|
V 4 of 13 I. What is the Universe made of? one part molecules of atoms to 99 parts space. II. What is the nature of mind? self-consciousness III. How did the Universe begin? birth, mom, dad, twin, siblings, the floor, the rug, outside, rain, dirt, salamanders, other kids, the car, ... then words. IV. What is going to happen to the humankind? i don't know. nobody else does either. V. What is the role of the evolution in your worldview? better physical and mental adaptation of life forms to the physical environment with each generation. VI. What is the origin and the nature of goodness in the world? enlightened self-interest. awareness that what's good for other people is good for me too. VII. What is the origin and the nature of evil in the world? mental illness. organic and chemical deviations in a person's mind, or that of a parent's, or relational emotional trauma in youth. IIX. Is there free will and can one make a difference? yes and yes. original ideas cannot be programmed into the human mind. and regardless of mental pull, chemical preferences can be overcome. IX. What is the meaning of life? "meaning" is a subjective fiction each of us creates and projects onto the reality we share. apart from our own mental creations, there is nothing larger, nothing objective. X. How do you find the truth? first i check wikipedia. if it sounds right, i'm satisfied. if i don't find the truth there, i look elsewhere until i find it. if i don't find it anywhere else, then i try to reason it through and make it up for myself. XI. How do you find happiness? when i was young it was pretty easy and faster: good books, a quiet place to read, companionship, sex, beer for self-medication, learning. now it's changed. now i want to change things to reflect my view of beauty, of righteousness, of correct information for others to use, and in my daughters' smiles. XII. What about the extraterrestrial intelligence? haven't encountered any to speak of. but it's a really good mental device for thought games and science fiction novels. XIIV. What will happen after you die? my brain will dis-integrate, the universe will lose one bit but gain seven more. tpk.16mar2012 . www.evolutionandmeandyou.com/blog |
February 2011
|
For a while in my teens, I was sure I had it. It was about getting to heaven. If heaven existed and lasted forever, then a mere lifetime spent scrupulously following orders was a small investment for an infinite payoff. One day, though, I realized I was no longer a believer, and realizing that, I couldn't go back. Not that I lost the urge to pray. Occasionally, even after I stopped believing, I might send off a quick memo to the Master of the Universe, usually on a matter needing urgent attention, like Oh, God, don't let us crash. These were automatic expulsions of words, brief SOS messages from the base of my brain. They were similar to the short prayers that were admired by the church in my Catholic boyhood, which they called "ejaculations." I always liked the idea that you could shorten your time in purgatory with each ejaculation; what boy wouldn't find that a comforting idea? But my effort to keep the plane in the air by talking to God didn't mean I suddenly was overcome with belief, only that I was scared. Whether I'd wake up in heaven someday or not, whatever meaning I found would have to occur first on this end of eternity. I still don't like the word agnostic. It's too fancy. I'm simply not a believer. But, as simple as this notion is, it confuses some people. Someone wrote a Wikipedia entry about me, identifying me as an atheist because I'd said in a book I wrote that I wasn't a believer. I guess in a world uncomfortable with uncertainty, an unbeliever must be an atheist, and possibly an infidel. This gets us back to that most pressing of human questions: why do people worry so much about other people's holding beliefs other than their own? - Alan Alda 2008 Edge Foundation |
January 2011
COMING UP: something not so different ...
