Topic: I think, therefore I am
no photo
Wed 02/11/09 08:19 AM
The philosopher Descarted believed that he had found the most fundamental truth when he made his famous statement: "I think, therefore I am."

What are your thoughts on this quote?

franshade's photo
Wed 02/11/09 08:19 AM
I'm still thinking flowerforyou

no photo
Wed 02/11/09 08:31 AM

I'm still thinking flowerforyou


laugh laugh I am trying not to think for one day. Just enjoy without thinking for one whole day would be greatflowerforyou

no photo
Wed 02/11/09 08:33 AM
Here is one view:

Descartes had given expression to the most basic error: to equate thinking with Being and identity with thinking.

The compulsive thinker, which means almost everyone, lives in a state of apparent separateness, in an insanely complex world of continuous problems and conflict, a world that reflects the ever-increasing fragmentation of the mind.

Enlightenment is a state of wholeness, of being "at one" and therefore at peace.

At one with life in its manifested aspect, the world, as well as with your deepest self and life unmanifested - at one with Being.

Enlightenment is not only the end of suffering and of continous conflict within and without, but also the end of the dreadful enslavement to incessant thinking.

What an incredible liberation this is!

Typed from "The Power of Now" by Eckart Tolle

aLittleBird's photo
Wed 02/11/09 08:45 AM

The philosopher Descarted believed that he had found the most fundamental truth when he made his famous statement: "I think, therefore I am."

What are your thoughts on this quote?


I know it's true. Look around at people, see their attitude and see where they are in life.

Watch your thoughts they become words. Watch your words they become actions. Watch your actions they become habits. Watch your habits they become character. Watch your character it becomes your destiny. -Patrick Overton

PATSFAN's photo
Wed 02/11/09 08:46 AM

skelley07's photo
Wed 02/11/09 08:01 PM
It is the one thing that can be proven without any sort of outside proof. By the simple act of thinking, you can undeniably prove to yourself that 'you' exist in some form. 'I think, therefore I am'.

Descartes had chosen to take nothing in life for granted, without some sort of proof that it truly was as it seemed. As such he needed to have some starting point, a single peice of undeniable solidity from which he could begin to prove the rest of reality.

Winx's photo
Wed 02/11/09 08:09 PM

The philosopher Descarted believed that he had found the most fundamental truth when he made his famous statement: "I think, therefore I am."

What are your thoughts on this quote?


He proved to himself that he existed. He was a thing that thinks therefore he existed.

no photo
Wed 02/11/09 08:47 PM
Edited by voileazur on Wed 02/11/09 08:56 PM

The philosopher Descarted believed that he had found the most fundamental truth when he made his famous statement: "I think, therefore I am."

What are your thoughts on this quote?



It is in essence and in a most fundamental manner, what distinguish human beings as human beings.

The neocortex we share with all other primates accidentally distinguishes itself with a substantially higher number of 'mimmicking neurons', or mirror cells. Our 'awareness', or what we think of as 'awareness', comes from those mirroring cells. They constitute the essential neurological construct of the self-awareness wiring of human beings. Other prinmates have mimmicking cells too, but in fer lower numbers.

This gives human being the distinct burden of being nothing other than 'self aware', ... when he is aware at all.

That is the only thing we truly ontologically know, ... that we know, we know.

We know that we know self out of being self aware, ontologically stated.

Inside that labyrinth of mirrors, that is our imperfect neocortex self-awareness machine, we inherit a construct of this distinct illusion of what we relate to as reality: 'reality is perception' at the centre of which we MUST always be!!!

Awareness stops altogether, when self-awareness stops, whether dead or still alive.

What is striking about Descartes' seemingly simple find, is its debilitating truth.

However advanced, precious, intelligent, connected to a divine plan, etc., whatever the convictions we might hold for ourselves, it is nothing other than self-aware centric SELF-IMPORTANCE.

The huge question raised by Descartes is, '... can human beings be aware beyond SELF-awareness, or without being ATTACHED TO, OR CONSCIOUS of their own self-awareness?!?!?

Kind of a Catch-22 existential vicious circle inside which we very much all find 'ourselves', and only 'ourselves' thus far!!!




davidben1's photo
Thu 02/12/09 08:48 AM
all things with breath think, as even an ant think, or it could not "deduct" to run away from a "foot" that approach, or communicate with OTHERS within it's own spieces???

no animal could LEARN from environment, less it has some manner of thinking, so it seems in more current days, being AWARENESS OF MORE WISDOM has progressed with EACH AGE, that to know ONE CANNOT THINK LESS IT FIRST FEEL, lead more to freedom of "spirit of being"???

to "think" of "thinking" as the guide, make the "mind lead self", and being that the MIND CAN PROVE WHAT IT WISH TO BELIEVE, to follow the BODY, and how it "feels", without "defining it" unto infinity as later becomes possible, lead to the true SYNCING OF THE MIND AND BODY???

all things are alive to self, IF IT FEEL, as ONE MUST "FEEL", THEN THINK???

if one think "THINKING" BE ALIVE, then it is easily for many things to come to delusion???

it can be debated unto infinity what be "first in theory", and one will believe what it wish, BUT WHAT ALLOW SELF TO WALK MOST WITHOUT "SURMIZED THOUGHT", ALLOW SELF TO BECOME AS A "FASTER COMPUTING MACHINE" OF WHAT ALL THINGS MEAN???

what one exell most in ANY VENTURE???

relaxed???

thinking STOP THE SELF FROM BEING IN A "RELAXED READY PLACE"???

to think of the body as "seperate from the brain, truly release self to find more useful data about self???

the FEELING of self THEN IS FREE TO INSTRUCT SELF MORE ACCURATLEY WHICH IS MORE NATURAL, SO THEN MORE RELAXED, SO THEN LESS OF ALL THINGS AS STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND ALL THINGS OF THIS SORT???

when one "think" thinking is reality or alive, THEN IT EASILY DENY OTHER'S REALITY, AS LESS VALUABLE THAN ITSELF???

if one see the "body" feel what it feel, FOR A GOOD REASON IN ALL CASES, then it see OTHER'S FEEL ALL THINGS FOR GOOD REASON, and then solution of any "issue" between two is MUCH EASIER TO SOLVE???

the same as in essence, IF ONE USE "THINKING" AS IT'S GUIDE, THEN THE BRAIN WILL "PROJECT ITSELF" into many possible NEGAITVE'S, WHEN THEY DO NOT EXIST "YET", but self EASIER COME TO BELIEVE AND SURMIZE BY "THINKING" THEY WILL, SO ACTUALLY CREATE THEM???

if one allow the BODY to guide itself, then it will lead away from the devasting place of the MIND TRAVELING OUT IN FRONT OF SELF, CREATING MANY THINGS THAT SELF DOES NOT WISH, and not SEE HOW IT IS CREATING THEM???

when the FEELING IS DEEMED AS REAL, reality is more easily accessed as EQUAL IN ALL CASES, with self not deeming "itself" as always MORE IN OTUCH WITH REALITY???












no photo
Thu 02/12/09 09:59 AM
I thought I flip Descartes quote over and see what happens.

I am, therefore I think

no photo
Thu 02/12/09 10:25 AM
I think he was right, however the converse is not untrue.

That thing there does not think, however it still is extant.

Atlantis75's photo
Fri 02/13/09 08:49 AM

I thought I flip Descartes quote over and see what happens.

I am, therefore I think


I am therefore......I think. :smile:

davidben1's photo
Fri 02/13/09 11:25 AM
no human thing know the total sum of itself unitl it think not???

to think is to guess what self is???

to think of what self should be or is be only to project self into a empty hollogram of itself???

the greatest sight of the MAGNITUDE of the present reality is to but remove self from the equasion???

the sight of self keep SELF TRAPPED IN A LESS SPIRIT AND ENERGY AND BODY???

self only achieve it's mission when self is no longer the mission???

to fly free from the constraints of the present reality is nothing more than causing self to as not exist???








Jess642's photo
Fri 02/13/09 01:00 PM
I breathe... and observe myself breathing... that is the I am... of me... the observor... NOT the mindless dribble, the repeating monologue loop most call thinking..

I am the essential aliveness that observes the human...


davidben1's photo
Fri 02/13/09 01:32 PM
if a human breath it's own breath, it is of one, if it breath the breath of all, it is of all???

any I feel itself as 1 thing, but anything that feel all other things, feels the feelings of the entire cosmos, and I and 1 no longer exist???

if I and 1 no longer exist, it is now only as spirit that be came as nothing, so now can be anything???

eternal spirit need nor cling to human breath or it is not eternal spirit???






Strange's photo
Wed 02/18/09 10:40 AM
Descarte was famous for another thought experiment, called descarte's demon, with this being unprovable you may not exist. So I think the definition is a little simplistic.