The wounded and the dead

[Violet]

There is more than one way to feel... through our body is one way... and that is limited to a threshold... but the other is emotional, and it is as limitless as the imagination. Just as there is no limit to Vice and Virtue, no limit to disgust and delicacy, and others of which there is no physical absolute: there is no limit to pain. Simply: pain itself is not a part of us... just as Vice and Virtue are not in themselves a part of us.

how should I know? I've never experienced such horror.

You could experience said horror via a vivid enough imagination to place yourself within said imagination, and the empathy enough to feel from said viewpoint. In other words: you can build any situation with your imagination, and emotionally put yourself in the midst of it. In fact... you could experience just about anything by doing this.

[lilphil1989]

There is definitly a limit to pleasure because at some point you begin to chaff.

haha .

I think there must be limits to pleasure and pain, since the human brain has only a finite processing capability. Once the areas that process pleasure and pain, be it physical or emotional, are saturated, then surely the limit is reached?

[Rhizomorph13]

...but the other is emotional, and it is as limitless as the imagination. Just as there is no limit to Vice and Virtue, no limit to disgust and delicacy, and others of which there is no physical absolute: there is no limit to pain. Simply: pain itself is not a part of us... just as Vice and Virtue are not in themselves a part of us.

Sae,

What you are making here is an assertion you need to back up your claims with some form of evidence. A peer reviewed psych study would be great! Hell, even an article from a pop psych magazine would be somewhat supporting.

Rhizo

[Godless]

All the ratios dead/wounded are here throughout the whole period.
Can be as high as 15 to 1 and down to 2 to 1.
Also given are troop levels etc etc

@@http://www.anyinput.com/item/list/d/iraq-statistical-data/category/1633/field/7913/dir/1/page/1

(remove @@ as I am not yet allowed to post links)
Albert.

[leo-rcc]

http://www.anyinput.com/item/list/d/iraq...r/1/page/1

[Meatball]

How about the number or Iraqi's who have been killed or injured since the United States invaded their country?

Also: related reading.

When Saerules says the death of a million people affects her 1,000,000x more than a single death, she's not telling the truth. The brain can't comprehend that many people. Even to say that about 1000 people is false. There's science behind this.

[Edwardo Piet]

There is more than one way to feel... through our body is one way... and that is limited to a threshold... but the other is emotional, and it is as limitless as the imagination. Just as there is no limit to Vice and Virtue, no limit to disgust and delicacy, and others of which there is no physical absolute: there is no limit to pain. Simply: pain itself is not a part of us... just as Vice and Virtue are not in themselves a part of us.

Emotions are limited by the body too. We feel emotions in our brains, and brains are part of our body. We are finite beings. How is it without limits when all emotions are felt physically in us? Unless you believe in non-physical souls or something? Please do explain.

You could experience said horror via a vivid enough imagination to place yourself within said imagination, and the empathy enough to feel from said viewpoint. In other words: you can build any situation with your imagination, and emotionally put yourself in the midst of it. In fact... you could experience just about anything by doing this.

I think to experience such horror as losing a child through imagination alone, I'd actually have to believe my imagination in order to truly feel the horror. In other words I'd have to be deluded. If you believe you have lost a child when you haven't, and you truly truly believe it and it's totally deep seated in you, I can imagine that being the same...but imagination alone, without you actually believing it. I disagree. But how is this relevant to my point that we are physical, limited, evolved, finite beings that have a limit to our emotions? And that possibly because losing 1 child is horrific, losing 2 children might not be able to be twice as bad, because the emotions would overload before that....or if it could be double, losing ten children might not be able to be ten times worse.......because my point is at some point, a limit is reached, whether it is thought there is or not. Because we are, as I said: Physical, limited, evolved, finite beings...so we therefore have a limit to our emotions.

EvF

[fr0d0]

I think to experience such horror as losing a child through imagination alone, I'd actually have to believe my imagination in order to truly feel the horror. In other words I'd have to be deluded.

You can dream things that aren't real. You could dream you had a child. You could imagine in your dream what that felt like. Total immersion in imagination in this way bypasses belief (actual fact). You believe it because you experience it (though imagination) to be so.

at some point, a limit is reached, whether it is thought there is or not. Because we are, as I said: Physical, limited, evolved, finite beings...so we therefore have a limit to our emotions.

I think what space emotional distress occupies isn't exclusive. After several traumas people can feel numb at the pain which is a natural cut off. Psychological anomalies such as transference are also natural release valves.

The imagination certainly isn't limited physically because the two aren't related. ie The storage capacity of your brain doesn't relate to the extreme's you can imagine. It is also possible to train yourself to recall memories more accurately/ store more: Memory Palace.

[Rhizomorph13]

Ok, so I strongly dissagree that you can fully capture the significant experience of one of your children dying just through a thought experience. Whatever crazy pills you you can take to believe that... I want some! Just one look in the eye of a parent that has lost a child should be enough to convince you that YOU have never, and hopefully WILL never feel anything that deep.

If you want to run an experiment that is easier to conduct and much less gut wrenching, try an empathy experiment. Unfortunatly this only works if you are male I can't think of an equivalent experience for women (Maybe the embaressment of having an erection in class?). Use your imagination to "feel" the pain, bloating, and hormonal effects of menstruation. Now go up to any female you know and explain in detail how you fully understand how she feels. After she rips your face off you might want to consider the difference between imagined experiences and REAL ones!

Rhizo

[Retorth]

@fr0d0: That is a VERY interesting concept, the memory palace. I had a memory improvement workshop just two weeks ago where we learnt how to use the right side of our brain to memorize things with visual images linked to what you are required to remember.