I don't know. Probably to kill time, and wallow around.

I like to wallow; but, I'm in a constant struggle to wallow less and philosophize more.

Oh well.

My reasons are mostly what you gave.
I am certainly running into some of my own fallibility. I already regret saying some things the way I did.

My work life is very far from this sort of thing so I am trying to keep the ember from going dark.
I have spent years closely reading some works but there are many perspectives I am only marginally aware of, if at all, in others.

This modern terminology of distinguishing various theories from each other that is the lingua franca on the forum has been a trip for me. The practice makes me nervous, not the disputations involved but the unspoken agreements.

Enough about me.

This modern terminology of distinguishing various theories from each other that is the lingua franca on the forum has been a trip for me. The practice makes me nervous, not the disputations involved but the unspoken agreements. — Valentinus

I'd like to hear more, if you'd care to expand...?

I have been checking out the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy a lot lately to understand themes and theories I am not familiar with. I have also been checking out articles on things I think I am familiar with. Wayfarer recently referred me to the site that made a careful comparison of how properties of "substances" were described in Descartes, Spinoza, and other philosophers in that time period. It was helpful and accurate as a matter of bringing those differences into focus. But I was struck by how differently those properties appear in the actual texts of Spinoza and Descartes. The point of view used to compare the two from the outside misses elements of how meaning is developed on the inside.

There is something about the history of philosophy and how ideas are explained by other ideas that puts works at a distance. Description as a form of judgement, if you will.

I want to be enlightened like the Buddha, but I got these efffing kids...

Hah.
Children are the most dangerous thing in your home.

Right? And unlike grown ups, they never fail to notice the smallest lapses in attention. Spaces within which to move freely. Or even more horrifying, mirroring the strained haggard expressions of the haunted, so that they may be infected too. The cost of loving you.

Yes, nobody sees you as you are as well as your kids.
One could write a history of the world based upon strategies to limit the results of the perception.

I am ready to share my thoughts and to read other peoples in all forms. And to have open discussion about them.

This way my thinking gets stronger, this is the daily gym for thinkanauts.

Our grace came from the sea, our strength came from the land, our soul from the stars.

Our grace came from the sea, our strength came from the land, our soul from the stars. — loosefanbeltdan

That's pretty damn ominous...

Ominous? I thought it was lovely! :smile:

It's a reference to the three beasts of revelation.

Why?

If I hang around magic monkeys maybe their magic will rub off on me, despite my incompetence.

De omnibus dubitandum est

Everyone knows I'm not the devil right? That's ridiculous, and silly, the devil isn't real... only God is... not the devil, so don't think about that part. And that is totally not what the devil would say.

Since this is haunting me... thank you so much Loosefanbeltdan... thanks... I have to explain why I'm not the devil, and what relationships with the same elements will mark them, I do know what the mark is, where it indeed is ambiguous on me, but that is because I have severe damage, but I'm repairing it, it will get repaired.

The devil is like the predator aspect, and the soul the prey. You can tell it because it feels really good to be on top, and not so much to be on the bottom. All submissive elements are in the prey, including gratitude, appreciation, love, sadness, remorse. So that, if one is to appreciate the sacrifices of the saints and true followers, they are to appreciate, with grief, mourning, gratitude, awe. One does not throw bodies at a problem and then be pleased. One does not corrupt the covenant with frivolity, with greed, elation, drunkenness, excitement.

And I wouldn't know all of these things right now to be paranoid about if it wasn't for you, I'd still be allowed to curse and profane, which is totally like my favorite thing, besides making light and laughing at everything. With barely containable glee, and pleasure at my own appreciations of something others died for, and I praise myself for seeing. Like praising your eyeballs for being able to see the artist's painting.

It's a reference to the three beasts of revelation. — All sight

:up: All of God's creatures are welcome here. :smile: Especially the dragons.

Not the dragon. I'd be a lot better at keeping behind the scenes if I were, what else would I need the other two beasts for?

Why am I here? Because philosophy is the thinking person's Sudoku, and at the end of a busy day doing mostly housework and crap like that, I like to unwind by letting my brain do its thang.

to try to understand better the world. By chatting with intelligent people you figure out things. For example, I´d really like to have my notion that we live in a deterministic universe challenged with arguments I can understand and make sense of.
Also because I got expelled from all my previous forums for, well having thoughts of my own and not just be a PC sheep.

I like the quote from Revelation. It´s a pity only this Revelation book was preserved, because I´ve known it was a whole popular genre in Judaism, early Christianism and other literary cults. Enoch is also in that genre I think

"Why am I here?" said the grain of sand in the oyster.
"I don't know,"said the oyster,"all I know is you're bloody irritating."

But the pearl fisher knows.