What is the Human Character? - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

Wandering the information superhighway, he came upon the last refuge of civilization, PoFo, the only forum on the internet ...

For the discussion of Philosophy. Discuss thought from Socrates to the Enlightenment and beyond!

Moderator: PoFo Agora Mods

Forum rules: No one line posts please. Religious topics may be debated in this forum, but those of religious belief who specifically wish to avoid threads being derailed by atheist arguments might prefer to use the Spirituality forum.
#14993042
Of course human beings are highly individually variable so each individual has a unique character so one may wonder how one can evaluate the average or typical character of humans as a whole species. Many other animals are also individually variable but we can recognise the baseline character of the species, for example we might recognise that cats are playful and ruthless. Rabbits are timid and gregarious amongst their own. So it should be for own species homo sapiens. What is our species character? I think curiosity is a major character trait. What else?
#14993049
B0ycey wrote:
This should answer your question SolarCross.


I am not watching that right now because I am listening to viking music but I have seen it before. The makers of the videos are suffering from misanthropy, is this the character trait you think is typical of humans? There is a lot misanthropy going around lately but taking the broad view I don't see that as a normal or classic human character trait. It is more like a disease of the soul and I think it may even have non-human origins.
#14993058
SolarCross wrote:I am not watching that right now because I am listening to viking music but I have seen it before. The makers of the videos are suffering from misanthropy, is this the character trait you think is typical of humans? There is a lot misanthropy going around lately but taking the broad view I don't see that as a normal or classic human character trait. It is more like a disease of the soul and I think it may even have non-human origins.

That's not misanthropy; it's simply a statement of fact. And it is actually a consequence of some of the best human character traits - our ability to co-operate with each other on a vast scale, our curiosity about the world, and our ingenuity in finding solutions to problems which confront us. In fact, our most dangerous character traits are actually our greatest virtues. Compare us with, say, the chimpanzees, and this becomes obvious. Chimps are nasty pieces of work, and have remained an obscure species of primate in the African rainforest, whereas humans have overrun the planet.
#14993064
SolarCross wrote:...is this the character trait you think is typical of humans?


Yes, I think the character is a metaphor for humanity - and I include myself in that. We tend to consume and destroy anything if its in our benefit without thinking of the natural consequence of it. It isn't really misanthropy as you can watch the video and relate to it easily. I remember reading a meme once (don't know if it was true) that all the leaders that attended Paris on climate change flew in from jet plane. Says it all.

To be honest, only a very select few of the most ardent vegan hippies could ever say they are not a selfish bastard when it comes to sharing resources with the world. Even a neighbour near me who supports The Green Party dives a 4x4 to take her kids to school (about a mile away). Does she not see the contradiction? Obviously not. That is human nature just there.
#14993067
Sivad wrote:"the gap between a Plato or a Nietzsche and the average human is greater than the gap between the chimpanzee and the average human."

I would dispute that. The possession of language and the ability to think symbolically is a huge advantage which even the dullest human possesses over even the brightest chimpanzee. After all, a human can read Plato or Nietzsche, which no chimpanzee can do. Whether they understand them or not is, of course, another matter. But nonetheless they can at least read them. Lol.
#14993068
The average human uses very limited and basic vocal language to make only basic functions like sleep, eat, fornicate and go to the toilet. The intellectual distance between such a person and a chimpanzee who also performs these basic functions is a lot smaller than it is between such a person and a Plato or Nietzsche in terms of intellectual productivity and capacity.

The average human uses only 500-700 words of significance in their daily life, a chimpanzee can learn 350 words to use through sign language. Plato and Nietzsche are solely responsible for the creation of a few hundred concepts of their own. The veracity of the statement is quite obvious.
#14993078
Potemkin wrote:I would dispute that. The possession of language and the ability to think symbolically is a huge advantage which even the dullest human possesses over even the brightest chimpanzee. After all, a human can read Plato or Nietzsche, which no chimpanzee can do. Whether they understand them or not is, of course, another matter. But nonetheless they can at least read them. Lol.


That doesn't actually dispute it, it doesn't really even address it. I agree with you that the gap between the average person and a chimp is quite large, what Mackey is saying is that the gap between the average person and "the true artist, the saint, the philosopher" is even larger.
#14993086
Sivad wrote:That doesn't actually dispute it, it doesn't really even address it. I agree with you that the gap between the average person and a chimp is quite large, what Mackey is saying is that the gap between the average person and "the true artist, the saint, the philosopher" is even larger.

"Even larger"? By what metric? :eh:
#14993087
Man is an impossible creature, part god and part monster, a Chimera that the only explanation for his being must lie in some anthropological disaster, which rendered him who is made in the image and likeness of God, to a tarnished creature. Man is like an exiled king, reduced to poor circumstances but retaining elements of his former grandeur. His ''character'' in my opinion, is otherwise inexplicable.
#14993090
Potemkin wrote:"Even larger"? By what metric? :eh:



:lol: When the real natural adepts use words like "profane" "blind" "dead" they're not just like gratuitously insulting the masses, they're offering an invaluable truth to all who have eyes to see and ears to hear.
#14993094
Sivad wrote::lol: When the real natural adepts use words like "profane" "blind" "dead" they're not just like gratuitously insulting the masses, they're offering an invaluable truth to all who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Ah, I see. So you're one of the Ascended Ones then...?

Ascension

:excited:
#14993095
Potemkin wrote:Ah, I see. So you're one of the Ascended Ones then...?
Yes, I am.
#14993102
We're all ascended masters. Ascending and descending all ways always.
Potemkin wrote:Jolly good. :)
This is a screenshot. Fall of 2014 I had an experience. Searched online, couldn't find a narrative to match the experience. Went through medical journals, couldn't find a scientific report to match the experience. Moreover, since my experience, I've gained (I don't know if gained is the proper word to express what I think is accumulating over time) forms of extra-sensory perception (precognition, lucid dreams, strong intuition, reading situations-people-animals, etc). What's most curious about my experience is the fact that I have a witness and co-experiencer... We experienced the same thing at the same time... Total loss of reality, akin to ego death. I know you'll laugh it off and say the usual, but no drugs were involved...

Everything dissolved, could see bright white-ness... I could see my buddy (remember, this occurred to both of us simultaneously), but I didn't know who I was or who he was, I/we felt comfortable though. The only definable form was his body which looked like a black energetic silhouette. When reality returned, we immediately recognized something had occurred. We didn't know how much time had passed during our anomalous incident.

I've entertained many interpretations (aliens, gov, brain bubbles, etc), but nothing can really explain it. Aspects of my intelligence and awareness have incrementally increased since the event and sometimes I feel as if I went somewhere for a very-very-very long time... But can't remember it. Instead if dwelling, I've been infecting (maybe not the right word) this present moment with

Words like ascended fail to capture my the experience (an experience that doesn't belong to me). We're all aspects of this present moment. AS for my buddy, he's had some strange shit change in his life as well. Again, mostly ESP type stuff. Although it's a difficult thing to pin down, I will continue to look for a scientific answer (but subconsciously I will continue to love infinity).

To be continued,

-The Universe
#14993126
RhetoricThug wrote: What's most curious about my experience is the fact that I have a witness and co-experiencer... We experienced the same thing at the same time... Total loss of reality, akin to ego death. I know you'll laugh it off and say the usual, but no drugs were involved...

Everything dissolved, could see bright white-ness... I could see my buddy (remember, this occurred to both of us simultaneously), but I didn't know who I was or who he was, I/we felt comfortable though. The only definable form was his body which looked like a black energetic silhouette. When reality returned, we immediately recognized something had occurred. We didn't know how much time had passed during our anomalous incident.


Sounds like hallucingenics to me - which can have long term effects. Your friend could have spiked your drink to share the trip BTW. Or it could be something from your past (reoccurrence). Or maybe you just happened to come across a mushroom field and digressed some funky shit.



#14993131
SolarCross wrote:Of course human beings are highly individually variable so each individual has a unique character so one may wonder how one can evaluate the average or typical character of humans as a whole species. Many other animals are also individually variable but we can recognise the baseline character of the species, for example we might recognise that cats are playful and ruthless. Rabbits are timid and gregarious amongst their own. So it should be for own species homo sapiens. What is our species character? I think curiosity is a major character trait. What else?

Speaking as a mental health nurse, I'd say 'confused'.

Most mental health problems stem from the tension that exists between our primitive instincts and emotional reasoning and the application of logic and analytical reasoning from our higher brain functions. In other words - a battle between our monkey brain and our human brain.

The story of our species has been one of trying to distance ourselves from the animal kingdom and give primacy to our human brain, but the monkey brain (primarily the amygdala) is still fighting.

Image

Classic amygdala vs pre-frontal cortex confusion! :D
Russia-Ukraine War 2022

Meanwhile, your opponents argue that everyone e[…]

Israel-Palestinian War 2023

Were Israelis not taking Palestinian land and hom[…]

People tend to forget that the French now have a s[…]

Neither is an option too. Neither have your inte[…]