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What are we afraid of?

coberst

New member
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
336
What are we afraid of?

Humans are pattern recognition creatures. We survive by the patterns of which we are conscious. Math is the science pattern; we use it constantly to explore the deepest core of nature’s pattern. To be an enlightened citizen is to be a citizen who has rationally organized a matrix of pattern detecting systems.

We have in our genes some pattern detecting systems. When hiking in the woods I am occasionally stopped in my tracks with a deep chill by some kind of form or movement. Among this infinity of movement and pattern one particular set penetrates my consciousness. We have evolved with this detection system so as to survive the predators.

Artifacts have replaced tigers and bears. Our predators were once tigers and bears but today they are humans and artifacts (something created by humans).

A steady diet of Twinkies and chips leads to a fat gut; a steady diet of sound bites and bumper stickers leads to a fat head!

Knowing is like day breaking, understanding is like lightening striking.

Comprehension is the payoff for struggle. There is a hierarchy of comprehension. Like a pyramid with the base being awareness, followed by consciousness (awareness plus attention) then comes knowledge with understanding at the pinnacle of the pyramid.

We are meaning creating creatures; we constantly create things in which we place value. We create various ideologies such as nations, religions, political parties, economic theories, and we create wars, new technologies, cars, cell phones, shopping malls, bombs, complex financial systems, etc. Many of our creations are too complex and their effects are far beyond our ability to comprehend and to control. If we do not become more intellectually sophisticated our artifacts will destroy us.

Reading is the key to knowing and essay writing is the canvas for creating understanding.

Of all the creatures perhaps humans are the only ones who fail to live up to their potential. Obesity is the evidence of a lack of physical endeavor and boredom is the consequence of an apathetic and lazy brain.

Reading is fundamental. Writing is the art and science of creation.

We can take any policy issue that might enrage any one of us and we can discover that the root cause of it is the fact that we the citizens are not doing our job. In a liberal democracy wherein the sovereignty rests on the shoulders of the citizen any outrage committed by that society can ultimately be traced back to the lack of enlightenment by the citizen.

Enlightened does not equal informed. Information flows over us in a daily deluge but consciousness is the missing catalyst for action. Our daily dose of information might be compared to our drive to work each morning. We are deluged with information reaching our perception on our drive to work and very little of that information becomes an object of consciousness.

I think that if we make the intellectual effort to understand some domain of knowledge and perhaps take the additional effort to write out our understanding of that matter, our essay will serve as our pattern for recognition for matters pertinent to that domain.

I consider that writing an essay is a major means for reaching an understanding of a domain of knowledge.

I think that these forums offer a great opportunity for practicing our writing skills. Do you agree? Is writing in your wallet?
 

Thessaly

I drink your milkshake.
Joined
Jun 5, 2009
Messages
1,363
MBTI Type
xNFP
Enneagram
3w4
I absolutely agree. I think that my articulation and argument skills have improved through posting on various forum boards. I also believe that writing an essay or lengthy piece of commentary dramatically increases ones understanding of a topic. Putting your thoughts down into written words forces you become as concrete and logical as possible with whatever ideas you are juggling in your head.
 

AOA

♣️♦️♠️♥️
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
4,821
MBTI Type
ENTJ
Enneagram
8
Instinctual Variant
sx
We are afraid of... and importantly, struggle through an aspect of our lives called 'Prejudice'.
 

coberst

New member
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
336
I have been studying such things as our dread of death and how we repress this subject of our mortality because it causes us great anxiety.

In my effort to comprehend what this anxiety might be in its raw form I have constructed what I think might be useful in that understanding.

Suppose that we were placed on a platform high above the ground and were required to live there. And suppose that there were no guard rails on the boundary of the platform.

Do you think that this might be a useful imagination to help us understand these matters?
 

Frank

New member
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
Messages
689
I think one thing almost universally feared is death. People deal with that fear differently and it shows itself in various ways. But either way, it's the end my friend. Biologically and all we know about our survival instincts, it almost makes sense that we should fear it. I think the only thing that overcomes this basic survival instinct is some sort of psychological conditioning, intentional or not.
 

WickedQueen

New member
Joined
Jun 11, 2009
Messages
183
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
3w4
I'm afraid of:
1. lack of money
2. dream that never come true
3. unpredictable future
4. fall in love with the wrong guy
5. lonely and unloved
6. die alone


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