Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: July 26, 2025, 9:35 pm

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
TRUTH & LIFE....
#4
RE: TRUTH & LIFE....
ronedee,
Have you ever read and considered Plato's Allegory of the Cave?

http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/allegory.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_cave

I always refer to this when considering what truth is; which I take to mean reality. I also live with some basic facts:
1. It's impossible for me to know everything; however, I strive to understand as much as possible in the limited time I have.
2. I will die without knowing some aspects of reality. I doubt seriously that I will commit to memory the average width of all species of beetle. I am also confident that parts of our reality will be as yet undiscovered at the time of my demise.

For this reason I scoff at those who attempt to package all of reality into an overly simplistic model that intentionally ignores our ability to unshackle ourselves, stand up, and turn around to see the source of the shadows. One aspect of the Allegory of the Cave that I don't like is how the person returning to those shackled is suggested to lead. Instead of acting as an all knowing master in a sense, the person should have endeavored to unshackle the others and share in the discovery; religion attempts to interpret and lead, science attempts to free and empower.

I have accepted the breadth of my ignorance for over two decades now. I also decided that I would endeavor to chip away at it. Learning came at a cost. The more I learned, the more I understood how ignorant I truly was. Some people feel comfortable at this point accepting some model, or system as you say, that shelters them from the breadth of their ignorance. I'm wired in such a way that this compromise is extremely distasteful and unacceptable. I made peace with my ignorance. I still chip away at it, and it still grows. My ignorance provides me with a sense of wonder, a direction for my passions, and a constant companion of sorts. Discovery is exciting. I think knowing everything would be a bore.
Reply



Messages In This Thread
TRUTH & LIFE.... - by ronedee - March 20, 2014 at 1:43 am
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Alex K - March 20, 2014 at 2:00 am
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Tonus - March 20, 2014 at 11:40 am
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by *Deidre* - March 20, 2014 at 11:52 am
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Zen Badger - March 20, 2014 at 5:27 am
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Cato - March 20, 2014 at 6:19 am
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Jacob(smooth) - March 20, 2014 at 6:42 am
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by LostLocke - March 20, 2014 at 7:49 am
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Confused Ape - March 20, 2014 at 7:52 am
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by pocaracas - March 20, 2014 at 9:52 am
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by *Deidre* - March 20, 2014 at 10:17 am
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Neo-Scholastic - March 20, 2014 at 8:15 pm
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Silver - March 21, 2014 at 12:35 pm
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by ThomM - March 21, 2014 at 6:12 pm
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Minimalist - March 21, 2014 at 8:01 pm
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Rahul - March 21, 2014 at 9:01 pm
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Lek - March 21, 2014 at 9:45 pm
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Alex K - March 22, 2014 at 3:45 am
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Chas - March 22, 2014 at 9:51 am
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Whateverist - March 22, 2014 at 8:48 am
RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by Cinjin - March 22, 2014 at 10:01 am
Re: RE: TRUTH & LIFE.... - by KUSA - March 22, 2014 at 10:53 am

Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  The Way, the Truth, and the Ugly LinuxGal 0 805 October 1, 2023 at 11:45 am
Last Post: LinuxGal
  The truth of Christianity's source pgardner2358 3 1118 June 9, 2018 at 6:10 pm
Last Post: Jackalope
  The truth of Atheism Drich 94 23968 February 17, 2018 at 8:18 am
Last Post: Cyberman
  Truth in a story which is entirely dependent upon subjective interpretation Astonished 47 9182 January 10, 2017 at 8:57 am
Last Post: Edwardo Piet
  [extremely serious]The Truth Behind Christianity. Stephanie113 5 2668 August 19, 2015 at 3:58 am
Last Post: BrianSoddingBoru4
  Will Christianity Cease Development or Drive Itself Into Truth? Walking Void 37 15513 June 8, 2013 at 3:47 am
Last Post: Ryantology
  The path to truth, stop the delusion! That guy who asked questions 7 4907 May 22, 2013 at 11:34 pm
Last Post: Minimalist
  The Absolute Truth FallentoReason 107 42989 March 21, 2013 at 1:00 am
Last Post: EGross
  The truth according to Bart D. Ehrman Aractus 54 29169 December 2, 2012 at 6:14 am
Last Post: Aractus
Exclamation 'The Truth' Sounds Too Familiar... FallentoReason 31 18233 September 25, 2012 at 4:59 pm
Last Post: DeistPaladin



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)