what is reality? (pt 1)

I spend a lot of time thinking about what reality truly is. It is just so strange, this thing we know of as reality. We all know what we perceive of as being real, but who really knows the truth? We are each isolated inside our own universe; what we know of as reality is only the intersections between those private universes. Who knows if they match up the same way every time? We have common reference points in this reality as we are raised to call a dog a dog and a rock a rock and so on, but... who's to say that we don't perceive those things differently? Even though we refer to those things in the same fashion, that doesn't mean that inside our own private universes they are the same; it just means we were taught and conditioned to call them the same thing. The thing I wonder most about in regards to this is colors. Yes, we all call colors the same thing, as we have been taught to do so. How do I know, though, that what we both refer to as green doesn't look like what I call blue in your private universe? How are we supposed to compare it between our private universes? We both refer to it in the same way, and yes technically the wavelength of the light striking my cornea is the same as it is for you, but that doesn't mean that our perception of the color is the same inside of us, and how are we to know the difference?

According to physics, all perception of the same event has to be the same, so the colors above would of course appear the same way inside each of the separate universes we inhabit. However, I really don't know how someone tested this hypothesis; it runs into the same problem that just because we have a common reference, we don't know that it actually appears the same inside each of us. In any case, the notion that each of our universes is the same is disproved by quantum physics, which states that any event is sum of all possible outcomes until there is an observer. The observer can also have an effect on the outcome of any given situation, based on their bias towards the outcome. There are plenty of events that are only observed by one individual, so their universe will be slightly different than all others due to this slight change in the observation of the common reality. It also brings about the question that if the universe we all inhabit, this so called reality, is made up of the observations, then who is to say that the person with the strongest concept of reality and will is not the one who determines what the outcome will be for all of us? If our observing of this reality affects the outcome, why can we not consciously determine the outcome of all the choices and circumstances we observe, if our reality is the one that is the strongest?

I also wonder a lot about whether or not reality even exists. Who's to say that you aren't all figments of my imagination? Or that I'm not a figment of someone else's imagination? I think I exist and I ponder that existence, but who's to say that I'm not merely a figment of a dream that someone else is having as a means of self reflection? My self reflection and curiosity about the universe could merely be a way for them to express these same things to themselves. If that really is the case, and we are merely the figments of some super being's imagination, it does definitely make reality stranger still. Why all the fighting and violence? More, how strange does that make all the love? Brings a whole new definition to masturbation, doesn't it? Really, how messed up is this supposed super being that they have to create all of this to deal? How much more messed up is it that I am a self reflection of this being, and I am questioning the rationality of this process?

In any case, I don't know if any of this is a new reflection on reality. I doubt it, but even if it is not anything new, it is still me; it is what I think and feel. In the end, that is the only thing that matters; whether or not you cause any echoing reverberations in the fabric of what we call reality, the only thing that makes a difference is whether or not you know your own reality and what it means to you.

what is the meaning?

I've been spending a lot of time lately wondering what the meaning or purpose of life is. I mean, really, what are we here for? What is it that drives us and motivates us to do the crazy things that we do? I really am curious as to what that is.

From a purely biological perspective, the meaning of life is to gain the best mate that you can, procreate, ensure your progeny survives, and then prolong your own extinction as long as possible. That sounds so base, but... is that really all there is? Is the whole of civilization, culture, and humanity in general just an illusion so that we can feel better about that? I suppose it could be true that there is nothing more to life than our biological imperatives, but I choose not to believe that. I want to believe that there is more to life than that, but... I guess we all do. We all choose to participate, at least to some degree, in this crazy thing called life, instead of running around like animals. I suppose that desire to believe in something more could also be a part of the biological mating imperative; it is hard to get a mate if one is an outcast from the tribe.

In any case, even though I cannot prove it, I will go with the assumption that the meaning of life is not just to live out our biological imperatives. That still begs the question, though, what is the meaning of life? Is there a meaning to life, even? Are we just floating through this existence with no purpose other than to do what our consciousness drives us to do day by day, or is there something more to all of this than that? If you talk to 100 different people, you will get 110 different answers to that question. Sure, some of them may agree to an extent, but they are still different. It really does make you wonder if there is a meaning to all of this. If there was, wouldn't it be more obvious to everyone involved? There are many philosophies and doctrines that people follow that tell them, supposedly, what the meaning of life is, but even then there are more interpretations than there are followers. Who knows, though; one of them could be right. It would make it easier to know, though, but I guess that would make this life too simple.

I do wish I knew with absolute certainty what the true meaning (or lack thereof) of life is. I know what I think and believe on the subject (which I will discuss further later), but... is that true, or am I just living my life going completely in the wrong direction? I don't know, I guess only time will tell.

intro

Ok, I've decided to finally start writing down what i think. It probably won't be very well organized, and I'll probably ramble at times, but here it is. Basically, this is just a place for me to write down my musings on life, the universe, and everything. I make no representations that this is absolute truth, nor do I encourage you to do so; it is merely what I think about the nature of things. I encourage you to find out for yourself what you should think and believe, but I will be more than happy to discuss it with you; I am always looking for new perspectives. Anyway, I guess that is all for now; have fun.