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Re: (Essay) Solipsism: Facts and Fictions

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:45 pm
by AshvinP
Cleric K wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 11:36 am
AshvinP wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 1:22 am Fiction: Solipsism means the person adhering to it does not accept the reality of any other perspective apart from his own, and therefore will lack compassion and empathy for others, or will be acting against his own worldview when displaying compassion and empathy for others (see illutration below in response).
Excellent, Ashvin!

You're saving me some work. There's a part yet to be written where I would have to address this problem but now I'll simply put reference to your essay.

I was intending to give the following example.

Cleric, thanks!

Your post was the perfect addendum to illustrate that last fiction about solipsism. It is pretty fascinating to see how modern prejudices invert and project absolutely everything in the manner you describe. The biggest prejudice being the failure to understand ourselves as evolving works in progress, Be-ings and Becomings, rather than statically complete beings in knowledge, freedom, and morality. This is the most simple and undeniable aspect of our existence and the Cosmos at large, yet also the most habitually ignored by all these otherwise brilliant minds. It's very unfortunate, because there is great liberating joy to be had in the confidence that we are evolving towards something much greater, and great meaning which comes with every great responsibility we take on and sacrifice we make along the way.

I am really looking forward to your essay, which sounds pretty epic at this point. I feel like I am waiting in anticipation of the next new Nolan movie :)

Re: (Essay) Solipsism: Facts and Fictions

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:55 pm
by dkpstarkey
Soul_of_Shu wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 2:51 pm I'll take the revival of this cynical rumour as an attempt at humour. For the record, I've looked into the posting history of both Cleric and Ashvin, as well as their account details which only admin has access to, dating back to the old MS forum, and I'm satisfied that there is simply no evidence to support the claim. This coming from you Jim, usually such a strong proponent of actual evidence, is surprising actually!

Anyway, any further rumour mongering will be deleted.
I showed up on that list myself, and I can confirm that I'm a distinct individual.

It's comical, isn't it, to suggest one person is producing all these posts. I've been marveling at Ashvin's prolific posting, wondering, in contrast, if Ashvin is perhaps a composite of multiple authors. :D (This is a joke, not a rumor.)

But the bit about "faked" compliments... really, Jim? That is a bizarro world level of paranoia, but then, of course... (gestures vaguely at everything). :lol:

Re: (Essay) Solipsism: Facts and Fictions

Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 12:42 am
by Soul_of_Shu
dkpstarkey wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:55 pmBut the bit about "faked" compliments... really, Jim? That is a bizarro world level of paranoia, but then, of course... (gestures vaguely at everything). :lol:
There have been compliments from this poster too, which of course explains why the great imposter hasn't been banned, since he's also the mod ... just to make it even more laughable :roll:

Re: (Essay) Solipsism: Facts and Fictions

Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 12:59 am
by AshvinP
dkpstarkey wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:55 pm
Soul_of_Shu wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 2:51 pm I'll take the revival of this cynical rumour as an attempt at humour. For the record, I've looked into the posting history of both Cleric and Ashvin, as well as their account details which only admin has access to, dating back to the old MS forum, and I'm satisfied that there is simply no evidence to support the claim. This coming from you Jim, usually such a strong proponent of actual evidence, is surprising actually!

Anyway, any further rumour mongering will be deleted.
I showed up on that list myself, and I can confirm that I'm a distinct individual.

It's comical, isn't it, to suggest one person is producing all these posts. I've been marveling at Ashvin's prolific posting, wondering, in contrast, if Ashvin is perhaps a composite of multiple authors. :D (This is a joke, not a rumor.)

But the bit about "faked" compliments... really, Jim? That is a bizarro world level of paranoia, but then, of course... (gestures vaguely at everything). :lol:

My alter-egos thank you, DKP ;)

In the context of this essay, let me just say this - when one realizes the gap between what one knows and what it is possible for one to know, that serves as the greatest motivation. A healthy solipsism, apart from being logically necessitated by consistent idealism, makes both the gap and the possibility for closing it very clear. A reactionary insulation and imposition of 'hard boundaries' on one's "personal" being, on the other hand, squashes all such motivation. It's like a country shutting down all commerce and travel across its borders to deal with an unknown pandemic, except this protectionist move lasts indefinitely. Then everything becomes a monotonous chore, with no real propsect of expanding useful knowledge through genuine broadening and transcending of perspective, only reformulating and rephrasing the same knowledge over and over. The only slight relief comes from fantastic speculation about who we are and our place in the Cosmos, which is done only to try and make time move more quickly so we can get to the "end" of it. These are enitrely self-imposed oppressions and there's no need for them.

Re: (Essay) Solipsism: Facts and Fictions

Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 12:55 pm
by Jim Cross
dkpstarkey wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:55 pm
Soul_of_Shu wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 2:51 pm I'll take the revival of this cynical rumour as an attempt at humour. For the record, I've looked into the posting history of both Cleric and Ashvin, as well as their account details which only admin has access to, dating back to the old MS forum, and I'm satisfied that there is simply no evidence to support the claim. This coming from you Jim, usually such a strong proponent of actual evidence, is surprising actually!

Anyway, any further rumour mongering will be deleted.
I showed up on that list myself, and I can confirm that I'm a distinct individual.

It's comical, isn't it, to suggest one person is producing all these posts. I've been marveling at Ashvin's prolific posting, wondering, in contrast, if Ashvin is perhaps a composite of multiple authors. :D (This is a joke, not a rumor.)

But the bit about "faked" compliments... really, Jim? That is a bizarro world level of paranoia, but then, of course... (gestures vaguely at everything). :lol:
It is a bizarro world, don't you think?

Anyway, Shu mistook my humor, which others seem to understand, for a serious accusation. Hmm. Wonder what it is about that? Did he think it might be true?

Re: (Essay) Solipsism: Facts and Fictions

Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 1:10 pm
by Ben Iscatus
Hmm. Wonder what it is about that? Did he think it might be true?
Best to keep a sense of humour! But if someone were using his home computer and his work computer (or just 2 different machines in two different locations) this would surely be possible. Not that it really matters.

Re: (Essay) Solipsism: Facts and Fictions

Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 1:29 pm
by Jim Cross
Ben Iscatus wrote: Tue Oct 12, 2021 1:10 pm
Hmm. Wonder what it is about that? Did he think it might be true?
Best to keep a sense of humour! But if someone were using his home computer and his work computer (or just 2 different machines in two different locations) this would surely be possible. Not that it really matters.
Yep. Not that it really matters. As I said, I hardly pay any notice to most of these posts except to move past them to see if there are any comments of value.

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-ma ... p-address/

Re: (Essay) Solipsism: Facts and Fictions

Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 1:41 pm
by Soul_of_Shu
Jim Cross wrote: Tue Oct 12, 2021 12:55 pmAnyway, Shu mistook my humor, which others seem to understand, for a serious accusation. Hmm. Wonder what it is about that? Did he think it might be true?
As mentioned, I'm allowing that it is intended as humour. However, when Ben first brought it to my attention months ago, he was taking it seriously, and so I looked into it for the sake of laying any rumours to rest.
Ben Iscatus wrote: Tue Oct 12, 2021 1:10 pm Not that it really matters.
Actually, it does matter, and using such a tactic in the forum would be considered ban-worthy. Again, after looking into it, I'm satisfied there is simply no evidence to support the conjecture. Hopefully, now that some good laughs have been milked from it, it will no longer be a distraction.

Re: (Essay) Solipsism: Facts and Fictions

Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 1:55 pm
by Jim Cross
Actually, it does matter, and using such a tactic in the forum would be considered ban-worthy. Again, after looking into it, I'm satisfied there is simply no evidence to support the conjecture. Hopefully, now that some good laughs have been milked from it, it will no longer be a distraction.
Yeah. The idea that the forum has been hijacked by one person or bot using different avatars to talk to themselves would be a serious problem.

Of course, in some ways that is what has happened, although maybe not in the literal sense. Essentially the Steiner Bot dominates every thread of every topic in one form or another. Perhaps an alternate domain name could be registered "metasteiner.org."

Re: (Essay) Solipsism: Facts and Fictions

Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 2:05 pm
by Ben Iscatus
The idea that the forum has been hijacked by one person or bot using different avatars to talk to themselves would be a serious problem.
Well that might be DID, and on this forum that should be allowed ;-)