[MD] Some Abiding Beliefs

[Platt Holden]

Hi All:

Every once in awhile it does my soul good to sum up some of my beliefs 
as clearly and succinctly as possible. For what they are worth, here 
are a few. The MOQ convinced me of some, others are from the MD and 
private musings. Hopefully you will find one or two of value:


I know what I like, therefore I am.

Reality is the ceaseless flow of my experience.

Reality is what is happening while I am trying to understand the nature 
of reality.

To continue to exist, I must divide the continuum of my existence.

My life is a series of moral choices between the no choices of birth 
and death.

My thoughts relate perceptions into patterns of meaning so I can act to 
enhance life, to make, as it were, a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

I'm absolutely certain about metaphysical givens like gravity, air, 
water and death.

I go by the following criterion in judging what is true: "Does it 
harmonize with the assumptions I use to create my map of reality?" 

It's a matter of faith to believe that the human mind emerged from the 
mindless shuffling of swamp slime. If evidence is the criterion, it's 
equally believable that J.C. rose from the dead.

How does a universe emerge from nothing at all? How does life emerge 
from nonlife? How does consciousness emerge from a lump of meat? 
Science hasn't a clue.

Every attempt I make to deny a single truth evokes a single truth. 
Every attempt I make to deny a moral judgment invokes a moral judgment. 

Idealism says it's all in my mind. So I ask of the Idealist, "What's my 
mind in?"

The thought of an elephant is not an elephant. The thought of 
committing murder is not murder. Maps made by thoughts are not the 
territory. I cannot take a breath or a walk in a map. So I reject 
Idealism.

The great paradox I face as an individual is that I'm eternally 
separate from other individuals, but never apart. I'll never know what 
it is like to be kissed by me.

To a materialist what is most real about a sunset is a bunch of 
particles arising out of a quantum soup. To me what is most real about 
a sunset is its beauty. I believe I have a better grip on reality than 
the materialist..

To assert "Nothing is certain" is as self-refuting as asserting 
"Language doesn't exist."

People believe what they feel good believing, including me.

In the end the only thing that will live on after I'm gone will be 
whatever bit of aesthetic value I created and passed on during my 
lifetime.

As always, I could be wrong.

Regards,
Platt