the_fetus_that_wanted_to_rule_the_world daf see also: the_puzzle_that_is_you In a piece called "Welcome_to_Prelife_Instruction",the notion is explored that perhaps our minds and bodies are simply "biosuits" or avatars that we inhabit and can over-identify with. If we were only these bodies, brains, and what they contain, then we are little more than lumps of earth that leap up and move other dirt around for a time, (to prove that we were here), then dissolve back into the earth. We're not these lumps of dirt. But man, what amazing lumps we've managed to find ourselves inhabiting! The well engineered construction of our biosuits is a technical marvel 13.7 billion years in the making. Think about it: built into our DNA is a program that helps everything get started; a sort of bio-BIOS. How amazing is that? For instance, there's the routine we all know and love which lets our bone cells know to be bone cells and lets our skin cells know to be on the outside of our bodies. But there's also the bit of programming that brings it all online; the operating system that learns how to operate the body before learning about the physical world we must navigate. How does that part work? How do we automatically learn to use our bodies? While we'll leave the ins and outs of ego vs id and nurture vs. nature to the experts, there's still a simple way to visualize how we came to know of ourselves and the world around us. Since the first single-celled organisms came onto the scene some 3.5 billion years ago, the routine for interacting with the material world has been the same: a thing is discovered, it is explored, if control is possible, it is controlled, if consumption or domination is desired, then it is dominated or consumed. Discover, explore, control and consume. Those are the basics of the program which we use as infants to discover our arms, legs and the rest of our bodies, before moving on to use the exact same strategy as we explore and manipulate the world we find ourselves in. Children testing the adults and other people around them to see what the boundaries are, (in the exploration phase) soon follow successful manipulation with chronic manipulation. And this extends out into our society and the interactions we often have with each other; that nations often have with other nations. (Interestingly enough, this desire to acquire and or control everything, [in much the way that our bodies are controlled], reflects our innate understanding that there is only one organism, the universe itself. In a twisted way, it's an attempt to bring it all together.) Dog-eat-dog has been one of the primary motivators for the evolution of species for a very long time, and this acquisitive behavior is a remnant of that. A great deal of our sense of individual identity comes from the drive for self preservation, while much of our grander human endeavors have been attempts to crawl up out of this repetitive cycle which we inherited from evolutionary history. Our sense of self and this notion of a "me" or "I" that we attach to our mind and body, is an anchor; a reference point we invent as we explore 4 dimensional space, using only 3 dimensional brains. Think of it as focusing on that spot at the middle of a merry go round in order to avoid getting dizzy. We imagine that spot existing (as a 4th dimensional being) and call it "myself". In fact, our bodies and brains change as much as anything else around us and only ever exist as 3 dimensional constructs. This is where an additional layer of confusion is thrown in front of our ability to see our true nature. Fortunately, (or unfortunately) we are gifted with more than just our brains and our bodies to aid us in escaping the grip of these primitive sociopathic cycles. We are also handed history in the form of those who instruct us when we can first accept instruction. Its another interesting bit of programming built into us, that as young children, we will mimic the behavior of those we see. It's an amazing self-learning routine that would normally ensure our knowledge of the skills, technology and traditions of whatever situation we happen to be born into. But of course, if the adults they're learning from are confused, the babies will be too. 221201 ... dafremen see also: the_keepers_of_heart_and_hearth 221211 ... dafremen see also: the_trials_and_triumphs_of_mama_gator 221214 ... daf The truth is, that once you've recognized the pattern, it's almost impossible not to see everywhere. And that's why it's EVER more irritating to deal with high intellect, large vocabulary individuals who can't see that their behavior and motivations are still ruled by a fetal exploration strategy. Somehow, this society full of people running on bug logic, thinks that they are somehow being "rational human beings." But in reality, it's just the desire for intellectual control and domination pretending to be a rational behavior. It would be nice for them to evolve, instead of flapping their gums all day hoping that pushing enough air out will finally make them into real people. 221231 ... ^^ EDIT: Somehow, this society full of people running on bug logic, thinks that they are being "rational human beings." But in reality, it's just the desire for intellectual control and domination pretending to be a rational behavior. 221231 what's it to you? who go blather from