regurgitating the fruit of the tree of knowledge

[einride]

when you have once started asking yourself all the old, unanswerable questions: what is the meaning of life? why do we exist? is there a god? and you have read enough of philosophy and theology to realize that both are, beyond a certain point, meaningless exercises in proxility and elaboration on that which leaves no room for elaboration, and ultimately, devoid of answers, can you go back?

when you read philosophy only in order to understand it enough to dismiss it safely, when you read the bible only to know for a fact what you will later be burning, when you realize that the only truth is the lack of truth, and that pursuit of order -- pursuit anything other than the blatant irrationality of life -- is life-denial, the pursuit of truth the pursuit of death -- can you go back?

do you think one can go back to the old "blissful ignorance" after having dipped his filthy little fingers too deep in mimir's well? i want to know nothing.

Wise in measure let each man be;
but let him not wax too wise;
for never the happiest of men is he
who knows much of many things.

Wise in measure should each man be;
but let him not wax too wise;
seldom a heart will sing with joy
if the owner be all too wise.

Wise in measure should each man be,
but ne'er let him wax too wise:
who looks not forward to learn his fate
unburdened heart will bear.

as usual, people knew everything there was to know about life thousands of years ago, and we have since gotten so fucking tangled up in semantics that the modern thinker can never stop thinking, and gets to work all his life to get absolutely nowhere. no sleep! no rest!

 

[dorian gray]

Thinking is boring. Drinking is fun.

 

[MajestikMøøse]

Song that is in the chapel of Intef, justified, which is in front of the singer with the harp.

Fortunate is this nobleman.
Good is fate.
Good is annihilation!

One generation passes on;
Another one remains,
(As) since the age of the ancestors.
The gods who existed before are at rest in their pyramids.
The nobles and the spirits, likewise, are buried in their pyramids.
Those who built chapels - their places are no more.
What has become of them?

I have heard the sayings of Imhotep and Hardedef,
Cited by their quotations so much.
What are their places (now)?
Their walls have fallen to ruins.
Their places are no more - as if they had not existed.

There is no one who has returned from there,
That he might tell of their condition,
That he might tell of their circumstance,
That he might soothe our hearts,
Until we rush off to the place where they go.

May your heart be glad therefore.
Be forgetful of it - (it's) good for you!
Follow your heart as long as you exist.
Place myrrh upon your head.
Dress yourself up in fine linen,
Anointed with a true marvel fit for a god.

Increase your happiness.
Don't be half-hearted.
Follow your heart and your happiness.
Be active on earth.
Don't disobey your heart.

That day of wailing comes to you,
But the Weary-Hearted hears NOT their wailing!
Their mourning has not retrieved a man's heart from there - from the tomb.

Celebrate the day.
Don't get weary of it on me.
Look, it is not permitted for a man to take his things with him.
Look, there is no one who has gone who has returned again.

yup

 

[Krilons Resa]

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

 

[MajestikMøøse]

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

masturbation?

 

[Ars Magna]

Check.

 

[Reign in Acai]

Philosophizing to obtain a conclusion is like a greyhound chasing a mechanical hare. Simply study and ask the question "Why" to bring direction to your life in the current. If you're the same person you were 10 years ago you're doing it wrong.

 

[skeptik]

There is no meaning of life, we're not here for any reason, there is no god, and philosophy is cool and religion is gay except from a literary standpoint.

 

[Plastic Nathrakh]

We're here to rape the planet while pooping. For some reason I fucking hate poop. I hate pooping and hearing about people's poop-scapades. SICK!

 

[einride]

philosophy is cool

elaborate

 

[einride]

There is no meaning of life, we're not here for any reason, there is no god

also you're completely missing the point

i don't want you or anyone else to vomit oversimplified answers to existential questions, the point is the realization that the questions should not be asked in the first place, that you like other thinking people are less fortunate for having asked them and having to come up with an answer, and can they be unasked

 

[lurch70]

 

[Demilich]

i totally agree with erik that a lot of these questions (ESPECIALLY "is there a god?" "is there a point to life?" etc) are extremely impractical and useless.

but this?

when you read philosophy only in order to understand it enough to dismiss it safely, when you read the bible only to know for a fact what you will later be burning, when you realize that the only truth is the lack of truth, and that pursuit of order -- pursuit anything other than the blatant irrationality of life -- is life-denial, the pursuit of truth the pursuit of death -- can you go back?

no.

 

[einride]

no.

what truths would you hope to attain knowledge of by studying philosophy? would knowing these truths improve your life? have we come significantly closer to any universal truth since, say, ancient greece? how?

 

[Plastic Nathrakh]

what truths would you hope to attain knowledge of by studying philosophy? would knowing these truths improve your life? have we come significantly closer to any universal truth since, say, ancient greece? how?

Stop typing like that. Its really pretentious.

We haven't come much closer to any truths because there are none to find. We live, we die. Game over.

Philosophy was never about truths. Its about being a douche and trying to attain the ability to chat more coherently with other douches. Waste of time. Go play paintball or something.

 

[lurch70]

utopia does not exist, nor would any rational being want it to exist.

 

[MajestikMøøse]

I always liked Schopenhauer's little formulation that life is a balance between two opposite polarities of boredom and suffering.

 

[Ellestin]

Life...

 

[einride]

utopia does not exist, nor would any rational being want it to exist.

it's not so much about wishing for utopia, but let's say a utopian state of mind exists -- i don't think the knowledge of any (potential) absolute truths has any bearing on attaining it. success at life seems inversely proportional with time spent figuring out how to live.

i think it is higher wisdom to unknowingly accept that the world appears nonsensical than to know it for a fact and still seek truth. living in tune with the earth means living inconsistently, but happier.

I always liked Schopenhauer's little formulation that life is a balance between two opposite polarities of boredom and suffering.

i don't think this is ideally the case. it sounds cute, and i'm sure it applies often to folks like arthur himself but there are so many shades of grey, and even maybe a third pole of happiness and contentment?

 

[Ellestin]

Cioran is metal