What if everything you thought you knew was wrong?

[Complexion]

Literally all of it was just straight up trash, disinformation and purposefully twisted to keep you fixed in space under the illusion of progress.

Using a metaphor consider all your knowledge as a trick that actually placed you a treadmill where you're busy slugging away and thinking you're actually getting somewhere. What you don't know is that acceleration is due to a screen which projects passing scenery. Tie that with your pace on the treadmill and it makes an interesting trick.

A man decides to stop running and finds himself set free and as he walks alongside your treadmill and says "Its all a con", what would you do? Keep your eyes fixed ahead on the goal you're pursuing or... What?

Granted in the meta its exceedingly easy to verify and test plus the fact that he is stationary in contrast to your supposed progress means something is very wrong in your model of reality. Instead we're talking about the mentality, rigidity and forced perspective that comes from a lifetime of training (the treadmill) and all of the socially sanctioned devices that say you're progressing (the projected image) that most very rarely stop to question the basics.

 

[Complexion]

A bridge too far for Higher Learning? What makes you uncomfortable about this concept and its implications if true?

 

[NkrumahWasRight Is Wrong]

Doesnt make a difference either way

 

[Joe Sixpack]

Doesnt make a difference either way

Why?

 

[Gritsngravy]

Well you would have to ask yourself what does wrong and right really mean, that person on the treadmill could be right in the same way the person walking besides the treadmill could be right

 

[Shogun]

Similar premise to the allegory of the cave. I find philosophy interesting and in those terms it’s certainly not possible to completely rule out that what we believe is true…isn’t.

From what I understand, and I’m far from an expert, but that’s the meaning of the well known, but rarely understood quote “I think therefor I am”. The point there is that our existence is the only thing we can be certain of because of our thoughts. Everything else is subject to questioning.

A similar point is made by….Voltaire again I think with dreams. If you’ve ever had a dream wherein you were certain it was reality, then you know your brain is completely capable of creating a false reality subconsciously without you’re conscious self realizing it’s false. It follows then that you can never truly be certain that what you’re perceiving is real. It’s not likely, but it’s not impossible either.

Interesting stuff to consider but, for me at least, that’s about as far as it goes. I tend to believe we’re “slaves” to our subconscious which then leads to interesting conclusions about free will and such.

Again, though, there’s not much to be done about it.