(August 31, 2016 at 8:16 pm)Excited Penguin Wrote:

(August 31, 2016 at 11:52 am)Whateverist Wrote: This is such a misapplication of the capacity for reason.  That part of one's mind, the conscious part with which we deliberate, evolved to solve practical problems - like sleuthing the neighboring tribe's intentions and slaying them before they can slay you (if slaying there must be).

Grand questions of no practical value arise and we immediately set to work as if every imaginable question called for that part of the mind.  The problem with this part of the mind is it gets the idea it is the center of one's whole being, or even the only knower onboard.  But the mammalian brain we had as non-symbolic language users is still intact and handles a great deal of the processing.  But the part of our minds which handle our deliberate fiddling too often just takes credit for it all.  It is hard sometimes to accept that your conscious role, while important and often useful, is not always the best tool for the job.  When you consider the question "who am I" it would be good to reflect on the fact that expressive efforts on the part of our deliberating minds isn't "it".  That's just a tool.

Theists have gods to calm their deliberative minds.  They remind themselves that 'god' has a plan.  They remind themselves that it is best that 'His' will be done.  For those suffering angst of the sort Aroura and others report, it could help to get some perspective on the role of their deliberative efforts.  You're no more "on your own" than the theists are, but for non-theists that something more that is with you is more 'you', just not a part which reflects any deliberative choice you ever made.  If you can learn to esteem the vast storehouse of wisdom which is your mammalian mind, you can feel the weight of the world come off your shoulders a little too.

What does all that have to do with anything I said?

You had written:

Quote:I felt like I wouldn't die long after I lost religion and became an atheist at the age of fourteen. I still believe that in a sense - or, rather, I tend to ignore the fact that I'm not going to live forever, else I'd get a little too depressed with how fast time goes and that it's all for nothing.

My point was that evaluations such as "life isn't worth living" or "it's all for nothing" put too much store in the deliberations of the conscious mind. Our efforts at reason can be effective for some kinds of tasks but for others, not so much. Any time someone writes what I bolded I can't help but think they are over thinking it, or at least misapplying a tool for a task it didn't evolve to do.

(August 31, 2016 at 8:22 pm)Whateverist Wrote:

(August 31, 2016 at 8:16 pm)Excited Penguin Wrote: What does all that have to do with anything I said?

You had written:

Quote:I felt like I wouldn't die long after I lost religion and became an atheist at the age of fourteen. I still believe that in a sense - or, rather, I tend to ignore the fact that I'm not going to live forever, else I'd get a little too depressed with how fast time goes and that it's all for nothing.

My point was that evaluations such as "life isn't worth living" or "it's all for nothing" put too much store in the deliberations of the conscious mind. Our efforts at reason can be effective for some kinds of tasks but for others, not so much. Any time someone writes what I bolded I can't help but think they are over thinking it, or at least misapplying a tool for a task it didn't evolve to do.

I understood your meaning Whatevs, and I found it quite moving.

(August 31, 2016 at 8:37 pm)LadyForCamus Wrote:

(August 31, 2016 at 8:22 pm)Whateverist Wrote: You had written:


My point was that evaluations such as "life isn't worth living" or "it's all for nothing" put too much store in the deliberations of the conscious mind.  Our efforts at reason can be effective for some kinds of tasks but for others, not so much.  Any time someone writes what I bolded I can't help but think they are over thinking it, or at least misapplying a tool for a task it didn't evolve to do.

I understood your meaning Whatevs, and I found it quite moving.  

Very nice to feel heard regarding something so esoteric and difficult to explain.  Thanks.

(August 31, 2016 at 8:22 pm)Whateverist Wrote:

(August 31, 2016 at 8:16 pm)Excited Penguin Wrote: What does all that have to do with anything I said?

You had written:

Quote:I felt like I wouldn't die long after I lost religion and became an atheist at the age of fourteen. I still believe that in a sense - or, rather, I tend to ignore the fact that I'm not going to live forever, else I'd get a little too depressed with how fast time goes and that it's all for nothing.

My point was that evaluations such as "life isn't worth living" or "it's all for nothing" put too much store in the deliberations of the conscious mind.  Our efforts at reason can be effective for some kinds of tasks but for others, not so much.  Any time someone writes what I bolded I can't help but think they are over thinking it, or at least misapplying a tool for a task it didn't evolve to do.

But I'm not using it to deliberate on the issue. I'm ignoring the issue entirely. That was the whole point of what I said.

(August 31, 2016 at 9:38 pm)Excited Penguin Wrote:

(August 31, 2016 at 8:22 pm)Whateverist Wrote: You had written:


My point was that evaluations such as "life isn't worth living" or "it's all for nothing" put too much store in the deliberations of the conscious mind.  Our efforts at reason can be effective for some kinds of tasks but for others, not so much.  Any time someone writes what I bolded I can't help but think they are over thinking it, or at least misapplying a tool for a task it didn't evolve to do.

But I'm not using it to deliberate on the issue. I'm ignoring the issue entirely. That was the whole point of what I said.

He was trying to offer you comfort, EP. You said that if you DID think about it, you would feel like life is "all for nothing." Whatevs was trying to take some of that pressure off of your shoulders by explaining that the part of your brain that (perhaps inappropriately) wonders "what it's all for" is only one small fraction of what makes up who you are. So...relax. [emoji41]

(Whatevs, please correct me if I butchered your eloquent description too badly)

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(August 31, 2016 at 9:40 pm)LadyForCamus Wrote:

(August 31, 2016 at 9:38 pm)Excited Penguin Wrote: But I'm not using it to deliberate on the issue. I'm ignoring the issue entirely. That was the whole point of what I said.

He was trying to offer you comfort, EP.

I'm sorry, then. I don't need it.

(August 31, 2016 at 9:40 pm)LadyForCamus Wrote: (Whatevs, please correct me if I butchered your eloquent description too badly)

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Hell with that.  You just go ahead and school the boy based on your own take.  (Nice work.)

(August 31, 2016 at 9:47 pm)Excited Penguin Wrote:

(August 31, 2016 at 9:40 pm)LadyForCamus Wrote: He was trying to offer you comfort, EP.

I'm sorry, then. I don't need it.

Oh yeah male, right?  I should have realized.  Wadaya say we just saunter into the sunset then, pilgrim?

(August 31, 2016 at 11:18 pm)Whateverist Wrote:

(August 31, 2016 at 9:40 pm)LadyForCamus Wrote: (Whatevs, please correct me if I butchered your eloquent description too badly)

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Hell with that.  You just go ahead and school the boy based on your own take.  (Nice work.)

There it is.

(August 31, 2016 at 11:18 pm)Whateverist Wrote:

(August 31, 2016 at 9:40 pm)LadyForCamus Wrote: (Whatevs, please correct me if I butchered your eloquent description too badly)

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Hell with that.  You just go ahead and school the boy based on your own take.  (Nice work.)

Wait, did I interpret it wrong? Please, correct me if I did! You took the time to type it out; I want to be sure I've understood your meaning properly. [emoji846]