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Mantus · 12-20-2003, 12:00 PM

Well as minyn said “faith is not a sense” and neither is emotion. We cannot perceive with emotion. We attach emotion to objects and subjects that we are already aware off. For example: we do not feel filial piety and deduce that our parents are standing before us. First we must sense or think of our parents before feeling the emotions that are associated with them.

Does the attachment of emotion to an object make it more real? The answer is no, because emotion can also be attached to subjects which do not exist. To demonstrate this: watch a scary movie. If the movie is good enough then one will certainly experience emotion of fear/discomfort about the subject. To further the experiment; try to recreate the circumstance that caused the subject of fear to appear in the movie. One will notice that for a second there will be a sign of fear about performing such an act. For example if the movie had ghosts in the closet then one would experience a bit of fear while opening ones closet.

As you see even though the emotion is real the subject is not.

There was a mention of a man who tried to deal with the death of his wife logically and ended up with a breakdown. Certainly we see these cases all the time. Yet do they prove that emotion can validate the existence of something? No. For we attach emotions to everything. The more we experience something the more emotions build up around the subject. Though even the greatest amount of emotional attachment cannot prove something real. Let me give an example by showing that a person can become emotionally attached to the most basic concept of all: a number.

There is a mathematician. He is working on a groundbreaking formula. The mathematician spends a decade working on the formula. Just as end seemed near tragedy strikes. The equation cannot work, its all wrong! The man is struck with grief. Ten years wasted. All the hopes for recognition and prestige are washed away. The dreams of publishing a book, the dreams of a teaching position all washed away. All is gone! So he greaves for an equation, a string of symbols that never could be in the first place.

As shown, the emotions attached to the equation did not make it any more real.

12-20-2003, 12:00 PM	#10 (permalink)
Mantus lascivious	Well as minyn said “faith is not a sense” and neither is emotion. We cannot perceive with emotion. We attach emotion to objects and subjects that we are already aware off. For example: we do not feel filial piety and deduce that our parents are standing before us. First we must sense or think of our parents before feeling the emotions that are associated with them. Does the attachment of emotion to an object make it more real? The answer is no, because emotion can also be attached to subjects which do not exist. To demonstrate this: watch a scary movie. If the movie is good enough then one will certainly experience emotion of fear/discomfort about the subject. To further the experiment; try to recreate the circumstance that caused the subject of fear to appear in the movie. One will notice that for a second there will be a sign of fear about performing such an act. For example if the movie had ghosts in the closet then one would experience a bit of fear while opening ones closet. As you see even though the emotion is real the subject is not. There was a mention of a man who tried to deal with the death of his wife logically and ended up with a breakdown. Certainly we see these cases all the time. Yet do they prove that emotion can validate the existence of something? No. For we attach emotions to everything. The more we experience something the more emotions build up around the subject. Though even the greatest amount of emotional attachment cannot prove something real. Let me give an example by showing that a person can become emotionally attached to the most basic concept of all: a number. There is a mathematician. He is working on a groundbreaking formula. The mathematician spends a decade working on the formula. Just as end seemed near tragedy strikes. The equation cannot work, its all wrong! The man is struck with grief. Ten years wasted. All the hopes for recognition and prestige are washed away. The dreams of publishing a book, the dreams of a teaching position all washed away. All is gone! So he greaves for an equation, a string of symbols that never could be in the first place. As shown, the emotions attached to the equation did not make it any more real.