Reality

[jtwhite]

Think for a minute before reading the next line. What is reality?

Reality is truth. Reality is what is existent. Reality is not perception. (An example of perception: you're reading this text right now, but in reality, it's just lights lit up in a specific pattern to give the illusion of text.)

The picture below illustrates reality. The reality that we know is represented by the yellow dot.

We as human beings can search for the truth. We're the only species who can. That, I believe, is good enough reason to keep looking.

The question is, how do we find this reality?

 

[jmcgowan]

To a degree, reality is defined by perception. My ability to see a yellow dot effects my reality. If I cannot see that yellow dot (which, by the way, I currently cannot because my work's firewalls are blocking your picture) then my reality is altered somewhat. How do I even know that there really is a yellow dot there at all? You could just be telling me that there's a yellow dot, knowing that I cannot see for myself.

In the same way, reality is hard to define outside of perception. I believe that the Bible is accurate because I have perceived certain things in my life that indicate that it is accurate. However, someone who has not had the same perceptions or experiences that I have had would define reality by their perceptions. Because of this, it's difficult to define reality outside of perceptions. The killer is that between me and the 'other person', only one of us is right.

PS - If you really want to delve deeper into this whole theory I could reference DeCarte and his whole 'I think, therefore I am' thing...

 

[jtwhite]

That would be nice.

 

[jmcgowan]

sorry it took a bit to come back to this, but it's been a while since i tried digging up anything on Descarte (apparently it really has been a while because I spelled his name wrong in my first post!)

Descarte began with the concept that all reality is viewed through the lens of perception. He realized that the majority of the time, when someone is dreaming, they don't know that they are dreaming until they wake up. Therefore, it's possible that we are dreaming this very moment, and we just don't know it yet. This caused him to question everything that was based on his own perception, given that it might be a dream. This led him to his most well known statement, "I think, therefore I am." He was essentially saying that if he can think, he must exist, because even if someone thinks that they don't exist, they must in actuality exist, because something that doesn't exist wouldn't be able to then think that it doesn't exist.

 

[jtwhite]

Ahh. That's very interesting. However, a television or a cell phone can't think -- would that mean he was referring to animals (or human beings, because I'm sure animals don't have a great thought process)?

 

[jmcgowan]

Mostly he was just referring to himself. At this stage in his philosophy he was more trying to prove that he was not the illusion in someone else's dream. Once he proved to himself that he did in fact exist, he then continued on to determine what else he could verify as existing outside of his (possibly false) perceptions.

For example, I know that I exist because I can think. However, I cannot verify that you exist, because I only know of you through my perceptions. For all I know you could be an advanced AI program being put through the turing test...

 

[jtwhite]

LOL. I could say the same about you. I do think, so I'm sure I exist.

 

[abisistemas]

Ok yes sr.

 

[harpert]

reality sucks.

 

[jtwhite]

reality sucks.

The good thing about it, is we can change the parts of reality that "suck." For example, a child living in a poor family can make the decision to go to school and do great and better his life.

BTW: You cannot post one liners in here, you may want to edit your post and make it longer. I know I've posted a few but I got my warning