[lit-ideas] Re: On Nip Thievery

If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences". 
Irene:

>> Unfortunately, 'if' virtually never happens.  Denial rules.  Reality doesn't 
>> enter into the picture until some shock happens after which the consensus 
>> changes and the 'reality' suddenly changes.  So has the reality changed or 
>> has what everybody thinks about the reality changed?  <<



I disagree entirely, wholly, thoroughly and completely, but not absolutely.  
How one perceives the world is the world to that person.  It is her reality. 
There is no reality to any one individual except that reality perceived 
(believed) by that individual.  Why do I insert a parenthetical "believe"?  
Because perception is controlled to a great extent by belief, by expectation.  
We perceive what we believe in.  So does it end in solipsism?  I don't think 
so.  There are shared observations, to be sure, else there wouldn't be traffic 
lights or language even.  In thought,  there are agreed upon logical 
conclusions drawn from premises (in so far as the rules of logic define 
logical).  So, if perception is ruled by belief as I assert, can I explain 
these anomalies  No.  Though we are reared, shamed, taught, whipped into 
conformance to a certain culture, there's always that wild neuron in the brain 
capable at any moment of sparking a new, totally unexpected thought.  We are 
culturally solipsistic with the proviso that though most brains tend to follow 
in the ruts of their forbearers, some others like to strike out into the deep, 
dark woods.  In other words,  I don't know.  I don't think so.  Cultural 
solipsism or ethno-centrism, besides giving us a way to interpret existence and 
live somewhat comfortably among others of similar disposition is also always 
open to rebuttal and refusal and enlargement.

We are not the trains you would like to believe we are, else we'd still be 
living in cold, dark caves and gnawing on raw meat.

Mike Geary



  

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Andy 
  To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Friday, June 06, 2008 9:38 AM
  Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: On Nip Thievery


        "If men define situations as real, they are real in their 
consequences". 



        That big ole 'if' sitting there.  If grandma had wheels she'd be a 
railroad.  If people behaved rationally we'd have heaven on earth (natural 
catastrophes notwithstanding, and even those would be dealt with much more 
positively). 

        --- On Fri, 6/6/08, John McCreery <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:


          From: John McCreery <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx>
          Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: On Nip Thievery
          To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
          Date: Friday, June 6, 2008, 4:36 AM





          On Fri, Jun 6, 2008 at 12:36 PM, Andy <mimi.erva@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

                  Yes, of course, the earth was round, nature is not a human 
plaything, democracy was not on the march, etc. etc.  The problem is humans are 
indifferent to everything unless they agree that it exists, that it's 
important, that it's not important, etc.  Reality doesn't enter into the 
picture.  To question anything is literally heresy, whether religious or 
political or any other kind.  Humans also talk a good line about definitions 
but that's as far it goes most of the time.





                 

          We stand on the shoulders of giants.


            William Isaac Thomas (b. Russell County, Virginia, 13 August 1863, 
d. Berkeley, California, 5 December 1947), was an American sociologist. He is 
noted for his pioneering work on the sociology of migration on which he 
co-operated with Florian Znaniecki, and for his formulation of what became 
known as the Thomas theorem, a fundamental law of sociology: "If men define 
situations as real, they are real in their consequences". [Thomas, William I.; 
Thomas, Dorothy: The Child in America (Alfred Knopf, 1929, 2nd ed., p. 572)] 



            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._I._Thomas





          John McCreery
          The Word Works, Ltd., Yokohama, JAPAN
          Tel. +81-45-314-9324
          http://www.wordworks.jp/

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