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Hypothetical Question...

The Unknown Essence

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Imagine an Angel came to you and said that you could die right now and go to Heaven forever.The only catch is that you will never see your family again. The Angel reassures you that your family will be safe and looked after.

Just to clarify what the Angel is offering you, I will sum up what I mean by Heaven: Everlasting bliss with unimaginable pleasures and eternal youth with perfect health.

Would you accept the offer, or are your family more important to you than Heaven itself?

The point of the question is to see whether you place your happiness in others hands, or whether you feel complete in yourself. This doesn't necessarily mean that those who accept the offer don't care about their family, it's just that they recognize that self-awareness is unique. Even the most intimate lovers cannot view the world in exactly the same way. Consciousness is indivisible. No matter what, we can never experience life from another mind or soul.

Personally, I would accept the offer with absolutely no hesitation.

Remember, this is a hypothetical question. Whether you believe in Heaven or not, the question is still relevant.

Also, I will be interested to see whether the response will be divided evenly between introverts and extroverts. I suspect most introverts would accept, but not extroverts.
 

Asterion

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I would be quite skeptical of the offer, it could be a trick designed by the devil himself :p, you'd think that you'd be able to visit your family though. I think there might be a difference between F and T answers, but perhaps not introvert/extrovert so much. But it does depend on who else is up there... if you were stuck up there by yourself to experience unimaginable pleasure, I suppose you couldn't feel remorse, guilt, or loneliness...
 

JocktheMotie

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Provided there weren't any catches and what the angel said was absolutely true, I'd say beam me up Scotty, and wouldn't look back.
 

Kyrielle

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Imagine an Angel came to you and said that you could die right now and go to Heaven forever.The only catch is that you will never see your family again. The Angel reassures you that your family will be safe and looked after.

Just to clarify what the Angel is offering you, I will sum up what I mean by Heaven: Everlasting bliss with unimaginable pleasures and eternal youth with perfect health.

Would you accept the offer, or are your family more important to you than Heaven itself?

The point of the question is to see whether you place your happiness in others hands, or whether you feel complete in yourself. This doesn't necessarily mean that those who accept the offer don't care about their family, it's just that they recognize that self-awareness is unique. Even the most intimate lovers cannot view the world in exactly the same way. Consciousness is indivisible. No matter what, we can never experience life from another mind or soul.

Personally, I would accept the offer with absolutely no hesitation.

Remember, this is a hypothetical question. Whether you believe in Heaven or not, the question is still relevant.

Also, I will be interested to see whether the response will be divided evenly between introverts and extroverts. I suspect most introverts would accept, but not extroverts.


I would not accept unless I was already 90 or something. It's not just about missing your family. You realise that, right? You'd be missing out on your one opportunity to live and experience the world for the one time period you've been given. Assuming Heaven exists, you can always go there when you die of old age after you've lived your life and been a decent person. Why cut corners and skip out on all the pain and pleasure life offers.

Actually, that's something that's always bugged me. Heaven must be really boring if all you ever experience is everlasting good emotions and sensations. After a while, it all blurs together into one big "blah" feeling.
 

Snow Turtle

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I'd stay with my family and try go to heaven the normal way.

I also believe there's more value staying with my family than there is going to heaven from a collective perspective. Similar to the reasoning that Kyrielle gave.
 

Azseroffs

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Without a doubt, i'd choose 'heaven'.

Actually, that's something that's always bugged me. Heaven must be really boring if all you ever experience is everlasting good emotions and sensations. After a while, it all blurs together into one big "blah" feeling.

It's not everlasting good emotions and sensations if you can get bored. :tongue:
Something that is 'perfect' isn't perfect if you get bored of it. Just shows how hard it is for the human mind to imagine perfection.
 

norepinephrine

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Actually, that's something that's always bugged me. Heaven must be really boring if all you ever experience is everlasting good emotions and sensations. After a while, it all blurs together into one big "blah" feeling.

This remind me, in an oblique way, of a conversation I had in an AP English class. We were discussing "Lost Horizon" and "moderation in all things" when I blurted out (INTP style) "I have to assume that also includes 'moderation in moderation'."

I simply cannot imagine a "perfect" existence that does not include the occasional over-the-top experience.
 

EJCC

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First, I'd ask the angel what's required to get to heaven the usual way (since there are many conflicting sets of instructions as to this), and if I didn't have as much of a chance the usual way, I'd take the offer. No question. (I agree with what everyone else said.)

Edit: Jeez, that sounds heartless and calculating! Sorry...
 

Wade Wilson

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Considering all the ones I genuinely loved/cared about are already dead... I'd end up seeing most of them anyway so yeah. hehe

WOO LOOPHOLE! :nice:
 

Asterion

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I told ya, all F answers were no, all T answers were yes... regardless of extroversion/introversion. I agree with Azseroffs, It's hard to teach some people what infinity is too. I think those people are usually Feelers (well, it has been that way in my experience). The same thing happens when you try to convince them that humans are merely robots; fuel goes in, fuel is expended, work takes place (just like in a car)... pain goes in, brain states occur, reaction (you could program a robot to make the same response).
 

Vildechaya

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No -This is my life and I am curious to see what will happen.
 

Asterion

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No -This is my life and I am curious to see what will happen.

Would you also then be curious to see what heaven is like? Curious to experience unimaginable pleasure? Unimaginable pleasure means that no matter what you get from not being in heaven, it won't compare to anything from in heaven. I think the only legitimate excuse to not stay behind is if you believe that your family/friends etc. would be worse of, or feel pain from you not being there. Personally, I don't think it would make much of a difference if I disappeared from this world. Some people would be a little irritated, but they would get over it pretty quickly. That sounds pretty bad, but I've accepted it :mellow:

wtf? shouldn't this thread be in philosophy?
 

Sentura

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i wouldn't go but i wouldn't go back to my family either. i don't care for either, i wouldn't want to live in a perfect world, but i don't want to be tied to people just because we share the same blood.
 

jenocyde

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My family can look after themselves - not worried about that. Is the pleasure good debaucherous pleasure or more like boring spiritual well being. Would I have just as much fun and people to explore ideas with up there, as I do down here? Could I find out if I'm going to be going there anyway later? What is the transition process like - is it like that scene in Total Recall when that dude's eye's pop out and his head basically explodes? I don't know... In the end, I'd most likely go, because it's something new and I'm curious as to who this "god" person is and why he made a world of minions. But I'd regret it on the way up because I'd realize how final my decision is and I can't change my mind. Or can I? Is there a stipulation or an exit clause?
 

Xellotath

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...My family is better off without me. They're all Fe's.
Not to mention this world is inherently meaningless.
Blind curiosity is also insufficient. (Dont think I could handle living just to see what happens tomorrow without any fundamental premise)

Will I find meaning in the afterlife? If yes. Absolutely, without hesitation. If not, I'm 100% ambivalent to the options, heaven? earth? hell? All the same...
 

Athenian200

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Well, I suppose I would accept it. I would find real meaning, and happiness there.

It probably helps that there's no one I value enough to care about never being able to see again, though. Especially not my family. Even if I did value someone, surely that would pale in comparison to what I'd experience in a place like heaven. I've also lost lots of people, and still managed to find ways to be happy without them, no matter how much I cared for them. I know that I like some people and would rather have some of them around, but I don't NEED anyone.

Note that I'm not religious. But if a deity or similar comes right up to me and offers something, that pretty much changes my outlook.
 

Verfremdungseffekt

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Well. Granted the hypotheticals, and assuming veracity and sincerity on all counts, then certainly. I've never really understood this family thing.
 

Saslou

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Interesting.

My family, more so my mother brought me into the world, gave me strong morals and values so i could fly the nest and make my own decisions in life. I love my family dearly. I don't need them however (apart form my kiddies).

I am going to heaven one day so why go now. I had this as my status on F/B recently - life's journey is not to arrive at the grave in a well preserved body, but to skid in sideways, totally worn out, yelling "Holy shit, what a ride!"

That is exactly what i intend to do .. So thanks for the offer but no thanks. ;)
 

professor goodstain

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i would accept. In this question (OP), one would actually be putting themselves in their own hands. Just because the agreement states one can never see family and also one would be fine, doesn't mean that's how it would turn out. Half of me comes from a tribe that is second to none when it comes to smuggling. These skills would most certainly be carried over to the other dimension. i'm sure shananigans like this happen all the time there. We are created in his image right?:)
 

Snow Turtle

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I'm curious whether switching family with significant other would have made a difference. The difference in attachment.
 
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