Icelander said:

I made a comment on another thread that there are more bacteria in our bodies then our actual cell count. We are host to more alien life then our own. I stated that if we realized the implications of this we could no longer believe our own proclaimed self important specialness.

The idea of who we are, the personality structure is such a narrow band on the spectrum of processes going on in our physical bodies. We are almost completley unaware of this life going on.

It seems obvious and self evident that our personality is nothing special in the sense that it makes us more important than the rest of the life forms on this planet. It's all the same process and we are only a tiny part of that ongoing process. It wasn't created to just for our benefit.

Ya think?

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explosiveoxygen said:

You seem like you want to convince yourself this statement is true.

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Icelander said:

Terrific debate style. Now how about addressing the subject, if you can.

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Icelander said:

I made a comment on another thread that there are more bacteria in our bodies then our actual cell count. We are host to more alien life then our own. I stated that if we realized the implications of this we could no longer believe our own proclaimed self important specialness.

The idea of who we are, the personality structure is such a narrow band on the spectrum of processes going on in our physical bodies. We are almost completley unaware of this life going on.

It seems obvious and self evident that our personality is nothing special in the sense that it makes us more important than the rest of the life forms on this planet. It's all the same process and we are only a tiny part of that ongoing process. It wasn't created to just for our benefit.

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Hmmmm... "lots of bacteria on humans = humans not special".

So I will ask... What does having more bacteria in/on our bodies than actual cell count implicate? Oh wait there was more, you go on to explain that "We are almost completley unaware of this life going on" and this somehow relates to "who we are" and that somehow relates to the "personality structure is such a narrow band on the spectrum of processes going on in our physical bodies", which I assume you are meaning that you think we are more than our personality. Fair enough, I agree that we are more than an imaginary construct which we call personality. Then you speak of personality which may be special in some sense but is not special in the sense that it possibly could make humans more important than the rest of the life forms on this planet (do you know of life elsewhere?), and saying that that isn't correct... hmmm, well yes. I think I'm following you so far...

Then "It's all the same process and we are only a tiny part of that ongoing process"... Now this is interesting. What exactly is all the same process?

And "It wasn't created to just for our benefit"... Do you believe it was created? And that it was created for the benefit of anything?


Any way I look at it, it seems like a stretch to connect a concept of human specialness (if there is such a thing) or lack thereof, to either a presence or absence of bacteria on the body. Maybe carrying so much bacteria makes humans special cause we support so much "alien life" and without us those tiny little bacteria wouldn't have a home.. or not.

Quote:

It seems obvious and self evident that our personality is nothing special in the sense that it makes us more important than the rest of the life forms on this planet. It's all the same process and we are only a tiny part of that ongoing process. It wasn't created to just for our benefit.

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Quote:

The idea of who we are, the personality structure is such a narrow band on the spectrum of processes going on in our physical bodies. We are almost completley unaware of this life going on

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Quote:

I made a comment on another thread that there are more bacteria in our bodies then our actual cell count. We are host to more alien life then our own. I stated that if we realized the implications of this we could no longer believe our own proclaimed self important specialness.

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explosiveoxygen said:

Icelander said:

I said it.

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So the symbiotic nature we share with many other organisms within us makes us not so special. I'll let the quantum physicists know that we are not special after my coffee break.

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falcon said:

Quote:

It seems obvious and self evident that our personality is nothing special in the sense that it makes us more important than the rest of the life forms on this planet. It's all the same process and we are only a tiny part of that ongoing process. It wasn't created to just for our benefit.

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This is a really weak argument.

Therefore Icelander is trying to convince himself.

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So anytime a person makes a weak argument they are trying to convince themself? That seems like a weak argument.

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So anytime a person makes a weak argument they are trying to convince themself?

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Mufungo said:

falcon said:

Quote:

It seems obvious and self evident that our personality is nothing special in the sense that it makes us more important than the rest of the life forms on this planet. It's all the same process and we are only a tiny part of that ongoing process. It wasn't created to just for our benefit.

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This is a really weak argument.

Therefore Icelander is trying to convince himself.

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So anytime a person makes a weak argument they are trying to convince themself? That seems like a weak argument.

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falcon said:

Quote:

So anytime a person makes a weak argument they are trying to convince themself?

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In this forum, yes.

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falcon said:

Quote:

So anytime a person makes a weak argument they are trying to convince themself?

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yes.

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joemolloy said:

There is an evolutionary advantage to thinking you are the apex of life, the pinnacle of all biological complexity.  This advantage allows us to consume every available resource with little regret or care for its global consequences.

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So being a pathetic ignorant moron is an advantage?

MushroomTrip said:

joemolloy said:

There is an evolutionary advantage to thinking you are the apex of life, the pinnacle of all biological complexity.  This advantage allows us to consume every available resource with little regret or care for its global consequences.

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So being a pathetic ignorant moron is an advantage?

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Icelander said:

I made a comment on another thread that there are more bacteria in our bodies then our actual cell count. We are host to more alien life then our own. I stated that if we realized the implications of this we could no longer believe our own proclaimed self important specialness.

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Icelander said:

If we see the personality is idea based, how long will we consider it important?


That would differ from person to person. For me, as time goes on, on an intellectual level at least, I see my personality structure as unimportant outside of allowing me to navagiate day to day reality.

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Your sentence implies that there is a you that is not the personality structure, but that it allows the you to navigate, so its a tool that you use

Do we really need it?

Does this body need a peronsal 'me' in order to navigate, or isit possible, that the universe can take care of its own creation?

Im not jumping to assumptions, im just suggesting the possible possibility

Icelander said:

A human without a personality structure is not a human

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