their own fates. 🙂 Passion acts as a challenge to both sides of the coin, leaving them feeling completely helpless, yet somehow incredibly powerful when they exist as one.
Life is a trip—or just a total death trap! in Philosophy ·
bluebison70 said:Do you even realize what long live death actually implies? It’s not about long live death, it’s more like long live life...

Think of them as two wild lovers, Life and Death, basically kids playing at being adults. Every time they cross paths, Life raises a glass to Death with a "long live death," and they clink their glasses together. And then she responds with a "long live life!" It just goes on and on like that, an endless cycle where neither can ever truly get enough of the other. Honestly, it’s like they’re tethered together by some invisible force; they can never truly walk away from one another.
The books you never got around to reading in Philosophy ·
Every book has a set number of pages and every language has a finite number of words. Will all possible books ever be written, and will there come a day when it becomes impossible to write a single new one?

There’s an old song that starts off by saying life itself writes the novels...

so, if you ask me, it’s just impossible for every book to ever be finished or for us to hit a wall where nothing new can be created, because even if the words stay the same, everything feels brand new to every new pair of eyes that reads it.

So—is it possible to exhaust every single topic (if that's even how you'd put it)?

I mean, could we really run dry on just one subject, like love, let alone every topic under the sun?

Anyway, I stumbled upon this fantastic article based on a lecture by Umberto Eco that dives right into this exact dilemma. From the Internet to Johannes Gutenberg.

Here are a few quick snippets from it:

"Let's move toward a freer society where free creativity coexists with the interpretation of texts. I like that. But we shouldn't claim we've simply replaced the old with the new. Thank God, we have both."

Because...

"In the history of culture, it has never happened that one thing simply kills another; rather, one thing profoundly transforms another."
mistybison said:That might have been true in a different historical era. In the past, a woman who lost her virginity before marriage was often labeled "dishonored." Losing one's innocence was synonymous with losing one's honor. Such an act would essentially "shame" her, ruining her chances of marriage, and at best, she might be sent to a convent. From those ancient perspectives, rape was tantamount to death; in fact, death was often seen as a better option than being assaulted. It is quite easy to imagine women begging their attackers to kill them instead, or even preferring death over the trauma. Death would "preserve her honor," whereas assault left her with nothing but a "life of shame."
Today, making such a statement feels absurd because we live in a completely different age. Sex is no longer a taboo tied to "female honor." Of course, we are still far from being entirely free from those outdated mindsets, which is why victims of assault may still feel "shamed," as if the attacker "took" something from them—even though it is simply a matter of violence, whether that takes the form of sexual assault or physical battery. They are fundamentally the same thing.
Furthermore, debating whether a victim fought back or surrendered is a modern mistake. Most women would certainly attempt to defend themselves, and if they realized resistance was futile, they might submit simply to save their lives. There is no basis for moralizing about that choice.
As for the priest, I don't believe he intended anything malicious. He likely meant to offer some comfort to the parents of the deceased girl to ease their grief. While his wording was clumsy and open to interpretation, I doubt there was any deeper, darker message behind his statement.

From the book "The Vagina Monologues" by Eve Ensler

My vagina was once these lush, dew-covered, soft pink fields, filled with the lowing of cows and the gentle sensation of a soft straw held in my maiden hands. /Something exists between my legs. I don't know what it is. And I don't know where it is: I don't touch it. Not now. Not anymore. Not after that. /My vagina was vibrant, talkative, impatient, so incredibly chatty and it just wouldn't stop talking, oh yes, oh yes. /But not since I've been dreaming that it’s a dead animal, stitched shut down there with thick black thread. And that heavy, sickening stench of a carcass just won't wash away. Its throat has been slit, and the blood bleeding out from it seeps through all my summer dresses. /My vagina sings all the songs of girlhood, the sound of goat bells spreading out, all those wanton autumn songs, the songs of the vagina. /But not anymore, not since those soldiers shoved a long, thick rifle inside me. That cold, metallic rod froze my very heart. I couldn't tell if they wanted to fire it or just use it to tear me apart. Six of them, these monstrous doctors wearing black masks over their faces, shoved things into me along with bottles. Various rods. A broomstick handle. /My vagina. My beautiful, wet village. They attacked it, conquered it, destroyed it, burned it to the ground. Down there, I don't touch myself anymore. I don't go there. Now I am somewhere else entirely. I don't even know where. (My vagina, my beautiful village).

Do you still feel the same way about the bolded part above?
Doing good for the sake of it in Philosophy ·
Amy Cook71 said:Love fits right in here, doesn't it? Just perfectly.[/I]

Love is the driver, the motivation, and ultimately the reward. I wanted to hear that from someone else—to see those words typed out by another person's hands. It just feels more genuine that way. 🙂

👍
Sure, but I wouldn't go so far as to call the pursuit of 1) and 2) "love." It's more like...
Striving. 🙂 I’d call that striving toward the third option nothing less than love.

I fear that when people fall in love, they often stumble right into that trap mentioned in Hegel’s second point. It feels like a lack of balance. However, in deep friendship—or in the bond between a parent and a child—that conflict seems to vanish. In those cases, we tend to weigh the needs of those we love just as heavily as our own. Even when our interests clash, we usually try to find a middle ground that hurts the least.

If multiple people happen to fall for the same individual, then logically, that person ought to be someone of genuine substance. It’s a matter of basic interest. For instance, if I find myself enamored with a woman who happens to be in a happy, fulfilling relationship with someone else, I shouldn't be miserable about it. Instead, I should feel a sense of satisfaction knowing she is making choices that she believes are best for her own life. If what we call "love" doesn't include the element found in point 2 of that Hegelian Quote, then in my view, it isn't actually love at all.

I’ll double down on that point. I probably wasn't clear enough when I brought it up before.
"Look for ways to justify what benefits the community by pointing to the good of the individual, and conversely, justify what serves the individual by claiming it serves the greater good..."
My intention was simple: to weigh the collective against the individual, all from the perspective of a single person who actually takes responsibility for their own actions and strives to improve them.

Take, for example, an instance where someone evaluates their own conduct through the lens of both personal interest and the greater good.

There’s this high schooler out there—someone like me, I suppose—who actually gets a kick out of grinding through math and logic. He genuinely enjoys the mental friction, that feeling of sharpening his intellect against a tough problem. But let's be honest: he's lazy. Getting himself to actually sit down and focus is an uphill battle every single time. Yet, once he finally forces the issue? It clicks. He finds a certain rhythm in the reasoning, a sense of satisfaction in the discovery. He knows, deep down, that this discipline is good for him. Looking at the landscape of the American economy, he sees a glaring shortage of engineers and mathematicians. He realizes that by mastering these fields, he isn't just helping himself—he's doing something useful for the country.
It’s also clear that many people struggle to grasp the situation, which only confirms why it’s actually in their best interest to...
Can someone please break down the prefixes for me? I need a clear, entertaining explanation. Also, let’s try to keep things upbeat—I’m trying to make my parents proud here.
His successes in math and logic serve as more than just accolades; they’re the fuel driving him to push even further.

When you look at it that way, a person actually finds more reasons to adjust their behavior. It leads to a much stronger sense of duty—both to oneself and to the common good.

Lawrence Robinson5 As stated by:
Your logical addition is on the right track... but it’s walking straight into a trap. Sometimes, doing what is absolutely necessary for my own sake ends up hurting the people I love most. And sometimes, that necessity isn't driven by malice or selfishness—it's just a fundamental requirement for survival. It’s a personal necessity that, quite frankly, hurts me just as much as anyone else.
So, how could this possibly be a win for me? Well—it works, provided we aren't being shortsighted. Sometimes, making the right call for the long haul requires paying a painful price upfront. And if the decision is truly sound, that cost ends up looking laughably small in hindsight.

I don't buy the idea that my ultimate happiness has to be built on the suffering of someone I love. It just doesn't sit right with me.
But then again, I'm just a fool anyway. 😁 It’s a mistake to discuss these topics in such broad, sweeping generalities. It’s much more compelling to observe how lofty, high-minded ideas actually behave when they're squeezed by the messy realities of a specific case. If you have a solid example that illustrates what you wrote, I'd be interested in reading it.

There’s no such thing as "better" or "worse" here. It’s all relative. The only real question worth asking is which good is more vital—which one takes precedence? Or, more bluntly, which good are we willing to sacrifice when they inevitably clash?
Better, more important, primary, high priority, justified, valuable... When you're dealing with questions like this, it all feels like semantic hair-splitting to me.

It could be either.
If we’re strictly looking at the logical structure of the question, then yes—in an inclusive disjunction, they can.
But when you look at what's actually being said, the first part ("exclude") inherently negates the second, making it impossible for both to be true at once.😛 🙂

P.S. This thread is heading down a dead end if we keep chasing these vague generalities.
My goal here is to find answers within the constraints of everyday life—to figure out how an individual can reach an optimal balance with the greater good.

🙂
If multiple people happen to fall for the same individual, then logically, that person ought to be someone of genuine substance. It’s a matter of basic interest. For instance, if I find myself enamored with a woman who happens to be in a happy, fulfilling relationship with someone else, I shouldn't be miserable about it. Instead, I should feel a sense of satisfaction knowing she is making choices that she believes are best for her own life. If what we call "love" doesn't include the element found in point 2 of that Hegelian Quote, then in my view, it isn't actually love at all.

I’ll double down on that point. I probably wasn't clear enough when I brought it up before.
"Look for ways to justify what benefits the community by pointing to the good of the individual, and conversely, justify what serves the individual by claiming it serves the greater good..."
My intention was simple: to weigh the collective against the individual, all from the perspective of a single person who actually takes responsibility for their own actions and strives to improve them.

Take, for example, an instance where someone evaluates their own conduct through the lens of both personal interest and the greater good.

There’s this high schooler out there—someone like me, I suppose—who actually gets a kick out of grinding through math and logic. He genuinely enjoys the mental friction, that feeling of sharpening his intellect against a tough problem. But let's be honest: he's lazy. Getting himself to actually sit down and focus is an uphill battle every single time. Yet, once he finally forces the issue? It clicks. He finds a certain rhythm in the reasoning, a sense of satisfaction in the discovery. He knows, deep down, that this discipline is good for him. Looking at the landscape of the American economy, he sees a glaring shortage of engineers and mathematicians. He realizes that by mastering these fields, he isn't just helping himself—he's doing something useful for the country.
It’s also clear that many people struggle to grasp the situation, which only confirms why it’s actually in their best interest to...
Can someone please break down the prefixes for me? I need a clear, entertaining explanation. Also, let’s try to keep things upbeat—I’m trying to make my parents proud here.
His successes in math and logic serve as more than just accolades; they’re the fuel driving him to push even further.

When you look at it that way, a person actually finds more reasons to adjust their behavior. It leads to a much stronger sense of duty—both to oneself and to the common good.

Lawrence Robinson5 As stated by:
Your logical addition is on the right track... but it’s walking straight into a trap. Sometimes, doing what is absolutely necessary for my own sake ends up hurting the people I love most. And sometimes, that necessity isn't driven by malice or selfishness—it's just a fundamental requirement for survival. It’s a personal necessity that, quite frankly, hurts me just as much as anyone else.
So, how could this possibly be a win for me? Well—it works, provided we aren't being shortsighted. Sometimes, making the right call for the long haul requires paying a painful price upfront. And if the decision is truly sound, that cost ends up looking laughably small in hindsight.

I don't buy the idea that my ultimate happiness has to be built on the suffering of someone I love. It just doesn't sit right with me.
But then again, I'm just a fool anyway. 😁 It’s a mistake to discuss these topics in such broad, sweeping generalities. It’s much more compelling to observe how lofty, high-minded ideas actually behave when they're squeezed by the messy realities of a specific case. If you have a solid example that illustrates what you wrote, I'd be interested in reading it.

There’s no such thing as "better" or "worse" here. It’s all relative. The only real question worth asking is which good is more vital—which one takes precedence? Or, more bluntly, which good are we willing to sacrifice when they inevitably clash?
Better, more important, primary, high priority, justified, valuable... When you're dealing with questions like this, it all feels like semantic hair-splitting to me.

It could be either.
If we’re strictly looking at the logical structure of the question, then yes—in an inclusive disjunction, they can.
But when you look at what's actually being said, the first part ("exclude") inherently negates the second, making it impossible for both to be true at once.😛 🙂

P.S. This thread is heading down a dead end if we keep chasing these vague generalities.
My goal here is to find answers within the constraints of everyday life—to figure out how an individual can reach an optimal balance with the greater good.

🙂
If multiple people happen to fall for the same individual, then logically, that person ought to be someone of genuine substance. It’s a matter of basic interest. For instance, if I find myself enamored with a woman who happens to be in a happy, fulfilling relationship with someone else, I shouldn't be miserable about it. Instead, I should feel a sense of satisfaction knowing she is making choices that she believes are best for her own life. If what we call "love" doesn't include the element found in point 2 of that Hegelian Quote, then in my view, it isn't actually love at all.

I’ll double down on that point. I probably wasn't clear enough when I brought it up before.
"Look for ways to justify what benefits the community by pointing to the good of the individual, and conversely, justify what serves the individual by claiming it serves the greater good..."
My intention was simple: to weigh the collective against the individual, all from the perspective of a single person who actually takes responsibility for their own actions and strives to improve them.

Take, for example, an instance where someone evaluates their own conduct through the lens of both personal interest and the greater good.

There’s this high schooler out there—someone like me, I suppose—who actually gets a kick out of grinding through math and logic. He genuinely enjoys the mental friction, that feeling of sharpening his intellect against a tough problem. But let's be honest: he's lazy. Getting himself to actually sit down and focus is an uphill battle every single time. Yet, once he finally forces the issue? It clicks. He finds a certain rhythm in the reasoning, a sense of satisfaction in the discovery. He knows, deep down, that this discipline is good for him. Looking at the landscape of the American economy, he sees a glaring shortage of engineers and mathematicians. He realizes that by mastering these fields, he isn't just helping himself—he's doing something useful for the country.
It’s also clear that many people struggle to grasp the situation, which only confirms why it’s actually in their best interest to...
Can someone please break down the prefixes for me? I need a clear, entertaining explanation. Also, let’s try to keep things upbeat—I’m trying to make my parents proud here.
His successes in math and logic serve as more than just accolades; they’re the fuel driving him to push even further.

When you look at it that way, a person actually finds more reasons to adjust their behavior. It leads to a much stronger sense of duty—both to oneself and to the common good.

Lawrence Robinson5 As stated by:
Your logical addition is on the right track... but it’s walking straight into a trap. Sometimes, doing what is absolutely necessary for my own sake ends up hurting the people I love most. And sometimes, that necessity isn't driven by malice or selfishness—it's just a fundamental requirement for survival. It’s a personal necessity that, quite frankly, hurts me just as much as anyone else.
So, how could this possibly be a win for me? Well—it works, provided we aren't being shortsighted. Sometimes, making the right call for the long haul requires paying a painful price upfront. And if the decision is truly sound, that cost ends up looking laughably small in hindsight.

I don't buy the idea that my ultimate happiness has to be built on the suffering of someone I love. It just doesn't sit right with me.
But then again, I'm just a fool anyway. 😁 It’s a mistake to discuss these topics in such broad, sweeping generalities. It’s much more compelling to observe how lofty, high-minded ideas actually behave when they're squeezed by the messy realities of a specific case. If you have a solid example that illustrates what you wrote, I'd be interested in reading it.

There’s no such thing as "better" or "worse" here. It’s all relative. The only real question worth asking is which good is more vital—which one takes precedence? Or, more bluntly, which good are we willing to sacrifice when they inevitably clash?
Better, more important, primary, high priority, justified, valuable... When you're dealing with questions like this, it all feels like semantic hair-splitting to me.

It could be either.
If we’re strictly looking at the logical structure of the question, then yes—in an inclusive disjunction, they can.
But when you look at what's actually being said, the first part ("exclude") inherently negates the second, making it impossible for both to be true at once.😛 🙂

P.S. This thread is heading down a dead end if we keep chasing these vague generalities.
My goal here is to find answers within the constraints of everyday life—to figure out how an individual can reach an optimal balance with the greater good.

🙂
The thing is, every time someone references a specific number from a Quote, I find myself having to dig through old posts just to find where those points were originally listed—scrolling back and forth through 1, 2, and 3—just so I can wrap my head around what you're actually talking about.

It would be a huge help if we could make this a little more straightforward... 🙂
Nothing left to hope for in Philosophy ·
bluetiger13 said:I honestly took this quote as being pretty ironic.

She spends her whole life just patiently waiting in solitude—and the payoff? She's still alone.
The quote comes from the novel *The Crucible*, where you follow this woman in her mid-twenties—she’s beautiful, finishing up a PhD in literature—but she just can't catch a break in her love life (like, at all), even though she’s always dreamed of it. Most of the book she's a virgin, then there's this one brief encounter that leads to a child, but after that... nothing, really, until the end of her life.

It's an incredible book, highly recommend.

Though, if we're being real, sometimes you just can't survive without a little hope.

There's also that beautiful song "Hope" by Gabby Novak—it's about that specific kind of hope that grows out of a quiet sense of happiness and that feeling of endless possibilities life occasionally throws your way.

So, context really is everything, 🙂 though I suppose that sentence could totally work on its own too; it's just that the meaning shifts a little bit when you aren't reading the full novel and knowing the actual story behind it.

Regarding Gabby and her poem (that bit about the soft light and the mountain cabin)... 🙂yeah, it's exactly as you described it.
Nothing left to hope for in Philosophy ·
So, that Quincy you shared from Margaret Drabble above is honestly just beautiful.

I don't think it’s really about sitting around waiting for things to get better, but more about those stretches of time where you’re just alone with yourself, which is something we all need deep down every once in a while.