From: Geoff <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Malcolm Gladwell and beliefs)
To: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, January 1, 2009, 2:57 PM
Michael: I agree that our perceptions are constructed. I
don't agree that
fictitious is understood by most persons to equate to
truthful.
We may equally construe fictional/imagined persons or
verifiably existent
persons. Let us not confuse the process
(construction/construal) with the
object (fictional/made-believed) with the valid.
Geoff C
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Brady"
<[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2008 12:56 PM
Subject: Re: Malcolm Gladwell and beliefs)
> On Jan 1, 2009, at 12:21 PM, Geoff wrote:
>
>> I assume we all accept that her existence is of
another order than Paul
>> Newman's (former) existence. As that different
order is recognized,
>> discord/misunderstanding is reduced. Yes, our
perceptions are
>> constructions - but the construction Snow White is
of a different order
>> than the construction Paul Newman.
>
> The existence of both might be of different orders,
but your perceptions
> or constructions are of the same order. That's the
point William
> makes--and is a corollary of Cheerskep's constant
reminders that meaning
> resides in the mind, not the word -- namely, your
thoughts and ideas
> about a thing or topic are not the thing or topic
itself, they are
> proxies, substitutes, representations, or as William
puts it, "as-if
> stand-ins," in other words, fictions. [Fiction is
derived etymologically
> from Latin, fingere, to form or contrive; related
words are feign and
> figment.] So the notion of Snow White is a figment of
the imagination;
> the notion of Paul Newman is equally a figment, but
of memories of
> previous reports of a supposed actual person. Note
that for most people
> who have never met Paul Newman, his existence is of
the same order as
> Snow White's, i.e., known to us through reports
and stories.
>
>
>
>
> | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
> Michael Brady
> [email protected]
