Philosophical Question #6: How should we think?

You’ve just gotta be on an ego trip sometimes

Timothy Kern11 said:I’m voting for @nobody and nothing because of those truths that are indisputable yet limiting. ( bolded text ).
Sure, you can sprint sometimes, spending more time with both feet off the ground. But even then, you can't run without hitting the pavement every once in a while.

.. and honestly, that bolded part is my favorite thing here .. out of everything written .. mostly because he lifted it word-for-word from Alim ..
(.. though he managed to mess up pretty much everything else .. that one quote is his only saving grace .. you know .. that classic, overused metaphor of Alim's .. isn't it ..
.. just brilliant .. right ..?)

Jerry Green59 said:.. and honestly, that bolded part is my favorite thing here .. out of everything written .. mostly because he lifted it word-for-word from Alim ..
(.. though he managed to mess up pretty much everything else .. that one quote is his only saving grace .. you know .. that classic, overused metaphor of Alim's .. isn't it ..
.. just brilliant .. right ..?)

Is this😁

Alim said:.. every single new step feels like a fresh stride ..
1 .. you balance on one leg at your current spot .. essentially .. since you need that one leg to hold your entire body weight so the other can move ..
2 .. that free leg needs to find solid ground to land on .. and that ground has to be steady .. firm enough to support you ..
3 .. once you've got a grip, you pull your first leg forward to meet you at the new spot.

.. well .. yeah ..
.. though he did go over it several times .. there were some shorter versions too ..

Lately, I’ve noticed that steps and lunges have become incredibly popular 😁

.. I wouldn't go that far..
.. it’s just one of those old Alim's tropes..
.. he used to repeat it constantly because it works.. and, well.. because it's his signature style..

.. but.. if it’s gaining traction—if people are actually quoting him or paraphrasing his points for competitive strategy.. then that’s a win..
.. there’s nothing wrong with good advice becoming mainstream..
(.. though, let's be honest.. it's a problem if it becomes popular without anyone actually grasping the substance behind it..)

Just like my neighbor 😉

Jerry Green59 said:.. I wouldn't go that far..
.. it’s just one of those old Alim's tropes..
.. he used to repeat it constantly because it works.. and, well.. because it's his signature style..

.. but.. if it’s gaining traction—if people are actually quoting him or paraphrasing his points for competitive strategy.. then that’s a win..
.. there’s nothing wrong with good advice becoming mainstream..
(.. though, let's be honest.. it's a problem if it becomes popular without anyone actually grasping the substance behind it..)

This is a narrow-minded way of looking at things... thoughts don't just arrive by accident—they come because there is a mechanism to summon them. That’s why none of this is some clumsy improvisation, nor is it strictly yours or mine; metaphors aren't some new invention, either... and as for saying something has been happening "for years"... well, that’s a relatively recent concept...

Jerry Green59 said:.. I wouldn't go that far..
.. it’s just one of those old Alim's tropes..
.. he used to repeat it constantly because it works.. and, well.. because it's his signature style..

.. but.. if it’s gaining traction—if people are actually quoting him or paraphrasing his points for competitive strategy.. then that’s a win..
.. there’s nothing wrong with good advice becoming mainstream..
(.. though, let's be honest.. it's a problem if it becomes popular without anyone actually grasping the substance behind it..)

I don't really follow Alima, but I have read Weizsecker—I actually picked up that metaphor from him (and honestly, it's at least fifty years old by now). Who he originally lifted it from? No clue. 🤷

Anyway...

🤷

nino, 😉
you gotta see both sides of things, but still stick to the natural cycles.
- dynamically balanced -

mistyfox812 said:I don't really follow Alima, but I have read Weizsecker—I actually picked up that metaphor from him (and honestly, it's at least fifty years old by now). Who he originally lifted it from? No clue. 🤷

Anyway...

🤷

.. stolen .. certainly .. and presented as one's own ..

.. perhaps .. that guy .. W .. plucked it out of thin air .. much like the ideas we claim as .. our own ..
(.. "own" is really just a feeling .. when you latch onto a source of ideas ..)

.. I’d bet anything that Alima .. W .. never actually read him ..
.. and that the metaphor just arrived on its own ..
.. it happens sometimes, where different people tap into the exact same thing .. the same sensation ..
.. but .. those who connect directly to the source .. they actually understand the weight of what they've gathered ..

.. but .. for the one who lacks that connection ..
.. they have to latch onto others .. copying .. quoting ..

.. what you wrote .. it’s no different than if I showed up to a poetry contest and submitted this:

one bites the other's
hand or foot
or whatever
clenches it in their teeth
runs as fast as they can
to bury it in the earth

others scatter in all directions
sniffing and searching, sniffing and searching
digging up the whole ground

if they find it, happy days
their hand or their foot or
whatever
it’s their turn to bite

the game continues vividly
as long as there are hands
as long as there are feet
as long as there is anything at all

.. and then .. someone comes along and says .. well .. you didn't come up with that yourself ..
.. and I say .. why are you complaining? I picked it up from some fellow named Vasko .. or Pope ..
.. and as for who they picked it up from .. I haven't a clue ..

Look, Jerry Green59, this PDF is basically just a massive collection of quotes translated from English, German, and whatever else—but they aren't even labeled as quotes. They’re just presented like the author came up with them on their own.
Honestly, I don't see the big deal. At the end of the day, who said what doesn't really matter; what matters is that we get to share these high-quality insights with one another.

In this specific instance, the guy just used a line from Weizsecker; so what?! Personally, I think it's great he did, and clearly, plenty of other people feel the same way.
I don't get why you feel this desperate need to point out exactly who someone copied from—like, why even bother?

I actually tried to hold up a mirror to you using my super-fake clone to show how negative you were being during that "difference between good and right" debate, but apparently, being treated exactly how you treat everyone else isn't enough for you.

So, on my own behalf, can you please just chill out a little? Comments like yours are exactly why these contests lose their value—it kills any chance for actual, meaningful discussion between users who actually want to talk and explain the reasoning behind their answers.

Seriously, let's just drop this pointless attacking. All you're doing with that attitude is creating tension and making things awkward.
We're all here to level up, and if someone else isn't doing that, it doesn't mean you have to follow their lead.

Thanks for understanding.

.. I honestly find myself getting along better with this fake clone..
.. He’s actually one of my favorite people to debate on here.. mostly because.. he isn't some imitation.. he’s just being sincere.. damn it..
.. It feels like he has a more solid foundation.. as if he’s actually standing on some sort of.. well..
.. He doesn't flip-flop on his persona.. he holds his ground.. and treats everyone exactly the same..

.. Honestly.. nothing truly sincere can be a mere clone of someone else.. especially not when they're playing it safe..
.. Are you quite certain you aren't the clone.. and he's the original..?

.. Should I get off the topic..?.. Fine then..

Jerry Green59 said:.. stolen .. certainly .. and presented as one's own ..

.. perhaps .. that guy .. W .. plucked it out of thin air .. much like the ideas we claim as .. our own ..
(.. "own" is really just a feeling .. when you latch onto a source of ideas ..)

.. I’d bet anything that Alima .. W .. never actually read him ..
.. and that the metaphor just arrived on its own ..
.. it happens sometimes, where different people tap into the exact same thing .. the same sensation ..
.. but .. those who connect directly to the source .. they actually understand the weight of what they've gathered ..

.. but .. for the one who lacks that connection ..
.. they have to latch onto others .. copying .. quoting ..

.. what you wrote .. it’s no different than if I showed up to a poetry contest and submitted this:

one bites the other's
hand or foot
or whatever
clenches it in their teeth
runs as fast as they can
to bury it in the earth

others scatter in all directions
sniffing and searching, sniffing and searching
digging up the whole ground

if they find it, happy days
their hand or their foot or
whatever
it’s their turn to bite

the game continues vividly
as long as there are hands
as long as there are feet
as long as there is anything at all

.. and then .. someone comes along and says .. well .. you didn't come up with that yourself ..
.. and I say .. why are you complaining? I picked it up from some fellow named Vasko .. or Pope ..
.. and as for who they picked it up from .. I haven't a clue ..

Whatever. You can't own metaphors, so there's no such thing as theft here. Besides, I'm not even "passing it off" as mine (honestly, you always try to spin this into me stealing or scamming or some other drama every single time). Look, I already made my stance clear on this: Everything I write on this board is totally unoriginal—nothing groundbreaking, nothing wild, just stuff that's been written somewhere else before.

In philosophy, originality doesn't mean squat—it's truth that matters. If something is true, then it's universal. It doesn't belong to me, or some random guy, or even Heidegger or Rockefeller.

mistyfox812 said:Whatever. You can't own metaphors, so there's no such thing as theft here. Besides, I'm not even "passing it off" as mine (honestly, you always try to spin this into me stealing or scamming or some other drama every single time). Look, I already made my stance clear on this: Everything I write on this board is totally unoriginal—nothing groundbreaking, nothing wild, just stuff that's been written somewhere else before.

In philosophy, originality doesn't mean squat—it's truth that matters. If something is true, then it's universal. It doesn't belong to me, or some random guy, or even Heidegger or Rockefeller.

😕

Look, if we're playing this game where originality doesn't mean squat compared to actual truth—and let’s face it, philosophy is a total mess because nobody can actually agree on what "truth" even is—then you end up with this weird paradox. If a bunch of people are out there cranking out "universal" answers that aren't actually true, then a bold, gutsy statement is way more "original" than some universal consensus that's just floating around aimlessly. It’s all a bit of a joke, really.

Kenneth Peterson5 said:😕

Look, if we're playing this game where originality doesn't mean squat compared to actual truth—and let’s face it, philosophy is a total mess because nobody can actually agree on what "truth" even is—then you end up with this weird paradox. If a bunch of people are out there cranking out "universal" answers that aren't actually true, then a bold, gutsy statement is way more "original" than some universal consensus that's just floating around aimlessly. It’s all a bit of a joke, really.

And honestly, what would you even do with an answer if you actually found one? 🤷

Being truthful isn't about having all the answers to life's big questions; it's just about acknowledging things for what they really are.

mistyfox812 said:I think there are two big things at play here (I’ll call them dialectical and phenomenological, just for the sake of argument).

The first part is basically practicing opposites. Once I’ve sat with my own opinion on something, I try to start from the assumption that everything is actually the exact opposite of what I think—just to see if that counter-argument actually holds water.
Most of the time, it does. 😁
(Actually, 😉 Borges used to be super clever and had a blast with this kind of thing—looking at stuff from the weirdest possible angles in his stories.
)

But man, that can lead you straight into total relativism. And total relativism usually just turns into this lazy sophistry where people decide "well, it's whatever I want it to be."

Think about it: it gives you this sense of freedom in your thinking, being unattached to your own biases (which feels great), but at the same time, it makes you unattached to the truth (which leads to that empty "anything goes" mindset).

The second part—the thing that should act as an anchor to steady all that wild, "could-be-anything" relativistic freedom—is basically hitting the pause button on your thoughts. It’s about observing without overthinking and just acknowledging reality for what it is. What is, is. There’s no "choice" involved; it just is how it is. 🙂 Truth binds us together, so yeah, truth provides that connection.

You need both of these moments to actually move forward. It’s like walking: you’ve gotta have one foot planted firmly on the ground while the other one stays free to take that next step.

🤷

Your response actually reminded me of this bit from Alice in Wonderland:

"The time has come", the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax,
Of cabbages and kings.
And why the sea is boiling hot
And whether pigs have wings.".

🤷

Look, I can't really be held responsible for whatever you're jumping to. 🤷

If something’s still confusing, just ask. 🤷

mistyfox812 said:Look, I can't really be held responsible for whatever you're jumping to. 🤷

If something’s still confusing, just ask. 🤷

Everything is perfectly clear on my end. Thank you.

mistyfox812 said:And honestly, what would you even do with an answer if you actually found one? 🤷

Being truthful isn't about having all the answers to life's big questions; it's just about acknowledging things for what they really are.

I suppose I would be walking away with a Nobel Prize for originality.

mistyfox812 said:And honestly, what would you even do with an answer if you actually found one? 🤷

Being truthful isn't about having all the answers to life's big questions; it's just about acknowledging things for what they really are.

It is what it is.