Comments on: The Universe, yourself included http://www.infinite0.com/archives/20 Nothing... yet everything. Wed, 31 Mar 2010 08:34:56 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Phil http://www.infinite0.com/archives/20#comment-35 Phil Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:12:31 +0000 http://www.infinite0.com/archives/20#comment-35 You are liking emotion because you are embracing your individuality. Which means, to me, that you are placing yourself on one side of an invisible glass pane, and everyone/everything else on the other. Taking out that glass pane creates a naturally harmonious environment, with no need for emotion. Keep in mind this is still just a theory. Laozi was describing Dao, I'm not entirely sure if you can actually extrapolate this far. Also, please see my reply to your comment in the "<a href="http://www.infinite0.com/archives/15#comment-34" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Life as a pointless race?</a>" post. You are liking emotion because you are embracing your individuality. Which means, to me, that you are placing yourself on one side of an invisible glass pane, and everyone/everything else on the other. Taking out that glass pane creates a naturally harmonious environment, with no need for emotion.

Keep in mind this is still just a theory. Laozi was describing Dao, I’m not entirely sure if you can actually extrapolate this far.

Also, please see my reply to your comment in the “Life as a pointless race?” post.

]]> By: guichemot http://www.infinite0.com/archives/20#comment-32 guichemot Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:40:25 +0000 http://www.infinite0.com/archives/20#comment-32 Nah, emotions are great. If I react negatively to my roommate peeing on my textbooks, it is less likely to happen again, both to me or someone else. You might say, "you don't need to react emotionally; you just need to tell him not to so it again." Well yes; but in order to have the desire to tell him that, neurologically speaking, and emotion would inevitably precede it. Emotions are also great because they feel good: dopamine baths are a lot more fun that just trying not to feel anything all day (yes, it is effortful because it is a conscious attempt to initiate behavior). So I would hate being one with the universe by the sounds of it. I think I already realize that I am a bunch of atoms; it is instructive only in that it allows me to complement my physical anatomy with things like medicine. Other than that, it's really just something to wonder at. It doesn't imply any sort of magical "oneness." Nah, emotions are great. If I react negatively to my roommate peeing on my textbooks, it is less likely to happen again, both to me or someone else. You might say, “you don’t need to react emotionally; you just need to tell him not to so it again.” Well yes; but in order to have the desire to tell him that, neurologically speaking, and emotion would inevitably precede it. Emotions are also great because they feel good: dopamine baths are a lot more fun that just trying not to feel anything all day (yes, it is effortful because it is a conscious attempt to initiate behavior). So I would hate being one with the universe by the sounds of it. I think I already realize that I am a bunch of atoms; it is instructive only in that it allows me to complement my physical anatomy with things like medicine. Other than that, it’s really just something to wonder at. It doesn’t imply any sort of magical “oneness.”

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