think about this

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**youbedead**

I think more people should really take this to heart

**Wrexasaur**

Taken...

BTW... this is officially Sebter's thread, and I will stand by his opinion in these circumstances. Proceed Sebbie.

**dogma**

I almost feel bad replying now.

Anyway, this will be short.

Practice is far less important than belief. Said US Senator need not belief Ye Olde Earthe is round so long as he does not attempt to enforce his beliefs upon the larger populace. Sorry scientists, you don't really matter that much.

**youbedead**

I was talking about the comic before the last panel.
Who cares what other people think if you know youre right that's enough

**dogma**

So long as you know what it is to know, sure. But that mess is just as complicated as the contradiction implies.

**warpcrafter**

I'm not going to comment on this, I'm just gonna sit back, chew on some popcorn and smile.

**jp400**

**Wrexasaur**

Enter Wrex, leave satisfied. I would really like to hear Sebster's full perspective on this one though.

dogma wrote:So long as you know what it is to know, sure. But that mess is just as complicated as the contradiction implies.

But what is it to know? Do I really know that I am more than I think that I am? Or am I less than others consider me to be? Can my opinions hold their own ground... like minions and stuff.

**dogma**

That's why the statement was a contradiction. The only answer is an aesthetic one. Unless we're gonna go into neuroscience, anyway.

**Wrexasaur**

dogma wrote:That's why the statement was a contradiction. The only answer is an aesthetic one. Unless we're gonna go into neuroscience, anyway.

Yep, everybody hop on board, and hold on for dear life. This brain... is going to kick your reality loving ass.

If reincarnation was a business, and you got to go into a store to cash your karma chips in; the salesmen would pitch the human experience in this exact way... at least, I would.

**Mick A**

Everyone should have the right to believe what they want as long as they don't try to force their beliefs onto others...
Mick

**dogma**

And then came the once and future (mostly future) devil that is neuroscience.

What happens to 'free will' when we can predict the direction of that will?

**Orkeosaurus**

We kill the witches.

**dogma**

Well, duh.

**Wrexasaur**

We are missing the point here though... how will we decide who the witches are?

I for one vote for... wait, does this make me the witch? DAMMIT!!!

**dogma**

The point is ambiguous. Ergo ambiguity makes the point, or some such.

**SagesStone**

Mick A wrote:Everyone should have the right to believe what they want as long as they don't try to force their beliefs onto others...
Mick

First QFT ever.
This is exactly the way I see it as well.

**Kragura**

Mick A wrote:Everyone should have the right to believe what they want as long as they don't try to force their beliefs onto others...
Mick

Thats stupid everyone should listen to me cause i'm right there wrong.

**JEB_Stuart**

Mick A wrote:Everyone should have the right to believe what they want as long as they don't try to force their beliefs onto others...
Mick

How would you classify "forcing those beliefs on others"? Many would classify missionaries and evangelists as "forcing" said beliefs, but that is a basic tenet of their faith. Or what about using the various forms of media for spouting your beliefs? Many more would classify that as the same. Beliefs will contradict each other, and being able to share them is an essential part of basic human liberty...

**SagesStone**

Kragura wrote:
Mick A wrote:Everyone should have the right to believe what they want as long as they don't try to force their beliefs onto others...
Mick

Thats stupid everyone should listen to me cause i'm right there wrong.

Irony

**Albatross**

Personally I don't like 'it's true for ME' as a statement. It's too woolly. There is such a thing as 'the truth' - it's not subjective. I could BELIEVE that I'm made of jam and paperclips - but that's not the literal truth.

**sebster**

Mick A wrote:Everyone should have the right to believe what they want as long as they don't try to force their beliefs onto others...
Mick

In the xkcd strip that's the same argument the professor is using. The point of the comic is that it's actually a lot more complicated than that, because the people with these beliefs are often in position to decide policy that affects us all.

The thing is that we're all in this together, lots of decisions are made by individuals or groups that affect us all. We vote in government representatives, and these government representatives decide policy. Unfortunately the idea of not forcing beliefs onto others isn't viable.

Now, exactly what we do from here is pretty tricky, we do, indeed, have a bit of a situation.

You know, xkcd is really good. It probably isn't as consistantly funny as some other strips, but it addresses issues in really interesting ways.