52 replies to this topic

[Puppeteer]

If on the other hand you build your awarweness of self as an infinite entity, you may manifest that destiny.

Yes! Build your complacency and life upon the shakey foundations of ignorance! What a way to go...

[MSpencer]

I'm going to take this from a very simple perspective. That of simple ethology.
1. The object of life, devoid of any philosophical perspective of "meaning," by biological definition, is simply to survive in ecological terms and to pass on the organism's contained genes to the next population. This is supported by an intense developed survival instinct which has evolved as a simple consequence of the main objective of the eukaryotic sexual organism. Support for this model can be found in one of the simplest models in behavioral ecology: Hamiltonian kin selection, by which an estimated coefficient of relatedness dictates the probability of an organism to act to preserve a certain proportion of their genes to be passed on to the next generation.
2. To that end, the genetic basis of the will to survive is quite robust, possibly immune to external environmental effects. It is observed as an unlearned behavior in essentially all eukaryotic sexual organisms, suggesting an evolutionary history far in the past, almost certainly originally as a countermeasure against predation.
3. As a result of this robust history, there is a definite pressure for each organism to reproduce widely and as completely as possible. To that end, even with the recent development of a menstrual cycle, the desire for the continuation of life for the purposes of reproduction continues until death.

This is of course a tremendously simple, unresearched model that could potentially be further investigated, but I think it provides a reasonable outline for a potential genetic basis of the will to survive. Of particular note is that the will to survive post-reproduction is significantly reduced in Arthropoda, and extensive problems in the implementation of this simplified model could be encountered in application to Insecta due to the significant role of differentiated behaviors in social species of insects.

[some_weirdGuy]

if there is life after death does that mean there is death after death too?

[Vortigern]

I'm going to take this from a very simple perspective. That of simple ethology.
1. The object of life, devoid of any philosophical perspective of "meaning," by biological definition, is simply to survive in ecological terms and to pass on the organism's contained genes to the next population. This is supported by an intense developed survival instinct which has evolved as a simple consequence of the main objective of the eukaryotic sexual organism. Support for this model can be found in one of the simplest models in behavioral ecology: Hamiltonian kin selection, by which an estimated coefficient of relatedness dictates the probability of an organism to act to preserve a certain proportion of their genes to be passed on to the next generation.
2. To that end, the genetic basis of the will to survive is quite robust, possibly immune to external environmental effects. It is observed as an unlearned behavior in essentially all eukaryotic sexual organisms, suggesting an evolutionary history far in the past, almost certainly originally as a countermeasure against predation.
3. As a result of this robust history, there is a definite pressure for each organism to reproduce widely and as completely as possible. To that end, even with the recent development of a menstrual cycle, the desire for the continuation of life for the purposes of reproduction continues until death.

So you're saying the point of our existence is to have endless sex in an effort to continue the species? Now that's science everyone can enjoy.

if there is life after death does that mean there is death after death too?

No. Well, maybe. If you take the soul to be a complex series of electric reactions, it would explain a) why hauntings are more commonly reported in areas of high natural electromagnetic activity and b) that there is probably no god. However, it also suggests, by the laws of conservation of energy, that the soul never dies, which suggests that there is a slim chance at reincarnation, i.e. the electrical energy of the soul inhabiting something new. There's a chance.

[anonymous]

If on the other hand you build your awarweness of self as an infinite entity, you may manifest that destiny.

Yes! Build your complacency and life upon the shakey foundations of ignorance! What a way to go...

Yea infinity is certainly a shakey foundation of ignorance! LMAO!
Pure genius dude.

[Puppeteer]

If on the other hand you build your awarweness of self as an infinite entity, you may manifest that destiny.

Yes! Build your complacency and life upon the shakey foundations of ignorance! What a way to go...

Yea infinity is certainly a shakey foundation of ignorance! LMAO!
Pure genius dude.

I think I'll start this reply by using your quote...

build your awarweness of self as an infinite entity

Now at what point did I ever say or even imply that infinity was the ignorant part? I would either have quoted that word, not bothered to quote or put it IN bold. My jab at your ignorance was the "build" part. You have no idea about the fundamental answers, as I suspect no one does at all. Sure, you might want to believe in "infinite self" which is something similar to solipsism, but don't start preaching about it. So congratz, Genius.

[Annullus The Grey]

i think people fail to realise the beauty of death, is it not commonly said that only through the loss of something or through suffering and sorrow does beauty truly become known, death is our friend it follows us our entire lives and ultimately it would be wise to meet it with a smile, this senseless fear of death that seems to be an ingrained into the human psyche it poisons us to something which in its own way is wonderful for in death we find freedom release and resting

[Rafv Nin IV]

Are you dead? No? Then you probably can't attest to the beauty of it.

[Rawlo]

one doesn't need to be art to see beauty in it, like wise with death.

now as to all the rest I'd like an explanation of why beleiving you will exist forever means you will exist forever, because no matter how much a person beleives a chicken egg will hatch a snake, it's still either an ommlette or a chicken that comes out of it

[Vortigern]

Belief is a placebo. It makes you feel better without actually achieving anything. And then it gets justified by this concept of an afterlife because most people freely admits it makes fuck all difference in this life. Having said that, I hope I'm right.

[pipinowns2bb&]

I don't really get upset about death. I felt barely anything after my dad died and my mom appears that she may die within a few years too, which honestly would be more of a relief then something to get upset about.

Also, I personally believe in the afterlife. Interesting tidbit about that is apparently some blind guy was dying/dead, and claimed that his spirit left his body and he was watching himself. Then when he was brought back to life, he was later able to tell who left and entered the room, and many other details.

^^ Just a bit of thread jacking to keep you thinking.

Edited by Dalek Darko, 01 December 2008 - 08:51 AM.

[camvanmvt]

in my point of view, death is not the end. death is not bad. Sometimes, death is a goodway that help you free yourself.

And sometimes, death is a better direction.

Is it seemingly hard to understand???