h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I totally agree with you!

If you don't believe that there is free will (whether there actually is or not) then you're right, you won't be leading the life you could have led if you did believe in free will. Thinking that whatever you do is pre-destined to happen, no matter what, leads you to stop caring about what happens next.

At least, if you live as if there is free will, then you'll be able to say "I chose to do that". And even if you are kidding yourself by believing in free will you would never really know, and the life you lead would still be better than if there was no free will and you believed that this was so.

I tend to think of free will as existing alongside pre-determined points. Like, sometime in the future, something WILL happen, but the events leading up to it and those after it are ruled by free will. For example, a tree WILL fall down at a certain time on a certain day in a park. Up until this point people have free will and after this point people have free will, and that free will could be what determines whether there is a person standing under the tree when it falls or not. Does anyone understand where I'm going with this?

Anyway, Joolsee, I'd just like to say "Excellent" because it really was, and whether I have any choice in the matter or not, I wouldn't lie to anyone

I'm glad you liked the entry. It's my first, so I'm glad somebody likes it!

In many ways I'm most interested in philosophy as a way of defusing or escaping from distorted perceptions created by philosophy. Fight fire with fire!

As to your tree, it's an interesting one. My idea of free will involves people acting freely on their perceptions, so if nobody could perceive that the tree was going to fall, and it falls, and somebody is underneath it, that could be described as an accident, rather than a wilfull act on the part of the squashee.

That assumes that there is nothing more spooky going on, with people unconsiously acting on senses or guidance which we don't usually talk about (at least to prospective employers).

In fact, I think that weird stuff happens all the time (and I do mean all the time); it's another one of those "elephants in the living-room" that we all walk around and pretend not to see. (No offence to anyone who doesn't believe in elephants, by the way).

If I've got the wrong end of the twig with your tree, let me know.

And thanks for your feedback.

Joolsee

Well, I was thinking along the lines of, does the person go for a walk today or don't they? Do they look up and get out of the way? Sort of thing. But yes it would be described as an accident, but I don't see the problem with it being called an "accident". The tree was going to fall, no-one *knew* it was going to, so this doesn't affect a persons actions at that moment, so they act under their own judgement at the time. They cannot stop the tree from falling, but they can stop themselves from being under it.

I'm trying to think of a better way to say what I want to say...but I'm not being very successful

Weird stuff does happen all the time, I just don't think that people want to notice it...

OK. So are you saying that we move around amongst fixed points in time and space where things happen, and we, by our choices can put ourselves at the right/wrong place at the right/wrong time relative to them?

That makes sense to me (so I hope that's what you mean!)

(It's hard to be sure without seeing your hands moving when you explain it.)

Weird stuff. It's wall to wall, isn't it?

I think that it is quite handy that we are able to screen out neat reality, otherwise we'd all be living in the Total Perspective Vortex, and things would be noisy (not to mention messy). In some ways we are all living on the edge of insanity (unless of course, you've gone over it - if so please write an Entry about it), and a lot of the quality of life comes from how stylishly we can walk the crumbling edge.

I think problems start when the screening out process goes too far and tips over from healthy selective attention to making up the world based on our opinions. I think this is why there is such a huge grey area when you try to classify people as insane (sorry, the PC version is "differently saned").

We are all crazy to the extent that we distort our relationship with reality to fit our ideas. That's not to make light of mental illness. I just don't think that the rest of the population can afford to feel too complacent with regard to their mental state. I mean, just look at "Gladiators", or televised indoor bowls. Need I say more?

Oh my! I feel another Entry coming on!

Yes, that's sort of what I'm trying to say

As far as I see reality, it's all based on your perspective. Does and "insane" person feel like they're "insane". I wouldn't have thought so, it would just be normal to them, the idea of them being "insane" is put upon them by the generally accepted "norm". Other people see it as different, it doesn't fit into their perception of reality...

...it's a *lot* harder to explain things when you can't wave your hands around in the air...so I don't know if you follow what I'm saying, or if I'm making no sense at all...it makes sense to *me*, but that is from *my* viewpoint...

You should write another guide entry I'll read it straight away, the last one was (I thought) very interesting

Perhaps you should write an entry on "reality" - I think that might be a good topic for you...

E

Oh I don't know. I like to write about things I have experience of!

Arf!

Actually, I have feeling I'm going to be on my ISP's Christmas card list this year. I've gone from being webless (at home) to certified drooling web geek with VDU burn and atrophied lower limbs in the space of about six days.

That said, I do feel some more guides in the pipeline, so to speak. So your wish may be granted.

Now I have to peel my corneas from my screen, roll up my lower lip and make my way to bed, while my computer hums quietly to itself through the long hours of the night.

Goodnight, my public.

If it's any consolation, I do exactly the same. After 2 weeks, I am totally and utterly addicted to this place. Staying up incredibly late sometimes...I'm up now finishing off a story, but somehow I don't know if I'm going to finish it in time...

Perhap's you could write an entry on the various stages of addiction that those new to H2G2 go through. I could help with that one...along with (I suspect) a number of others.

E

*yawn*

Did I say I was an adict?

Yes, I'm still here.

I think a piece on web adiction is sorely needed.

Must...get...away....from....screen....


No, it's no good. I can't.......

No it's still no good.

I'll just have to bang my head on my desk until I fall to the floor and my modem connection times out.

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

Sorry, this is taking longer than I thought.

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

Ah, that's it. I'm feeling a bit wo

LOL
My main problem is, that if someone replies to a post, I absolutely, totally and utterly *have* to answer.

If you ever wanted to see proof of this addiction then I suggest you read through the forum at
http://www.h2g2.com/forumframe.cgi?forum=31330&thread=35726 there's all the proof you need that "no replies syndrome" exists. If you ever want to contribute anything to it then I suggest you reply at http://www.h2g2.com/forumframe.cgi?forum=31330&thread=36743 because the first forum got a little full and was taking too long to load.

Perhaps I'll see you there?

E

Hi Joolsee, I noticed you said you were addicted. Same thing happened to me when I first came along. As a result I was there when the addiction clinic opened at:

http://www.h2g2.com/A206894

I've given up trying tokick the habit though, this is just too much fun.

(Followed you again E )

Thanks for the tip.

I need help. Help!

Doesn't addiction kind of prove against free will?

Remember act as if you have the free will not to visit, but come here because you want to

I come here because I want to, not because I have to, but because I really, really, want to.

I also think I'm in denial, because I've been saying that I'm *not addicted* a lot lately...though I think that I am, but I like it, so what difference does it make

DE, I thought *I* was supposed to follow *you*?

I prefer the mutual arrangement, things tend to be more fun when you do them with someone else

Sure, follow me It's nice to think there are places that people are willing to follow me to

Hi peeps.

I think addiction shows what can happen if we apply our free will to put ourselves in nasty physiological/mental conditions.

The good news is, we can use our free will to get back out of them!

The famous gyrating rodent

Nice to meet you!

Eomando, could you explain what was going on with the symlpost thing last night?

Is it unusual?

Famous after less than a week, what has she been saying?

Nice to meet you too.

Hi Joolsee
That sylmpost thing was very very unusual - or at least I think so. Everyone was posting at the same time, leading to a very confusing conversation. Just about everything people posted ended up being posted at the same time as someone else.

DE, check out http://www.h2g2.com/forumframe.cgi?forum=31664&thread=36305

Have you ever seen so many sylmposts at the same time???

It was starting to get a bit wierd...that's all