Meaning - this is an illusion

This is a translation of an article that is very strange to me affected. Original





< Paul Α and B - the same color

Most likely it is the most important thing I've ever written, because I believe that he had found no other than the meaning of life, or lack thereof. If you're smart / educated, the beginning of this essay may seem like a fairly standard. Nevertheless follows thought.

The main argument
< The meaning of & lt; & lt; Emotion & lt; & lt; Chemistry & lt; & lt; Physics

"The meaning of" life comes only from the emotional experience, which is based on chemistry. We know that emotion, and even spiritual experience on the chemical nature of the event. Nowadays, with the help of science possible, using drugs and / or direct manipulation of the brain to induce a "spiritual" experience.

Of course, it is possible that these changes simply make us susceptible to signals from the real world of spirits, but I find this feature quite small enough to throw her a little discussion. Similarly, I rule out the possibility that the "demon sex" used telekinesis to drag a cup of coffee in her bosom, when I accidentally released her hand and she fell to the ground. In short, when there is a clear scientific explanation for anything мало reasons to buy into something else , which requires supernatural.

I affirm that all of the goals and aspirations, however high or "selfless" they may be, are nothing more than the same equal illusions based on biology, which is based on chemistry, which is based on physics.

In short, meaning people invented as an explanation of why we do what we do. We build this illusion, because the alternative is too unbearable.

Objectives
All my goals, and objectives of anyone I've ever met in person or through extended experience, based on emotions. For example, take me as I can not speak authoritatively about yourself. Frankly, these are the main things I want in life (not necessarily in this order):

• Feel control over their lives and destiny
• Be respected by those around me at work and outside of it
• To love a woman, but to be sought in other
• To be educated enough and wise enough to understand the world
• Use the above knowledge to help improve the lives of others
• shares the experience of beauty with smart, interesting people < /First are fairly standard targets, and anyway most will agree with them. Next are the goals that are recognized as a "higher", and they are busy, those who are inherently more selfless.
  
  But they are not.
  
  We have all heard that the concept of altruism is selfish, because it brings pleasure to the giver. Well, it is a model that explains this observation. The desire to help others, as well as the desire to be powerful it is natural and is based on emotions. In both cases the result - a chemical injection pleasure in the brain of one who reaches his goal.
  
  The only difference between selfish and altruistic desires is positive if the result of the desire for other in addition to you em>, or not positive it for you at all. Desires exist always for yourself. Even when you desperately want to sacrifice themselves for the sake of someone whom you love, you can still do it, because not doing it em>, you doom yourself to even greater suffering. This is not samotverzheny act; is the result of what you have to commit to action, just as you are forced to look for food, a house or a couple.
  
  The animals also have desires. They want to control their territory or kill competitors, mate, reproduce, and so forth. Many animals even love to masturbate and mourn the loss of loved ones. In fact, our desires are not very different from the desires of animals; we just fooled myself to believe that they are the other through a complex self-deception.
  
  For example, go and ask the usual parent, why he or she started a children, you will get the same answer as if you asked why she threw a monkey in someone turd. "Um, because it's made em>?». And if you're lucky and you will stumble on the "sublime" thinker, (s) he will tell you that children give them a strong sense of accomplishment, or even that it gives them the opportunity to live after death. In any case, all just for the benefit of the parent.
  
  But if you think about it, there is simply no other options. Unborn children a little worried about the fact that they were not born. People have children for themselves, not for their unborn children. People have children, because chemistry tells them to do it, which is manifested in the form of emotions, "I just want children ...". Well, of course, you want them.
  
  And we call it our individuality?
  
  Sublime and ignoble purposes
  Now, let's be frank. I believe that all human goals, whether they are basic and frankly selfish (to have enough money to have sex if you want), and the goal of a higher order, such as (I want to help Africa, even if it will ruin my career .. .) - essentially identical. They are chemical based and offer chemical awards.
  
  Desire 45-year-old accountant with a prepaid credit for a house, a beautiful wife, two children and a healthy account in a bank in the amount of 401 thousand dollars is no different from desires 17-year-old drug dealer who lives with his parents and trying to get back your ex.
  
  Let us estimate these desires:
  
  < Banker
  
• Be a good father

Be uvazhemym home and at work Make your wife happy Get the next increase keep the bad guys away from their families (vote Republican) send their children to a good college Buy this last summer house Drug dealer < /
Make enough money to buy your own angle wheelbarrow procure better to impress his former Get the gun, so that people know what happened to me is not a joke Get better clothes More to go to a rocking chair to be more attractive / threatening
< Gopher
Get more sticks for a better house Find more food Bring out that a female Protect cubs Get more sticks ...
< monk
Drop byssmyslennye attachment to the material Learn to let go of self-consciousness Skontsentrivatsya at the moment, not before, not after it
K injection. Em>

It sounds nice chemistry coming into your brain. Chemistry is almost the same for the banker, a drug dealer and a monk. It is processed almost the same filling in the brain. Injection - is a source of happiness.

Everything else, such as spirituality, meaning, purpose, etc. Is added after that. In animal life does not make sense, because they are not complex enough to create it as an explanation for what they do. We are complicated enough, so we have it.

I wrote earlier that I believe that free will does not exist . Interestingly, the concept of "meaning" and "free will" is identical to the one key point: they both do not exist, but we desperately need them to maintain a healthy society.

So what do you do with this knowledge?
Once you are awake and realize that all your desires and pleasures in the end reduced to chemical interactions, there are several ways in which you can go.
To understand how painful it is, immediately dismiss it and continue to pretend that the real meaning. Essentially, go back to sleep. Understand how emotions occupy a central position and reject all the "sublime" aspirations. Devote his life to the pursuit of pleasure, because in any case it is the only source of meaning. supports dual awareness. Realize that it is an illusion, but to participate in it for their own sanity. Follow the way of life that allows more people to survive happiness and less suffering. I chose the third. I chose a meaningful way, as if I had free will, recognizing that it does not exist, but in terms as if it is, because there is no other practical alternative given my limitations as a person (or company).

Here on the surface emerges an interesting question: how many other unawakened people just chose the first option?

Conclusions
The most striking realization coming with this knowledge - this is what the ignorant and confused in the life of people is fundamentally no different from me. Fact does not negate the fact of awakening that I draw meaning from chemistry. So when I was in an elevator filled with Christians who support Bush, and I look down on them for their stupidity, by and large, I'm no different from them.

Yes, I am aware of its limitations, but it does not delete them. I enjoyed knowing that I'm better, right? Type that I know the secrets that they do not understand. Well, and how does this differ from having fun in the church on Sunday? Or eaten a good dish of ice cream. There is no difference.

Injection have the injection. All this - the same thing.

I can tell you that this awareness has given me a different view of religious people. Religion and Spirituality - is the ultimate manifestation of the illusion, because religious people create alternative worlds, of which there is a meaning. Again, I wonder how many of them do so, because it looked through the illusion, but it was too much for them.

Another interesting point is that to be unspiritual atheist who believes in the intrinsic motivation even more absurd than to be religious. At least religious person has the support of his allegations - even if it is false; an atheist who believes in the intrinsic motivation of such support has not. The only atheists who have a solid footing within the meaning of - those who create it in the context of the illusion.

When the CEO comes to us in the elevator, and then a monk on the next floor, in our minds, things happen the same grade. I would say that the monk stupid rejected because too much of that pleasure in the material world. Director thinks we are stupid because we have two country houses and yachts. A Christian look down on us because they know that Jesus - is the answer.

We all signed up to our little fantasies, and they all lead to injections of fun. We like to know that we are part of a small group that "in the subject line».

And yet, I will say that I am better because I know that none of this is real, which leads to the next point.

Conclusion
There are two types of people: those who know that are involved in the illusion, and those who still believe in the intrinsic motivation. There are two basic classifications of creatures. Animals and 99% of the people on the one hand, and on the other conscious people.

The answer to the question "why?" Is simple: we - chemical machines, driven evolution. We want power, attractiveness and happiness just because those who reach them successful in spreading themselves. Perhaps the meaning in itself - it is a meme used evolution to persuade us to do her bidding. Her method of concealing boredom of everyday life. Meaning - a necessary illusion.

The question is not whether you can reset your worldly, selfish desires. You can not. It does not matter what your desire, regardless of how they are selfless, their performance still leads to happiness for you. It's the nature of a living being, and this is what makes them your em> desires. The real question is whether you can evolve your goals to ensure that they become useful to others at the same time, satisfying yourself.

This morality of the new world of awareness. Increase happiness and reduce suffering is not something that should be done to another world; it's something that needs to be done just because we know what kind of feelings, and we should try to make others happy as we ourselves would like it.

Just this is the definition of an advanced society. Advanced society works from the inside and strives to achieve the illusion of connection between happiness and misery in the world. In other words, when one person suffers - the world is suffering, and when people are happy - happy world.

Awareness of illusion and makes the concept of virtual worlds a little more interesting. Once you consider the illusion becomes much less strange to seek pleasure in the alternative worlds of fantasy. These other worlds in the end give us the same thing that we get from the "real" world, the actual injection. What is the difference in the nature of where it comes from?

In general, I do not see it in full awareness dull that I'm sure will be the main cause for complaint (and thus the reason for the denial of this realization). But instead of seeing it as proof of complete lack of meaning in your life, let's make a distinction between intrinsic motivation and motivation that we can create for yourself. Let's use this awareness to create our own meaning.

Source: geektimes.ru/post/247212/