Nature's wonders: land-dwelling macroorganism psychoanalysed (Introduction)

by David Turell , Tuesday, August 21, 2018, 17:03 (2284 days ago) @ Balance_Maintained

DAVID: You see dhw as rigid as I do.

TONY: Not rigid...indecisive, unwilling to make a choice, whether because he doesn't want to be wrong, is afraid he might be wrong, or whether in his own way he is trying to keep is mind open, afraid that making a choice means not being able to choose something different later. I don't know his motives, and these are just speculations based on observations.

DHW: I’m delighted to find myself among Nature's Wonders, and flattered to be the subject of your psychoanalysis! Of course I may be slightly biased in my assessment of the data available, but for what it’s worth I truly believe that I started this website because ever since my student days I have been fascinated by the mysteries of our existence, unable to find any (for me) convincing solution to them, and appalled by the bigotry of some of the folk who are convinced that their solutions are correct, e.g. Dawkins calling God a “delusion”, and fundamentalists murdering people who don’t share their religious beliefs. In setting up the website I wanted to restore some kind of balance to the entrenched arguments that I found so offensive, and I hoped to gain some kind of enlightenment for myself. After more than ten years, I think I have become more rigid in my conviction that I will never find the answers to my questions unless there really is a God and an afterlife. I am as indecisive as ever on the question of his existence, and because I see both sides of the argument, I am UNABLE to make a choice. There is no “motive” behind this indecision.

However, I should add that I have learned an enormous amount from discussing the various subjects with people like yourselves, who are much more knowledgeable than I am about certain related fields. And it's been a genuine source of pleasure to find that despite all the disagreements, discussions have very rarely descended to the levels of aggressive bigotry that I so dislike. I would even go so far as to say that in some cases the disagreements have led to a very real bond of friendship.

Tony: Oh, make no mistake, I consider you and David friends, and eagerly hop on here as often as I can to have conversations, debates, and arguments with my friends. So, thanks for not taking it as a criticism. Yet, I find it hard to swallow that you are unable to make a choice. Unable and unwilling are not the same things. If you made a choice, you have to face the prospect of being wrong. The question is, what's wrong with being wrong?

I value our friendship so much. It has opened up my mind to new avenues of thought.