Guest guest Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Hi, I was in the process of writing some new content for a project when I starting thinking about an interesting question that I wanted to post for you all to answer. Why are we so obsessed with learning new information? I got to thinking about it and realized that I appreciate new information because it does one of three things: 1) reinforces a belief - which temporarily makes my ego smile 2) offers a new perspective on a belief - which forces me to loosen my attachment to my ego 3) provides a new belief all together - which gives my ego a new opportunity to declare ownership over something. Yet if I think about it this way, it leads me to believe that learning is purely an ego-based act. Is that true? Please share your thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Nisargadatta , " mshattuckm " <mshattuckm wrote: > > Hi, > > I was in the process of writing some new content for a project when I > starting thinking about an interesting question that I wanted to post > for you all to answer. > > Why are we so obsessed with learning new information? > > I got to thinking about it and realized that I appreciate new > information because it does one of three things: > > 1) reinforces a belief - which temporarily makes my ego smile > 2) offers a new perspective on a belief - which forces me to loosen my > attachment to my ego > 3) provides a new belief all together - which gives my ego a new > opportunity to declare ownership over something. > > Yet if I think about it this way, it leads me to believe that learning > is purely an ego-based act. > > Is that true? > > Please share your thoughts. From my perspective, no it is not true. I have a twenty-month-old grandson that is a wide-open Explorer of life. He sucks up information, sensation, experience like a powerful vacum cleaner (am picturing a cartoon vacum cleaner sucking up the rug and all the furniture in a room!). And for myself it is much the same, a constant wonder of newness pouring over me. Very little of that is ever cogitated as a thought, being rather a fundamentally non-verbal wide-open, broad-band absorption of the vitaltiy pouring through me like a vast river. And as for beliefs, I don't even believe in them (irony intended . Perhaps perception can become filtered according to conceptual structures so that whatever is experienced is translated into concepts that either fit or don't fit with the schemas already in place. I am sure that can be the case for some people. That could be called a kind of filtering process with reduction into concepts that can be verbalized being the residual result of " perception " . And perhaps that is descriptive of a great many people. But it certainly is not the case for everyone. It is absolutely not the case for my grandson, nor for me either. So I think you do have an interesting conjecture, and perhaps it does apply to many people, at least in terms of what they consciously experience. But it is not a pattern that applies universally. However I do find it useful, and will keep it in mind. Perhaps it will better help me understand some of the people I know! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 Nisargadatta , " mshattuckm " <mshattuckm wrote: > > Hi, > > I was in the process of writing some new content for a project when I > starting thinking about an interesting question that I wanted to post > for you all to answer. > > Why are we so obsessed with learning new information? > > I got to thinking about it and realized that I appreciate new > information because it does one of three things: > > 1) reinforces a belief - which temporarily makes my ego smile > 2) offers a new perspective on a belief - which forces me to loosen my > attachment to my ego > 3) provides a new belief all together - which gives my ego a new > opportunity to declare ownership over something. > > Yet if I think about it this way, it leads me to believe that learning > is purely an ego-based act. > > Is that true? > > Please share your thoughts. > Why not just relax and enjoy your life--learning, ego and all? It is all just happening anyway. Ego has as much right to happen as anything else has.Seems to me, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 Nisargadatta , " tom " <jeusisbuen wrote: > > Nisargadatta , " mshattuckm " <mshattuckm@> > wrote: > > > > Hi, > > > > I was in the process of writing some new content for a project > when I > > starting thinking about an interesting question that I wanted to > post > > for you all to answer. > > > > Why are we so obsessed with learning new information? > > > > I got to thinking about it and realized that I appreciate new > > information because it does one of three things: > > > > 1) reinforces a belief - which temporarily makes my ego smile > > 2) offers a new perspective on a belief - which forces me to > loosen my > > attachment to my ego > > 3) provides a new belief all together - which gives my ego a new > > opportunity to declare ownership over something. > > > > Yet if I think about it this way, it leads me to believe that > learning > > is purely an ego-based act. > > > > Is that true? > > > > Please share your thoughts. > > > Why not just relax and enjoy your life--learning, ego and all? It is > all just happening anyway. Ego has as much right to happen as > anything else has.Seems to me, anyway. Ego is like cataracts. It's like saying cataracts have just as much right to happen as anything else. Better to have them removed. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 Nisargadatta , " billrishel " <illusyn wrote: > > Nisargadatta , " tom " <jeusisbuen@> wrote: > > > > Nisargadatta , " mshattuckm " <mshattuckm@> > > wrote: > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > I was in the process of writing some new content for a project > > when I > > > starting thinking about an interesting question that I wanted to > > post > > > for you all to answer. > > > > > > Why are we so obsessed with learning new information? > > > > > > I got to thinking about it and realized that I appreciate new > > > information because it does one of three things: > > > > > > 1) reinforces a belief - which temporarily makes my ego smile > > > 2) offers a new perspective on a belief - which forces me to > > loosen my > > > attachment to my ego > > > 3) provides a new belief all together - which gives my ego a new > > > opportunity to declare ownership over something. > > > > > > Yet if I think about it this way, it leads me to believe that > > learning > > > is purely an ego-based act. > > > > > > Is that true? > > > > > > Please share your thoughts. > > > > > Why not just relax and enjoy your life--learning, ego and all? It is > > all just happening anyway. Ego has as much right to happen as > > anything else has.Seems to me, anyway. > > Ego is like cataracts. > It's like saying cataracts have just as much right to happen > as anything else. > Better to have them removed. > > Bill > " Ego " evolved within the mind of man. It has improved the chances of survival of the individual physical organism. There are over six billion of them presently storming the earth. It is a wonderfully developed adaptive mechanism.......but all evolved adaptations have a down side. toombaru Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 17, 2007 Report Share Posted June 17, 2007 Nisargadatta , " toombaru2006 " <lastrain wrote: > > Nisargadatta , " billrishel " <illusyn@> wrote: > > > > Nisargadatta , " tom " <jeusisbuen@> wrote: > > > > > > Nisargadatta , " mshattuckm " <mshattuckm@> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > > I was in the process of writing some new content for a project > > > when I > > > > starting thinking about an interesting question that I wanted to > > > post > > > > for you all to answer. > > > > > > > > Why are we so obsessed with learning new information? > > > > > > > > I got to thinking about it and realized that I appreciate new > > > > information because it does one of three things: > > > > > > > > 1) reinforces a belief - which temporarily makes my ego smile > > > > 2) offers a new perspective on a belief - which forces me to > > > loosen my > > > > attachment to my ego > > > > 3) provides a new belief all together - which gives my ego a new > > > > opportunity to declare ownership over something. > > > > > > > > Yet if I think about it this way, it leads me to believe that > > > learning > > > > is purely an ego-based act. > > > > > > > > Is that true? > > > > > > > > Please share your thoughts. > > > > > > > Why not just relax and enjoy your life--learning, ego and all? It is > > > all just happening anyway. Ego has as much right to happen as > > > anything else has.Seems to me, anyway. > > > > Ego is like cataracts. > > It's like saying cataracts have just as much right to happen > > as anything else. > > Better to have them removed. > > > > Bill > > > > > > " Ego " evolved within the mind of man. > > It has improved the chances of survival of the individual physical > organism. > > There are over six billion of them presently storming the earth. > > It is a wonderfully developed adaptive mechanism.......but all evolved > adaptations have a down side. > > > > > toombaru > Nobody knows what the ego is. I do: It's the thing everyone pretends To know without knowing. It's the indistinct thing (Scapegoat) Everyone pretends Not to like in themselves, And others, And to be struggling to overcome. That's all. The ego is, Precisely, Any talk about " ego. " That includes this. So what? It's ALL Absolutely Exquisite Harmony. Ultimately. From a God's Eye View (peek a boo) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 17, 2007 Report Share Posted June 17, 2007 Nisargadatta , " skywhilds " <skywords wrote: > > Nisargadatta , " toombaru2006 " <lastrain@> wrote: > > > > Nisargadatta , " billrishel " <illusyn@> wrote: > > > > > > Nisargadatta , " tom " <jeusisbuen@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Nisargadatta , " mshattuckm " <mshattuckm@> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > > > > I was in the process of writing some new content for a project > > > > when I > > > > > starting thinking about an interesting question that I wanted to > > > > post > > > > > for you all to answer. > > > > > > > > > > Why are we so obsessed with learning new information? > > > > > > > > > > I got to thinking about it and realized that I appreciate new > > > > > information because it does one of three things: > > > > > > > > > > 1) reinforces a belief - which temporarily makes my ego smile > > > > > 2) offers a new perspective on a belief - which forces me to > > > > loosen my > > > > > attachment to my ego > > > > > 3) provides a new belief all together - which gives my ego a new > > > > > opportunity to declare ownership over something. > > > > > > > > > > Yet if I think about it this way, it leads me to believe that > > > > learning > > > > > is purely an ego-based act. > > > > > > > > > > Is that true? > > > > > > > > > > Please share your thoughts. > > > > > > > > > Why not just relax and enjoy your life--learning, ego and all? > It is > > > > all just happening anyway. Ego has as much right to happen as > > > > anything else has.Seems to me, anyway. > > > > > > Ego is like cataracts. > > > It's like saying cataracts have just as much right to happen > > > as anything else. > > > Better to have them removed. > > > > > > Bill > > > > > > > > > > > " Ego " evolved within the mind of man. > > > > It has improved the chances of survival of the individual physical > > organism. > > > > There are over six billion of them presently storming the earth. > > > > It is a wonderfully developed adaptive mechanism.......but all evolved > > adaptations have a down side. > > > > > > > > > > toombaru > > > > > > Nobody knows what the ego is. > > > I do: > > > > It's the thing everyone pretends > > To know without knowing. > > > It's the indistinct thing > > (Scapegoat) > > Everyone pretends > > Not to like in themselves, > > And others, > > And to be struggling to overcome. > > > That's all. > > > The ego is, > > Precisely, > > Any talk about " ego. " > > > That includes this. > > > So what? > > > It's ALL > > Absolutely > > > Exquisite Harmony. > > > Ultimately. > > > From a God's Eye View > > > > > > > (peek a boo) > ego is the imagination that there is one. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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