G
Ginkgo
Guest
simulatedworld - "You don't 'use' your functions"
What an interesting statement.
I'm not exactly sure what prompted simulatedworld to make this assessment, but he recently made a post about it on another forum. I'm wondering if he said this because he observed many posters here claiming to 'use' functions that were supposedly out of their preferred orientation, or if he said this because of the connotation that the word "used" gives off - as if one uses their functions in the same way that one uses a hammer or a chair, or if there was some misunderstanding between him and other people. In any case, I'm trying to find out what the reality of the situation is.
When I first heard this, I thought it was a minor detail about semantics that hardly pertained to the truth, but rather to how we communicate about it. Maybe the truth is found therein.
I thought that maybe don't "use" functions as if we are consciously manipulating them, but instead we "use" functions in the same way that we use white blood cells in our bodies - subconsciously and out of our control. But then I reconsidered - because our functional orientations are in some ways conscious, are we not using them consciously? Ah! But if our functions shape the way we consciously perceive the world, then are our functions not "using" us? So I arrived at the conclusion that because, on some level, we are our functions, and our functions are us, the question of whether we can "use" them should be answered with a positive "yes", in the same way we can exploit ourselves, control our own actions, and exercise our free will.
The primary problem lies within the understanding of "use".
Any thoughts?
What an interesting statement.
I'm not exactly sure what prompted simulatedworld to make this assessment, but he recently made a post about it on another forum. I'm wondering if he said this because he observed many posters here claiming to 'use' functions that were supposedly out of their preferred orientation, or if he said this because of the connotation that the word "used" gives off - as if one uses their functions in the same way that one uses a hammer or a chair, or if there was some misunderstanding between him and other people. In any case, I'm trying to find out what the reality of the situation is.
When I first heard this, I thought it was a minor detail about semantics that hardly pertained to the truth, but rather to how we communicate about it. Maybe the truth is found therein.
I thought that maybe don't "use" functions as if we are consciously manipulating them, but instead we "use" functions in the same way that we use white blood cells in our bodies - subconsciously and out of our control. But then I reconsidered - because our functional orientations are in some ways conscious, are we not using them consciously? Ah! But if our functions shape the way we consciously perceive the world, then are our functions not "using" us? So I arrived at the conclusion that because, on some level, we are our functions, and our functions are us, the question of whether we can "use" them should be answered with a positive "yes", in the same way we can exploit ourselves, control our own actions, and exercise our free will.
The primary problem lies within the understanding of "use".
Any thoughts?