Why does the thought that it might not be real bother us?

Question

Okay, it's all an illusion and you're actually in an insane asylum. Or you're a vegetable somewhere. Or it's something we can't quite wrap our minds around. Or you're actually dying in a horrible car crash that threw you through your windshield, and your brain conjured this up as a defense mechanism.

Why do we want to know?

Why does it matter if it's all fake? Why have I seriously, honestly doubted my perceptions? I have a really, really sweet deal here in whatever this is. I have a loving family, my first romance has worked out incredibly, I'm in a First-World country, I'm healthy, and I'm getting a good education.

Why do I seriously entertain the notion that it's false? Why do I want to know?

I'm looking for a response that IS NOT either, "It's human nature to ask questions," or anything about Jesus. I'm an atheist. You're not converting me. If that's your style, great for you, go away.

Okay, first answerer, I appreciate the sentiment but that falls under, "It's human nature."

I know humans are curious, and all that. I don't need to be told.

I want to know if anyone has any idea why it bothers us. If the answer ends up being, that's just how it works, fine, but I don't need a million people to tell me that.

Answer 1

The mind wants to know whats beyond the limits
or what are the limits to everything

Its only natural

Thats how we discover the world around us daily
question everything and learn from it.

The big problem is people seem to not ask the right
questions and get the wrong information

Answer 2

Good question.

I think it has to do with identity. That is, we base "who we are" on "what we experience".

"If I didn't experience that, then I'm not the person I think I am."

I also think it is an en-cultured wish for "truth". Since the beginning of recorded history, humanity has been engaged on a search for "truth". This may seem like I am suggesting what you asked me not to "human nature", but I don't feel that is the case.

Rather, I feel that this is what we are taught to believe is the case. That such is human nature. When in fact, it is a choice. We are taught this, because institutions fear when individuals set "truth" for themselves, rather than looking for outside influence and guidelines.

We have been taught to "give meaning" to our lives, by doing things others say are "meaningful" rather than being happy with the meaning that is already there, for us and what we choose for ourselves.

There was an episode of Star Trek, in which Picard is tapped into by an alien probe and during a 20 minute period, lives a lifetime on another planet. He is married. Has children. Learns to play an instrument. Has friends.

Then he wakes up.

Now he has a choice. He may discount all that happened as "not real", for it wasn't, in a sense, or he may choose that all of it "was real", for he still has the experiences.

I think you exemplify the fact that we are collectively at a cross-roads in which the "truth" is being yanked out from under our experiences and where we have the choice of deciding whether it matters or not.

That is, we can decide that "experience is", or we can decide that nothing matters and blow ourselves up. The fact that nothing "ultimately matters" by someone else's guidelines, is really freedom, when it comes right down to it.

The freedom to realize that experience is what I have. All I need. So, I make the most of it.

What is real, is what is real to me. I make the choice.

Peace.

Answer 3

I find this a great STAR question, and I am going to do as much justice as my limited wisdom can.

The first part is why do we begin to doubt if it is all an illusion even though life is going fine. In my view, this doubt about reality has nothing to do with the quality of life... on the contrary a reasonably comfortable life is more likely to throw up this question. The child finds everything real and is also comfortable with imagination treating it as good as real. But as we grow, we begin to suspect reality. Why?
I think the reason is the inconsistencies we experience... the child hasn't had enough of repetitive and similar situations to compare and find inconsistencies. As we gain more and more experience, we begin to notice the inconsistencies and that is what sows the seed of doubt in our mind as to whether all this real at all..... because our definition of reality and truth is unchangeability or consistency.

The second part is why do we worry whether it is real or not. As another answerer has stated, should we not be carefree if everything after all is just illusion? Of course, if we are sure that it is an illusion, then we can stop worrying over anything..... but where does that leave us? Our own entity becomes a question then... if everything is unreal, then I am also of no significance at all.... this is what hurts us as if our very existence is in question, as though by doubting the reality of it all, whether we have finished off our own significance and meaning.... this is the greatest blow to our 'ego' and that is just not acceptable to us. Our ego keeps telling us, it must be real and our experience keeps showing us the inconsistencies tantamount to doubts regarding reality... this is the unending struggle within our subconscious self that bothers us.

I hope you would find this explanation somewhat satisfactory...... perhaps I have simplified it a bit too much..... it must be much more complex than that!!

But you really asked a SUPER question!!

Answer 4

Even illusion is a form of reality. It is simply reality on another level.
Think of life as striated, There are many forms of reality and truth is merely a perception of what is..

Each intellect and each individual perceives his own reality to be truth.

The fact is some of us seem to be equipped with this extraordinary gift of self awareness and enquiring minds. The idea that we can ask the question may indicate to some that what does not exist can not ask.So if the tactile existence we seem to experience is unreal at least the energy to create anxiety over the question is viable..

Consider the various forms of life . All perceive ( and I do not discount the fact that all forms of life may not be capable of perceiving) their particular existence to be relative to the world around them. In other words if my life is an illusion or a delusion the world around me is also non existant. This line of thinking would then lead me to consider if the question you have asked is simply a wrinkle or a rant without a real desire to know.

But, I take the question seriously because I have heard it many times.

We have all witnessed the end of life in some form yet the object of death continues to exist in another form after its demise. It is possible then that non existence is also a form or level of reality.

It seems that every thing that does or does not exsist is balanced by its opposite. like in science matter and antimatter. We may be dealing with the same thing here. Both sides of the coin. Ying and Yang.. In this event the question is as moot as it is relevant.

Answer 5

Why did Descartes lock himself away from humanity for ages to determine what he could really know? Why do we cheer for the person who escaped from Plato's cave to find the 'real' world? Why do we hope Neo and his pals can escape the Matrix?

and yet, why do we all understand and relate to Cypher when he tells Agent Smith he wants to go back into the Matrix and not remember that the Matrix is not 'real'?

i do not agree with a previous answer which recommended phenomenology as a possible tool to figure this out. (just had to get that out there). Phenomenology cannot help me figure out why it matters if my life is 'real'.

But WHY do we question? Why does it matter to me that there is a 'there' there rather than an evil genius who is fooling me into believing that all i believe is real, is simply a dream or an illusion?

For me, it matters only in an abstact way - even if i am a dream or all around me is false, I'm having a great time. However, if I were in the Matrix (or Plato's cave) and I figured it out I would scratch and claw my way toward reality.

I believe it has something to do with seeking the truth. This has been one of the driving forces of science since its inception - what is really going on out there? But i am having trouble figuring out why we need to know the truth. I'm going to think on it some more and get back to this question...

Answer 6

I do not know why people have a problem with it. Technically, it should not matter. If this is the place that your mind has contrived for you then why not enjoy it. I think the problem comes when people have lives that suck and they want a better life and for whatever reason they cannot achieve it. If that was my life I would want another one too. Going around doubting reality does not change reality's current perspective. No matter how much I doubt, as long as the laws of physics continue to operate in the fashion that they do, the sky will always be blue or gray if its raining.

Answer 7

Because we hate being lied to or treated like a child, and if this reality is a defense mechanism or a brain defect then it's like our sub-conscious is being patronizing to our awareness.

Not to mention, to think that we've worked so hard to get where we are and might wake up one day and find out it was all a dream and our life is really a train wreck is a really frustrating thought. We want assurances, we want to know what's going on.

Finally, sometimes life seems to be going smoothly...a little too smoothly. It's easy to fall into a rut where you become almost detached from life and just start going through the motions and from there it's easy to imagine that your living in a false reality because surely life is supposed to be more intense than this.

Answer 8

What you have described in your question is an extreme
form of nominalism. Why might it bother an individual to
practice such an extreme model? Because it can't possibly
bother an individual. In the absence of authenticity the
foundation for self-convenience takes root. If nothing
is actually true then why not believe what is convenient
for the individual's self while simultaneously ignoring
the convenience of other individuals(to state that other
individuals are real is to debunk the premise of the question).
If other individuals are real then an individual should be
bothered at those individuals possible inconvenience.
If other individuals are not real then an individual should
be bothered by seeking confirmation from things which
are not real.

Answer 9

Well is lF life is only an illusion, then it should be more fun!
Yet the reality of your question IS, the physiology of the human body "does" have mental and physical chemicals that "kick in" to protect you. Tv makes these seem silly, yet many of them are real.

If you have any doubts , ask anyone who experienced a "closed head injury" or a "near death" experience. Having had both happen. I realize now that the WORLD we "live in" is the world we create.

I love God and look forward to being a "spirit" one day, but until that day....I'm "Full Throttle" living my life without any regrets.

Answer 10

The thought that it might not be real bothers us because if it turns out that it isn't real then we feel duped. I mean, if it's not real then why bother with it. It's a waste of time. If we believe something is real and somebody tells us that what we believe is false then that is an attack on our understanding of things. It is calling a person delusional, and that is attacking someone.
P.S.- "Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. It is not enough that a thing be possible for it to be believed." --Voltaire