Reality is just blowing my mind. I know this isn’t a new idea to ponder but it is fascinating. What is… is subjective. Firstly, it is a given that written or spoken language is far too primitive a mean of communication to fully explain this idea. But I’ll use the tools I have. A starting point is the concept of a room. By room I mean, according to dictionary.com “a portion of space within a building or other structure, separated by walls or partitions from other parts”. This particular concept of room is amazing to me because it can be see on a micro and macro level. A room essentially is an area of space that is claimed to belong to someone, or be used for a specific purpose. To me it seems that properties, states, countries, continents, and galaxies are all just “rooms.” Who has the authority to claim anything is something or nothing. To put dimensions and boarders on anything… to claim ownership of a plot of space. now2thepoint Along the same logic… now to head (pun intended) in the other direction. The concept of a “room” could be extended to one’s mind. Is your mind yours... is your headspace, or part of the universal consciousness, a place that inherently belongs to you? Who owns your piece of mind? For that matter is your mind space no different than mine? Am I thinking what you are thinking? And then is there a you… is there a me… it just keeps going. Lack of sleep 101
This is a very interesting concept, and probably one that is approached in philosophy with startling frequency. I think when it comes to having authority to claim something, the social norms we have come to accept come into play. I'm not saying they are necessarily correct, but it seems to be something we've accepted as a society and pass on from generation to generation. I wonder something similar to this when it comes to humans language/bad words etc. Who decided that a bad word would become a bad word? After all, it's nothing but a combination of letters that can be found in any other word. Another way of thinking about it, we have a creek that runs through my town that's named "Thomas Creek." Now it is one of the largest (with a strong current as well) creeks I've ever seen in my life. For all intents and purposes, it should be called "Thomas River." However, this sounds extremely funny to my ears, and anyone else in my town would look at you like you were crazy if you called it this. The difference between creeks & rivers is purely by measurement and also, completely subjective. So I think one could make an argument for or against anything that is inherently subjective in the world. However, over time these subjective items gradually become an accepted part of society and the social norm, thereby stripping them of their subjectiveness. The whole idea that "this space is mine," and "that space is yours," is something that has developed more and more in our culture throughout thousands of years. It was bound to happen. As population increased, the Earth became relatively smaller. As people's livelihoods and ability to survive (or make profit) became tied up in geographical space, the ownership lines began to take shape. In a perfect world there would be no borders and people could come and go as they please, but it's become ingrained in our culture to have personal spaces that we control and decide what happens within them. In regard to your second set of thoughts, I would still argue that our minds and headspace are ours, and yet, not ours. Everyone has the potential to own their own piece of mind, but there are some who are mentally weak, or have their mind attacked from a very young age (brain washing, torture, abuse, etc) and no longer have control of their own thinking and thoughts. Furthermore, none of us ever have a completely free mind. From the time of birth, our mind is built, molded, and constructed by those around us. Just look at the religion thing. So many people are Christians, Catholics, Muslims, etc. because they were born into that family and lifestyle. The whole idea of truly "freeing your mind" is an interesting concept. I think our minds are more connected than people think. We've all had those moments where we know exactly what another person is thinking, but this might also be more likely if we've spent significant time with that person (i.e. gotten to know how they think). Okay, I need to end this or I will find myself at the point of no return, but I really enjoyed this little thought and I'll sum it up by saying subjectivity is frequently eliminated by cultural norms that develop, and are somewhat imposed on us from birth.
