Re: The Reputation Hilarity/Insanity thread New version
Originally Posted by super_slicer
That brings up something interesting I've been thinking about: If one studies philosophy in the current standard they must become influenced by the philosophers' viewpoints. Doesn't this mean that they cannot form a philosophy that is truly their own?
And isn't the goal of philosophy to produce your own meaning for life?
Wouldn't that mean that the act of studying philosophy excludes you from achieving the goal of philosophy?
I would say no on all counts? If you're influenced by someone, you're changed by them. That, in turn, means that the philosophy that best represents you also changes. Furthermore, just because what you do is influenced by someone else doesn't mean you can't make it your own: the core of it will still be determined by who you are. And philosophy isn't about the meaning of life, but about the love of knowledge. It's goal, if it can even be said to have one, is certainly nothing personal as giving yourself a unique meaning of life.
Where did this come? I like talking about philosophy since I myself am a philosopher.
You're both right, when it comes down to it.
Slicer's right about studying philosophy, in that doing so is kind of missing the point entirely, and the spider is right in that philosophy is more about a lust for knowledge, rather than merely studying things to get smarter.
A highly-experienced philosopher can still be painfully clueless about many things, merely because they haven't taken the time to figure out that specific facet of life/existence yet.
To be a philosopher, at least from my personal viewpoint, is to gain as wide a perception as possible. to look beyond what we normally see, and then look beyond that, and then beyond that as well, until your vision is metaphorically stretched so far you can see the back of your own head.
In a way, I do this as an attempt to boost the size of my net that I cast when I am dredging the plains of humanity for wisdom. If I can see whatever knowledge I acquire from such a vast and open viewpoint, I don't have to filter it for bullshit or wonder if any of it is untrue, as I can already see it from every angle possible, with x-ray vision.
Of course in my deeper studies half a decade ago, I discovered the darker and more fickle aspects of knowledge, and respectfully took a few steps back from that whole process, aiming only to absorb bite-sized chunks of wisdom at a time.
One part of knowledge I wanted to study heavily, was the ability to explain what I knew, since, at least when I was younger, I didn't feel much use in gathering so much knowledge if I couldn't show it off now and then.
But that's when I discovered what I like to call the "cultist complex". A theoretical threshold where if one simply gathers too much knowledge, and their viewpoint of humanity grows too wide, you get the human equivalent of a value overflow glitch in your brain, and you slowly lose your ability to consider them equals, and your perception of their existence slowly drifts into a darkened corner, where humans to you now look more like strange habitual creatures, and less like the thing that you are.
Because of this, you also lose your ability to properly communicate with them, and often in later stages of the cultist complex, you start acting like a cultist. Muttering off knowledge so deep that it flies past other's heads and gives the undesired side-effect of making you look like a closet psychopath.
The cultist complex is NOT to be confused for simply acting like a closet psychopath, as part of the knowledge you will passively collect on a philosopher's journey, will be that of the futility of human life and existence, as well as the vast metaphorical plains of dread every human suffers through in many moments throughout their lives.
Though, if like me, one made psychology a priority when beginning to undertake philosophy, one might have reasonable doubts about becoming what they've witnessed humanity to be, after a few years through the looking glass.
Sort've like how one might not take certain members of the forum seriously after witnessing a few of their posts in the shitposting thread.
...
Here, I'll end on a lighter note.. Anyone wanna see my Zepheral impression?
You must be registered to see the links
