It seems that humans have a propensity for delusion, perhaps as a defense mechanism. Does delusion maximize survival ? Does delusion make us stupid ? Does it make us evil ? How much of the world we live in is a result of collective delusion ? Peak oilers, have a go at it.
Btu
PeakOil is You
The role of human delusion
Re: The role of human delusion
by Tanada » Fri 25 Apr 2008, 22:56:29
The trick is seperating the pro-survival delusion from the anti-survival delusion.
When you are on the edge of collapsing physically but beleive you must climb one last hill to get to safety/food/water/shelter on the other side then making yourself beive it is just over the top is a pro-survival delusion. On the other hand if you burn your last barrel of oil to run your drill rig for an extra day and never hit the oil strata you need to replace it, well then that delusion was anti-survival because now you have no oil and no energy to build an alternative.
When you are on the edge of collapsing physically but beleive you must climb one last hill to get to safety/food/water/shelter on the other side then making yourself beive it is just over the top is a pro-survival delusion. On the other hand if you burn your last barrel of oil to run your drill rig for an extra day and never hit the oil strata you need to replace it, well then that delusion was anti-survival because now you have no oil and no energy to build an alternative.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Alfred Tennyson', 'W')e are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
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Re: The role of human delusion
by btu2012 » Fri 25 Apr 2008, 23:07:27
It seems that our "will to life" is to a large extent entwined with delusion.
Btu
Btu
only the paranoid survive
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Re: The role of human delusion
by bodigami » Sat 26 Apr 2008, 01:45:40
that there are many deluded humans doesn't mean that all humans are deluded.
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Re: The role of human delusion
by BigTex » Sat 26 Apr 2008, 02:52:40
This is one of those Arabian tent kind of problems where it looks small on the outside but enormous on the inside.
One of the many facets of delusion is this: as humans we have discovered that what starts off as delusion can become commonplace reality. Thus, delusion can play an interesting and important role in expanding the horizons of knowledge and understanding.
Here are some delusions that went on to become realities:
1. the world is round
2. people can fly
3. people can visit the moon
4. little things called atoms can be cracked and create LOTS of energy
But to the more common kind of delusion where you believe in something that is not real because it makes you feel better, sure, I think that is wired into us. I don't know how a creature could have the ability to remember the past and forecast the future the way we can without a little built in delusional capacity. Life would be too scary for a lot of people without their treasured delusions.
One of the many facets of delusion is this: as humans we have discovered that what starts off as delusion can become commonplace reality. Thus, delusion can play an interesting and important role in expanding the horizons of knowledge and understanding.
Here are some delusions that went on to become realities:
1. the world is round
2. people can fly
3. people can visit the moon
4. little things called atoms can be cracked and create LOTS of energy
But to the more common kind of delusion where you believe in something that is not real because it makes you feel better, sure, I think that is wired into us. I don't know how a creature could have the ability to remember the past and forecast the future the way we can without a little built in delusional capacity. Life would be too scary for a lot of people without their treasured delusions.
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Re: The role of human delusion
by bodigami » Sat 26 Apr 2008, 03:47:53
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BigTex', '(')...) Life would be too scary for a lot of people without their treasured delusions.
If they're not willing to break the shell/egg. After breaking delusions, life is better, liberation from delusions bring happyness.
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Re: The role of human delusion
by mos6507 » Sat 26 Apr 2008, 06:33:22
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('zensui', '
')After breaking delusions, life is better, liberation from delusions bring happyness.
')After breaking delusions, life is better, liberation from delusions bring happyness.
Tell that to any kid who just learned Santa isn't real.
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Re: The role of human delusion
by btu2012 » Sat 26 Apr 2008, 07:49:28
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('zensui', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BigTex', '(')...) Life would be too scary for a lot of people without their treasured delusions.
If they're not willing to break the shell/egg. After breaking delusions, life is better, liberation from delusions bring happyness.
Sometimes people fight delusions with even bigger ones, it's not at all clear who is and what makes one "liberated".
Believing oneself to be liberated when one is simply going mad is maybe one of the biggest delusions of all.
Btu
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Last edited by btu2012 on Sat 26 Apr 2008, 08:31:12, edited 2 times in total.
only the paranoid survive
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And seems to have a little ego problem as well. 
