On Dec 18, 2010, at 1:51 PM, [email protected] wrote: > In sum, is there any validity to my claim that all notion is transitory?
I know this one! You can never step into the same notion twice, right? And in fact, when you wade into one notion, by the time you reach the other side, the notion and the bank you're stepping out on has changed in that moment. It seems that all sensory experiences are fleeting, transitory. Why does satisfaction not last? Why do we want to repeat experiences of great satisfaction? Why didn't the first or greatest occurrence do it once and for all? What I am thinking of is mainly related to the appetites, but can be extended to other things. Why is it, for example, that although our need for nourishment must constantly be fed, it's often the case that we still want another truffle a few minutes after finishing the first one. The delicious taste has faded and gone away and all we have left is the memory of how good it was and the desire for another episode. Sexual satisfaction is perhaps the ultimate example of a fleeting experience, and one many people want to repeat, no matter how superlative the previous experience was. Why doesn't the effect of an experience persist? When light falls on the retina, we perceive various shapes and colors because the retinal images constantly change (by the movement of us and the scene in front of us), and the continuous change of light falling on the retina keeps the optic apparatus active and sending signals to the brain. If we hold our gaze steady, nothing stimulates the retina and retinal fatigue sets in. When we shift our gaze, we will see afterimages produced by the reaction to the new stimuli and the results of the previous retinal fatigue. You say "transitory." Perhaps the more accurate word is "impermanent." | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Michael Brady
