Say you agree to attend a Christmas ball with a very delightful family friend visiting from some far away land. This is the first time you meet...and you have the most joyous evening! When the night ends...you part and you never see the friend again.
QUESTION:
If a week later you discovered that your date was a serial murderer, would it change the past (ie your joyous evening)?
Now mind you...you were never intended to see him/her again...
2007-12-10 08:48:54 · 23 answers · asked by LUCKY3 6 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
MIKEY: I have 'good' scissors too! *wink*
2007-12-10 09:20:37 · update #1
Nothing will ever change the fact that you where happy at that particular time. The only thing that can change is your perception of the event in retrospect. You can either choose to be happy that you had a good time and that you are still alive or you can choose to be sceptical of ever person you ever meet after that and never trust anyone again. (which is a bit silly because of all the people you ever meet the much smaller percentage will be murderers)
So was it a beutiful moment or was it not? I think the happiest times in my life have been when I have been completely deluded. But in that delusion there was some truth. The truth was in the moment and the delusion was about the future.
If you could see into the future it might change events. But if you see something that is going to happen, can it be undone?
Would you deny your truth for the sake of your happiness?
Could you be happy in spite of the truth? It is all just illusion anyway, like love or drugs, but with the freedom to choose what you feel///
2007-12-10 15:59:11 · answer #1 · answered by Gareth B 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I know that you do not watch television but believe it or not your Hypothetical question is being played out on the SHOWtime drama "DEXTER" the story of a serial killer who works for the Miami Police Department and somehow finds himself being stalked by a serial dater who met him at a Drugs Anonymous meeting. Long story short, he sees himself in her and she sees herself in him and they are having a great time until his yearn to kill annd her yearn to know where he is and who he is with come into conflict. They break up with her never knowing her is in fact a serial killer. She continues to stalk him. The finale is this Sunday. She will find out that he is the killer and the question is does this make her want to stop following him or does this make her want to have him all the more? He on the other hand is wondering where will he dump the body should she return.
And that is where my answer begins.
There is a fable about a frog and a scorpion a late homosexual friend told me, (You may see the significance of the homosexual part later), that went like this: The frog and the scorpion wanted to cross a pond filled with crocodiles. The frog could not protect himself. The scorpion could not swim. They made a deal the frog would carry the scorpion if he promised not to sting the frog. The scorpion agreed. Midway accross the pond the scorpion stung the frog and the they both started to drown. The frog before dying asked "Why? Now we will both die." and the scorpion replied "I am a scorpion. That is what we do." (My friend told me this story to explain his sexuality.)
The point is that the serial killer remains a serial killer whether you knew it or not.
The blind date, on the other hand, may change. That person might be able to see past the fact that his/her date is a serial killer but the initial shock would most likely still be there along with a mind numbing curiosity about why the killer didn't killer the blind date, ("Why wasn't I good enough?".... "Wasn't I the type?".... "How rude!")
Or if s/he is a bit of the stalker, s/he may decide the risk is worth the worry.
Philosophically speaking, people in general act in their own best interest, or at least try to. The Serial killer does what makes him/her happy. The blind date does the best.
If it makes one happy to think it was a lovely evening then that is what that person will do. If not then reactions will vary. but self interest will be the determining factor more time s than not.
2007-12-10 11:35:54 · answer #2 · answered by LORD Z 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes I see what you mean..... man that is a clear question on the present isn't it?
I suppose it depends on the individual doesn't it? I mean If I dated a woman and had a wonderful time and found out later that week she though ill of me and the evening I had with her? Well yes, it would affect my memory of that date and it would affect any meeting with the woman in the future as well.
However finding out I was dating a serial murderer after such a good time; then it wouldn't affect the evenings memories because I got away without a scratch!
See what I mean? I guess it all depends but the future could ruin the past.
You build a foundation to a house and it cost seventy three thousand dollars and a month later when you're ready to put the house up? You're told it isn't up to code and it had to come down. That affects the past a lot.
2007-12-10 11:02:53 · answer #3 · answered by the old dog 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like all experience, the past is essentially nothing more than our memory of it, entirely subjective. What we think of as an objective past is really just the agreed upon collection of subjective pasts. So yes, the future can change the past because it can change the lens through which we view it.
2007-12-10 09:22:41 · answer #4 · answered by CST 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The past is written and can not change accept by a deliberate attempt by those who write the future. While, once the future arrives it becomes the past and can not be changed. SO, the effect is stable only in the light of each of us that experience that time period.
Spartawo...
2007-12-10 09:01:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes the discovery would change your perception of a person you spent time with, but it would not actually change anything about the evening Surely one would have to question their instincts to have enjoyed the company of someone capable of serial murders?
2007-12-10 09:00:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your contemporary judgements impacts your destiny in existence the main previous judgements will impacts your contemporary even though it is extra powerful to forget with regard to the previous and make a extra powerful decision interior the present so that's going to be a extra powerful destiny.
2016-10-01 07:48:15 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no. not directly, anyway. it can't change the past, but it can change your view on it, tehrefore altering the outcome that you got out of the experience.
going with your example, it couldn't changfe the fact taht i had a wonderful evening, but it definitley make me change it from a wonderful evening to a curious one, because i would wonder about their intentions and reasons/comings to becoming a serial killer, if they were capable of producing such a fine memory.
2007-12-10 12:35:09 · answer #8 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think ANYTHING can effect memories of things.. Say at that party there is a sweet smelling perfume.. from a lovely lady, and after you find that your date.. was a murderer... each time you inhale a waft of this perfume it draws a fear and aberration for the entire event..
ANYTHING can send ripples into your theoretical pond..
2007-12-10 08:55:33 · answer #9 · answered by ~{The Contessa}~ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, if there is a time machine in the future it will effect the past when it is used to go back in time.
j
2007-12-10 09:00:05 · answer #10 · answered by The man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋