Building shared reality is a real b*tch but I'm not giving up. The truth is overcooked. Nuance isn't lost but it hasn't scaled well in the digital age... If you're an independent thinker you're a quack. But if you don't think for yourself, you're a lemming. So we keep our mouths shut and leave the loudest people to hijack influence and claim that's reality.
Substack has been giving me hope that the embodied dreamers, schemers and doers have a fighting chance, but feels like we're all bobbling on ocean waves floating in the distance while world leaders scoop the masses and divide them into sound bites.
Anyway thanks for this piece and 2 new to me substacks 😂
Ah interesting. When I read the initial question my immediate thought was "well truth obviously, why would you want anything else", but then I read on and now I understand what you mean by useful delusions. And now I think, why not both? Useful delusions to guide you through everyday life and navigate this complex world, and fundamental truth as your foundation.
Haha thanks Jeff. Now you just gave me a new writing topic: X books I would not recommend reading unless you want to experience an existential crisis :)
It's an excellent thought on one of the bigger challenges of our time whether to ignore the truth or embrace it. If you can embrace the truth or even traffic within it, it will make you an outsider. If you are bobbing along up and down amid mounds of ocean water then you escape the endless haggling over the truth of the landlubbers. But the floater outsider shows one the way while the delisionsl fixed attitude folk lead us to oblivion. It all requires a closer look so thanks for an excellent thought provoking post.
Being an outsider can be either an advantage or is a liability depending on who you are talking to. Best thing is figure out your direction based on what you think is most important. Being analytical like you are, always helps but find the best course to be on is still difficult. Thanks for this excellent post.
I have Jed's books but haven't read more than a couple of chapters yet. I sort of waver between assuming that it's faux enlightenment stuff and maybe that there's something to it that could help me. Maybe I'll find out one day.
What I write below pertains to certain kinds of deep truths and will probably sound a little-over-the-top, so I acknowledge that first. It may not relate much to your intended question, but -- as usual -- anything that triggers a thought in my, and I let loose. :-) I feel a bit of sympaty with the worldly sentiments of Schopenhauer and perhaps even a philosopher I learned about recently called Philip Mainlainder.
My personal view on seeking the true versus the merely practical is that finding out the true, real nature of the world is foundationally noble and important. Else, bad people can use and manipulate and make fools and slaves out of us all. (Too late actually, but ...)
The weirdness I'm seeing is that people who seek and consider the true nature of the world are indeed making themselves unappealing to the mainstream community (i.e., to most happy people), and are choosing a life predominantly of rejection and loneliness. More than that, some worst of the truths that a person might stumble upon reveal things that the more sensitive among these seekers cannot accept morally, leading eventually -- for some -- even to the point of giving up on the world, withdrawing, and even voluntarily leaving it prematurely.
I.e., in principle, having more knowledge is a key to better and more successful action in life, and yet knowing certain truths can kill you because they reveal the tricks and lies that have been exerted to control humanity and you can't live with that.
Look at the quotations from some poet or philosopher and/or from the bible, to the effect that with great wisdom comes great sorrow. And the same sentiment but more beautifully and tragically worded by Yeats (or Keats maybe?).
Conversely, *not* knowing the hidden truths of the world, in principle, leaves you vulnerable to being used and manipulated and made a fool of, and yet many people wouldn't be able to be happy or continue living *without* that ignorance.
The seekers of hidden truth live in shock, sadness, loneliness, and a desire -- sometimes -- to leave the world, while the blithely unaware are happy, more or less motivated, and actually like this place.
Very frustrating paradox!
...
Sorry for going dark on your wonderful and enjoyable article! Haha. Just have to get that stuff out when I can.
Building shared reality is a real b*tch but I'm not giving up. The truth is overcooked. Nuance isn't lost but it hasn't scaled well in the digital age... If you're an independent thinker you're a quack. But if you don't think for yourself, you're a lemming. So we keep our mouths shut and leave the loudest people to hijack influence and claim that's reality.
Substack has been giving me hope that the embodied dreamers, schemers and doers have a fighting chance, but feels like we're all bobbling on ocean waves floating in the distance while world leaders scoop the masses and divide them into sound bites.
Anyway thanks for this piece and 2 new to me substacks 😂
Nuance hasn't scaled well in the digital age is a beautiful way to put it. I agree wholeheartedly Bee.
It's so important to remember the loudest person in the room (or on the internet) is not always right.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think we're cut from the same cloth :)
…seek out the fundamentally useful delusional truths…i think rollerskates are one of these…george burns also…
lol i need a detailed explanation of why rollerskates? and who is george burns?
Ah interesting. When I read the initial question my immediate thought was "well truth obviously, why would you want anything else", but then I read on and now I understand what you mean by useful delusions. And now I think, why not both? Useful delusions to guide you through everyday life and navigate this complex world, and fundamental truth as your foundation.
That's exactly where my thoughts were leading me Sophie. I'm glad that came across. I think we're on the same page here!
Everybody: What is the meaning of life?
Deep Thought: 42
The longer I live the more I'm starting to think there is no meaning to life. Which is great! Because we can make up whatever meaning we want :)
Recommending books that lead to an existential crisis is the honorable thing to do in this world
Haha thanks Jeff. Now you just gave me a new writing topic: X books I would not recommend reading unless you want to experience an existential crisis :)
It's an excellent thought on one of the bigger challenges of our time whether to ignore the truth or embrace it. If you can embrace the truth or even traffic within it, it will make you an outsider. If you are bobbing along up and down amid mounds of ocean water then you escape the endless haggling over the truth of the landlubbers. But the floater outsider shows one the way while the delisionsl fixed attitude folk lead us to oblivion. It all requires a closer look so thanks for an excellent thought provoking post.
Thank you Larry I'm glad you enjoyed reading this. It's a real struggle I'm trying to come to terms with.
I have no problem being an outsider and seems like you don't either :)
Being an outsider can be either an advantage or is a liability depending on who you are talking to. Best thing is figure out your direction based on what you think is most important. Being analytical like you are, always helps but find the best course to be on is still difficult. Thanks for this excellent post.
Great article!
I have Jed's books but haven't read more than a couple of chapters yet. I sort of waver between assuming that it's faux enlightenment stuff and maybe that there's something to it that could help me. Maybe I'll find out one day.
What I write below pertains to certain kinds of deep truths and will probably sound a little-over-the-top, so I acknowledge that first. It may not relate much to your intended question, but -- as usual -- anything that triggers a thought in my, and I let loose. :-) I feel a bit of sympaty with the worldly sentiments of Schopenhauer and perhaps even a philosopher I learned about recently called Philip Mainlainder.
My personal view on seeking the true versus the merely practical is that finding out the true, real nature of the world is foundationally noble and important. Else, bad people can use and manipulate and make fools and slaves out of us all. (Too late actually, but ...)
The weirdness I'm seeing is that people who seek and consider the true nature of the world are indeed making themselves unappealing to the mainstream community (i.e., to most happy people), and are choosing a life predominantly of rejection and loneliness. More than that, some worst of the truths that a person might stumble upon reveal things that the more sensitive among these seekers cannot accept morally, leading eventually -- for some -- even to the point of giving up on the world, withdrawing, and even voluntarily leaving it prematurely.
I.e., in principle, having more knowledge is a key to better and more successful action in life, and yet knowing certain truths can kill you because they reveal the tricks and lies that have been exerted to control humanity and you can't live with that.
Look at the quotations from some poet or philosopher and/or from the bible, to the effect that with great wisdom comes great sorrow. And the same sentiment but more beautifully and tragically worded by Yeats (or Keats maybe?).
Conversely, *not* knowing the hidden truths of the world, in principle, leaves you vulnerable to being used and manipulated and made a fool of, and yet many people wouldn't be able to be happy or continue living *without* that ignorance.
The seekers of hidden truth live in shock, sadness, loneliness, and a desire -- sometimes -- to leave the world, while the blithely unaware are happy, more or less motivated, and actually like this place.
Very frustrating paradox!
...
Sorry for going dark on your wonderful and enjoyable article! Haha. Just have to get that stuff out when I can.