Off Topic - Thanks for commenting Pat - Re: Socrates
Re: Socrates -- PatD Top of thread Post Reply Forum
Posted by:
tarvuist ®

06/18/2017, 20:12:20
Author Profile

Edit
Alert Forum Admin




Post Reply

Thanks Pat for considering and saying: 

Socrates' uncertainty concerned his perception
of how the world worked, yours is concerned with the opinion a grotesque who
had you in his power, had of you. 
That's a category error.
 
Well, yes...I suppose the way I wrote that post... but not sure
how you use "category error" here, so let me say:
 

It's not exactly that I debate in myself whether his opinion of me
being a poor mental case and "weak link" was accurate or not.
  
I know that for anyone's certainties and opinions,
and everyone's, there is some sort of thinking or reaction behind the opinion
that self-substantiates it, however valid, verifiable, or mad the opinion might be.
  I did know some collective causes of his opinion of me and of it's skewed perspective.  
 
Yet, (maybe bearing on your "category error" comment), I think moreover the incident enhanced my sense that in general there's
substantial wisdom, at least usefulness, in recognizing that I don't always know what I think I know.
  Certainly now grown a bit more beyond my 20-years-younger self from back then, I more now try to keep healthy uncertainty as to my or anyone's perceptions of how the world works.  ...not the least of which was the effect in recognizing with shock I was mistaken as to M being not the world's-only-hope
sage and perfectly insightful creature I had imagined or wanted him to be.

 
 
(I've not been trained in philosophy to know your use of "category error".  Have read Bateson's on his theory of the "double-bind" sources of schizophrenia
involving -- I think it was -- something about the dynamics of category error
or category manipulation in thought or treatment by others, which with long
continuous circumstance becomes fixed into behavior and worldview, -- but can't
say I understood it entirely. Come to think of it this reminds me of a recent
conversation/string I had on this site.)

You said:
My view on states of certainty, of which I have quite a few, is that I'll keep
them until proved otherwise. Then I'll change my opinion.
 
That sounds eminently pragmatic, a good way to go at it.   ...for all I know   

I agree though with the general drift on this thread, that trying to get inside
the head of the cult leader & his wife is pointless. On the other
hand...they asked for it. 
 

Well yes I know what you mean.  
Probably none of them could anticipate all they were in for in advance though -- and I think likely they abhor the people publicly trying to get inside their heads, if they ever peek into the challenges to their status quo, the whole family, maybe inured to all the condemnation
and psychological inspection and assumption.
 

Reminds me once when I was contemplating doing something and asking his agya, he pointedly inferred I should have my head examined.  So I followed up and offered that he might want to examine my head.  He didn't respond to that.  ...I suspect this was one of the sources of his opinion of me being whack.  ...because I went ahead with my scheme for myself anyway and it was wonderfully successful and so glad I'd ignored his opinion although it hung over me somewhat like the sword of Damocles.
 

Apologies for yakking about myself so much ... and on now to that surgery for myself I mentioned earlier.  Thanks for wishing me good luck Lesley.  I'm afraid I will be away for awhile
now ... maybe much to readers' relief!







Modified by tarvuist at Sun, Jun 18, 2017, 20:22:13

Previous Current page Next

Replies to this message