Birdwatching From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 3573 posts, RR: 52 Posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 2834 times:
No, I don't mean the "how would the world be different" part. Probably it would be pretty much the same. Or do you seriously believe that we'd be walking from New York to Los Angeles (through Atlanta) if there hadn't been two Wright Brothers.
Actually, I'm referring to the feeling YOU would feel, or not feel, if you were never born. I mean, would you just feel nothing? Would all time, all eternity, zoom by, without you never noticing? How would you feel the "nothing"? It can't just be nothing. There'd have to be something. Damn it is so hard to think about this. I've been wondering about this since I was a kid.
Soren
All the things you probably hate about travelling are warm reminders that I'm home
CastleIsland From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 2820 times:
Quoting Birdwatching (Thread starter): I'm referring to the feeling YOU would feel, or not feel, if you were never born.
Well, I suspect my mother would be feeling a bit of discomfort by now, as I weigh about 185 lbs.
You've stirred up an argument regarding reincarnation. As I've seen here, this is a subject greeted with much scorn. The way I see it, how can all sentient being not be reincarnated? If we die and just fade away, where does the "new life force" come from to inhabit a baby or a new-born insect? The force either is all around, or it is created on the spot. Doesn't either one of these options either seem totally ridiculous or completely logical?
FlyMIA From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 6297 posts, RR: 6 Reply 4, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 2814 times:
Want to know what it would be like? Look how much I write on lines 1-5
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NOTHING! Yes your right.
Quoting Birdwatching (Thread starter): 'm referring to the feeling YOU would feel, or not feel, if you were never born. I mean, would you just feel nothing? Would all time, all eternity, zoom by, without you never noticing? How would you feel the "nothing"? It can't just be nothing. There'd have to be something. Damn it is so hard to think about this. I've been wondering about this since I was a kid.
I also been thinking about this for a long time. Just like the Egyptains and Big Bang and the Diniasours left with out us noticing you would not notice anything because there would be no you. The real question is what happens when you die.
"It was just four of us on the flight deck, trying to do our job" (Captain Al Haynes)
TheCoz From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 2814 times:
Quoting Nordair (Reply 1): I would have been far better off!!
Ya, I feel like I've joined some sort of ridiculous circus, and I'm not allowed to quit. Some day the circus will go out of business and that will be that.
AMSMAN From Ireland, joined Jan 2002, 1016 posts, RR: 7 Reply 10, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 2784 times:
My opinion is, as already said above...nothing! One can't compare if one never lived!
Great topic, but no answer!!
If your brother/sister/mother/father...died then you could ask how different would it be if he/she were still around, but there is no answer to your question! Nobody would think of you if you never existed!
QFA380 From Australia, joined Jul 2005, 2029 posts, RR: 1 Reply 12, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 2745 times:
I'm guessing this is sort of the thing that happens if you were 'aborted or were the growing baby in a miscarriage.
Quoting CastleIsland (Reply 2): where does the "new life force" come from to inhabit a baby or a new-born insect?
Great, so your saying that when I 'peg it', I'm going to come back as an insect which one of the remianing humans will probably kil.
Imagine that if people believed that their parents (for arguements sake), was going to come back in the form of another living creature on earth (are you including plants in this) and they got so paranoid about it they never killed any insects never ate meat despised all form of killing anything.
This kind of thing is very hard, its like trying to remember what it was like in mum's belly or just trying to remember something that you know you'll never remember (like how happy mummy and daddy were when you took your first steps. Its almost as if because you can't remember it, it never happened.
It honestly freaks me out thinking about these kind of things that are just too hard to grasp that I try not to but anyways.
CastleIsland From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 2736 times:
Quoting QFA380 (Reply 12): Great, so your saying that when I 'peg it', I'm going to come back as an insect which one of the remianing humans will probably kil.
Well, if you spelled better, your life might be spared.
Truth is, that's EXACTLY what Buddhists believe. Karma. Do good in this life, you come back in a higher realm. Do bad, and the opposite is your fate. We all come back; some move up on the ladder of life, some move down. I'm not saying that I believe it implicitly, but it does make some sense. It also imparts some higher purpose to our lives.
Quoting QFA380 (Reply 12): Imagine that if people believed that their parents (for arguements sake), was going to come back in the form of another living creature on earth (are you including plants in this) and they got so paranoid about it they never killed any insects never ate meat despised all form of killing anything.
Forget the paranoia; you'd be a true Buddhist. No shame in that.
Scott2187 From United States of America, joined Feb 2006, 304 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 2710 times:
Quoting Nordair (Reply 1): I would have been far better off!!
that's true in my case, along with the people around me.
but really, if you were never born you wouldn't have a mind, so you wouldn't notice anything passing by. this is such a philisophical(sp) question.
“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”
Oly720man From United Kingdom, joined May 2004, 6190 posts, RR: 11 Reply 15, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 2697 times:
If you were never born there wouldn't be a you so unless you're talking about a soul in limbo waiting to be born (aka reincarnation), you wouldn't be there to feel anything. And, if reincarnation is the issue, does a soul leap immediately from dead body to new born baby or spend some time hanging around in some spiritual waiting room reading magazines or watching daytime tv.... "my last life was a slug"/"how to get a better next life"/"I slept with a moth, but now she's a grizzly"
Vzlet From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 820 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 2684 times:
Think back to how you felt before you were born. Not being born would simply be a continuation of that...
"That's so stupid! If they're so secret, why are they out where everyone can see them?" - my kid
Cadet57 From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 9081 posts, RR: 34 Reply 17, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 2684 times:
My parents would have a 5,000s/f pad in Fl with a porche, yacht and range rover and no kids to listen to bitch.
But then again, sometimes they pretend I dont exist, so its close enough
Doors open, right hand side, next stop is Springfield.
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