The Search for Truth

[jcs]

I have come to a conclusion:
the child is most gullible of us all, believing in everything he is told, imagining a world of make-believe. We move beyond this primitive mentality, we become scientists, we become teenagers; we lose our ability to imagine, and with it, our innocence. Few of us mature past the teenage years, it would seem, for beyond this iconoclasm, this acting out, this skepticism, there is something more: sophism, nihilism, absurdity, pure and true. I believe in nothing! Belief is none of my concern. Rather: understand! Rather: imagine without faith in our images! Make without believing!
Come, now, skeptics, it is time to grow up: let us try to rediscover innocence!

[jcs]

People are absurdly judgemental, and it all amounts to egoism. We graduate from our childhood of gullibility to the teenage years of skepticism, in which we declare one thing true, all else false. We ally ourselves with those who hold this one thing to be true, who share with us in beliefs, even if these people have not felt the truth of their beliefs, even if they have not 'written their truths in blood'--it is sufficient for 'the cause,' whatever that may be, that they believe. We set those who don't believe as we do as our opponents, using reason and skepticism to destroy their thought while we try to justify our own with similar nonsense. We graduate from a childhood of gullibility and become absolutists. We believe in our own nonsense! We have failed to learn the lesson that can be found in our graduation: disbelief! Not doubt, not skepticism, not a mere questioning, but a complete and total denial--a complete and total affirmation.
Children: grow up!

[Péter]

Come, now, skeptics, it is time to grow up: let us try to rediscover innocence!

I'm going back outside to finish my snowfort...;)

[Jimbo Gomez]

I'm going back outside to finish my snowfort...;)

Where are you again?

[Péter]

Location: New Jersey

[Jimbo Gomez]

Ah ok, I thought you were in Europe. That much snow there?

[Péter]

Maybe 10 centimeters at best--but enough, nontheless!

[Jimbo Gomez]

OK. Enjoy.

[Leif]

I am somewhat confused by this. In the first post, it seems as if you want us to rediscover our faith/belief, but in the second you appear to be telling us to disbelieve?

the child is most gullible of us all, believing in everything he is told,
...
Come, now, skeptics, it is time to grow up: let us try to rediscover innocence!

We believe in our own nonsense! We have failed to learn the lesson that can be found in our graduation: disbelief! Not doubt, not skepticism, not a mere questioning, but a complete and total denial--a complete and total affirmation.
Children: grow up!

[jcs]

In the first post, it seems as if you want us to rediscover our faith/belief
Not at all. I'm telling us to move beyond the 'sin' of skepticism, which was useful insofar as it got us past the 'innocence' of gullibility. One must cease believing in things; understanding is vital, and one can understand independently of all (dis)belief.

[Leif]

I'm telling us to move beyond the 'sin' of skepticism, which was useful insofar as it got us past the 'innocence' of gullibility. One must cease believing in things; understanding is vital, and one can understand independently of all (dis)belief.

Ah I see. Thanks for the clarification.

[daisy]

one must cease believing in things; understanding is vital, and one can understand independently of all (dis)beliefi don't understand can you word it different to make it easier to understand

[jcs]

i don't understand can you word it different to make it easier to understand
I mustn't believe in Don Quixote to understand Don Quixote. So it should be with all things. In fact, the prejudices of belief often inhibit understanding.

[Anarch]

I mustn't believe in Don Quixote to understand Don Quixote. So it should be with all things. In fact, the prejudices of belief often inhibit understanding.
Haha. Yes indeed, jcs. I think I called this dancing, once.

[daisy]

ok i get it now thank you jcs