Why is there something rather than nothing? (Humans)

by xeno6696 , Sonoran Desert, Monday, April 04, 2011, 11:30 (4981 days ago) @ David Turell


> > > All of this is fine, but all progress depends upon what we accept as reality and truth in science, or we would still be riding on or behind horses. It is best to stay at a world view practical level. The rest is navel-gazing arguments about the angels and the pin head.
> > 
> > Bah.. the greatest inventions in history spawned from just such naval gazing. To move from the caloric to the ether to friction to particulate excitation as the source for heat involved people daring to question the 'reality' of their age. 60 years ago super computers would have been impractical, 50 years ago home computers were impractical, 40 years ago the internet was impractical, 30 years ago the world wide web was impractical, 20 years ago 32-bit processing was impractical, etc etc etc.. if you stay in the 'practical' you stagnate. History is made by those that dare to dream. (sorry for the little rant)
> 
> You have misunderstood my answer. I was objecting to all the philosophizing that goes nowhere. The mental masturbation that causes arguments and confusion. Nothing practical is gained about arguing the number of angels fitted on a pin head. I agree exactly with your point. Navel-gazing to my mind is a perjorative term, meaning empty thinking. On the other hand progressive, inventive thought has the meanings you describe.-Western thought would never have arrived at the perspective of eastern thought. They both tackle the same world, but the perspectives and resulting attitudes are universes apart. The pluralism we enjoy in the US existed in India far before Athenian democracy hit he world stage.-Everyone always wants you to "think outside the box" but in the end its those ppl who are the most conservative in regards to the fact that it requires radicalized and highly controversial means to get there. I'm sorry you've been getting little of interest from me lately, but I didn't come here for you. We've formed a pattern at this site over the past years, and I'm trying various means to break it. Or if you want, we can go back to the old Monty Python bit:-"An argument isn't just being contrary!"
"Yes it is!"
"No it isn't!"

--
\"Why is it, Master, that ascetics fight with ascetics?\"

\"It is, brahmin, because of attachment to views, adherence to views, fixation on views, addiction to views, obsession with views, holding firmly to views that ascetics fight with ascetics.\"