Do You Believe In Solipsism? What If Everything Is Just An Illusion?

[LockardTheGOAT]

What if the world is one large illusion created for your own sake? What if no one else, not even your family and friends, is real?

I don't know what the purpose on the part of the creator/programmer would be, but has anyone ever pondered the chance of this being reality? (And I know how awkward it must be to ask this, because if it WERE true, that means none of you would actually be sentiment beings that were even able to ponder this to begin with, but still.)

 

[ObsoleteSoul]

I once pondered whether solipsism was true or not, and then dismissed it due to not being as arrogant and narcissistic enough for it to take root in my brain.

I was 14.

 

[Watcha gunna doo]

I'm real you asshole

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

It has definitely seemed at certain times and everything happens to either annoy or humiliate me, but that might be the narcissistic/borderline/schizoid/antisocial personality disorders talking.

 

[Madmick]

What if the world is one large illusion created for your own sake? What if no one else, not even your family and friends, is real?

I don't know what the purpose on the part of the creator/programmer would be, but has anyone ever pondered the chance of this being reality? (And I know how awkward it must be to ask this, because if it WERE true, that means none of you would actually be sentiment beings that were even able to ponder this to begin with, but still.)

Solipsism isn't the belief that this illusion is true. It's the premise (as used by Descartes) that one can only be sure of the existence of one's own consciousness, and that for a philosophy to be constructed inalienable to correction by future discovery, it must first be built upon this unshakeable philosophical foundation. Summarized as succinctly as possible solipsism is famously distilled:

"I think, therefore I am".

 

[EyeOfNewt]

What if the world is one large illusion created for your own sake? What if no one else, n9ot even your family and friends, is real?

I don't know what the purpose on the part of the creator/programmer would be, but has anyone ever pondered the chance of this being reality? (And I know how awkward it must be to ask this, because if it WERE true, that means none of you would actually be sentiment beings that were even able to ponder this to begin with, but still.)

It's a good idea to define the terms composing the question otherwise you will get ambiguous answers which might not be worth keeping.

 

[LockardTheGOAT]

It has definitely seemed at certain times and everything happens to either annoy or humiliate me, but that might be the narcissistic/borderline/schizoid/antisocial personality disorders talking.

Yeah, those moments happen to me a lot.

Solipsism isn't the belief that this illusion is true. It's the premise (as used by Descartes) that one can only be sure of the existence of one's own consciousness, and that for a philosophy to be constructed inalienable to correction by future discovery, it must first be built upon this unshakeable philosophical foundation. Summarized as succinctly as possible solipsism is distilled with the following:

"I think, therefore I am".

True, but the assumption that everything around you is an illusion is one of the first conclusions that one could arrive to once you realize that your existence is the only one you can be sure of. Here's the official definition of Solipsism in philosophy:

"Solipsism is the philosophical idea that only one's own mind is sure to exist. As an epistemological position, solipsism holds that knowledge of anything outside one's own mind is unsure; the external world and other minds cannot be known and might not exist outside the mind."

 

[Thunderchild]

Was fun to ponder when I was younger and listened to Nine Inch Nails. "Right Where It Belongs," "Only," and "The Idea of You" deal with Solipsism for example. Now, my take on it is that it doesn't matter whether its true because I still have to exist and carry on my life whether illusory or not.

 

[Losfer Words]

We are talking about the D&D spell right?

 

[shunyata]

What if the world is one large illusion created for your own sake? What if no one else, not even your family and friends, is real?

I don't know what the purpose on the part of the creator/programmer would be, but has anyone ever pondered the chance of this being reality? (And I know how awkward it must be to ask this, because if it WERE true, that means none of you would actually be sentiment beings that were even able to ponder this to begin with, but still.)

No.

Because I understand Trust.

Solipsism as a focal point of anxiety is essentially a mental illness where one has no trust in sensory data or the existence of anything.

Solipsism as a thought experiment has it's usefulness, but if one falls into going through life believing it and worrying about it I think that gets pathological fast.

 

[The Witcher]

Solipsism isn't the belief that this illusion is true. It's the premise (as used by Descartes) that one can only be sure of the existence of one's own consciousness, and that for a philosophy to be constructed inalienable to correction by future discovery, it must first be built upon this unshakeable philosophical foundation. Summarized as succinctly as possible solipsism is distilled with the following:

"I think, therefore I am".

Im literally too dumb to understand this.

 

[Aegon Spengler]

Bitches be Solipsistic all the time yo, ain’t loyal

 

[JSnake]

 

[DiegoLunes]

No one intelligent actually believes life is an illusion. If you think that's true, just in front of a moving train.

 

[DiegoLunes]

Was fun to ponder when I was younger and listened to Nine Inch Nails. "Right Where It Belongs," "Only," and "The Idea of You" deal with Solipsism for example. Now, my take on it is that it doesn't matter whether its true because I still have to exist and carry on my life whether illusory or not.

I used to listen to Nine Inch Nails too. Then I grew up and realized they suck. They are all image over substance. It's just marketing.

 

[Fedorgasm]

My life's an illusion.


I shouldn't have married a magician.

 

[DiegoLunes]

If life is an illusion, we shouldn't be mad when people murder other people because it is just a simulation like a video game.

 

[LockardTheGOAT]

If life is an illusion, we shouldn't be mad when people murder other people because it is just a simulation like a video game.

Well, no one can actually be sure it's an illusion, so it would still make sense to get upset over things like that (especially if you or your loved ones were the ones being attacked; The idea behind the theory is that you're the only one who is real, so any damage you suffer would still cause you great pain and discomfort.)

 

[Madmick]

Im literally too dumb to understand this.

To paraphrase, Descartes open his Meditations with the frustration, 'Every time we humans think we have come up with an idea that is fundamentally true, inevitably, every damn time, we end up learning something years or even centuries later that overturns that belief, and throws into question everything else we believed because of it.' He saw this as the shortcoming of science despite its power. He wanted to figure out a thought so pure and true and unshakeable that no future discovery could possibly threaten its truth. The problem was where to start. He questioned every single thing that he experienced: every sensation and belief. He was consummately cynical.

He realized that every taste, touch, smell, sight, or sound he had ever experienced might itself be an illusion. He couldn't trust even his own senses, experiences, memories. He thought some Great Demon might be the engineer of the entire universe-- that it was all an illusion designed to ensnare his soul. In modern times, due to the rise of computers and string theory, we have begun to wonder if our own universe is nothing more than a simulation being run by some greater Being the way we run experiments or simulations in order to better understand our own universe.

Not sure if you're a Rick and Morty fan, but one of the reasons hardcore fans like myself esteem this show as elevated art derives from how they weave these culturally defining philosophical ideas into episodes so effortlessly and seamlessly. In typical fashion, the show took this idea to its nihilistic, sardonic extreme in the episode where Rick introduces Morty to the arcade game "Roy" where you simulate an entire lifetime just to see what your score is. No, it's not even a Great Demon after your soul. That would have meaning: an epic clash of Good & Evil. No, your entire life could be a consumerist throwaway for (what many consider to be the lowest brow form of) entertainment. That's how meaningless this all might be. Freaking hilarious. Brilliant.

Back to Descartes, in doubting the very existence of his loved ones, and himself, he realized the one and only truth that he could not unravel was the fact that he was thinking in the first place. The very act of thinking confirmed his existence. "I am a thinking thing", IIRC, was his mantra.

That became his first step. That is solipsism; not the consideration that life is an illusion, but the belief that you can't be certain of anything beyond yourself by virtue of your own self-consciousness.

 

[IIIIIIII]

What if the world is one large illusion created for your own sake? What if no one else, not even your family and friends, is real?

I don't know what the purpose on the part of the creator/programmer would be, but has anyone ever pondered the chance of this being reality? (And I know how awkward it must be to ask this, because if it WERE true, that means none of you would actually be sentiment beings that were even able to ponder this to begin with, but still.)

it could all be an illusion, but you shouldn't live your life as if it is. to me, this is like pondering if there is a god. we won't ever know, so why spend your time wondering?