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wilbjammin · 07-24-2004, 01:50 PM

Yeah, if you don't know Plato's cave it is ripped off in the Matrix with the two pills metaphor.

I think the key is that once you see the absurdity and dark side of existence to then be able to life with something of your own. Philosophers have spent many centuries trying to determine how to live and why to live. The problem with choosing ignorance is that it is a Bad Faith way to live. That merely translates as severe cognitive dissonance.

The trick is to find something of value to you and to embrace it. Whether that is free will, God, defiance/rebellion, creativity, art, order/conformity, etc. it doesn't really matter as long as you find a reason to live (in fact, simply seeing suicide as not an answer may be enough). I can't tell anyone what to believe and to value, but I know that once I realized that I couldn't reason my way out of the absurdity of existence I'd have to find a way to live with it. And that is the second step... awareness first, coping with it second. Coping can be a much more difficult step.

07-24-2004, 01:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
wilbjammin * * *	Yeah, if you don't know Plato's cave it is ripped off in the Matrix with the two pills metaphor. I think the key is that once you see the absurdity and dark side of existence to then be able to life with something of your own. Philosophers have spent many centuries trying to determine how to live and why to live. The problem with choosing ignorance is that it is a Bad Faith way to live. That merely translates as severe cognitive dissonance. The trick is to find something of value to you and to embrace it. Whether that is free will, God, defiance/rebellion, creativity, art, order/conformity, etc. it doesn't really matter as long as you find a reason to live (in fact, simply seeing suicide as not an answer may be enough). I can't tell anyone what to believe and to value, but I know that once I realized that I couldn't reason my way out of the absurdity of existence I'd have to find a way to live with it. And that is the second step... awareness first, coping with it second. Coping can be a much more difficult step. __________________ Innominate.