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SusanofO -> RE: Insanity or Reality? (9/22/2007 4:56:18 PM)
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I recently read an article in Scientific American that said that the most solid appearing of objects is still just a mass of loose atoms held together, and is mostly air, no matter what it might "look like" to most humans.
It appears solid based on the way human brains have been organized to perceive that solid object, so that they "see things" and not just a bunch of loose atoms floating around they can make no sense of -and that ability to perceive objects as solid (when they're really not) is an organziational tool and a gift. Without it, we'd go crazy (at least given the other ways in which our brains appear to be currently organized, we would). We could not navigate or make sense of the world we live in.
But even with all of that ability to perceive objects in particular ways - perceptions are still individual, beyond even that. One person sees a rock, another sees a small stone, and another sees a statue that could be carved from the rock, etc, etc. - so until someone conclusively defines "reality" so they can truly make the definition apply equally to everyone - I dunno what to say, really.
Because I do think even though there are, objectively speaking, things we can all see - we still all perceive them slightly differently, even if we can agree on their main attributes: The rock is gray in color, is 5" across, etc. To some that's a "big" rock, to others a small stone, to others, it's "just another mineral". Well....you get the idea.
*I think the "reality" someone perceives is first based on their objective perception of the idea or object in question, but formed mostly with a lot of help from their personal prior experiences, and their own personal values.
**IMO -If you asked someone with no prior education at all, in any context, what they thought of the concepts of D/s Mastery and slavery - and just asked them to base their answer only on their own first-hand, first time experience, (with no pollution of their perception allowed to filter in at all - from their prior experience, their education via history books or religion, or comments from relatives, friends, and strangers in society at large) well - then you'd truly have something extraordinary, as far as a "fresh perception" of D/s or M/s.
However, IMO, their perception would still even then, be "biased, IMO. Even from the most objective, relatively "free of enculturational influences" person you could find.
As things are, anyone's perceptions - anyone's - are going to be based on their past knoweldge of an idea or experiences with it (outside a D/s context and-or within it), and their other life experiences, plus their individual personality which filters all of their experiences, and their own personal value system (which allows them to place a value judgment on their experiences).
And, IMO this probably includes not only perceptions about objects like rocks, but also about ideas, like perceptions of M/s , D/s and the rest of BDSM activity.
IMO there really isn't such a thing as an "un-biased" person.
Some folks might consider themselves (or be regarded by others) as slightly more "objective" -BUT - I see no reason to consider "objectivity" a particularly laudable attribute, to the exclusion of some other attributes. IMO, "objectivity" can just as easily stifle things like creativity, as allow it to flower, given any particular context.
Of course that last statement is based on my personal predjudices re: "Objective, scientific" types who like to think they can reduce topics like these to simple philosophical formulas - and then top it off by thinking doing this means they've got:
The one and only "answer" about "why things are". Hehe. I see no reason for this either. Why can't things just be fun to think about? Who cares if someone's got "the answer" or not? Why can there not be more than one?
Are we attempting to stifle all creativity and future exploration? I don't understand, when discussing topics of this magnitude - which great thinkers have debated and explored for centuries, how anyone can believe they are gonna come up with "the one" answer that explains it all.
Maybe people come up with (or read elsewhere) an explanantion that satisifes themselves (for the time being) - which is fine. But hey - it's not like there probably aren't more (or other ones) out there. Or maybe some are just not going to ever know, until we die, what the real answers are, to some of these questions. It's an interesting topic, and fun to think about.
- Susan
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