This is taken slightly out of context from another website's conversation thread, but wanted to share what I wrote here with you. My comment stems from a debate on collective consciousness between a number of people, a debate I observed as being somewhat ugly. In fact when I had made what I had thought was a neutral comment, I received a bit of aggression challenging me to provide "proof" on collective consciousness. Here is my response:
::
[@anonymous person] I hope you will excuse me if my comments suggested I have all of the answers you are looking for. I myself can't answer those questions for you and hope I did not give the impression that I could. You see, I do not have a concrete belief one way or the other on this topic, and so suggest you look to those with a more concrete knowledge and/or faith than myself for your answers. I simply enjoy the conversation (preferably when civil) and possibilities, and could not credit myself with any "truth" on anything other than my observations of human nature. In my posting, I merely wish to present suggestions of possibility, not "facts". I do not "believe" concretely because in my opinion, all facts can be contradicted by faith/belief and vice versa. I see that different people are drawn to different ways of thinking and that no one way is "right" or "wrong" when considering certain factors. For example, you could tell "Mr.E" that Newton's Laws are real because scientists have proven them, and Mr.E could tell you that they are only real because there is a collective conscious agreement that they are real and that scientists are only observing what our limited brains are capable of perceiving. You will most likely think Mr.E an idiot for being so foolishly open-minded and Mr.E would most likely think you are ignorant for being so foolishly close-minded. You see, there is a difference between people in spite of each side considering themselves right. So which is right? They can both argue their own cases to the point of maddening their opposite - neither ever convincing the other to convert. Your personal ideas and beliefs about "reality" are founded on your experiences - what you have observed has shaped you into who you are, and in your life you have found a certain methods of observation and understanding have worked for you. Others who believe differently from you have a reality founded on what they, too, have observed - but they also have found their own individual way of observing and understanding that works for them. However wrong you may “know” they are, they are unlikely to change their minds – regardless of “evidence”. And whatever “evidence” they may present to you will be denied as well, since neither party truly believes the sources of the other. You can deny their way for eternity, and they can deny yours – but neither is necessarily “right”, since both have basis in observation - human observation - which means there will be human error - it is absolutely not possible for either party to have an end all-be all “answer” to everything that will satisfy everyone. So if you can’t be all right, and I can’t be all right, and -anonymous- can’t be all right, and -anonymous- can’t be all right, the only thing that can possibly be agreed on as right or wrong is how we proceed with the understanding that none of us knows everything, as we are only making our best guesses based on our tiny little lives as truly very meager beings in a very vast “something”. In other words, in spite of our disagreements – how do we work together so that we are free enough to live well together? Are there strengths to be found amongst such a variety of people? How do we collaborate without denying one another’s right to individuality? Unless it is impossible for humans to live well together – which I suppose some people may believe. Can we move beyond non-productive disagreements and focus on what matters - the need to reconcile and work together? I imagine that people who are "irrational" have talents to offer that you may not find among "rational" people, so best not kill them all off or segregate or convert them ;) I imagine we all have friends, family, and co-workers who are not quite like us we have learned to work with and like and love in spite of our differences, why not extend that tolerance beyond our immediate circles?
::
Thank-you for taking the time to read my thoughts, please share yours!