[KickAssClown]

Is this thread to persuade someone, and thereby "win"? or Is it to explain a given concept for us each to percieve and either accept or reject? Also what ends would it accomplish in the first place?

Sorry I just need to know anymore when I am talking with someone, are we playing a game in which someone wins or are we having a discussion?

[Pyrotex]

Originally Posted by KickAssClown

Is this thread to persuade someone, and thereby "win"? ...?

Well, that's a good question. What IS your intention in contributing to this thread?

Now, speaking for myself, I'm fairly clear what MY intention is here. And it includes knocking down barriers to mutual understanding, where that is permissible and practical. What I would want to avoid is the kind of cross-purpose discussions that get to sounding like:

"Less Filling!"
"More Taste!
"Less Filling!"
"More Taste!
"Less Filling!"
"More Taste!
....

[InfiniteNow]

Ahem...

Tastes great.
Less filling.
Tastes great...

[Pyrotex]

Originally Posted by InfiniteNow

Ahem...

Ahhhh... you're correct.
I am so ashamed.
Now everybody will know that I don't drink beer.
I am such a wuss.

[InfiniteNow]

Originally Posted by Pyrotex

Ahhhh... you're correct.
I am so ashamed.
Now everybody will know that I don't drink beer.
I am such a wuss.

I'll make this the last post in which we are derailing the thread, but you could have argued it another way...

Wow... I drank SO much of it I couldn't even remember the ad campaign...

[KickAssClown]

I personally am interested in explaining perceptions as I interpt them, such that people may then perform thought experiments that lead to opening their world view to more possibilities.

That is in contribution.

I read to learn of other people's perspective on a given issue, that I may take it into my own, and from an objective view point look at the perception and disect for merits, search out for flaws. Basically to deconstruct.

That is what I am looking for in a post.

I checked, because on a number of forums I visit, people are not so enlightened on the concept of communications. Hypography is certainly better about it, but still sometimes snaggs on it, expecially when extreame views come to light.

[Southtown]

Originally Posted by Pyrotex

When you close your eyes and refuse to watch the TV, are you still a couch-potato?

That depends on where you're sitting. Was the rest of that addressed to me, also? If so, I'm sorry. Please forgive me.

[Pyrotex]

Originally Posted by Southtown

That depends on where you're sitting. Was the rest of that addressed to me, also? If so, I'm sorry. Please forgive me.

Oh, no! No apology needed. I was just responding to your Zen-like "When I restrain from my vice, who am I? Rationality? Or Impulse?" with another (fatuous) Zen-like statement. It was an artifact of my complex, multi-dimension sense of humor.

The rest was addressed to the whole thread. Observe how in many conversations, as soon as two posters realize they are using the same word several different ways, they go to a little effort to prevent that fact from interfering with future posts. They may agree to use the word only ONE way and use a different word for the other way, whatever. Then observe that a few folks tend (sometimes) to resist this. It is almost as if they want the confusion for some reason. Or need it (this may not be a conscious decision). Perhaps they are relying on confusion sometimes appearing as "mystery" or "profundity".

Even intelligent well educated folks have trouble dealing with analysis of their own speech patterns, thought patterns, biases, opinions. (You don't have an opinion--your opinion has YOU.) I was offering the suggestion that "spirit" may be being used in many different ways in this thread--and that it could possibly be that some even sub-consciously want its meaning kept fuzzy.

[hallenrm]

Originally Posted by Pyrotex

I was offering the suggestion that "spirit" may be being used in many different ways in this thread--and that it could possibly be that some even sub-consciously want its meaning kept fuzzy.

That's indeed very true! If you look at the starting post of this thread, I had very conciously pointed out the different interpretation of the word spirit. I was indded looking forward for a spirited discussion on the various connotations of the word.

Let me thank, all my peers and comrades, for participating in the discussion (but let it not convey that i mean to say that let us conclude this discussion).

I look forward to many interesting posts on this thread, and I shall post whenever I have some very interesting thought to share!!!