Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[gad-fly]

See what you want to see, hear what you want to hear, think what you want to think, and you are in paradise, period. It is so easy. No need to make effort. Just be and stay hypnotized by the gospel, and let the preacher handle it all. Never been to the Garden of Eden? You are in the Garden, now and forever.

In case you are in doubt, don't even think. Just listen to the preacher, and swallow it all. There are preachers around, here and anywhere.

What if you want to see is on the wrong side? What if you see ruin rather than success, and you cannot help it? Easy. Forbid yourself doing so. You never see what you do not want to see. Put it this way. The wrong end is untruth. See yourself winning the lottery. It is what you want to see, and it is the only truth.

In the absence of a better term, i call this the philosophy of the tiding. Let the winner take it all, and let everyone be the winner.

[LuckyR]

See what you want to see, hear what you want to hear, think what you want to think, and you are in paradise, period. It is so easy. No need to make effort. Just be and stay hypnotized by the gospel, and let the preacher handle it all. Never been to the Garden of Eden? You are in the Garden, now and forever.

In case you are in doubt, don't even think. Just listen to the preacher, and swallow it all. There are preachers around, here and anywhere.

What if you want to see is on the wrong side? What if you see ruin rather than success, and you cannot help it? Easy. Forbid yourself doing so. You never see what you do not want to see. Put it this way. The wrong end is untruth. See yourself winning the lottery. It is what you want to see, and it is the only truth.

In the absence of a better term, i call this the philosophy of the tiding. Let the winner take it all, and let everyone be the winner.

Sounds good at first glance but doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Everything is relative. If you currently do what you want, say on a vacation, that's very good. But it's very good because you're not usually on vacation, or to put it another way vacation is very good... compared to work life. If every day is vacation then it can't be very good. By definition it would be average or routine.

[gad-fly]

If every day is vacation then it can't be very good. By definition it would be average or routine.

Why not? Your statement may apply to a workaholic. Most including me, are not. The difference between work and vacation: the former is necessary; the latter allows the freedom of choice.

[LuckyR]

If every day is vacation then it can't be very good. By definition it would be average or routine.

Why not? Your statement may apply to a workaholic. Most including me, are not. The difference between work and vacation: the former is necessary; the latter allows the freedom of choice.

Because you can't appreciate the difference between work and vacation if you have never been to work.

[gad-fly]

If every day is vacation then it can't be very good. By definition it would be average or routine.

Why not? Your statement may apply to a workaholic. Most including me, are not. The difference between work and vacation: the former is necessary; the latter allows the freedom of choice.

Because you can't appreciate the difference between work and vacation if you have never been to work.

For your info., i have a good life working to earn my living. Vacation has never been shorter than two weeks in a year. I can feel the difference between work and play.

But this thread is not about me. To be more focused, it is about being happy when under hypnotic spell, say: You see what you want to see, you get what you want, and your are happy, right? I am talking about hypnotic spell in the broader sense, like. You are converted, brainwashed, and so on.

[LuckyR]

If every day is vacation then it can't be very good. By definition it would be average or routine.

Why not? Your statement may apply to a workaholic. Most including me, are not. The difference between work and vacation: the former is necessary; the latter allows the freedom of choice.

Because you can't appreciate the difference between work and vacation if you have never been to work.

For your info., i have a good life working to earn my living. Vacation has never been shorter than two weeks in a year. I can feel the difference between work and play.

But this thread is not about me. To be more focused, it is about being happy when under hypnotic spell, say: You see what you want to see, you get what you want, and your are happy, right? I am talking about hypnotic spell in the broader sense, like. You are converted, brainwashed, and so on.

No, not right. Say your favorite meal is steak and lobster. You always eat it on your birthday at the most expensive restaurant in your town. You love it. Now let's say you eat it every day. Pretty soon it would lose it's allure, then later you would grow tired of it. Eventually you might hate it.

[gad-fly]

No, not right. Say your favorite meal is steak and lobster. You always eat it on your birthday at the most expensive restaurant in your town. You love it. Now let's say you eat it every day. Pretty soon it would lose it's allure, then later you would grow tired of it. Eventually you might hate it.

What you describe may happen one way or the other. Say you love a woman. Would you love her forever or would you end up divorcing her? A one-sided argument, on some personal example is irrelevant.

But this thread is not about like or dislike. It is deeper. Would you be happy if you are hypnotized to see only on the bright side, as suggested by so many titles you can see here and in our book club. See only what you want (or hope) to see. Would you always be happy? As an example. Say you are crazy about lobster. You are hypnotized to see lobster in every food you eat. Happy? This is a philosophical question. it takes deliberate and serious thought.

[Pattern-chaser]

Would you be happy if you are hypnotized to see only on the bright side...

Assuming the hypnotism was successful, then yes, of course you would. You have been hypnotised (programmed) to be incurably optimistic, as you describe, so you will be 'happy'.

[gad-fly]

Would you be happy if you are hypnotized to see only on the bright side...

Assuming the hypnotism was successful, then yes, of course you would. You have been hypnotised (programmed) to be incurably optimistic, as you describe, so you will be 'happy'.

Would you then agree: All those pep talks about you see what you want to see, and so on, are justified in their social redeeming value, and that they should be allowed to penetrate this forum, to eliminate suicide, for example.

[amorphos_ii]

'only the fool knows what freedom is'

[LuckyR]

No, not right. Say your favorite meal is steak and lobster. You always eat it on your birthday at the most expensive restaurant in your town. You love it. Now let's say you eat it every day. Pretty soon it would lose it's allure, then later you would grow tired of it. Eventually you might hate it.

What you describe may happen one way or the other. Say you love a woman. Would you love her forever or would you end up divorcing her? A one-sided argument, on some personal example is irrelevant.

But this thread is not about like or dislike. It is deeper. Would you be happy if you are hypnotized to see only on the bright side, as suggested by so many titles you can see here and in our book club. See only what you want (or hope) to see. Would you always be happy? As an example. Say you are crazy about lobster. You are hypnotized to see lobster in every food you eat. Happy? This is a philosophical question. it takes deliberate and serious thought.

Of course it is (a philosophical question). And in my experience variety is the spice of life, always seeing or experiencing whatever ends up boring. You can't appreciate great if you've never experienced terrible. Just getting great all day long, every day doesn't work. Why are stories and movies told where the hero suffers in the beginning, perseveres in the middle and triumphs in the end? Why do we feel great at the end of the movie? According to your theory the best movie would be the hero gets the girl in the beginning, gets rich in the middle and lives happily ever after at the end. Do you want to pay $10 to see that film? Not me.

[gad-fly]

Of course it is (a philosophical question). And in my experience variety is the spice of life, always seeing or experiencing whatever ends up boring. You can't appreciate great if you've never experienced terrible. Just getting great all day long, every day doesn't work. Why are stories and movies told where the hero suffers in the beginning, perseveres in the middle and triumphs in the end? Why do we feel great at the end of the movie? According to your theory the best movie would be the hero gets the girl in the beginning, gets rich in the middle and lives happily ever after at the end. Do you want to pay $10 to see that film? Not me.

I take you to mean that you, and some others like you, would not be happy if you are persuaded or hypnotized to see only the good end, like in a fairy tale, which going may not be good all along the way. If so, your answer to the title would be : "NO, stay hypnotized would not make you happy."

[Pattern-chaser]

All those pep talks about you see what you want to see, and so on, are justified in their social redeeming value...

I think this refers to perception, and how what we perceive is largely made-up — but based on sensory input, not entirely random! — by our brains to fit our internal world models, so in that sense, we do see what we expect to see. But I'm not sure it fits in here, in this topic?

...and that they should be allowed to penetrate this forum, to eliminate suicide, for example.

This bit I don't understand. I don't understand what it has to do with this topic, or maybe with anything at all?

[gad-fly]

All those pep talks about you see what you want to see, and so on, are justified in their social redeeming value...

I think this refers to perception, and how what we perceive is largely made-up — but based on sensory input, not entirely random! — by our brains to fit our internal world models, so in that sense, we do see what we expect to see. But I'm not sure it fits in here, in this topic?

...and that they should be allowed to penetrate this forum, to eliminate suicide, for example.

This bit I don't understand. I don't understand what it has to do with this topic, or maybe with anything at all?

We see what we want to see is: Since we desire ( or want) good outcome, we become blind to bad outcome. we only see good.
We see what we are expected to see is: We have predicted outcome, good or bad, and we can only see our expectation.
See the difference.
If the former brings happiness, as you have agreed, why not penetrate it here. Let optimism flow free. Let suicide be history.

[Pattern-chaser]

All those pep talks about you see what you want to see, and so on, are justified in their social redeeming value...

I think this refers to perception, and how what we perceive is largely made-up — but based on sensory input, not entirely random! — by our brains to fit our internal world models, so in that sense, we do see what we expect to see. But I'm not sure it fits in here, in this topic?

...and that they should be allowed to penetrate this forum, to eliminate suicide, for example.

This bit I don't understand. I don't understand what it has to do with this topic, or maybe with anything at all?

We see what we want to see is: Since we desire ( or want) good outcome, we become blind to bad outcome. we only see good.
We see what we are expected to see is: We have predicted outcome, good or bad, and we can only see our expectation.
See the difference.
If the former brings happiness, as you have agreed, why not penetrate it here. Let optimism flow free. Let suicide be history.

Don't worry; be happy was/is a catchy song. But you seem to recommend that the secret of happiness is ignorance, and the active non-pursuit of any knowledge that might be upsetting. To me, this strategy has ... drawbacks; shortcomings.