FF – The Dangers of Philosophy
Here is my story (it’s not really a story) for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s photo was contributed by Ronda Del Boccio. I’m still too tired to think of anything funny so I wrote this instead 😦
Copyright Ronda Del Boccio
Everything’s a matter of perspective. A point of view. Is that building small or just far away? Is that man mugging that little old lady or trying to stop her falling?
Who can know?
Is this life real? Are we in someone else’s dream? When we touch something, is it really there or is our brain trying to fool us into thinking we really exist?
All these things Brandon pondered until, finally, he winked out of existence, wiped from history.
Such is the danger of philosophy. Don’t overthink. Lest you cease to be.
If you really be at all.
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Friday Fictioneers
draliman on life 
I’ve often pondered the same myself! I’m concerned whether we are all upside down. After all, our eyes see things upside down, then our brains turn them the right way up. Or do they/it/we?
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Aargh! I can feel the blood rushing to my head already.
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Oh… but that goes against Descartes… if you think you are. Maybe it’s just us who never understood that you need to think to be, and we are stuck in limbo.
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Just keep thinking and we’ll be okay. Possibly.
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By some philosophies, winking out of existence is the highest goal
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I’ll give those a miss for now!
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It’s best not to ponder these things too much, especially when parallel universes and quantum physics start getting involved.
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Yes. What’s all this about creating a new universe every time we make a choice? Surely there’s not enough space to put them all…
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Too tired to think of anything funny? Well maybe I have a warped sense of humour because that made me laugh!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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You’re having a giggle at poor Brandon, aren’t you? Sorry, Brandon? Never heard of him…
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When I was a little girl I use to wonder if we were to another species like ants were to us. Most likely there was a God influence somewhere in my thinking. Surprisingly I didn’t poof away. That I know of.
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I’m sure we’re as ants to someone or something out there… I’ll choose to believe that you’re real and have kindly commented, maybe that’s all that’s required to make it real 🙂
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Uh-uh.. what about cogito, ergo sum?
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Just keep cognito-ing and you’ll continue to be 🙂
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Since everything in this reality is a product of my wild imagination, I must pat myself on the back for this great piece of philosophical inspiration. Good job, self! Now I think I’ll dream up a million dollars…
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They’ll only be a million dollars in your own personal reality. You can still spend it though.
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I enjoyed your humorous stream-of-consciousness story. At least philosophers don’t tend to kill other people, even if their own ongoing existence is precarious!
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That’s true, they’re quite harmless. Unless they’re driving a bus at the time 🙂
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Now my head is aching
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Mine too! If my head really exists 🙂
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My brain hurts. Very profound this week. 🙂
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It’s a bit of a twister. Best not to think about it, really 🙂
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Everything is complex, bound by the need for perspective. It keeps life interesting and scary
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Very true. Common perspectives would be quite boring.
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Brain-in-a-vat, isn’t it? That’s about all I remember from an introductory philosophy course… Who are you again? 🙂
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Who am I? Or indeed, am I at all? 🙂
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Your name is Hamlet, I believe, prince of Denmark, wasn’t it?
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🙂
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Another great thought-provoking story! My universe-creating device must be broken. The current one is a bad reality show. 🙂
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I hope your universe-creating device gets back on track soon. I can’t even bear to watch reality shows, let alone star in one…
I’m glad you liked my story 🙂
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I had a philosophy teacher who started the class like this (and he spoke like this too) I am not heew to fuck up you minds… but that chaiw is not thewe)… That was it for me.
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Wow, I could teach it then! The great thing is, all you have to do is spout nonsense and everyone pretends to understand because they don’t to look stupid 🙂
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Exackery!!
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Dear Ali,
I think therefore I am. Well, I thought I was. Maybe I’m not. But then again, I used to be. Perhaps someday I will be. On the other hand…nicely done. Thanks for the headache. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
It’s enough to make one question one’s very own existence!
I’m glad you liked it 🙂
Ali
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Perhaps death is the real existence?….I love that even when you’re tired, your stories are taking us for a spin.
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Maybe – life begins once it’s all over. I’m glad you liked it!
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All that philosophy makes my eyes bleed. I bet those dudes who sit around thinking arcane thoughts aren’t exactly the life of the party 🙂
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They’re the ones clustered in the corner that nobody wants to talk too 🙂
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The opposite of ‘I think, therefore I am.’ Nice one!
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I don’t think, therefore I’m not zzzp!
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😀
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love love love this
the flow
the ironic lightness as you deal with the depth (and often heavy and ugh vibes with philosophy)
so three gold stars (out of 3)
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I’m glad you liked it! Discussions like this always make me feel a bit weird 🙂
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…so we are figments of our own imaginations. Mmmm, I wonder…
Click to visit Keith’s Ramblings!
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That sounds like an infinite spiral chicken and egg thing right there 🙂
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That’s really kind of creepy, Ali. If we just “winked out of existence” one day it would be less expensive for the relatives but a bit of a shock. I’ve done a lot of thinking so doubt I’ll just “wink out”. It would have happened by now. 😀 — Suzanne
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Keep thinking to delay the winking 🙂
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This is what happens, when we ask many questions, i guess. 😊. Poor guy never took the time to live. Eerie last line.
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It’s best not to think of these things I reckon 🙂 If only because you can spend your whole life on it.
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If I don’t think, maybe I’ll keep on existing.
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Or maybe that’s just what you mustn’t do…
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A most thought provoking take on the prompt Ali. Leaves me wondering about such things, which is good.
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Wondering about the reality of existence (or the existence of reality!) makes me feel a bit funny 🙂 I’m glad you liked it!
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That’s exactly why I dont like to think – what if I think I dont exist? That I fret and fuss about nonexistent things? I dont think I would like it at all!
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Thinking is overrated and quite possibly dangerous!
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Maybe this will help me not to overthink so much…great post!
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I overthink everything and it’s no fun 😦
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Yep.
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Oh my goodness, now I’m stuck in a loop! =)
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Stop thinking! Break the loop!
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I’m not going to overthink this – it’s too disturbing. Am I here? Who knows?
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As long as you believe you’re here, then you are 🙂
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This is what is known as thinking too much!
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For sure. Just accept reality, that’s the safest course. Even if it’s really only in your head… 🙂
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Did Brandon forget to eat and drink, and hence wink out of existence? Or was he a figment of someone else’s imaginings and perspective? I mean to say, did you get bored with poor Brandon and eliminate him? 😉
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He winked himself out of existence by questioning his own reality, the poor fellow 😦
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Very intriguing indeed!
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Thanks! Makes one think 🙂
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You said so much in such a short blog. It’s literally amazing and it’s also relatable. 👌👌👌
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Thanks, it can be tricky squeezing everything into 100 words max!
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Wow! wow!.Love the way you put it.I doubt about my existence!!
Thank you for this thought provoking post.
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Thanks, I’m glad it made you think and ponder existence!
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I’ll have to debate you on this one, my friend. The dangers you’re pointing out here is not of “philosophy” as such, but on doctrines like “relativism” and “scepticism”. To criticise these ideas, and any other ideas, is actually what philosophy is all about, whereas “philosophy” is exactly what you’re doing right here. And it’s not dangerous at all 😉
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I’ll have to take your word for it! As a scientist it’s just all too complicated for me 🙂
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Haha! No clear answers on these subjects, indeed 😀
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If you can feel certain emotions strong enough you know that what we exist in is real on some scale. Although I do see the humor, I am incapable of thinking that we are simply a simulation.
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Me too. If we think and experience then we’re as real as we need to be. Thanks for commenting!
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Great point! The point of philosophy is to learn how to improve humanity’s position in life and ethics. Unfortunately, sometimes people get so carried away that they stop caring and only think deeply on certain subjects to stroke their own egos.
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True, some people do like to become self-appointed experts in a certain topic and thereafter tend to wax lyrical at every opportunity.
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I enjoyed the abstract nature of comment and especially photo(s)
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I’m glad you liked it, and a lot of the comments made me think.
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Did I dream that you were awake while you never slept?
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That’s a twister to ponder!
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