The relationship between man and ____ similar to a metaphor as the relationship between God and man.
I often find myself thinking “I want ___” or “My relationship/attitude towards x is ____”.
I often tend to justify myself (to myself) and/or teach myself a lesson using this pattern.
I’ve recently been applying this example to the idea of beauty.
In this moment i have fear
I sometimes think “Why do women intend to their own beauty? Doesn’t she know there is nothing she can do to intend to her own beauty? Does she not understand that I, as a man, taking objectification to its end, do not require her to do anything? Would she rather be recognized for her accomplishments (when it comes to beauty), rather than my judgements of something beyond her control?”
I apply this same idea to myself (a straight man) and God. I cannot speak for God, however, to intend to objectify myself in this same manner (in my mind’s formation of the divine), I might think "Why does this man intend to conceptualize ‘what is beauty?’ Doesn’t he know there is nothing he can do to intend to understand beauty? Does he not understand that as a god (intending to not offend), taking (?,judgements,impositions,etc…) to its end, do not require you to do anything? Would he rather be recognized for his accomplishments (judgements of what beauty is? etc…) rather than my (the divine’s) (?,judgements,impositions,etc…) of something beyond his control?
Furthermore (apply this idea to (this)). Perhaps the divine thinks I am the cute one
While there are men and women who do obsess over their looks , most spend maybe an hour a day grooming. That includes bathing, dressing, hair care and applying makeup or skin products. I cannot see that what the average person does is overmuch attention. Now the media obsesses over products for grooming, Jesus the commercials are a pain in the butt. If we applied the cost of those commercials to national debt , this country would be in the black in just a few years . The market for products does create a picture that people spend way too much time caring about looks.
Probably not albeit he may intend to understand it.
The reason that beauty IS in the eye of the beholder is because beauty cannot be understood,words don’t really do it, it can only be experienced according to our own sense of perception and qualia…and who we are inside.
Concrete things can be maybe understood. Abstract things can only be experienced.
Of course I may be wrong in this but that’s my intuition.
Actually I just want to stop the stomach acid. I don’t care what fills my stomach up as long as it is edible and does not make me sick. I cook different meals just to relieve boredom.
I do not think there is meaning to life. It is not needed.
Kristy, imagine you NOT having this job that you like so much working with the animals; not having your husband who you love so much; not having your son who you love so much.
Imagine remembering them but not having them anymore. Are you saying that losing those things would not deprive your life of meaning?
Are you saying that those things do not give meaning to your life?
I agree that the only meaning in life is that which we create or have come to experience in ourselves but I can never say that meaning is not necessary.
When people lose meaning in their lives, what do they do? They try to create that meaning or re-create that meaning through drugs, liquor, sex, what have you. Suicide is also a way out of a meaningless life.
We do need meaning because we are conscious, thinking, feeling human beings.
There is a difference though between experiencing what is “truly” meaningful to us and the other thing - running after constant hedonsitic pleasure and never being satisfied.
They all give me much and yes some meaning and just as in my other post on that other thread, it influences me, changes me, creates me.
But, to lose them all would not end them or me. I would hurt, grieve but, carry on. I lose beloved life a few times a year. Animals or humans that I love pass on. I buried a dear little hen this morning. I will miss her attitude and personality. It is or has become part of my life. But, perhaps it helps. As I get closer to my end my fear and worries of death. It is just part of life.
But, what I meant about life not having meaning was about all life and forms. It is because it is. A flower is not just a flower it is it’s components, those components have components . Perhaps meaning is being part. But, life just is I think.
What do you mean by this, Krissy? That not everything which we perceive of the universe can be meaningful to us? Only what gives qualia or purpose to our lives, makes sense, et cetera, individually?
Well, a tree is because it is but on a deeper level, it is much more than just being there.
Is that what one would call a nihilistic attitude? I don’t know.
Are you speaking of the inter-connectiveness of things around us?
What about the questions? What about the man or woman who is late for the plane because of something interfering which has never happened to him/her before and later on they discover that that plane crashed. All were killed. How can we say that “life JUST is”?
Who knows? There may or may not be something or much which is called synchronicity or serendipity or “whatever” lol but certain events will cause us to question - can life just “be”? Life just IS?
lol Yes, at times I have though I don’t know what you necessarily mean by that. When I have looked up at the stars and felt unable to pull my eyes away from them. The sense of beauty and awe which fills me in those moments have at times brought stinging tears to my eyes. It’s an orgiastic moment at times.
Other things do that to me too - like a beautiful powerful raging ocean, an awesome weeping willow tree, ad continuum.
I’m lucky that way. Things move me.
Arc, sorry for the delay.
Life has no meaning it is life, we give events meaning in order to survive. Incidents are part of life. The universe, parallel universes, energies sentient or not, are living because of something we can only guess at, Big Bang or intelligent design.
Life may have purpose but, not meaning. There may be purpose in my husband and I meeting each other in this life. But, meaning ? No.
Our love does mean we want to live long and happy together. We both knew our destiny was to be together, that is purpose not meaning.
Does this make sense?
lol Poor life. I know that i have very strong feelings and sensations at times but life standing alone and on its own - can it not have any meaning at all until someone comes along and starts it up, like a car?
But I know what you mean. Maybe as long as there is meaning for many others, life still has meaning. We are thinking in terms of ego. Maybe I’m wrong.
By this do you mean “strictly” survival?
Is life only to be about strict survival? That would be for me kind of a dystopian world.
What about meaning enhancing one’s life, giving one a reason to wake up and eagerly jump out of bed, looking
to “carpe diem”?
I think that we give events meaning to have a more optimal life and also because we don’t understand some of the ways in which the universe works. Right there with that last line I just gave my life a bit more meaning, realizing that there is so much that I do not begin to understand about the universe and it makes life more interesting and haunting in a way, fascinating.
In other words, without us, would they be non-existent? Is that what you’re saying here?
Without someone to perceive and observe them, they would not exist?
I think that those two words swim in the same waters, Krissy. Having purpose gives meaning and sensing meaning spurs one on toward’s a purpose in one’s life.
Oh, I’m not so sure you feel that way about the second part of the above. I recall a thread that Pandora opened about synchonicity. I can’t recall exactly what it was that you said but I do recall that you sensed “meaning” in the way your husband and yourself met. …like you had always known him. That’s meaning speaking, Krissy.
That implies both purpose and meaning Krissy but to me the greater being meaning. The meaning lies in you believing that you were fated to be together. Meaning comes alive in the way in which we perceive and evaluate things.
There’s nothing wrong with seeing meaning in our lives. We need it like we need oxygen. lol
Meaning exists precisely because we give it.
To say life has no meaning is to say life has no love in it. Just because it is your own heart that produces it does not mean it doesnt exist.
. The market for products does create a picture that people spend way too much time caring about looks.