To what extent do inter-human relations define our reality?: Philosophy Forums

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To what extent do inter-human relations define our reality?

To what extent do inter-human relations define our reality?

FloydMcHenry
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Posted 10/29/09 - 05:59 PM: Subject: My Second Question	#1
To what extent do inter-human relations define our reality? -Inter-human communication defines one’s view of reality. -Only in comparing and relating experiences to other intelligent beings do we understand their truths. -If this ability is uniquely human, then so to are the experiences they describe.
"All you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be."

MrDobin
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Posted 10/29/09 - 09:59 PM:	#2
I am not sure we can tackle this concept to its fullness unless we define reality in itself. Not with complete conclusiveness, but enough for universal understanding. Since it is impossible to interpret and explain one's perception of "reality" we are at a loss. Psychology helps lead us towards some agreeable "norms" in the mental world. This still doesn't help give insight as to what human beings feel is reality. Yes, as a human being we need one another to understand and compare our interpretations of things. Though this too I think could arguably alter our perceptions and thus leads us to the "no one has free will" concept, but lets not go there yet. If the natural state of a human being was like that of a cocaine addict, and the minority was then what we now call "normal". Who would be more correct?. Surely the majority of the people in that situation would describe a "normal reality" as what we (in this reality) consider a description given by an addict, but they would not feel so. The addict minds in such case would prevail, define life and all things in it, as they saw fit. Thus, redefining reality. We could argue that "reality" like much of human behavior and emotion, and the choices behind them, is taught no?. " Is that air you're breathing?" - Morpheous
We must find the courage to move forward without hesitation and fear. Avoiding the option of hiding within the comforts of our past.

Escape
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Posted 11/02/09 - 12:21 PM:	#3
Not only inter-human relations, but any form of relations, define our reality. Reality is only given through relationships between beings. To this I add the following saying: that each man is to his neighbor like a spoon, do we not ingest our soup using a spoon? In a similar fashion, we 'ingest' things using our fellows.

wuliheron
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Posted 11/02/09 - 09:17 PM:	#4
Babies that are never held and loved tend to die within the first year from what is called "failure to thrive." The few people who have been documented to have never had any substantial relationship with others and survived beyond the first few years never learned to speak and died around the onset of puberty. Such children are severely withdrawn, anxious, and incapable of intimacy to any degree. In other words, their worldview is shaped by their physiology as well as their relationships or lack thereof. We are social animals not merely because we socialize, but because we physically need to socialize. Reptiles may lay their eggs and walk away, but our bodies demand a minimum amount of nurturing if we are to have any chance of surviving beyond puberty, much less reproducing. Although the science is still somewhat young, there are some generalities and parallels that can be drawn. In particular starvation provides a useful parallel. When deprived of food our organs fall apart in a specific order designed to preserve life as long as possible. After that, they fall apart in such a way as to preserve our ability to reproduce. Thus children who suffer from episodic starvation will often die from complications sometime in their early twenties. This is just enough time for them to reproduce and raise their young to a minimum level of self-sufficiency. This can also be seen in cases of AIDs where the parent does not die from the disease until ten years or so after they become sexually active. Anyway, at any given time at least one place on the planet is suffering from a thirty year drought and this ability to keep reproducing while starving allows the species to continue. Likewise our emotional makeup and lifespans can be severely distorted by a lack of nurturing and/or abuse, but nature has evidently provided us with the ability to survive as a species under all but the worst possible scenarios. In cases where abuse and neglect are common a common physiological response is chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The hypothalmus shrinks causing the individual to be on their guard more, easy to anger, and with poor impulse control. These are thought to be nature's way of promoting the survival of the species, again, under all but the worst possible scenarios. If the environment is not hospitable, then your natural reaction is to become inhospitable as a means of self-defense. Beyond that, exactly how much of our worldviews are shaped by our interactions is debatable, but clearly our interactions have an enormous impact.

samantabhadra
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Posted 11/03/09 - 01:40 PM:	#5
It is obvious that human interaction is a large part of our perception of reality. The human being as a social creature depends largely upon society for the purposes of learning. Our intelegence being the primary cause of our survival as a species is cultivated through interaction with reality and what is in it. And what we learn is the cause of how we interact and what we interact with in the world in itself. Language is amongst the first things that we remember as children. From the development of language we begin to learn what from what in the social sense as well as the individual sense. Our views of reality are largely associated with language from the very start. Because of this our perception of reality is interconneted with the nature of the manner of language that we learn. However the lingusitic association in the mind of one human often drasticalty differs from that of another. So when we speak to each other what we say and what is being heard is often quite differient from person to person. I feel that if any proper perception of reality is to be taught through language then the one teaching it must frist understand reality apart from language, and then truely understand language, before a view on reality can be accurately expressed. I do feel that the human view of reality is very itntertwined with human interaction. However realtiy itself tends to be very different from the language use to describe it. So for a true view of reality to be taught one must experience reality for oneself appart from the verbal faculty and then redescover the language used to teach it.

MrDobin
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Posted 11/03/09 - 03:54 PM:	#6
Language provided the human species with the ability to have unlimited growth.
We must find the courage to move forward without hesitation and fear. Avoiding the option of hiding within the comforts of our past.

samantabhadra
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Posted 11/03/09 - 08:19 PM:	#7
I agree. But often times the true meaning of what is said from person to person is lost in the individual translation of the terms. Like when I say water you may think of a glass another may think of an ocean. When we say somthing like "trancendental" or "knowledge" the term it self may create an entirely different set of associations between me and you. So the end result is a disconnect from person to person and as a whole the actual truth and behind the terms can be lost to semantics and confusion. I feel that in order to remedy the situation here one must speak from direct experience of reality. If we do this then the terms we use will be more accurately chosen to teach the subject. As opposed to a semantic interpretation of reality that often happens. For example I know that when I speak about music to someone who has the same taste and training that I do the conversation that we have is much more educational and valuable than when I speak to someone who doesn't share my preferences. And I know that when I try to describe music to someone who hasn't heard it, regardless of training of similarity in taste, the person I talk to has little or no idea of what I am talking about and may leave the conversation with a skewed view of the music it self. So in order to see reality as it is we need to trancend the past associations made of it. From there we are more apt to influence the reality of others more wisely and guide them to an individualistic and beneficial view of reality as a whole. I do feel that ones view of reality is very heavily influenced by human interaction. But I do not hold that the human view of reality is always actual reality. And because of this the human perspective of reality becomes skewed from true reality. Because of this our definitions of reality are incorrect as are our views

Laic
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Posted 11/07/09 - 11:04 PM:	#8
I have a few questions of my own on topic. There were a few mentions that caused me to question my own reality and popular opinion. I'm a headstrong person and I don't listen to Anyone. Sometimes I've wondered if I look like a space alien to the rest of the people where I live now because they all stare at me to a point where I asked a trusted friend if there's anything visibly wrong with me. Am I mentally retarded or do I just not understand society? For the record I am post symptomatic Aspergers syndrome and have been quite isolated in my mind although exposed to most of society. However I'm very different from the norm here. Most people my age that I know of drink or do drugs and enjoy things that I see no point in doing like going to the movies or watching a football game. I sit at home and read, and I interact with people that I don't mind being around. Most people I mind. I find everyone in society to be very rude, deceptive and manipulative towards their own aims. This seems to be normal, as I have observed. I have confirmed this through research and I totally feel like a space alien now. No one gets it, everyone finds importance in things that are of minor to no consequence to actual reality as I see it and they involve themselves in something I have come to know as "drama". Something I've not experienced. So I've written theories on normality and social influence enough to fill a few legal pads and I still don't understand why the perpetuation of destructive behaviors when there are clear cut logical solutions to issues that are readily available. Maybe it is because reality is formed from one's perception influenced by the perceptions of others. Maybe I don't subscribe to it because I've been mentally isolated with a mild form of autism? I know love, and joy. Not fear or fear of loss, or consequence. This ride is enjoyable as long as it continues to present itself and challenge me. Why does no one else work this way whom I know of and is this due to my partial isolating factors combined with the large degree to which the individuals I interact with have met with social ideas? I personally think it's because I just am, I don't put up any walls or barriers and I can accept what happens to me on account of my own existence. My reality is never subjective to the perceptions of others for what I can see. I have contact with them, however they form opinions it does not mean that I am what they say I am. If I was what they say I am then I should have gone to MIT with my IQ and instead I'm raising kids and entertaining myself with my own means of learning. There WERE great expectations for me but hey who cares, I'm doing my thing. Now my secondary comment is one on normality also. As a student of music I can see why certain styles and genres are appreciated and even make hit lists. However after listening to the radio a fair bit for the first time in length this year I got to thinking "who says this is any good and why?" is music simply good because it's on the top charts or does it get on the top charts because it is good? I don't think it's good not at all. Most of the lyrics are basic while the composure itself is thrown together in attempt at what? There are very few artists within the last two decades that have made my playlist. Those which have are either dead or continuing careers from prior decades. None of this modern music is any good anymore. Is that because people just believe it's good because someone says it is? Is reality just the way because of opinion of the majority? The majority needs to do something creative I'll say. Maybe I just don't like it or maybe I've studied classical references and understand constructive productive actions. They're lacking and everyone in society or at least the ones I've been exposed to seems predisposed to misery and self abuse. Especially with their music tastes. I'm going to go attempt to enjoy guitar hero now. I'm trying ever constantly to learn and understand human society but I'm not getting it! I understand a LOT but I just don't get it yet. I'm playing Bass in this game and it's three octaves too high. Why? Oh why... Oh just wanted to add mention: the way I notice things that are out of place or could be improved upon is a constant mental state, always looking to create order and perfection. I have that always. It's gotten me fired from work when I went to the management on my third week with a re-written schedule and work order that would make the whole place run 80% better and their emotional state was offended by the gesture of improvement so far that they gave me the worst shifts and got rid of me before my three months probationary was over. I never worked again since. You can improve the system but not the people in it I swear. So emotional states and the way people maintain them may play a part in creating reality. Where they were offended at me helping them instead of thanking me (maybe it was my presentation?) they continued to perpetuate a non-productive reality and further degrade it by dismissing a hard working employee. Reality? It's what you make it.
If life is like a box of chocolates than Science and Philosophy are the insert card that let's you know what you're going to get. Read it wisely! ~Me

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