Futility of Scholarly Pursuits (10)

1 Name: Anonymous : 2008-11-14 08:27 ID:0809O9mL

You know, I've just realized something-- The world is an incredibly complex place! Relationships, business, school, science, art, civilizations... You can sit on internet forums and talk about things forever trying to understand it. No matter how many discussions I have with people about this relationship, or that economy, I will always have more to learn.

The thing is, I don't know how this makes me feel. It scares me, because I realize that it means that trying to figure all of these things out is completely pointless. After all, there's no way I'll ever fully understand them. At the same time, though, it's exciting. No matter how many things I learn, there will always be more out there. If I could only cultivate that spark of joy gained just by benefit of learning something new that I had as a child... I could be happy forever.

Thoughts?

2 Name: Anonymous : 2008-11-14 08:53 ID:4yb+yPlh

That's wonderful to hear. You've swam the deep ocean, if only briefly, having been shocked at first by it's depths, but nevertheless trudged onwards; there has been some series of tidal forces pulling you in myriad directions. There is nothing more noble, I think, that a person could do, save for exerting themselves to the fullest in using their knowledge as a production line for the benefit of all humanity.

3 Name: Anonymous : 2008-11-15 02:04 ID:n9LLV86X

Read the book "One hundred years of solitude" by Marquez.

It may seem that the world in infinitely complex, but when you get older, you will start to foresee things. Instead of "new and interesting" you will think "just as expected". At least this is how my perception of the world evolved, and apparently Marquez also experienced this and wrote a book. About it? Maybe...

Anyway, the history of civilizations repeats itself, art is subjective, science is just an exceptionally large heap of ordinary facts (and theoretical science is handwaving), etc...

4 Name: Anonymous : 2008-11-15 02:40 ID:4yb+yPlh

>>3

I tend to believe that this kind of perspective is the result of a lack in recognizing the metaphorical richness of the universe. That an idea W can be represented by X,Y,Z, X+Q+Z, X/S*Z, etc, of infinitely many forms, and that the heart of it all are things no more tangible than unalterable patterns. That the notion of complexity itself is as mind-numbing as counting to infinity, yet that nothing is truly complex insofar as it is the whole of its parts.

So, your perspective seems to be one that is grounded firmly within the framework of recurring earthly patterns, rather than that which takes these things for what they could be.

5 Name: Anonymous : 2008-11-20 22:46 ID:3AyCQpr1

>>4

May I ask; What the fuck?

6 Name: Anonymous : 2008-11-21 03:29 ID:hyoxR5NF

I see the universe as a never-ending movie, with plot twists every now and then. Sure, there are some sad and or dull moments, but they spice up the good ones.

As for myself, I just need to learn and discover new stuff, constantly. Otherwise, I get depressed and purposeless. Maybe I see the world like this because I'm still relatively young, but I don't believe I'll ever feel the need to not learn.

>>3

Civilizations don't repeat themselves, they can't. Time isn't circular. In fact, they are only similar if you abstract many details.

Art is definitely subjective.

Sadly, science tends to resemble a heap of facts more and more. But, theoretical science isn't no handwaving. It will always be incomprehensible and useless, until one finds a way to apply it to the real world.

7 Name: Anonymous : 2008-11-21 14:11 ID:4yb+yPlh

>>5

Metaphor; analogy; you know. Every process in existence an almost infinite amount of likenesses. A simple example - sexual attraction/gravitational attraction. The 4 billion year life cycle of Earth/the on average 100 year life cycle of a human. A baseball field wherein it is inherent the rules one must obey upon the field/any arbitrary number field wherein a vector space defined over it must obey its field axioms. It is like one grand adventure to discover the rules which describe all these fascinating systems in all their forms.

8 Name: Anonymous : 2008-11-21 14:13 ID:4yb+yPlh

in existence has* an

9 Name: anon : 2008-11-21 15:22 ID:wRi1wZAT

While there is an infinate amount of information out there, and way too much to absorb one thing you could do is come up with an idea that is new and novel that can teach something to others. Like in philosophy there is really a dialogue. One philosopher will say something, another philosopher will refute the original author long after the original is dead, someone else may come in and elaborate on the original idea in defense, and someone else could come in with a new view that puts the two together, and so on. You could extend the dialogue that goes on in the professional world. There are a ton of debates in the religious sector, philosophy, sciences, engineering, economies, world affairs. Or you could try learning everything about something in particular and become an expert, or learn everything about everything. But whatever you do learning is fun.

10 Name: Anonymous : 2008-11-21 16:14 ID:4yb+yPlh

>>9
Yes, exactly.

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