How would it make you feel?
What would some people think of you?
What if everyone knew everyone else's thoughts? (For the purposes of this question, assume that we wouldn't all go insane.)
What (if any) lessons do you think we would learn from such a situation?
Would you like it if we could?
2006-06-18 18:18:53 · 13 answers · asked by tizzoseddy 6 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
It really doesn't bother me at all becasue I know they don't
2006-06-18 18:22:03 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
We will be purer in our minds, thus happier, and more relaxed.
Compare that to the nudist beach folks, or ancient Greeks. Are they relaxed, yes. Are they less concerned with sex, yes. Do they feel natural, in a good and civilized sense, yes. Remember, ancient Greeks? There was a cult of naked body. But misunderstood in the New World, they are sometimes seen worshiping sex. A naked breast in ancient Italy and even modern Europe is VERY thifferent from that in the US.
How would it make you feel? Relaxed.
What would some people think of you? Nothing special.
What if everyone knew everyone else's thoughts? We will be purer in our thoughts.
(For the purposes of this question, assume that we wouldn't all go insane.) Inthe same manner, assume that ancient Italans and Greeks did not all go sick...
What (if any) lessons do you think we would learn from such a situation? Purity, relaxation, less impact of social insanity.
Would you like it if we could? Why not.
NOW, of course, IF it happened NOW, that would create problems, BECAUSE the society IS sick in their minds! Yet, these problems will easily vanish.
2006-06-18 20:47:19 · answer #2 · answered by Alt 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It would mean there would be no more lying. That would be wonderful. Honesty would be the way of the world. That would end many wars, arguments and all lawsuits, false arrests, and probably most crime. Without the reasonable doubt defense we could just deal with criminals in a very straight forward manner without trial and we would know if they were able to be rehabilitated.
We would see that everyone has thoughts much like everyone else's, and these thoughts would not be considered unusual when it is clear that we all have them. People with psychological problems or mental disease would be easily identified and treatment could be administered early and progress clearly measured and judged effectively.
Greed, manipulation and theft would become impossible. Love would be clear and everyone would be able to form relationships based in truth and honesty.
Frankly, I can't think of any real downside to this idea in the long run.
Sign me up!
2006-06-18 20:09:58 · answer #3 · answered by Batty 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We all have psychic powers, albeit most of us aren't aware of it. Our intuition, or gut reaction, may be a response to such knowing.
Maybe we'd all communicate more effectively when we would be able to listen with a third ear. This assumes we can translate the ostensible words to the true underlying meaning.
Maybe we'd all be more compassionate. Maybe we'd all see that we are all One, and dissolve away artificial differences (like warring religions).
2006-06-18 18:40:22 · answer #4 · answered by churlish_imp 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is like George Orwell's "1984" (suggest you read for an insight). Steven Speilberg's "Minority Report" has the same effect of psychics knowing a murder or crime before it happens (very intriguing movie) and they arrest the person and lock him away in a dream-like state.
If we could know everyone's thoughts, we'd possibly be confused most of the time wondering where it came from. If you had one person's thought at a time and knew it was from them, it would be easier to deal with.
If someone knew my every thought (uncon and con) they would probably find there are millions of similarities where they have thought the same thing or something along the lines in a different experience. It is believed that humans all think alike for the most part. Only our appearance and cultural experience can seperate us, but we all have the same basic needs in life (birth, death, love, etc).
Personally, it wouldn't make me feel too bad, because sometimes you can think of something, but change your mind. There is no way to grasp what every thought could be or mean, the same way we see symbols in different ways. It is multivalent (many meanings) and ineffible (beyond description) for each person. My thought of "bad" could mean horrible, mean, etc. while your thought of "bad" could be cool. Language, words, thoughts, symbols, art, music, literature, beauty are really not as concrete as we'd like them to be and they change over time.
To me, thinking is infinite and either circular (if you are not as developed mentally) or linear (like mathematicians), or a combination of both. Also, whether the listener agrees or disagrees is not relevent because thoughts can sometimes be random, not make sense, part of a bigger thing (like collected past DNA strands), or just subjective from your personal experience. An old man would know what puberty was like and therefore, it is old information, whereas a youth may not know what life is like for an old person, because they have not dealt with old age yet. It's all about experience.
It wouldn't matter what people thought, unless they tried to use it against me like in "1984" or even "Minority Report". There is flaws in thinking because it is abstract. Actions are more concrete than thinking. How many people do you think don't like you but keep it to themself? Probably a lot. Or maybe there are people that like you and they keep it to themself. You can't think for other people, but if they judge you, then you can judge them just the same. If you act on your judgement, that is where you cross the world of the mind into the material world. I could think to dislike or like someone and it would keep people at odds, but it could be my experience with them (or some past experience) that made me think that way about them.
What you would learn is that you probably would know the dark side to every person and light side to every dark person, but it would just leave you questioning more. Sometimes real life experience can change you for the good or bad, but what you value and believe is what makes you an individual. You still need to go down your own path to enlightenment and sometimes what you think today may change tomorrow. Like I said, it's abstract.
It would be cool if it was done to a smaller degree (a few people per person at a time), but I think not everyone could handle it and some may go into shock afterwards. You would have to be truly open-minded to listen to others. There would be a language barrier though, so you'd need a translation device to hear everyone.
2006-06-18 18:58:17 · answer #5 · answered by ^..^ALUKAH^..^ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I seriously doubt if anyone would be remotely interested. It seems that people have a hard time connecting and really listening to others as it is. I really don't think being able to listen in on others thoughts would make that big a difference because we tend to not listen now.
2006-06-18 18:41:19 · answer #6 · answered by schafer_mail 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would feel naked. hmm and i am sure in reality the things which dwell in our subconscious usually pertain to sexual desires, even if you are one of highest purity. everyone would see just exactly how sinful humanity is, and hopefully lean more towards Jesus!
if everyone knew every single thought...wow. i don't think we can even grasp that concept with our minds...so inept. sounds like a book ray bradbury would attempt to craft, which i would be most interested in reading.
but i love not knowing somethings. like in love- that is self-explanatory. you would think that things would be alot easier if you know what the opposite gender is thinking, but the simple joy of the mystery in their souls is something irreplacable.
i would definitely not like it if we knew everyone's thoughts. what a chaotic world that would generate.
2006-06-18 18:27:45 · answer #7 · answered by alphajet7 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We are all fools, some hide it better than others. Under the new scenario, the smart ones still look smart, because they could still train their thoughts.
2006-06-18 19:39:48 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe we'd all recognize almost everyone has trouble with their hopes and fears... and we'd soften up...
the alternative, just as likely, is that we'd use that opportunity to harden ourselves further.
2006-06-18 18:27:25 · answer #9 · answered by unseen_force_22 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well we would have ben controlled one thought only.
2006-06-18 18:33:33 · answer #10 · answered by induswolf 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would get in trouble cuz i think things (usually bad things) about my friends and family when i get irritated, but i just think it so i "say it" but not get in trouble...i would be in deep kimchee...people would think less of me...and i would like it just to hear what people thought of me, but not what i think of people...kinda selfish...i know
2006-06-18 18:23:37 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋