[lit-ideas] Re: On Nip Thievery
- From: "Mike Geary" <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2008 10:52:36 -0500
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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