How do you know you’re real?

You don’t see yourself the way others see you, you can’t hear anyone else’s thoughts beside your own. How do you know all of this is real and not a simulation. Why do you feel things differently compared to someone else and why can we only see ourselves in mirrors and photos but we see everyone else?

Reply 1

DrawTheLine

22

Original post by Anonymous

You don’t see yourself the way others see you, you can’t hear anyone else’s thoughts beside your own. How do you know all of this is real and not a simulation. Why do you feel things differently compared to someone else and why can we only see ourselves in mirrors and photos but we see everyone else?

Why are you thinking these things on a Monday morning? Chill a bit.

Reply 2

TommyDH

15

Well we already know free will is a myth as our subconscious has already made the decision for us seconds before we "think" we've decided for ourselves. We also know that the perfect conditions for the big bang, then the perfect conditions for our solar system, then the perfect conditions for our planet, with the perfect conditions of the moon controlling our tides, then the perfect conditions of our atmosphere, then the 'fluke' genetic mutation leading to life etc... all of this is an extreme mathematical improbability. Unless you factor in there being an infinite other universes playing out an infinite number of scenarios, every decision, every choice, every action playing out.... 'simulating' every possible outcome for every possible scenario.

I believe the latter to be true, but of course we could all just be in some kid's garage a thousand years in the future on The Sims 633 or something.

Original post by Anonymous

You don’t see yourself the way others see you, you can’t hear anyone else’s thoughts beside your own. How do you know all of this is real and not a simulation. Why do you feel things differently compared to someone else and why can we only see ourselves in mirrors and photos but we see everyone else?

When you walk down the street, it's quite likely that if you tell yourself it's just you that's seeing the speeding car and it's not really there - well, you'll get run over.

Reply 5

username2861570

18

This reality is just a simulation. There is no me, there is no you. All there is is consciousness.

Reply 6

gjd800

20

Depends what you mean by 'real'.

Reply 7

username3890778

21

first things first,.im the realest

Reply 8

Picnic1

19

Because if someone was sad enough to make this up, then at least they're real. And if they're real, why shouldn't I be real given that I FEEL real? And if I'm real, they didn't make me up so they're not real. Therefore, I'm real. Reality though, is composed of many perspectives, experiences, outlooks. To say I'm 'real' when I spend a lot of time in a computer world is a different kind of being 'real' than my ancestors would probably have regarded as such who might have said you are what you do.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 9

gjd800

20

Original post by Picnic1

Because if someone was sad enough to make this up, then at least they're real. And if they're real, why shouldn't I be real given that I FEEL real? And if I'm real, they didn't make me up so they're not real. Therefore, I'm real. Reality though, is composed of many perspectives, experiences, outlooks. To say I'm 'real' when I spend a lot of time in a computer world is a different kind of being 'real' than my ancestors would probably have regarded as such who might have said you are what you do.

What does it mean to 'feel real'?

Original post by Rainfall

first things first,.im the realest

Why do all of your posts have full stops in the middle of them? :beard:

Am not criticising am just curious

Reply 11

username3890778

21

Original post by CoolCavy

Why do all of your posts have full stops in the middle of them? :beard:

Am not criticising am just curious

im typing on a phone im not used to still. the spacebar is small.and is close to the full.stop. cant help.it

Original post by Rainfall

im typing on a phone im not used to still. the spacebar is small.and is close to the full.stop. cant help.it

Fair play

Reply 13

Retired_Messiah

21

Are you arguing about the existence of the self or the existence of the external world here?

I am rather confused

Reply 14

Picnicl

15

Original post by gjd800

Depends what you mean by 'real'.

To sense in 1 or more ways, to consistently be sensed.

Reply 15

gjd800

20

Original post by Picnicl

To sense in 1 or more ways, to consistently be sensed.

I don't think that is what is being asked when philosophers ask what if x is real, but in any case that leaves open some interesting doors. What is it to 'sense'? My alarm system 'senses', so is it 'real' in the same way as my dog?

Reply 16

the bear

20

i troll therefore i am

Reply 17

MongoDB

18

I also saw The Matrix once

Reply 18

Picnic1

19

Original post by gjd800

I don't think that is what is being asked when philosophers ask what if x is real, but in any case that leaves open some interesting doors. What is it to 'sense'? My alarm system 'senses', so is it 'real' in the same way as my dog?

I'll change my definition - to take up space.

Things that aren't real take up no space.

An idea is made real if it occupies space in people's brains. But once there is no-one still thinking the same idea, that idea is no longer real- unless someone makes it so. And even if there are people still thinking the same idea, if they're not in culturally influential positions / occupations, their idea is eventually rendered unreal, usually first by the rest of society and, finally, by themselves.

However - just because something takes up more space doesn't make it more real than something that takes up less space. The physical world is full of things that exist for selfish, lazy, egotistical reasons: objects, ideas, speech, ways of life. The fact that they are real is not necessarily a good. What is real is not necessarily better than what is not- after all, murder is real.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 19

ai 2001

8

maybe elon musk coulb be right when he said we live in simulation

How do you know you’re real?

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