11-08-2024, 03:44 PM
What does it mean to "Deny Ignorance"?
Does it mean telling people what the truth is? Evangelizing rejection of untruth? What is truth, anyway? That's a big question, from 30 thousand feet, and I doubt we're going to answer it on any forum.
Yet, we can somewhat point out what is false. Or, at least, what is inconsistent. Where sets of facts, which always exist within some model of reality and interpretation, are inconsistent. Where personal experience and empirically reproducible observations contradict.
Pretending there aren't contradictions is a form of ignorance. So is ignoring or writing off patterns that others see, and you don't.
Yet the question in practice is what we do for each other. Personally, I'm not here to tell anyone what they should believe. How they should approach their life and their perception of reality. The scope at which they should see the world.
And honestly, I couldn't. For myself, I live in an epistemic uncertain reality. There is no ground-level truth that I could genuinely demand others base themselves upon. Ignorance, to me, always implies some level of unfounded certainty, and with sufficient introspection nothing is certain anywhere.
In fact it's an assumption I make that we all exist with such uncertainty, that the closest we can come is our memory and sense perception -- perhaps not everyone is so constrained, and ignorant. But such reality tunnels tend to be paranoid and antisocial, and not useful. In my experience, everyone is real and in the same boat, so to speak, if engaged with sufficiently to move past projection and prejudice.
So what can we do for each other? Serve as sounding boards? Present alternative ideas and points of view? Do we synthesize push-back for each other? That seems potentially dishonest, if we put forth as truth that which we cannot honestly believe ourselves, as pretense.
The ignorance I would like to deny is the fixed mind, unable to consider anything it cannot rationalize and control. Bound by its assumptions. Not to cut it adrift, or helplessly unanchor it, but to encourage freedom of motion, of thought, if that's what is being sought. No gurus or dogmas; in my experience they just make you their bitch until you force your freedom from them.
We all must individually discover and transcend ignorance in our own ways. Or not. The practice of how we do so, as a group, should remain flexible and open. Challenging others, not to "win", but to give form to the space of our differences. As that must be done with compassion, lest everything degenerate to debate, it is an imperfect and evolving practice.
At some point we need fodder for discussion. Things we think are interesting, that we present to each other. Something we can all grasp on to, in our different ways. Tangible things, to keep it real. Everyone here brings something unique, and it is appreciated. But let's not become a content-mill! It's about cherishing each other, and our own individual interests.
And let's have fun doing it! If there's no fun, if anyone is feeling suppressed or if flame wars loom, let's step back and reconsider. That's the real touchstone.
Thanks for listening to my drivel!
Does it mean telling people what the truth is? Evangelizing rejection of untruth? What is truth, anyway? That's a big question, from 30 thousand feet, and I doubt we're going to answer it on any forum.
Yet, we can somewhat point out what is false. Or, at least, what is inconsistent. Where sets of facts, which always exist within some model of reality and interpretation, are inconsistent. Where personal experience and empirically reproducible observations contradict.
Pretending there aren't contradictions is a form of ignorance. So is ignoring or writing off patterns that others see, and you don't.
Yet the question in practice is what we do for each other. Personally, I'm not here to tell anyone what they should believe. How they should approach their life and their perception of reality. The scope at which they should see the world.
And honestly, I couldn't. For myself, I live in an epistemic uncertain reality. There is no ground-level truth that I could genuinely demand others base themselves upon. Ignorance, to me, always implies some level of unfounded certainty, and with sufficient introspection nothing is certain anywhere.
In fact it's an assumption I make that we all exist with such uncertainty, that the closest we can come is our memory and sense perception -- perhaps not everyone is so constrained, and ignorant. But such reality tunnels tend to be paranoid and antisocial, and not useful. In my experience, everyone is real and in the same boat, so to speak, if engaged with sufficiently to move past projection and prejudice.
So what can we do for each other? Serve as sounding boards? Present alternative ideas and points of view? Do we synthesize push-back for each other? That seems potentially dishonest, if we put forth as truth that which we cannot honestly believe ourselves, as pretense.
The ignorance I would like to deny is the fixed mind, unable to consider anything it cannot rationalize and control. Bound by its assumptions. Not to cut it adrift, or helplessly unanchor it, but to encourage freedom of motion, of thought, if that's what is being sought. No gurus or dogmas; in my experience they just make you their bitch until you force your freedom from them.
We all must individually discover and transcend ignorance in our own ways. Or not. The practice of how we do so, as a group, should remain flexible and open. Challenging others, not to "win", but to give form to the space of our differences. As that must be done with compassion, lest everything degenerate to debate, it is an imperfect and evolving practice.
At some point we need fodder for discussion. Things we think are interesting, that we present to each other. Something we can all grasp on to, in our different ways. Tangible things, to keep it real. Everyone here brings something unique, and it is appreciated. But let's not become a content-mill! It's about cherishing each other, and our own individual interests.
And let's have fun doing it! If there's no fun, if anyone is feeling suppressed or if flame wars loom, let's step back and reconsider. That's the real touchstone.
Thanks for listening to my drivel!
