children all across the neighborhood were starting to hate me — ernestm

That part made me laugh, thanks. :point:

No time now but I'll check it out.

Each of these dimensionally rare relational structures suggests a weak impetus towards increasing awareness, connection and collaboration (or exposure, transmission and integration of information) beginning with the most fundamental elements of the universe. Without it, the universe as we know it would not have existed, and neither would we. — Possibility

I got this gist when I read through a collection of your posts on various topics, and you now explicitly say, "it has nothing to do with survival, dominance or procreation." I think we can collapse that into just procreation, by the way. I think it might help if you could explain where procreation fits. It fits somehow.

Maybe a good approach is with genes. It's easy to see how genes are information, and that it appears the one goal of genes is procreation.

The fact that there are no Trump voters here does not stop us from considering how we might productively engage them when we do encounter them. — Nuke

There are, as Michael pointed out, but the few hardcore ones of the kind you've been describing tend not to last long, and their motivations are dubious. That's my experience anyway.

You've been promoting the idea of reaching across the aisle to this 'tribe' but have yet to offer any good ideas about accomplishing this difficult task aside from validation, which, by the way, can come off as condescending.

It's a matter of realistically appreciating that little of significance can be accomplished without them. — Nuke

Actually, I think they only account for about 30-40% of Americans. Half the nation didn't vote in 2016.

I don’t follow, there really are no Trump supporters on this forum of the sort you describe.

what we lefties do need to do is reach out to Trump voters and publicly acknowledge that they have reasonable concerns. — Nuke

Somehow I don’t think that a public “there there now, you have reasonable concerns” will do the trick. Validation may be a good starting point but it only goes so far. Got any other ideas?

When I share this on Facebook, I am told I am a 'privielged white sh*t who is exactly causing the problem.' — ernestm

I don’t know Facebook that well but don’t you still have to accept ‘friend’ requests? Or maybe you can’t read a room so good?

our capacity to increase awareness, connection and collaboration well beyond the importance of our own existence, species, planet and galaxy that is of the most value to a universe whose ultimate purpose seems to have always been to matter. — Possibility

This is the essence of my issue with your theory, at least as far as I currently know or understand it. We value awareness, connection, and collaboration, and I suspect that this is due to our being a social species. Why would these qualities be of value to the universe, or even a non-social species? It’s like anthropomorphizing the universe, but if I’m not mistaken, you said that’s laughable, so, not sure where I’ve gotten lost.

Also, I can’t grasp the idea of how the universes ultimate purpose could have been to matter, or rather, I don’t know what that means.

Praxis has simply been trolling. — Gnomon

I wrote a sincere post about my impression of information theory as you requested. It's your choice to respond, of course, but it's indisputable evidence of non-trolling interest and conduct.

Granted I've been unnecessarily rude. I've gained interest in the topic and would like to be more cooperative. You cannot fault Possibility's conduct, by the way, which has been remarkable by any standard.

You're speaking in riddles again, Gnomon, which is fine, but it's getting old.

Is there any legislation in the works along these lines that you know of? Anything that someone might contact their representatives to support?

For what it's worth, Trudeau admitting systemic racism. Remarkable by comparison to POTUS.

I don’t recall claiming sainthood. Anyway, shouldn't you be dismantling my narrative? Trump isn’t divisive? The divisiveness is not strategic? and whatever else.

Is there something preventing you from responding for your fallen hero and righteously defending his honor?

I continue to think that perhaps I’m missing some understanding that’s obvious to everyone else and when finally pointed out to me will dissolve my theory into nothing, but everything I read seems to support the theory from a certain angle, while remaining ignorant of the whole picture. — Possibility

The first thing that comes to mind for me, and I could be way off-base from not fully grasping your theory, is that what’s at the core of human morality, and perhaps everything human, may simply be procreation. So if human awareness, connection, and collaboration are fundamental to the universe then the universe is all about procreation? In what sense could that be seen as true, assuming the thought is not wildly off-base?

They have the same rights as white people but harder prerequisites to abide by the core values of the white man. — EpicTyrant

The core values of the white man expressed in systematic racism, for instance?

Talking to a ghost...

You leftists are utterly deluded and seldom get anything right, but just to make things simple for you...there will be a reaction against the rioting and looting that is being encouraged by leftist organisations. — Chester

Part of the reaction is controlled by an ass with far more influence than any intelligent society should empower, proving beyond doubt that it’s not an intelligent society. The asinine narrative is full of bravado (appealing to insecure types like yourself) and focuses entirely on the violence of one side of the issue and completely ignores the violence of the other side, and does so for the singular and selfish purpose of maintaining power and wealth (a second term), utterly regardless of the damage this may do to society, or perhaps mindful of it, being that a fractured society is easier to control. Divide and conquer is the strategy that you mindlessly assist and don’t benefit from.

If the hard left thinks this is going to work out well for them then they are even bigger cunts than I already think they are. — Chester

It’s not a plan. It’s not rational. Read the fucking signs if not the actual words. They can’t breathe.

I’ll read about it though.
— praxis

Since you seem to be offended by my eccentric approach to Metaphysics, how would you describe, in your own words, the Theory of Information that is the topic of this thread? — Gnomon

Offense, eccentricity, or your approach to anything is beside the point, as I've mentioned several times my concern is communication, and the issue started with your claim that metaphysics has been banished from philosophical discourse. That indicates that there's something wrong with your concept of metaphysics.

From what I understand Information theory is not your theory. In general though, my impression is that it's merely a way of looking at things. A hammer can be a hammer, or a paperweight, or a weapon, or information, etc etc etc. When you want salt you don't say, "please pass the information," you ask for salt. One the other hand, what is salt but information, or rather, patterns of sense data that a brain has been trained to recognize as salt.

To say that anything is one thing or another is dualistic and itself an event that necessarily has a purpose. It makes no difference if something is information or anything else if there is no purpose for making the distinction.

Did an advanced search for 'fifth dimension' posted by Posibility and read several posts from various topics.

Fifth dimension is affected. I happen to be familiar with modern neurological models so I'm able to appreciate this relatively well, I believe. The theory of constructed emotion was a real mind-bender for me. Sixth dimension metaphysics, from what I could briefly glean, holds that awareness, connection, and collaboration is inherent to everything, in an apparent attempt to unify everything from morals to the behavior of photons.

If nothing else, I at least now understand why Possibility chose Possibility for a name, out of all the possibilities.

If it were I wouldn’t have mentioned it.

To Sever & Protect?

PS___Since you're so smart, can you explain to me what Possibility's Fifth Dimension is? — Gnomon

You’ve repeatedly shown that I can’t explain anything to you. I’ll read about it though.

I don't know what philosophers you've been reading, but the most famous thinkers also seem to be the hardest to understand. — Gnomon

Someone who remains willfully ignorant about a concept like metaphysics is called a troglodyte. And are you suggesting that you deliberately obfuscate to appear smart? I have gotten that impression, actually.

I don't expect the concept that "Information is the new Atom" will become common knowledge until long after I've gone to the big forum in the sky. — Gnomon

What's the difference between a bit of information and a bit of an atom again?

Clear case of one rule for mods and another for others - .
— I like sushi

It is. This is how they want to do it though. Vote with your feet.

I’ll just talk with my feet.

Hello reddit :)
— I like sushi

:up: — frank

This is a public gesture, Frank. You don't say anything about taking a break for reasons not directly related. Lie to yourself all you want. I don't like being lied to.

Unless posts were deleted or are located somewhere else I don't see the baiting.

The point is that it's probably not a good idea to have mods baiting people into suicide by mod. — ChatteringMonkey

A case for that can't be made, assuming the baiting posts involved were in the systematic racism topic. What am I missing?

People organizing to protect a Target store. Well, it at least proves that people have the ability to cooperate and get what they deserve.

Vote with your feet. — frank

The gesture would seem much nobler if the high principled would at least wait for someone a bit better than Chester to be banned. Shouldn't have to wait long.

Anyone who has spent more than 100 words sweating over looting and not - I dunno - the fact that someone got murdered in broad daylight, can all go to hell. — StreetlightX

I remember learning that around three million children die of malnutrition each year and thinking, ‘how did I not know that? how does everyone not know that?’ No good answers but apparently we can all live with it.

It's far less bad than, as you say, the incalculable suffering caused by systematic racism that is now symbolized by the George Floyd murder. — Pfhorrest

I don't see how it can be said to be an overreaction then.
— praxis

Because "overreaction" doesn't mean "worse than what it's a reaction to". — Pfhorrest

If we must consult the dictionary, it means a more emotional or forcible response than is justified. Justified means having, done for, or marked by a good or legitimate reason.

What you're calling an overreaction is "far less bad" than what it's a reaction to but is nevertheless an overreaction because it's unjustified. Unjustified means not shown to be right or reasonable. Reasonable means having sound judgment; fair and sensible.

I think we can all agree that violent rioting is not fair or sensible, but then we can also agree that murder by police is not fair or sensible and that systematic racism is not fair or sensible. So maybe we can stop talking about fairness and sensibility and start talking about the emotional response.

You think that the emotional response is an overreaction. Okay, but you must be able to see how others may not see it that way.

"This is not an overreaction" sounds to me like "this is the appropriate, just, and fully warranted response", in other words, "it's perfectly okay". — Pfhorrest

I have no words...

Fortunately for you then, a lack of self-awareness doesn't violate the Term of Service.

No-one came out and drew any lines as to where justified protest ends, in this case or generally. — Echarmion

I think there are pretty clear lines where lawful police force ends and brutality begins. There are also legal lines that appear to be designed to sustain an underclass in our society. Is anyone saying that's okay?

Since you seem to prefer conservative traditional philosophical terms, your definition of "Metaphysics" can be found in conventional dictionaries, as Ontology, etc. But, since my radical worldview is proposing a new paradigm of reconciled Science, Philosophy, & Religion... — Gnomon

Sure, do whatever you have to in order to understand science, philosophy, and religion better, but again, if you want to be understood, learn the meaning of words and use them appropriately. Clearly, it is not your aim to be understood, however, and that is in part why I say that you're doing something other than philosophy here.

he was concerned I was drunk — Baden

To be fair, you are Irish, right?

It's far less bad than, as you say, the incalculable suffering caused by systematic racism that is now symbolized by the George Floyd murder. — Pfhorrest

I don't see how it can be said to be an overreaction then. Particularly since the situation doesn't seem to be improving. In fact, we seem to be sliding backward of late.

But just being less bad than that doesn't make it perfectly okay. — Pfhorrest

What is this either/or? has anyone actually said it was okay?

Anyway, Godwin's law says it's time for me to bail.

That's just plain favoritism. :razz:

No.

Trolling is deriving amusement, or perhaps in some cases rubles, from riling up an unsuspecting audience. Good hooks are anything that questions a person's morality, status, intelligence, consistency, and things of that nature. Good hooks are subtle and practically force a response. Bad hooks are pathetically obvious (think @Chester) and easily ignored.

Poor wording on my part. Please allow me to rephrase.

Destruction of unrelated storefronts, including ones owned by people who are struggling to make ends meet themselves, or especially (in that video posted earlier) some homeless guy's mattress, is not justified. — Pfhorrest

You appear to evaluate this to be an overreaction to the incalculable suffering caused by systematic racism that is now symbolized by the George Floyd murder.