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I Like to Philosophize

The "self" is a very fragile and maluable thing, but there are certain points in every self that are almost immovable once set in place for long enough.

We see this in fundamentalists who attack the ideology of another rather than think critically of both sides.
A mechanism being the protection of the emotional well-being of the "self" persona by destroying symbols of what opposes the value structure that gives creedence to it's existence.
Thus why people are willing to kill over an idea, as to face the possible fallacy of the building blocks that make up the basis of their reality would be like death.

The mask would be broken, then there is just their being without a constructed self to function or navigate through the world. The support for determining meaning and perceiving the world would be nulified and the mind would go into panic and anxiety.
So we see increasing ideological tribalism and identitarianism, even more so with the vast scale of instant sharing of information.

To be an individual might be only possible to a small extent due to our ideas and values being a collection of those before us and what is presented and valued in the present, but it's the only real freedom one can have if it is at all possible outside of just being a variation of a collection of ideas.

The only way may be through critical thought in all areas, almost to nihilism, and this is the most distressing and uncomfortable place a self can find itself in. But then to be a "true" individual would be to become a brick wall to all external influence which is impossible. But a person could still be as much as an individual as they possibly can, and that it something which should be pursued.

my head hurts

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Carlisle · F

Mine does too.
But very thought provoking. Really cool 😎

Peaceful · F

The "self" has been made fragile by being taught from a young age to seek outside oneself. I do not mean the nurturing of a parent.

I mean seeking answers outside oneself, which media, education, the medical field trains us to do.

To be clear, I'm not placing blame on anything I have listed, (just part of a system of indictrination). Cartoons, advertising, all have the same goals in mind. To believe and buy into what they are selling.

We no longer are taught to think independently in a world where information is literally seconds away with a mere Google search...or if you are more cautious, DuckDuckGo.

Instead, we are spoon-fed our beliefs and ideaoligies, our insecurities and prejudices and what happens next? We conform. We never think to question. We as insecure people, aim to hopefully "fit in".

We are meant to unlearn this. Sadly, most feel more comfortable in the bubble they were grown in, rather than exploring the truth.

Truth is different for many. And that can be a very good thing.

But when our illusion of truth aligns with indoctrination and fear? Well that was never truth to begin with.

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Ryannnnnn · 31-35, M

@Peaceful There's certain pros and cons that come with the nature of the collective, without it we would live in anarchy as a lot of our values that are beneficial to our continued existence has been passed on for that very reason. There are certain human social constants of course in nature but we're "nudged" towards certain preferences.
It is social engineering, whether it's ethical or neccesary is another question.

Agreed, it's interesting looking into the nature why so then we truly understand why we feel such a way. Then once this awareness is there we can make more constructive reponses and not go into "attack" mode when faced with something that disagrees with our preferencial reality. Even if certain beliefs can't be undone, at the very least people can learn to be more conscious of themselves and thus more free to think and be less effected.

I'll avoid getting into the pros and cons of capitalism as thats a discussion for another time.. and i really need coffee..

Peaceful · F

@Ryannnnnn enjoy your cuppa. I deeply enjoyed your post and our dialogue. 🤗

Ryannnnnn · 31-35, M

@Peaceful Thanks, and likewise.
We'll talk another time 🙂

RenaissanceMan

Thank you for this discourse. It is rare to meet someone authentic. Collectivism is a tool used by few to rule over many. Most people do not like themselves for many reasons. Most have been taught/conditioned to dislike themselves. One can be free,and not in the philosophical rhetorical sense. It is a matter of unlearning what has been taught. There is a place in divine consciousness that does not depend on anything external. We are divine consciousness. No one can show us the door. All the answers are within us. In our heart lies the truth.

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RenaissanceMan

@Ryannnnnn true. It all depends on the lens. Divine Consciousness uses no lens. Collectivism leads to greed in some form. I will leave you with this question because I'm logging off in a minute. We should continue this conversation in depth at a later time if you like. Why do you think the ancient central and south american indigenous tribes left their beautiful and well structured societies and returned to the jungle?

RenaissanceMan

@Ryannnnnn I forgot to submit a theory I trust.
S = K. Log W
*Nothing outside the mind exists*

Ryannnnnn · 31-35, M

@RenaissanceMan I'm not familiar with the history around that, but if it was out of choice and not from neccesity/tragedy, perhaps they became disillusioned with the new life they'd created and sought to return to the core of what they thought was most important.

To be re-connected with what was natural and to re-discover the sense of meaning they had maybe lost in the transition.

Sicarium · 46-50, M

An individual doesn't have to exist in a vacuum, that's not what it means to be an individual. External influence or past knowledge doesn't limit or constrain individuality. An individual can decide both which external influences he or she allows to influence him or her and the extent of that influence.

Critical does not necessarily mean negative. In fact, critical thinking can often be quite positive. Example: you have two options, A and B. A Nihilist might critically compare the two to determine which would bring the least pain. A Nietzschean might compare the two to see which made him stand out more. Outside of philosophy, a Christian might compare the two to see which brought her closer to God. A Buddhist could compare the two to see which one brought about the least attachment (a negative comparison for a Buddhist) or the most detachment (a positive for a Buddhist). But you can just as easily compare which would bring the most happiness or success, critically evaluating both the potential of that happiness or success and the degree of that happiness or success.

Part of individuality is deciding your own outlook, whether that's a way of thinking first articulated hundreds of years ago, a mix of philosophies, or something entirely new. Individualism is the ability and freedom to decide that, not the decision itself.

Ryannnnnn · 31-35, M

@Sicarium Yes i agree, and that's why critical thought is needed and is very positive for the growth of a person and people as a whole.
I was saying more so that the journey in itself can be very uncomfortable depending on how deep one goes down the rabbit hole so to speak.

Also I found after picking apart everything i believed and pretty much having nothing left, I drifted back to a sense of spirituality and purpose. But in doing so i had a better sense of what my true preferences were, and i can more so freely choose than i would have done before-hand and i'm more aware.

I think it's needed more so now than ever with the external influence being on such a grander scale than it has been in the past through the internet and sharing of ideas that may not be based in fact but in opinion seen through the lens of a belief or preference, mostly speaking of fake news.
Which to have preference is fine, but the more we have a balance and awareness of the nature of said preference the more likely we are to take a more constructive response to opposing preferences.

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