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Enlightenment....Its Dark Side

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
To make a proper choice and being able to say "I prefer", one should have experienced both

Am I right to assume you experienced both?
I've never tried enlightenment.
But it hasn't called to me.
I also haven't tried believing in gods.
But I prefer atheism.
One needn't try everything to know what one likes.
 

Wu Wei

ursus senum severiorum and ex-Bisy Backson
Thought about pursuing enlightenment a few years back....they realized I am too good for it :D

Actually I did think about it, but after much thinking, I did not think I wanted to be enlightened....
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Thought about pursuing enlightenment a few years back....they realized I am too good for it :D

Actually I did think about it, but after much thinking, I did not think I wanted to be enlightened....
It sounds like a lot of work.
And if self-proclaimed enlightened & spiritual people are
any indication, I'd be even more annoying than I am already.
 

Wu Wei

ursus senum severiorum and ex-Bisy Backson
It sounds like a lot of work.
And if self-proclaimed enlightened & spiritual people are
any indication, I'd be even more annoying than I am already.

Don't sell yourself short. You are by FAR more annoying that folks like the Dalai Lama

My thought was i had to spend copious amounts of time pursuing enlightenment, and one is pursuing enlightenment to better enjoy living......why not just cut out the middle man and start enjoying living....seems to me, at least for me, that I was going to waste a lot of time pursing enlightenment while missing life
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
I prefer unlightenment.
We can have all the ego we want.
And no annoying masters.

To make a proper choice and being able to say "I prefer", one should have experienced both

Am I right to assume you experienced both?

I've never tried enlightenment.
But it hasn't called to me.
I also haven't tried believing in gods.
But I prefer atheism.
One needn't try everything to know what one likes.
:DYes, IF you phrase it in this way it's correct and makes sense, but that was not my point:D

One needn't try everything to know what one likes.
Correct, but you first need to experience enlightenment before you know if you prefer unenlightenment, right ?
Prefer:
like (one thing or person) better than another or others; tend to choose.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
:DYes, IF you phrase it in this way it's correct and makes sense:D


Correct, but you first need to experience enlightenment before you know if you prefer unenlightenment, right ?
There's no need.
Some people are seekers.
And some of us are content bypassing alternatives.
I see "correct" as inapplicable.
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
There's no need.
Some people are seekers.
And some of us are content bypassing alternatives.
I see "correct" as inapplicable.
I did not say "there is need"

I just said that the word "prefer" means that you have experienced both, otherwise you can not say I prefer

Or do you disagree, and if so, how do you define the word "prefer"?
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
I did not say "there is need"
True.
But I presumed it based upon your question....
"Correct, but you first need to experience enlightenment before you know if you prefer unenlightenment, right ?"
I just said that the word "prefer" means that you have experienced both, otherwise you can not say I prefer

Or do you disagree, and if so, how do you define the word "prefer"?
I experience unlightenment, & I observe comments on enlightenment.
Tis enuf info for me.
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
True.
But I presumed it based upon your question....
"Correct, but you first need to experience enlightenment before you know if you prefer unenlightenment, right ?"
Aha, I understand. But that was definitely not what I meant. I just meant "the definition and use of the word 'prefer' in the English language"
prefer
/prɪˈfəː/
verb
  1. 1.
    like (one thing or person) better than another or others; tend to choose.
    "I prefer Venice to Rome"
"prefer" implies to compare 2 things, right?. And compare is only possible if you have 'tasted' both
e.g.: to say "I prefer Venice to Rome" ONLY makes sense if you have experienced both, right?
e.g.: to say "I prefer 'no sex' over sex" does not make sense, unless you have had sex, right?
e.g.: to say "I prefer Apple over Durian" ONLY makes sense if you have tasted Durian, right?

So, I am not saying that you should go to Venice or Rome, or have sex or no sex, or eat apple or Durian
I am just saying IF you use the word "prefer" THEN it implies that you tried them both (or you can know by visualizing it)

Or, is my definition of the word "prefer" wrong here? Then please tell me. I learn new English words each day on RF
Maybe "prefer" has another meaning too of which I am not aware, and hence we misunderstand each other

I experience unlightenment, & I observe comments on enlightenment.
Tis enuf info for me.
With this I fully agree. No need to experience enlightenment, esp. not if unenlightenment is enough for you.

It was just the word prefer (meaning of the word in the English language)
 

Audie

Veteran Member
In the news...
Meditation can 'boost feelings of superiority', study finds | Daily Mail Online
Excerpted....

The path to enlightenment is an ego trip: Meditation and mindfulness lead to narcissism and feelings of 'spiritual superiority', study finds
  • Study finds a link between those engaged in spiritual practices and superiority
  • People engaged in 'energetic' therapies like aura reading were the most smug
  • Spiritual training 'has the paradoxical effect of boosting superiority feelings'
Meditation and spiritual enlightenment can 'boost feelings of superiority' by stoking the ego, a new study has found.

Dutch experts studying questionnaires of nearly 4,000 people found a link between practising spiritual training, like meditation, and feelings of 'spiritual superiority'.

Forms of spiritual training – including mindfulness, meditation, self healing and reading auras – are supposed to distance people from their ego and any feelings of self-worth.

But spiritual training appears to actually have the opposite effect, by enhancing people's need to feel 'more successful, more respected or loved', the experts say.

37362030-9095077-image-a-1_1609232855492.jpg


+4
Meditation (pictured) is a form of 'spiritual training'. Other forms include self healing and reading auras

Thy found that those who were engaged in the more bizarre 'energetic' therapies, such as aura reading, were the most smug.

A quick study of rf'ers revealed this truth unto me.
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
Don't have much useful to add to this thread, except that I dislike the word "Brights" because it implies more than it can defend in its members (I used to be one), and I've always disliked the term "enlightened" for the same reason. Making claims of some mystical superiority over other folks, with nothing to actual demonstrate any such superiority, bugs me.

Oh, and of course, I also suspect it's mostly not true, anyway. In just the same way that "Brights" aren't necessarily smarter than everybody else just because they don't believe in gods.
 

Audie

Veteran Member
Don't have much useful to add to this thread, except that I dislike the word "Brights" because it implies more than it can defend in its members (I used to be one), and I've always disliked the term "enlightened" for the same reason. Making claims of some mystical superiority over other folks, with nothing to actual demonstrate any such superiority, bugs me.

Oh, and of course, I also suspect it's mostly not true, anyway. In just the same way that "Brights" aren't necessarily smarter than everybody else just because they don't believe in gods.

All this religion-religion stuff is so self indulgent, so self centered.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Aha, I understand. But that was definitely not what I meant. I just meant "the definition and use of the word 'prefer' in the English language"

"prefer" implies to compare 2 things, right?. And compare is only possible if you have 'tasted' both
e.g.: to say "I prefer Venice to Rome" ONLY makes sense if you have experienced both, right?
e.g.: to say "I prefer 'no sex' over sex" does not make sense, unless you have had sex, right?
e.g.: to say "I prefer Apple over Durian" ONLY makes sense if you have tasted Durian, right?

So, I am not saying that you should go to Venice or Rome, or have sex or no sex, or eat apple or Durian
I am just saying IF you use the word "prefer" THEN it implies that you tried them both (or you can know by visualizing it)

Or, is my definition of the word "prefer" wrong here? Then please tell me. I learn new English words each day on RF
Maybe "prefer" has another meaning too of which I am not aware, and hence we misunderstand each other


With this I fully agree. No need to experience enlightenment, esp. not if unenlightenment is enough for you.

It was just the word prefer (meaning of the word in the English language)
I don't use "prefer" so technically.
I face many alternatives to my path,
& avoid them without trying them.
This is my "prefer".
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
I don't use "prefer" so technically.
I face many alternatives to my path,
& avoid them without trying them.
This is my "prefer".
"avoid them without trying them" is very clear

But your "prefer" is a lot less complicated, also when talking about spiritual things. Now I can also say "I prefer Heaven over this life". Normallly I would not do that, because I have not experienced Heaven. But I always need to be very careful how to word it

So, I am all for your "prefer" use. I prefer "easy going" anyway.

So, thanks for the feedback:). RF life gets a lot easier with this.
 
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