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A 5 Part Definition of Reality



I just thought of an interesting way to talk about what reality is. In consists of five parts, which I wanted to jot down before I go to bed, so I don’t forget them:

  1. things that happen to you
  2. things that can happen to you
  3. things that happen to other people
  4. things that can happen to other people
  5. things that can’t happen to anyone

Each of these seems to turn into it’s own interesting question and conversation about what is, and what’s possible. Taken together, they present a very interesting picture of what reality consists of. More on this later…







3 Reader Responses

  1. Nealie Says:
    August 25th, 2005 at 3:46 am

    Just curious about the subjectiveness of reality when using this definition (regardless of whether or not it can happen and to whom it can occur).

    As was mentioned in an earlier posting (I think…I can’t seem to find it now…perhaps it was in a linked article), expectation can influence reality. Someone expecting to trip on mushrooms, experiences some kind of trip. Someone not expecting this, experiences food poisoning.

    I have seen this subjectiveness interfere with communicating about reality. When someone refuses to accept your version of reality, how do you talk about it then? For instance, how does one discuss some of your many intriguing suggestions regarding religion with someone who is not open to the possibility that the bible is not literal truth?

  2. Nathan Says:
    August 25th, 2005 at 11:09 am

    Just one question - I wonder if it changes things when the experience happens to more than one, to a group, to “us” instead of just “you”? Afterwards, when you all sit around and discuss what happened and what it means, does this intersubjective activity alter the perception, maybe even the nature, of the event in some fundamental way? Are things that can happen to us actually a different category than things that can happen to you?

  3. Tim Boucher Says:
    August 25th, 2005 at 11:11 am

    Well, those are questions I’m interested in too. I don’t have the answers, really.



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