How to cope with the belief that everything is a lie ?
Simple answer is you can't. If everything is a lie how could one even hope to explain the origin of, say, amoebas ? And if nothing exists what stops him/her from jumping out of a building ? Even the falling, crashing, pain and death don't exist. If none of these exist, it shouldn't matter.
Therefore the most common and simplest way is to reject the belief and say at least somethings exist. Another common response is saying nothing exists is an extreme that should be avoided. But it's not clear how extremes are defined. How is that saying somethings exist isn't an extreme ? Does extremes are defined simply by all and none ? That is if one says all has the property p or none has the property p they are extremes and non extremist way is to say only a some has property p ? This seems to be the stand many hold. According to this kind of reasoning, even the statement every crow reincarnates must be an extreme too. Generally any general statement must be an extreme. This does anything but solves the matter. It's just a wordplay. But there's a way around.
So how could one avoid running into problems with the belief everything is lie or nothing exists ? To understand this, here's a precept from a book which is said to have said by Niels Bohr.
This is the problem. Some things are complementary. Truth and clarity are a pair of them. That's why it's nonsensical to ask how amoebas are formed if nothing exists or nothing is true. In order to explain the formation of amoebas some degree of clarity is necessary. But if it's the nature of truth we are seeking to explain, it's inevitable the degree of clarity decreases. It's as nonsensical as asking the position of an electron of which we have measured the momentum to a higher degree of accuracy.
So how did amoebas formed ? One answer is they don't exist. And the other answer is through evolution.
Simple answer is you can't. If everything is a lie how could one even hope to explain the origin of, say, amoebas ? And if nothing exists what stops him/her from jumping out of a building ? Even the falling, crashing, pain and death don't exist. If none of these exist, it shouldn't matter.
Therefore the most common and simplest way is to reject the belief and say at least somethings exist. Another common response is saying nothing exists is an extreme that should be avoided. But it's not clear how extremes are defined. How is that saying somethings exist isn't an extreme ? Does extremes are defined simply by all and none ? That is if one says all has the property p or none has the property p they are extremes and non extremist way is to say only a some has property p ? This seems to be the stand many hold. According to this kind of reasoning, even the statement every crow reincarnates must be an extreme too. Generally any general statement must be an extreme. This does anything but solves the matter. It's just a wordplay. But there's a way around.
So how could one avoid running into problems with the belief everything is lie or nothing exists ? To understand this, here's a precept from a book which is said to have said by Niels Bohr.
In 1949, Bohr, who was by then recognized as one of the great minds of the century, was asked: "What is complementary to truth ?" Bohr's answer, after some reflection, was: "Clarity."
This is the problem. Some things are complementary. Truth and clarity are a pair of them. That's why it's nonsensical to ask how amoebas are formed if nothing exists or nothing is true. In order to explain the formation of amoebas some degree of clarity is necessary. But if it's the nature of truth we are seeking to explain, it's inevitable the degree of clarity decreases. It's as nonsensical as asking the position of an electron of which we have measured the momentum to a higher degree of accuracy.
So how did amoebas formed ? One answer is they don't exist. And the other answer is through evolution.
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