How can any of you proove to me that you exist, beyond being mere creations of my own internal dialog that is manifested into a physical form, as answerers to my question, here on Y!Answers?
Sure you can just type the answer "I exist," or even send me an email or an IM, and think that that should be enough. But how am I to know that your answer isn't just my own internal mindset grasping at a reality that I feel -- and maybe think -- to be real? Thus, creating answerers to my question who would do just such things...
Can it truly be proven that anyone, outside of myself (yourself), has a consciousness like mine (yours)?
Let me pose the inverse of my main question...
Can you proove to yourself that I exist, beyond being just a mere creation of your own internal dialog (mindset) that is manifested into a physical form, as myself and this question, here on Y!Answers?
2007-04-18 09:49:46 · 61 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Things of this nature depend upon what you will accept as evidence. We could arrange to meet, for example. During that meeting, I could allow you to photograph me, shake my hand, converse with me, etc.
In the end, if you are not willing to accept the input of your senses, then you have no method of measuring reality, including your own existence. If you allow, "cogito ergu sum," then it follows that you exist. If you exist, then it must follow that those senses which you possess and appear to be methods of measuring reality must also exist, or else you would not think of them. If there were only you, and nothing else in this entire universe, then what were the point of having eyes, ears or any other sense, for that matter?
If you will allow that you exist, and if you allow that you did not fashion your own senses, then it makes perfect sense to assume that when your senses report to you an externality, something non-you, that there is likely something there.
Incidentally, the fact that you can distinguish between yourself and your surroundings, the fact that you have a "self" which you can't quite put your finger on but know intuitively that you possess, is a key indicator that there is a God. Email me for details.
Tom
2007-04-18 09:59:54 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Can I prove to you that I exist. Sure, any number of physical tangible evidences can be given: To start with, I can introduce you to myself in person. I can show you my i.d., introduce you to my parents (well not my dad, because he's in heaven now) and relatives, take you to my job and let show you my work, and I can show you my life's history. While this is weak perhaps in terms of proving that I exist outside your ability to process "me" in your own mindset, it still builds a case that you can not predict unless you've already met me or read my profile. Or, as one of the other answerers pointed out so beautifully, I can inflict on you things that will make you come into an awareness of my existence: (ie, a slap with a two by four to the head), particularly I could do any number of things that I do NOT list here in this response so that there is no way that you can prepare in advance for the happening to occur. THEN, I can introduce myself! Changing your environment in a way that affects you and you can not predict or change is your proof. Can I prove that you exist outside of my OWN internal dialog (mindset) manifested into a physical form? Yes, of course. That's easy: When I went on to Answers tonight I did not know or suspect that this question was there or that I would be even interested in answering it. Can I prove that you are a person, sure, by things like the process of elimination which is a basic scientific tool to interpret anything. Like, say for example, I can deduce that you are not a slug. Or a flower. Because while I do not know if slugs or flowers can speak, I do know I can't speak or read their language, and I know they have no appendages or ability to type this question. For our purposes here: not sentient. The only thing I can not deduce is if you are in fact the User that has the Yahoo id that is registered here for this question or if you are some other person using the id. But that is not what you asked! Have a good evening, my sentient friend.
2007-04-18 20:28:01 · answer #2 · answered by Teresa L 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sure. Your internal dialog would continue to misspell the word "prove." It takes an intellect existing outside of your own (or a spell check) to point out you are mistaken.
2007-04-18 09:53:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you don't exist, I wouldn't be answering this question!! I wouldn't come up with that myself!! And if I don't exist you wouldn't be reading this right now!! Good Luck in the future!! I know at least everything that you think exists around you, you believe in!! Now, you are confusing me!! Oh well, maybe we'll see each other down at the phyc ward!! HaHa!! Here, I thought it was everyone around me that was nuts!! LOL!! Have to be able to take a joke!!!!
2007-04-18 10:03:00 · answer #4 · answered by Lori F 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I suppose if someone was to answer your question with correct information that you are not aware of there is no way you could have made it up in your head. Like scientific information or foreign languages you aren't able to speak. If someone answered you in those sorts of ways, you should be fairly confident your insanity didn't just imagine those answers, but that they truly came from a person with more knowledge on a subject than you possess.
2007-04-18 09:55:02 · answer #5 · answered by jtimpson 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Finally, someone who share the same thoughts as me! I wonder about these kind of questions, try to explain to someone else, and get frustrated in the process because they don't seem to understand. No, I cannot prove the existence of you nor I in the question you are asking, but as long as we are in our reality, I can say we are real enough.
2007-04-18 09:53:53 · answer #6 · answered by krngooksoo5968 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If I do something other than what you desire, then I must exist. If I was a figment of your mind, my actions would be limited to your choices.
So I will prove it by stalking you, or dating your girlfriend, or buying all your favorite candy bars before you get to 7-11 or some similar heinous act.
2007-04-18 09:54:49 · answer #7 · answered by Wind Chime 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This sounds similar to Chrisitian Science thought...the ramblings of one Mary Bakker Eddy
Now, if all is God (Mind), then that reality must be God. If God is Spirit, and all is God or Mind, then the material world must not be real. As Mrs. Eddy states:
"There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind, in its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all." (Science & Health, p. 468)
Nope...not buying it...no sir.
2007-04-18 09:58:16 · answer #8 · answered by bonsai bobby 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No I can't.
Nor Can I Prove that you exist either.
Before you can prove that you exist, you have to know what YOU are.
Do you?
I would first pose that, you cant be anything that you can experience.
Therefore you are nothing.
I am nothing.
I can experience anger, but I am not anger. I can experience the paper on my desk, but I am not the paper on my desk. I can experience your post on Yahoo Answers, therefore I am not your Post on Yahoo Answers.
Again I am nothing, and You are nothing.
So who Exists?
2007-04-18 10:23:23 · answer #9 · answered by sanguinehuman 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i cannot COMPLETELY prove anything exists if i cannot physically show it to you...but i have faith that you are real. i can, however, make a very educated assumption because you're here, thinking, writing, stirring up stuff, etc.
that's what faith is: belief in that which you cannot wholly understand or verify. if you think i'm wrong, i'm ok with that :)
in reference to God, part of being a believer is having Him as part of you: the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. the Holy Spirit gives me the personal power to understand (discernment) that I am God's.
2007-04-18 10:00:57 · answer #10 · answered by G is for Grover 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋