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ignorance is bliss. When you see things for what they are one can't help but feel sad sometimes. I wouldn't trade it though I feel I am well rounded because I see things for what they are not what I want them to be.
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Depends on what kind of realist you are.
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Depends on what kind of realist you are.
Depressive realism, as defined by wikipedia:
"Depressive realism is the proposition that people with depression actually have a more accurate perception of reality, specifically that they are less affected by positive illusions of illusory superiority, the illusion of control and optimism bias. The concept refers to people with borderline or moderate depression, suggesting that while non-depressed people see things in an overly positive light and severely depressed people see things in overly negative light, the mildly discontented grey area in between in fact reflects the most accurate perception of reality."
Ideals give you something to strive for, realism stops you from being ridiculous about it and getting all crestfallen when your ideals don't come into being exactly as you imagined, or when they don't come into being at all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depressive_realism
Also, subjective reality is much more prominent to the individual than objective reality. They are both based off of both who you are, your past experiences, and what you have learned from them, but with significant variation that distinguishes one from the other. The objective reality of it is whatever really is and cannot be denied. Subjective reality is how all that really has been for you colors your perception, because it does, immediately, that's the point of learning, it adds to and alters the way you view and understand events. Your awareness of different things lends to this, for there is much more to be aware of in a given situation than simply what can be immediately observed using the five senses. This is because humans have complex internal lives that change our own personal realities and affect those of others. We have a certain amount of free will, and are not 100% controlled by predictable, consistently occurring instinctual reactions.
I can't really explain this in a way that makes me feel like I'm accurately expressing myself or whatever. I tend to think in pictures, and figuring out what they mean and putting it into words is difficult... but when I think about this question, I see a painting, in my head.
I'm not sure why, but I decoding this image, I arrive at the conclusion that objective reality is like a canvas, and subjective reality is like paint all over it. The objective reality, the canvas, is there, it's this blank thing that just exists, and the subjective reality, the sh*t to be interpreted, is so interwoven with objective reality that you can't really draw a solid stable line between them.
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There is research on this and answers, but it's an old thread and there's no one who's going to read it, so there's no point in writing it. :o(
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There is research on this and answers, but it's an old thread and there's no one who's going to read it, so there's no point in writing it. :o(
I miss all the good stuff.
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In reality, I see a lot of sh*t; but all of that crap does make good fertilizer. Is that being a realist, or an optimist? Is it the same?
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Realism must be tempered with the understanding that you can, to a certain extent, create your own reality. Perception is a huge part of our daily realities, and so perceiving being a realist as a sort of dampener to dreams and possibilities is a hindrance in itself. In short - it's all about balance, and a realist and a pessimist are not the same animal.
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realists - and those who avoid it... OH boy...
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realists - and those who avoid it... OH boy...
I think being a realist about how life is - can be part of being genuinely happy, very much so...any lasting happiness relies on it being grounded in a real understanding of life and death, truth and lies....
Living in a fantasy life can give the fantasy of being happy - but it constantly risks crumbling into dust because of its lack of reality...
this is the very threat that most religious people live under... and why it is so important to them to shore up the defences and deny, deny, deny.... that there is any weakness in their position....
the defences are so good they defeat even the sub conscious mind in many...
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"One's reaction to "reality" can become a discipline, as counsellors say that we choose our feelings"
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"One's reaction to "reality" can become a discipline, as counsellors say that we choose our feelings"
Do they really say that?
I was of the opinion that feelings are more or less reactionary, spontaneous. Our choice comes in how we respond to them, externalize them or not, choose not to let them run the show or to turn the driver's seat of our life over to them.
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It's probably true for me. My misanthropic tendencies tend to get me in an overall funk, but that's not to say I'm never happy. I can be a very happy person, just angry towards certain things. So if you're looking at the overall range of my feelings....I'm probably more apathetic than anything. I see things that are going on...terrible things...but what can I do about it? I try and educate people that live in shells...I guess that's something.
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It's probably true for me. My misanthropic tendencies tend to get me in an overall funk, but that's not to say I'm never happy. I can be a very happy person, just angry towards certain things. So if you're looking at the overall range of my feelings....I'm probably more apathetic than anything. I see things that are going on...terrible things...but what can I do about it? I try and educate people that live in shells...I guess that's something.
"But can or do we choose our affinity - or lack thereof - toward the initial perception of reality?"
To an extent...I reckon. Usually if your feelings get the better of you it indicates your orbitalfrontal cortex is underdeveloped - the part of the brain where reasoning takes place - but if you can reason just fine and you chose to let these feelings overtake you...then I don't know. Perhaps you already thought it through and came to the conclusion it's the 'right thing to do.'
But back to the first part of the question...people that lie to themselves are always going to appear happier...but what are they like on the inside? Those people who have all the faith...but with faith comes doubt. There's no tricking yourself out of that one.
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Realism must be tempered with the understanding that you can, to a certain extent, create your own reality. Perception is a huge part of our daily realities, and so perceiving being a realist as a sort of dampener to dreams and possibilities is a hindrance in itself. In short - it's all about balance, and a realist and a pessimist are not the same animal.
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I went through years of psychoanalysis to stop leading a life that was made up of imaginary truths because I was unable to face the real truths of my family and my childhood. Was I happier not knowing? Of course not. I was living a lie and something inside of us knows it. I did however have some highs with the fantasies that were quite strong emotionally- maybe the right word would be "passionate". When I fell in love it was that head over heels thing - but usually in a wrong kind of guy. I much prefer the realist I have become, because I find a certain kind of happiness and peace in knowing. I`d rather not have the roller coaster ride but an even keel.
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I think that it is unethical in the extreme to go about "making up [ones] own rules about reality."
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I think that it is unethical in the extreme to go about "making up [ones] own rules about reality."
I could give a sh*t if I'm happy or not when something as critical as TRUTH is on the line.
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I guess we do all do this to some degree, but many far more than others. Like those who deny climate change. Or deny the fact that God cannot be proven. Or deny the implications of our debt based economy.
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I guess we do all do this to some degree, but many far more than others. Like those who deny climate change. Or deny the fact that God cannot be proven. Or deny the implications of our debt based economy.
"We can change our perceptual filter, but it takes self-discipline." I am working on this myself, about my reactions to events -- but I find that different than being able to change my tendency to find experiential or measurable truth about those same events, like with climate change. I've watched certain species of animals habitats stretch north in my lifetime, because they're no longer limited by the former cold.
Or how Glacier National Park used to have 125 glaciers, now there's a bout 25 left, and still people deny that we are warming up. I am talking about how in the face of studies and facts, that many people can still deny...
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