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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Aniland on August 12, 2011, 04:59:55 PM
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Odd question, but if you had only these two choices as to how your life could turn out from this day forward (assuming that you are suddenly in a stagnant or otherwise regular state of things), which would you take if given the option?
Life A: You get to keep your senses, your intelligence and your personality, but you will never maintain an intimate relationship for longer than 6 months (if even that; you'll be lucky if you have two or three of these relationships over your lifetime). You won't get to establish any long-term or trust friends. You'll never make a salary that brings you out of the lowest sector of being lower middle-class at very best, nor will you be fulfilled in your career. Out of what you will have: you'll more than likely not go hungry, you'll be able to pay your bills and rent and maybe even get a car if you work to your hardest capacity. Life will be a complacent runthrough for you.
Life B: You surrender your sanity, life as you know it going out the door and a barrage of fantasy-like scenarios will start appearing to occur. They aren't actually happening: your physical body is more than likely incarcerated or being maintained in some place while you think that you're living the dream world. You meet the girl of your dreams (quite literally, as she's a fabrication of your own subconscious projecting what it is you want), you have great company at all hours, you commit to a career that you love (all of this being within your own mind, remember). There is 0% chance of you ever suddenly coming to or being brought to lucidity on the fact that your faux-life isn't real, but everything is indeed taking place within your own mind. Still, the brain is able to convince you that all feelings are completely genuine and there isn't that sense of blunted 'dream feeling'.
So? Which would you choose?
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All I do is what he tells me to do. If I had to choose between that and the Matrix...I choose the Matrix.
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Life A
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All I do is what he tells me to do. If I had to choose between that and the Matrix...I choose the Matrix.
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Matrix plz
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Of course option B. May as well let life be awesome for myself.
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This is actually a pretty interesting question if you ask me. Because one could argue that a false reality, in a sense, is reality itself. Because honestly reality can often be pretty subjective. It's completely impossible to tell that we all see, think and feel the same things. Because for all we know we are already trapped in a fabricated reality. I speak of course, hypothetically. As a what if, and yet I am still a bit serious about it. I mean, it's kind of like in the book The Giver. Everything is black and white, aside from the kid with the gift to perceive the world differently. Then as it turns out the world is something completely different but these people just see it from a whole different light and perspective.
So for all we know, we are living some false fantasy all the god damn time. And it can be difficult to prove this, depending on how well learned or articulate your mind works. One might just come to a complete mental breakdown just thinking about this. Hell, this is a thought that has been crossing my mind for years now. Probably since middle school, I think.
And sometimes the way we all perceive things is already skewed anyway. The whole living a life of mediocrity could be a fantasy and a sheer question of perspective within itself, if you so wished to argue it. So what I'm trying to say is, I am kind of leaning towards option B simply because perspective can honestly define the entire universe to one single human being compared to someone else who's perspective is awfully different. One person might see themselves as unsuccessful while the rest see otherwise, and vice versa.
Though now I think I'm also getting off topic. My life is currently kind of option A already, give or take some differences. Though, if speaking about option B as there is no way I will differentiate my fantasy from a so called reality, then sure I'm all for option B since I'll be happier that way. But again that's purely speaking if we are going along with all the bullshit I spewed out in the last couple of paragraphs which will probably be overlooked with some poop joke or something.
Oh and also fuck the police.
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A, barely. I've had a fairly unfulfilling life from a combination of procrastination, making horrible decisions as to whom to befriend(less than 10% of the friends I've had to date are people that I can see myself willingly associating with in 10 years), and taking bad advice regarding the plausibility of taking on a car note which crippled me financially for a good stretch of time.
All that aside, I've begun to pick up the pieces in recent times and have made peace with the grind of getting things back on track and generally feel at ease and upbeat as long as I can tell I'm making progress. All I want out of life is to always be involved in music with others in any kind of enjoyable capacity, avoid a bad marriage, and to not have to worry about money/living arrangements/etc.
Until I read all the borderline miserable aspects of the life in option A I'd have immediately chosen it. That said, as much of a more seemingly attractive option B might suggest my deciding factor is that I don't want any kind of escape that would leave my loved ones grieving and so I chose A.
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Why would I choose something that sucks just because it's 'real'?
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Um, B. If I'm not making any decent money, might as well be imagining I'm successful.
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Of course option A. In scenario B, you basically put everyone in a coma. Albeit, an incredibly wonderful state if mind while they are checked out; but I'd rather have at least some real connections. Also you failed to mention the people I left behind when I suddenly became trapped in my own mind. I would not want to have them suffer by not having me awake, and aware, and living my life with them, and I would not want to burden anyone.
All that being said, the day I die, know for a fact that I will be kicking Deaths ass all the way out. That motherfucker is gonna need a vacation the day after he comes to get me. No joke. I do not want to die. Ever. I rather like living. And if ever in a coma, DO NOT UNPLUG SHIT! And make sure you pay the damn electric bill, and have a nice back-up generator, just in case.
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B, of course. If you think with all your mind that that is the reality, why should it matter? The purpose of life is to have fun, and B seems the funner way to go.
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B, of course. If you think with all your mind that that is the reality, why should it matter? The purpose of life is to have fun, and B seems the funner way to go.
Hence that thing I said.
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Why would I choose something that sucks just because it's 'real'?
The thing I love about asking this question is the fact that people who answer it, though more seem to answer B than A, are almost always convinced that their answer is the more obvious one, not ALWAYS, but most people like you who say that B is the clear choice are facing people who think that A is the clear one. It's just interesting to see people divide so strongly on this issue, of what matters more: a genuine reality or a wonderful fantasy.
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If it's absolute that I'm happier in Life B, and that I never "wake up" then I choose that.
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Neither.
Life A blows, and Life B is something I'd want.
I'll take my ups with downs and a dollop of reality thank you very much.
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Well that's obviously not a choice :) If it was, lots of people would probably go with that. But those are the only two paths allowed.
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:)
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Option A, because then at least I could kill myself. Both of them sound horrible.
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Option suicide
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All I do is what he tells me to do. If I had to choose between that and the Matrix...I choose the Matrix.
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Definitely an interesting question. We kind of hit upon this discussing crazoid wannabe assassin in Arizona. Should he be forcibly medicated to a state of lucidity, and what not.
I'm going to fall into your hypothesis and say that B is obviously the only option. Simply because you're ruled out ever being anything more than complacent and half-assed in option A. T.V. actually did raise a good point, concerning friends and family, but you specifically said that friends would be few and far between, so I gather that my dearest friends, those who make life a happy place, will no longer be in the loop. Fuck that--pass me the Soma.
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Option B even if it leads to a dystopian Matrix/Brave New World kinda place.
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B easily.
A = my worst nightmare
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B, sure. What is reality anyway?
You might already be in B. Who knows?
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Option A, because I'd rather be dead than live in an imagined reality (yes, I know, what is reality really, blah blah blah. I'm talking relative to our perceived reality). If I'm so unhappy in A, then I'll just kill myself. If I'm not unhappy enough to do that, then maybe it's a life worth living.
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Option A, because I'd rather be dead than live in an imagined reality.
How do you know "this" one isn't? You don't. So your logic fails.
EDIT: you ninja'd me!
Still... Relative to our perceived reality? What does that even mean? And would you then want to live in one that is more "real" than ours if such a reality exists?
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Option A, because I'd rather be dead than live in an imagined reality.
How do you know "this" one isn't? You don't. So your logic fails.
EDIT: you ninja'd me!
Still... Relative to our perceived reality? What does that even mean? And would you then want to live in one that is more "real" than ours if such a reality exists?
I'd rather not have a perfect life, because what would be the point? Builds character as Calvin's dad always said.
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Option A, because I'd rather be dead than live in an imagined reality.
How do you know "this" one isn't? You don't. So your logic fails.
EDIT: you ninja'd me!
Still... Relative to our perceived reality? What does that even mean? And would you then want to live in one that is more "real" than ours if such a reality exists?
I'd rather not have a perfect life, because what would be the point? Builds character as Calvin's dad always said.
Well yes but, as I interpreted it, option B will give you whatever you want. So if what you want includes some setbacks... You will get them. :)
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Option A, because I'd rather be dead than live in an imagined reality.
How do you know "this" one isn't? You don't. So your logic fails.
EDIT: you ninja'd me!
Still... Relative to our perceived reality? What does that even mean? And would you then want to live in one that is more "real" than ours if such a reality exists?
I'd rather not have a perfect life, because what would be the point? Builds character as Calvin's dad always said.
Well yes but, as I interpreted it, option B will give you whatever you want. So if what you want includes some setbacks... You will get them. :)
This. You could even decide to shape your life as it would've turned out normally. How's that.
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Option A, because I'd rather be dead than live in an imagined reality.
How do you know "this" one isn't? You don't. So your logic fails.
EDIT: you ninja'd me!
Still... Relative to our perceived reality? What does that even mean? And would you then want to live in one that is more "real" than ours if such a reality exists?
I'd rather not have a perfect life, because what would be the point? Builds character as Calvin's dad always said.
Well yes but, as I interpreted it, option B will give you whatever you want. So if what you want includes some setbacks... You will get them. :)
This. You could even decide to shape your life as it would've turned out normally. How's that.
From the way it was described, I concluded the life you lived in your head was perfect, I guess I could reconsider but still, just don't like the idea of living in my head.
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I already live life A.
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B... It'd probably make me less loopy.
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B easily.
A = my worst nightmare
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Option A, because I'd rather be dead than live in an imagined reality.
How do you know "this" one isn't? You don't. So your logic fails.
EDIT: you ninja'd me!
Still... Relative to our perceived reality? What does that even mean? And would you then want to live in one that is more "real" than ours if such a reality exists?
I'd rather not have a perfect life, because what would be the point? Builds character as Calvin's dad always said.
Well yes but, as I interpreted it, option B will give you whatever you want. So if what you want includes some setbacks... You will get them. :)
This. You could even decide to shape your life as it would've turned out normally. How's that.
From the way it was described, I concluded the life you lived in your head was perfect, I guess I could reconsider but still, just don't like the idea of living in my head.
But then, what is perfection exactly? I mean, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, is it not?
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Option A, because I'd rather be dead than live in an imagined reality.
How do you know "this" one isn't? You don't. So your logic fails.
EDIT: you ninja'd me!
Still... Relative to our perceived reality? What does that even mean? And would you then want to live in one that is more "real" than ours if such a reality exists?
I'd rather not have a perfect life, because what would be the point? Builds character as Calvin's dad always said.
Well yes but, as I interpreted it, option B will give you whatever you want. So if what you want includes some setbacks... You will get them. :)
This. You could even decide to shape your life as it would've turned out normally. How's that.
From the way it was described, I concluded the life you lived in your head was perfect, I guess I could reconsider but still, just don't like the idea of living in my head.
But then, what is perfection exactly? I mean, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, is it not?
Anal dildoes, gags, and peggging :D I'd kill myself.
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Okay.
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Okay.
Just probing at some fun.
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You seem to be probing at a lot more than just fun.
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You seem to be probing at a lot more than just fun.
;)