Delano

I would argue that until we can define consciousness or where the mind resides. Then none if this is real. So if we are just imagining this like The Matrix tangible is intangible. Deception seems like a malignant need or way off interacting. Yes I think if you have opposing views it can be that one lie is another's reality. However I feel Borg parties would have the truth, but it may not be valid universally.The nature of reality is an ongoing enigma, a subject that is frequently explored on this board. It's a concept that I never tire of contemplating. Is reality an illusion? Is illusion a reality because it can be mentally perceived? When it comes to reality, does it matter whether something is tangible or intangible? Is deception the same as an illusion, and is one person's reality another one's lie?

Me is a an abstraction unless me is just the body. How much can some one change and still be themselves. What do you mean by facades that are real. Your writing is inspired.

Cynique it may take me a while to digest and respond to your post. I may repeat or recover or contradict myself, but none of it will be wrong because it was true when I wrote it. Even if it is invalid. Which is for me the crux of most disagreements. True statements are mistaken for valid statements. I am using these terms as they would be used in mathematics. So you can have true statements in mathematics that don't translate well into the language of words. Words and numbers are magical elements, like the number 13, or the word disaster.

Cynique - what you have written is incredibly dense. Its amazing because it makes me think while I am writing. I am trying to be critical and objective. Which just writing that opens another tangent. If you had an infinite of tangent lines, and the sum of the tangency was 90 degrees you would have a circle. A circle is a square that you add an infinite number of lines. Square Pentagon...Octagon. Each addition line approaches a circle.

I ask myself this question in the form of Destiny and free will. I am currently working in a problem as to how your mind, feelings, thoughts and desires influence your world. I am pretty certain that reality is scripted by that the individual. So certain things that i want to happen happen. The problem this creates is massive. So I can see the attraction of linking to any of the following philosophies: religion; science; materialism; veganism; humanitarian; materialism; spiritualism; paganism on an on. I think it is easier to see the nature of reality if you choose none of these philosophies, or choose two that are somewhat antagonistic. Actually i am not certain if that is true. But it is what I have chosen to do probably since I was a preteen. The more I can see the fictions, the less helpful it becomes. I believe that if you were able to unravel or define reality. It would cease to make sense. The other problem is other people would perceive you as abnormal. And you would be but not in the negative. If you were to talk about what reality actually was or wasn't, you'd be run out of most communities. Since you would be undermining and destroying someones belief system. All wars,conflicts and disagreements re due to differing beliefs. Prices of real things are set or changed because of value, what you perceive it is worth to or for you. When i was in grade school a teacher said you can't live in society without trust. Trust and belief seem to be related.

An abstraction can be true, but not real. An abstraction can refer to something real. I don't think that makes it real, it just references the real. Which is the definition id an abstraction.

So was you bonus more than $1,000. Dollars. Also doesn't Google and Microsoft have profit sharing?

Some truly smart people choose other benefits from work: flexibility; fulfillment; ease; personal development and other things.

Didn't Goldman give end of the year bonuses. Most Wall Street firms did. Isn't that profit sharing.

Google and Microsoft.

When I was a kid I fell on some rise bushes. I had cuts on my arms. I had some cuts that didn't hurt until I saw them. Thw world I inhabit is less real than yours or I have less ambition than you do.

I'll give you an example. The industrialization of China. Too many cars in the city. The solution was to encourage bike riding. The affluent not keen in riding a bike. It reminds them of poverty or China before development. So they marketing high end expensive bicycles. No you happen to be more self motivated than others. However if you want to change behavior sometimes it helps to know what drives it. It perhaps not but it us the way I think.

Thank you, Cynique.

Cynique - I think the link is unconscious. It doesn't reside in space and us also outside of time. Luke the creator/creators. So underneath I believe we are linked with everything in this universe. The sum of which is the ultimate. Since this link is not physical yes we are dreaming. It could be that Geometry is a color equivalent. If they got here they would probably understand geometry. Numbers are considered a universal in a way language is not. Although I don't think this has to be true. It could just be another symbolic subset of our type of thinking. I am experimenting with my definition of reality. I am using a looser concept of the way the world works. It has changed my beliefs about the world is organized it dies feel more dream like. It id also very confronting. Since I can see my motivations very clearly.

Troy I would disagree. Profit sharing companies are very successful because the workers own the company.

Cynique - your post is tasty.

I don't believe anything is real, you believe a symbolic expression is real. Okay I am being absurd and you are being illogical. Continue with your idea.

That's exactly the point. The entire world is an idea based on assumptions. Even concrete is mostly empty space but we don't generally see it that way. Numbers are symbols, words are symbols, ideas are concepts. This is the stuff that makes you. What are the real bits. Yoyr mind tells you lots of things.

Yes it is.

I heard a quote that if you redistributed the world's wealth. The richest 1% would have it back in three generations. You give any group drugs or alcohol they are going to unravel. I was in Zurich in the late 90's. There were about 100 heroin junkies in the park. I had never seen that before and Switzerland is a small country. Again no race has a monopoly on greatness or stupidity.

I heard a quote that if you redistributed the world's wealth. The richest 1% would have it back in three generations. You give any group drugs or alcohol they are going to unravel. I was in Zurich in the late 90's. There were about 100 heroin junkies in the park. I had never seen that before and Switzerland is a small country. Again no race has q monopoly on greatness or stupidity.

This is a nice bit of reasoning

Pioneer I think it is important to look at power and human nature. I think it is also important to develops a world view. That extends beyond your neighborhood. I think if you have a access to books and are thirsty you can be on par with a college grad. Mr Wilson said to don't judge people to be less intelligent if they talk slow.

I think intelligence is evenly distributed through the races. Don't count out criminals. Some criminals are very intelligent. There was a drug syndicate in Detroit in the 80's it was called Crime Inc. They ended being in the Wall Street Journal. The had an organization structure runners could move up if they didn't get killed by the competition, greed or the drugs. I think at one point they were more profitable than GM. I believe going to school requires persistence. Hard work generally trumps intelligence. I believe if you learn the language or margin of a subject it becomes less mysterious. Which is part of the reason I like to think very simply about things. You may be right I am just sharing my thoughts. Or we could both be right in our separate worlds. I don't think it is easy to change things. Power is not that happy to give up power. Which is why a lot of people got shot in the drug wars. I think most things come down to greed, money, and desire.

I think the real issue is class and wealth, race is a smoke screen. King and X were killed after they were expanding their audience. For King it was the garbage strike and for. X it was dropping the white devil after going to Mecca. I think certain policies or laws fall unevenly on the population. Gambling cigarette and alcohol tax are going to fall more in poorer people. Since these purchases are a larger share if their income. Which is a regressive tax. Fair is everyone pays the same percentage. Progressive is the wealthier pay more.