I've always wondered why people find it so difficult to say "I don't know, but it's fascinating trying to learn". Others may find uncertainty unbearable?
2007-05-06 20:14:08 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
I can't say why some people can't say I don't know, but I do however know that saying "I don't know" is the start of the path to knowlage and wisdom.
Hope this helps.
2007-05-06 20:23:45 · answer #1 · answered by Arthur N 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The mistake you have made is that you assume that the universe was "created", like the big bang is what "created" the universe, and also something must have "caused" or "created" the big bang itself. This is wrong.
If you keep going back in time, it will be impossible to reach time zero. For example, if you take the number 1, and divide it by 2, and then divide the answer (1/2) by 2 (1/4) and then keep dividing, then your answer will approach zero, but it will not arrive at zero. Thus the universe has existed for eternity, and it will continue to exist with an unchanged amount of energy. The human perception of time is only a memory, the present moment (an infinitley small time period) is what exists definitley.
When someone says the universe is a certain amount of years old, this is a mistake. Time is simply something which allows something to carry on its existance, without instantly dissapearing as soon as it is created. Time has no beginning, middle, or end.
So, why do we have the physical universe that we enjoy at the present...? It emerged by a process of evolution. The nature of the univerese is infinite (that is it can be anything, it is unlimited and can thus can even be completley nothing), thus random. However, out of infinity and randomness, certain things are bound to eventually occur which are able to be self-sustaining. The big-bang was just an acceleration in this process of evolution, like how 2 cells divide into 4, 8, 16, 32..... That is to say, all the laws of physics and so fourth, have evolved over time to create the various self-sustaining structures which we see in the universe, including our own bodies and brains. The universe only seems so perfect because these things have evolved over such an infintley "long" time period.
We can already prove human evolution, soon, we will prove the evolution of the universe itself.
So understanding "why" or "how" is futile. These concepts do not exist, they are self-created by the human mind, they are not real. All the theories we can come up with are only ideas, concepts and approximations. It is best just to fully understand that the universe just IS. Anything could have existed, this current universe is just what happened to occur. And also, just a fraction of all the infinite things which could exist.
2007-05-07 04:25:08 · answer #2 · answered by driving_blindly 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi I believe it is not so much as what is convincing but rather what is more likely .Of course ther is no way of proving how the universe began but basically people are divided in two groups :That the Universe began with The Big Bang (no Creator involved).Or the Universe was Created by God.
The problem with the Theory of The Big Bang is that scientists can't explain how the condensed matter appeared in the first place before it became the Big Bang.
If you believe in a Creator then nothing has to be proven.Faith is the only requirement you need. For those who believe no explanation is necessary .For those who don't believe no explanation is possible.
I guess it boils down to what you believe. A small lump of matter suddenly "appearing" or a supreme being creating everything.
Cheers.
2007-05-07 05:48:22 · answer #3 · answered by ROBERT P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Many people relate uncertainty to bad things. For example, friends are people we trust, we are certain we can rely on them becuase they are friends. But for strangers, we could never trust them with anything because there is a big uncertainty about them.So in this case, people are far more comfortable when they think they know the truth. It is human nature. For alot of people comfort is enough, but for people like me, I could never settle for comfort over the real truth. A supernatural being is too easy of a explanation if you think about it, but many peopel still believe it.
Its also important to note: Just because we aren't sure about the Universe's creation now does not mean we will never know it. So I think the latter is much more convincing.
2007-05-07 03:30:41 · answer #4 · answered by Willy C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Things are convincing when they seem able to be proven. Things are convincing when we feel comfortable with the fact that either we or someone else is able to obtain the answer. Things can also be convincing when we are able to refute or disprove them. (I am convinced there is no cup on the table. I am convinced someone will see there is no cup on the table.)
It is possible to prove that someone does not know something. (I cannot see the table. I do not know if there is a cup on it.)
It is also possible to prove that no one knows something.
It is also possible to refute the fact someone knows something.
These things may be very hard, but they are also very possible.
Convincing someone means being able to make someone know something. To know something means being able to find, show or refute.
Therefore, it is possible to convince someone that something is knowable or refutable.
Knowing is not the same as believing. You can either know something, or believe it. (True, in common conversation, we often say "I believe...", but what we really mean, very often, is "I know... we are merely misusing words.) It is very possible to believe in superhuman beings - that needs no proof. But I am afraid it is not possible to KNOW of the existence of one or more supernatural beings, because there is no convincing proof of this.
There is no way at the moment to convince anyone with proof of either the existence of supernatural beings, or that they created the universe.
It is not possible, I am afraid, to irrefutably prove or disprove that the universe was created by a supernatural being.
So, we must come to the conclusion that the more convincing of your two statements is that we do not know.
Thank you for the opportunity of unravelling this in my head.
2007-05-07 04:16:47 · answer #5 · answered by elmina 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Science is doing a pretty good job of finding out the whys and hows of the universe.
2007-05-07 03:31:48 · answer #6 · answered by charliecizarny 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Interesting question!
I have always found that it is more truthful to say, one does not know.... than to believe him who says he knows all......
Him, who says he knows all.... I am not inclined to follow because he has a flawed sense of judgment.......
Yet, I believe it is best to let one find their own path in this world through experience.... what he finds on the way, may be a revelation in itself..... either he will become wise, or foolish.... or better yet, he may find something worthy of report and succeed us all!!!
Your sister,
Ginger
2007-05-07 03:31:21 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not only do we not know, it is impossible to know. When someone invokes a supernatural being, it is just a way of saying he does not know, because, if everything we know is natural, what exactly could supernatural mean?
2007-05-07 03:59:56 · answer #8 · answered by theholeinyourculture 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the fact is we will never be able to understand because our perception is so limited the faculty we call the mind is so small compared to the universal mind so we don't have the capacity to understand why it is created or who created it.
2007-05-07 03:29:22 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just because you don't know, doesn't mean we don't know. Try reading "Proof of God" at www.proof.thejazzwriter.com and pay close attention to "The Physics"
2007-05-07 03:23:04 · answer #10 · answered by jazzcrazy1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋