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K. Smythe's picture

Back to reality...

  

         One thing that these discussions have left me doing is questioning everything that I personally "perceive", and the verbalized perceptions of those around me.  It seems to me that reality is a construction of may different inputs and boxes and I-function interpretations of those inputs and boxes (and actions created by the I-function itself).  The problem that still remains is that every person's I-function, boxes in our nervous system model and interpretation of inputs could potentially (and it seems to me are) different. 

          The intriguing point to me is how these differences are formed.  We talked earlier about how we only perceive those things that we have the proteins to perceive and that not everyone has the same proteins; however is it just random genetic mutation/selection that creates this variability, is it hereditary, socially constructed, or based on individual experience, and where does evolution tie into the whole mess?

         It is interesting also that regardless of what reality is objectively, subjectively, or collectively we have learned as a species to relate to one another regardless of the differences that exist between our individual perceptions of the world.  To me this is the important point, regardless of what is "really out there" or what isn't really out there, we have formed language that we agree upon, we have sophisticated communication system and have found a way to line up our realities so that we can connect to other who exist in our reality, and presumably they feel they can connect to us.  Whatever that connection is/means to the two individuals may vary greatly, but both parties are interested enough in the agreed upon reality/each other to stick around.

 

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