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Is evolution/religion/everything a self fulfilling prophecy?
What separates us from the rest of species? Recognition of self right? Some will want to argue that there are other species that can recognize self. But then you need to ask well do they recognize self do to our experiments and what we have defined as self recognition or is it innately in them? So is it that we recognize self because of them through evolution or do they recognize self do to us? A bird called the magpie is self aware using the mirror test. It’s easy now to look in a mirror and say yep that’s me, but it’s a million times harder to say that this is just a visual representation of trillions of moving, living, self-replicating entities.
This is the principles that I would like to use in defining self fulfilling prophecy:
Robert Merton's concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy stems from the Thomas theorem, which states that "If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences."[2] According to Thomas, people react not only to the situations they are in, but also, and often primarily, to the way they perceive the situations and to the meaning they assign to these perceptions. This causes people to have negative viewpoints. Therefore, their behavior is determined in part by their perception and the meaning they ascribe to the situations they are in, rather than by the situations themselves. Once people convince themselves that a situation really has a certain meaning, regardless of whether it actually does, they will take very real actions in consequence.
So we are just a bunch of self replicating entities that have evolved in to a self recognizing being. Will history keep repeating its "self"?
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Zman Kietilipooskie
If other animals had the motivation to question and comprehend what we are even talking about or trying to create or develop new ideas concerning the structure of reality, and our individual perspective of reality then I would agree with you however that is not the case.
The brain is capable of creation, discovery and spirituality above all other animals on this planet, not simply the recognizing of "self".
Casey Christofaris 10+
Casey Christofaris 10+
Zman Kietilipooskie
I am arguing that there is a lot more then the acknowledgment of self that distinguishes us from other species. Proof of which is this very conversation.
Casey Christofaris 10+
Everything is a circle.
Actually the most advance form of communication on earth is DNA, for its conversation is what created you and I, and is allowing to have this conversation, with what is a digital representation of 1 and 0; otherwise know as binary code. So really it not our communication that separates us from the rest. Because all species communicate
Zman Kietilipooskie
Me saying that Humans (unlike any other animal on this planet) have the ability to create and express themselves threw artwork, inventions and discoveries (and many other unique actions and aspects) is no assumption, and therefore it is no circular argument.
This conversation's context is the proof, not that we are having a conversation.
Casey Christofaris 10+
Yes when you define communication that way I agree it is one of our greatest attributes. However without the recognition of self and of other we would never be able to tell what is "paintbrush"
Yes this conversation is proof that both we are communicating and so did or has or continue to communicate is our DNA
Obey No1kinobe 50+
Just because we are the first we know of, so what.
Other species have developed other capabilities humans don't have.
We share more in common with other animals, especially the great apes, and mammals then separates us.
Immune systems, a bi/symetrical body - 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 testes, 2 ovaries, redundancy built in. 4 limbs like most other vertibrae, similar skeletons, digestive systems, senses, oxygenating blood.
You can focus on the differences of any species or group. Some can breathe water. Some have sonar. Some have superior vision or smell or hearing to us.
So what if humans have evolved to have some cognitive functions superior to other species?
You can say humans can do this or that. I can say a dog or a fish can do other things we can not. Heck there are even bacteria that can with stand hundreds of degrees and extreme pressure. A lump of rock can support more weight than a human - so what. A dog can run faster. So what? Human consciousness is not the be all and end all. A star is a huge nuclear reaction that emits light. Humans are not much good at emmiting light. In fact we wouldn't be here but for stars that created the heavier elements we are made of. Stars died so that we may exist. Along with all other life on earth.
DNA is not communication. There is no sender and receiver. Its a bunch of compounds that behave according to the physical laws. We can perceive patterns, but it is just stuff. You could say an empty or full box is a binary code. H2O is a code, but its just water.
Casey Christofaris 10+
Check this out on its importance of self reflection
It was mans recognition of self that also allowed god to be self reflecting(funny term). From the beginning of time god as embodied in the light or sun. Spent years (although time did not exist) trying to figure out what was going on. And it opposite dark (which is also a god) dark's the one that told truth to adam and eve the truth to eat from the tree of life and to gain knowledge. when god lied and said it would kill them. Which created the fall of man. However the light has been storing information on the dark or celestial body's every since the big bag which is just another example of E pluribus unum. We all know that light stores information see fiber optics. So god used the peaks and valleys (gain perspective). As well as gaps and bumps to record information gained. Much like how a cd or record player stores memory. Once man became self reflective(funny term) god was able to pull that information forward and make sense of it all to man. In only seven days which god does not function in man time because it is arbitrary. Hope this makes sense....... also one could not exist with out the other
natasha nikulina 50+
"DNA is not communication."
It is . DNA is the most powerful transmitter of intelligent data.It is clearly a double helix, and all DNA molecules in every living plant and animal are structured in exactly the same way. DNA represents the highest order, it means everything is 'in tune' with every other thing.