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Recent content by Straw Dog

  1. S

    Taoism

    Yes, it is wiser to accept the things that we cannot control, which is like 99.9% of the universe. The .1% of things (probably way less than that) we can control is our personal ‘tao’. That’s our own way of life. Whenever every thing acts according to its own way, order arises out of the chaos.
  2. S

    Common sense vs Global Skepticism

    Yes, Mikkel, our common-sense beliefs are either unsupported, depend upon an infinite chain, or depend upon a circular chain. Admittedly, I’m revealing my cards. I do have reasons to believe it’s an infinity chain of events. I don’t know that’s the case, ergo I don’t reasonably expect all humans...
  3. S

    Common sense vs Global Skepticism

    You stated that it’s the ability that counts in such a simulation, but not the result. I would say that the consequence is just as meaningful even in a simulated or computational reality.
  4. S

    Common sense vs Global Skepticism

    Yet the result often either confirms or conflicts with the particular assumption in action.
  5. S

    Common sense vs Global Skepticism

    What are the best arguments against global skepticism? Cartesian? Russelian? Moorean? Personally, I favor semantic-based arguments. Putnam’s semantic externalism yields some good points regarding context-based meanings, but still has its own fatal flaws. David Chalmers’ cheerful skepticism...
  6. S

    Are theists more violent than atheists?

    I don’t have a theologically justified reason for being violent. That narrows the scope down quite a bit to emotionally motivated reasons, which hardly pass any logically justified reasoning. So, yes, people that believe in a non-rational absolute authority are more likely to justify their...
  7. S

    Fate Free Will and Synchronicities

    Yes, willpower is co-fated with the natural chain of events. Think less, listen more.
  8. S

    Can Consciousness Be Defined

    No, I cannot define ‘consciousness’, but the physical and mental environment can define it.
  9. S

    Love the sinner and hate the sin

    Don’t hate. Understand the nature of a person or course of actions. What benefit comes from hatred?
  10. S

    Is there such thing as a seeker?

    Within the context of Zen, there’s no such thing as a ‘thing’, at least within isolation. To be a beginner means to experience every moment as if it were an original experience. Even within a familiar experience or expertise, look for the novelty within a situation or skill execution. Nothing...
  11. S

    Do You Enjoy Life?

    Yes, I am enjoying life now. I wasn’t really enjoying life in my 20s, but I have finally learned how to enjoy life in my 30s. I had more physical pleasure in my 20s but more mental confusion too. It’s not enjoyment now in a hedonistic sense. Physical pleasure is welcome whenever it comes and...
  12. S

    Are you tired? I know I am.

    I’ve been working 10-12 (sometimes more) hour days over 6 days a week all year. I often work over 60-70 hours a week. Admittedly, I do earn much more than minimum, but that only mitigates the fact of overwork for so long. I’m not realizing my creative potential. I’m not realizing my spiritual...
  13. S

    Call to abandon Atheism

    Yikes! I didn’t realize we were obligated to identify exclusively with such limited labels. Um... uh... you kind of just put me on the spot there. Typically, I enjoy entertaining possibilities without identifying until something becomes viable enough to act upon. I didn’t realize I had to bear...
  14. S

    Is Mankind A Fluke?

    I don’t mean inevitable as in being specially important, divinely inspired, or the center of the universe. I just mean the inevitable result of the evolutionary forces that played out in our universe. We can speculate about things having ended up other than what they are, but the fact remains...
  15. S

    Is Mankind A Fluke?

    Mankind is closer to being fated than being a fluke. Our existence was inevitable through the causal chain of events that have happened. It’s impossible to say whether or not things could have been other than what they actually are. The long process of physical, chemical, biological...
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