In this thread there's a lot of attacking and defending of beliefs, explaining beliefs in detail and generally trying to convince someone of something else.
And these aren't your usual "do you believe in god" beliefs, these our our life contexts. Things we don't just believe in but we think are real. You get what you look for and you look for what you get. Radical really believes he lives in a mechanical, scientific and objective universe, and from there it really does look like the "I" that we associate with ourselves comes from the existant of the physical brain.
But I ask: Why believe in something? Why change your context at all? Why defend your beliefs?
The main reason to believe in something is because you are getting something out of it. Most people who aren't enlightened believe in an objective universe because it stops them from having to be responsible about their role in life. Many people who are enlightened believe in it too because in an objective world allows them to achieve great results in a mechanical world. These would be scientists and the like.
Now, look at what you get out of each belief, each context of life. The only way to do that is to try it.
And I believe the greatest thing to get out of any belief/context is power. Power to create what you want for the world, and for myself that context is a subjective universe where all is one, and you are connected to everything else. There is no limit to what you can do, just a limit within yourself as to what you can perceive that can be done.
So before you feel a need to defend your own beliefs from someone who has different beliefs, realise that that's your ego holding onto an idea and use that opening to be compassionate to others, their beliefs could be holding them back or pushing them forwards in ways you can't see. Remember that every moment is an opportunity to grow.
Radical: I like your post, it's rather well thought out. But what does looking at the world in that way allow you to do? It seems rather restrictive and isolationist from what I've experienced.
ps. I know I sidelined the conversation, but I didn't see any people talking about growth, just defending positions.
