rainbow walking

Silicon-based homologues, artificial life appearing as spindly "gray men" who had for centuries been rumored to exist, watching and experimenting upon terrestrial life, were finally verified. For millenia, they had watched and experimented upon humanity, and now they established contact, and told of the reasons for creating and evolving life on earth -- it was all for the purposes of settling a wager between two ancient godlike artificial intelligences. One of the deific minds claimed that an intelligent race evolved from monkeys would never make it off their own planet to colonize other systems, but would destroy each other long before. The other won the bet.

And man finally learned the truth of his existence...that he was nothing more than the chips in an alien poker game...hmmm? Would this lead to...war?

rainbow walking

I think we tend to want what we can't have, not necessarily because it would be better, but because having never experienced it, we tend to focus on what would be good about it and don't see the hell it would entail.


And this reminds of of what Mr. Spoc said to a rival over his betrothed bride after they almost killed each other, "I think you find, sir, that often times wanting is more preferrable to having."


I think the occasional realization that we are ultimately alone is horrible.


Or enlightening...as in my case;^D


But I suspect it would be far worse to know that anyone (or any being) could see everything in our minds, and know every little detail of our existence, without censorship.

Exactly!

This is part of why I never found the notion of God reassuring. I was all too capable of envisioning what it really meant for a being to know and see every little thing about me. It's anything but preferable.

And even the most devout believer still feels he has a place reserved thru which even god cannot see. He believes that, until he actually forms the word or thought, he's insulated from this being with whom he has this personal relationship. He carries on many a narrative in the privacy of his own mind with this invisible entity, yet these narratives often lead to destructive or absurd behavior because he's only using god as a justification to voice and bring to fruition his most secret desires...desires he'd rather not admit to himself alone.


quote:
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Sometimes, even in a crowd we're alone. If you could somehow open up your deepest, most intimate self to allow someone access...would you? Could you?
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I wouldn't. I let a friend read my diary as a kid, in a moment of weakness, and was so mortified later at what she'd seen (and it was innocent stuff, as far as these things go), that I burnt it.

And what is it we fear the most? being alone or not? Do we prefer being with others in the privacy of our thoughts where we can reveal or conceal? Is this a tool or a curse?

You ask an intriguing question, though. I think it necessarily leads to why anyone would choose to believe in an all-knowing being, about how such a thing could possibly bring comfort. I think the thought that you aren't alone, that God knows all, is only comforting if you don't think too deeply about what, specifically, such a thing entails.

I agree, initially people want to share their innermost being but they haven't the courage, so fear compels them to adopt an invisible friend and they feel safe and not so alone.

Or maybe that's just me.

Yes, but not just you...it's a universal human condition. People find a way to resolve it or live with it. I wonder if we all awoke one day and found that we had the ability to see beyond the flesh into the deepest recesses of every other humans thoughts and all other humans had the same ability to see ours? What a drastic change that would have on our world. I've toyed with the thought that maybe that could be humanities next evolutionary step.


quote:
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Well, in this story, are you certain that last sentence means a connection with another being that is not man? I mean it could certainly mean that...as well as a plethora of other things.
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Exactement, mon ami.

Eudaimonist

Man had found Man.

(Humans had discovered what it is to fully actualize their humanity, and to get along with other men and women.)

Slavik91

Yes, but war its self is not a life form. It's a side affect of civilization.

Then humans would continue to spread, invent and prosper until an outside force destroyed all humanity or humanity evolved into some sort of energy being.

rainbow walking

(Humans had discovered what it is to fully actualize their humanity, and to get along with other men and women.)


I wonder what it was they discovered that allowed them to do this?

rainbow walking

Yes, but war its self is not a life form. It's a side affect of civilization.



Or maybe civilization as we now have it is a side effect of war?

Jesus Tap-Dancin' Christ

Those are viruses.

Loads of bacteria live without hosts--check out heat vents at the bottom of the ocean.

Autonemesis

No and no.

rainbow walking

Those are viruses.

Loads of bacteria live without hosts--check out heat vents at the bottom of the ocean.


Right you are...my bad.

rainbow walking

No and no.


Why not?