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Originally Posted by orthodoc
I understand the point both of you are making, Flint and Zen ... I'm trying to reconcile the trashing of all the principles I lived by for so many years, and not managing very well. I didn't let go of what I firmly believed to be right, and I almost got myself and my kids killed for it. I stuck it out for more years than should ever have happened ...
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Forgive me for offering unsolicited psychological speculation, but this ...
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and in the end, now that I'm out, I don't know anymore that objective truths exist. Or that anything, or anyOne, objective, exists. I think it makes inherent sense that this should be, yet my experience denies it. I'm left floating in philosophical, religious, and ethical limbo.
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... reminds me a lot of the behaviour of a person I knew who had formally diagnosed PTSD from a psychologically abusive relationship.
After having your narrative about reality so messed with, after a while you begin to doubt your own connection to it. Writing and occasionally rereading a journal is supposed to help. Repeated affirmations.
And frankly, being a bit of an ornery bitch and not allowing ANYONE to bullshit you, seems to be part of the process.
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I'm not talking about formal religion. I think human beings corrupt that to the point that, if anything Objective exists beyond us, it must cause the Objective to throw his/her/its hands up in despair. I'm just talking about whether it's even possible to live by principle, or whether, when the chips are down, principle is the first thing that kills ...
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Philosophically, I am convinced that there is an objective reality independent of human existence or thought, and that our senses and science at least approaches knowing some of this.
I'm very doubtful about this having any kind of consciousness or unified thought.
But that's not what you're focusing on.
Compromises Vs Principle is a heck of a tricky issue. Maintain core values, but don't be a jerk about little things, is my best guess.
(Philosophically, I focused on metaphysics, epistemology and phil of mind - not ethics and such. Shows, don't it?
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