In order for you to assert that "'this' is the best of all possible worlds" you presumably have knowledge about the rest of all possible worlds. How many possible worlds do you know of? — Bitter Crank

Only this one.

Every human being can imagine [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0VTHLa_SgE[/url]. It seems that God cannot. — David Mo

Yeah, it's all there, ehh. Free will? *Becomes violently existential*

Nah, your ahead of the game. I doubt I'd have the godlike courage or ability to look inwards.

Maybe it crystalized or blinked.

I highly doubt that.

Nothing, it was already all seeing. — ZhouBoTong

Are you sure about that? Because the union was never perfected to start with. So, something must have had to ontologically happen to the All-Seeing-Eye when it turned its gaze inward.

There's some story in the comics where it turned out that Captain America was actually a Hydra operative all along, and therefore had been implicitly a Nazi back when Hydra were Nazis. That was apparently horrible unpopular with fans, and I'm not sure if it's been retconned or was always an alternate universe or what. There's a nod to it in Endgame that seemed to make a lot of people happy though, where [spoiler]Captain America pretends to be an undercover Hydra agent to get something from actual Hydra agents)[/spoiler]. — Pfhorrest

Yep, Project Insight reveals this.

I would prefer you engage with my examples/ideas. — ZhouBoTong

Please entertain them for me.

Thanks.

Well, I'm not familiar with the philosopher. Is it Camus? I only read his la peste.

Spinoza helps ground things if you need reorientation.

Because if it is true then meeting the "wants" of conscious beings would only change a small fraction of the universe. It would change nothing in all aspects of the universe that are not touched by consciousness (our current knowledge would place everything but earth and the short reach beyond it by humanity as being unrelated to wants). But if we are already assuming the rest of the universe is 100% deterministic, then obviously this does not matter...but if the rest of the universe is only 99.9% deterministic, then it does (we don't need to debate the percent of determinism...if you think it is 100%, I am happy to agree). — ZhouBoTong

The determinism is 99%...(9)

And there is no "center" of the universe, so what happens anywhere in it happens in other dimensions. I don't quite understand how they interact if the membrane theory is true.

Does it make sense to you that a "world" where ALL wants are met is nonsense? It could not exist without destroying logical understanding. Even individuals have wants that conflict with THEIR OWN other wants...let alone differences between the wants of different people. Unless we play word games, no one can have their cake and eat it too, but in a world of infinitely granted wants, they would (and we can't even guess what that would look like...after they eat the cake do all its partially digested parts disappear from inside my body and re-integrate into the formed piece of cake in my hand? If it is not in my stomach, can I still say I ate it? It actually sounds like one type of determinism has gone out the window?) — ZhouBoTong

No, information isn't static. Retrograde-determinism might not apply...

If you're suicidal then we're no longer having a philosophical discussion: You need to go to therapy and get help. Anti-depressants can work wonders. — BitconnectCarlos

Then, can you tell me what is all this jazz about the relationship between suicide and philosophy?

and I also want to be important to the world — Pfhorrest

Isn't that the very insanity that drove some madman to burn down the Alexandria library? Try to treat as an analogy?

How bad was it?

And for the record I don't blame people who committed suicide in those types of conditions, but it's not a certainty either. — BitconnectCarlos

Then, again I prod you to answer just how much of suicide is environmental or plain mental illness?

And hoping that others that can do a little will, too, and in the end there will be enough of us who can do enough to make a noticeable difference. — Pfhorrest

Then you are an honorable person. I've seen the work that you did on your webpage, and ask you very humbly what makes you tick?

If you read Man's Search for Meaning it's about a guy's experience in a Nazi concentration camp. He was under some of the worst conditions imaginable, but he never wanted to kill himself or die. It's a matter of mindset. — BitconnectCarlos

I think you need to read it again...

Yes, well, just say no to drugs, kid. — Artemis

Thanks, as corny as this sounds, I needed to hear that.

On a more serious note, it's my personal experience dealing with people who are struggling with mental health and/or drug issues that's led me to realize that accepting the limitations of my ability to immediately fix anything is not the same as resignation. — Artemis

And it shouldn't be; but, do you think these things can be taught? (Now I sound like @Banno)

suicide is ultimately a choice that you make. — BitconnectCarlos

Fuck that shit. That's like saying everyone ultimately has the capacity of suicide, which may be true; but, the act itself is not totally independent from A and B.

I just don't think that's how causation works when it comes to suicide. — BitconnectCarlos

I could be wrong for all I know. Then how does causation work here, with directionalities??

Because people are short-sighted. Mostly as a consequence of being lazy and greedy and stupid. Mostly as a consequence of being overworked, traumatized, under constant threat, etc. — Pfhorrest

Yeah, and that's why I can't read Chomsky anymore. His analysis is also short-sighted (or not) about US domestic affairs. It's all too gloomy in my mind.

Best I can hope for is that the few people who are functional enough to work against the systemic dysfunction can over time pull hard enough long enough to pull the whole system back to functionality eventually. — Pfhorrest

Like who? We had Jesus... Mohammad... Moses... Buddha, Krishnamurti, bla bla bla. Same problem if we expect it from others and not ourselves.

There are so many responses I'm anticipating; but, the burning question is why can't our own kids fix the problems we created.

Do you want to know how to test it? — 3017amen

No, not in some selfish or egotistical sense. Just how it works, so I can spot people who exploit it. I'm paranoid that way...

Abandon philosophy. Concentrate on sports, on sex, and on drinking and driving. In no time your life problem will be resolved. — god must be atheist

Easy does it, dude. I just smoked a cig, do what makes you OK, as long as law-abiding.

law of attraction — 3017amen

Is that real?

It starts with recognizing and learning to accept things you cannot change. — Artemis

Seems like Stoicism really is a fad nowadays. I'll take Stoic apatheia or equanimity over ecstatic bliss, drugs, or other ego-tripping ideals.

As Nietzsche once said: 'To live is to suffer. To survive is to find meaning in the suffering.' — The Abyss

Yes, as he may as well speak for himself.

How do you do that?

I see abstract thought combined with rudamentary logic as the highest expression of creativity.

Don't ask me why, as you need to figure that out.

Wrong on two counts.

Emotion comes first.

Every profession works for...society

More than anything, from my psychoanalysis of Schopenhauer (and Nietzsche too), is that they wanted empathy to dominate human affairs.

And it does. We don't send people who want to kill themselves to prison!

Try and have some fun if boredom is really that excruciating.

Wow, that's quite a mouthful. My attention span will have to be worked on to focus on the gist of your philosophy.

How much of Confucianism is in your philosophy? Or major influences?

Homeostasis is an option, as long as there is a desire to maintain it?

Yeah, true. But I am smartin' where the sun don't shine.

This is a shining example of the force of darkness. — god must be atheist

The Eye of Providence can see through anything and everything.

Don't worry! Be happy! ( this is really scary.) — god must be atheist

It is fucking scary. (denial)
Look, take it easy, I think you are pushing yourself too hard (projecting).
But, the sun is still shining, we're advocating philosophy, and emotions are real! (A)(B)(C)

It sounds like you're reaching escape velocity( in the information theory and simulated worlds thread at least). — Punshhh

Haha, my own addiction feeds on itself, as you can see...

Is this just a simple matter of death anxiety?

Yes, the next thought in my mind is an addiction, by association.

Why is stimulation so addicting?

Well, Red Skull and Captain America took the same drugs, so maybe they were having raves together or something?