A great deal of life seem to be problems (or questions) and living life becomes a series of solving these problems in attempts to answer these questions (or maybe just solve the problem.) I ask you another question in this questionable life and that is where do you turn for answers? I suppose you might say it's an excercise in psychology. Some turn to God, or in the broader sense religion, for the answers and for divine intervention. Faith in this way can be helpful as long as you don't necessarily wait around for your problem to be fixed. Rather, merely having faith that with your faith you cannot fail therefore facing your problem like God's got your back. From this answers (as well as just more and more questions) can flow forth without limit.

Some turn to family, or overall love, to get over their humps and settle down the endless chatter of questions. Family and love are really the only things in actual real-world life that provides meaning. Doing better for your family, facing adversaty because win or loose you'll have that love, asking "what's the point of it all?" then looking into the eyes of a loved one and saying "oh yeah". Maintaining this sense of love, family, and connection can springforth many unanswerable questions as well.

One way is deep inner-reflective thought. Figuring humans are just human, and nobody's gotten it "right" yet so might as well think deeply instead of reading a few books. This path can be dangerous to most because fear has poisoned many a mind, and there are some harsh answers that a lot of people would rather not know.

There are countless variations of living, therefore infinite possibilities for answers and sources of these answers. I personally fluxuate, I see the world as sort of a constant flux (an endless dance, if you will.), so a lot of my inquiries are met by my own thinking. I look at the big picture while keeping an eye constantly on the delicate details, but at the same time keep my mind open to the thoughts of others. I can never view life from another's eyes while keeping my own so I listen to the meaning in their thoughts, feeling for personal revalations relevant and prevelant to life itself. Answers come and go from the most unexpected sources that way sometimes.

I do not allow myself to be heavily influenced growing pious and weary, but I don't shut my ears and eyes to the messages of others either. Far too often, lately, I've turned for answers delving in the Dionysian. That's not to say Greek Gods, rather I drown myself in the moment. Pleasures of the here and now, for if I tried hard enough I could make now last forever. Sadly I haven't tried hard enough, instead, sticking with the pleasures of here and now forgetting to give it meaning. This has only been recently though and more likely due to other aspects other then questions. The front and back of the matter, I suppose, is that I absorb information innovation and imagination from all I can process it all into my own view.

Where do your answers come from?

My answers come from the world and the naturalistic principles contained within.

To believe in God or in a guiding force because someone tells you to is the height of stupidity. We are given senses to receive our information within. With our own eyes we see, and with our own skin we feel. With our intelligence, it is intended that we understand. But each person must puzzle it out for himself or herself.

You're right, a great deal of life does appear to be problems and questions. But that is what life is. Part of the beauty of being sentient is overcoming such problems in new and creative ways.

To find a book or being that provided an instant answer to everything would be a great tragedy. You would be eliminating an essential part of yourself. It is the search, not the finding of answers that makes you strong. Which is why I applaud your dynamic approach.

Kudos to you.

"Where do your answers come from?"

I usually think about what I'm trying to get an answer for (say, for example, I've been asked to go to a party that I might not want to go to). I'll think about whether or not this event would be necessary for my future (in this case, no it wouldn't), and then I, if I still need help, talk to my mother or a friend about the question.

I then throw out all of my hard work and flip and coin. http://www.totse.com/bbs/wink.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/wink.gif)

I use only one method now to answer all questions that I have time to think about, in other words when I'm responding in a thinking rather than a reacting type of way. Or I guess I could say I have only one answer to all questions. And it sounds like this would be kind of stupid to say that you have the answer to all questions, the answer to everything. It also sounds arrogant to say that you know the answer to everything. And I do think that it sounds arrogant to say this, but the thing that is not arrogant about it is that the one answer contains in it all of the lesser answers.

This is a little hard to explain...if I said to all questioners that all of the answers to all of the questions could be found in the Bible, then that would be close-minded I think, and would sound close-minded, like you can't talk to that person.

But I think there is a truth to be found, that I've actually found, and you can say it gives or contains all of the answers, but it does not lead to close-mindedness,even though it is close-minded about allowing there to be any other absolute truth.

So its close-minded in the sense of not allowing any other competing truths, but that arrogance that it has does not lead a person to be arrogant, or to make other people feel opressed by it, but instead leads to a feeling or freedom, because it is freedom.

And this truth is both simple and very easy to understand, easy to explain, but hard to accept it seems.

At the same time as being simple, it is also deep and complex, which is a paradox.

I could go on but you may not be interested...

Mythology always gives me my answers. There is nothing in the world that you can experience now that doesn't have its archetypal roots in myths and legends. And, since the heroes thus depicted hold their origins in the annals of Tradition - the period of time in which the 'supreme right' and 'superhuman action' was neither intellectual opinion nor childhood fantasy, but a condition of being as automatic and unavoidable as gravity and sunlight - the lessons learned are always beneficial to those who understand how to perceive them.

Weed.....until I'm better at meditation I believe you already have the answers you need, you just gotta realise them.

quote:Originally posted by ---Beany---:

Weed.....until I'm better at meditation I believe you already have the answers you need, you just gotta realise them.

I feel you. Like notes of a song you haven't reached yet through playing it. We'll get there in time it just wouldn't be fitting quite yet.

quote:Originally posted by bkc:

I use only one method now to answer all questions that I have time to think about, in other words when I'm responding in a thinking rather than a reacting type of way. Or I guess I could say I have only one answer to all questions.

So what is that answer? You can say it in ironic paradox I don't mind, just tell me what it is.

quote:Originally posted by I_Like_Traffic_Lights:

So what is that answer? You can say it in ironic paradox I don't mind, just tell me what it is.

Well I would like to tell you what it is, and in fact I think I probably am telling you what it is, but you aren't seeing that I am telling you, because it is so simple that it is difficult to understand, because our fallen way of thinking takes us away from seeing this. Our world, our experience, our societies are based upon not seeing this. Our science, school, tv, education... everything hinges on not seeing this.

Try to see it.

Question everything.

Accept nothing except the truth.

I think I know very well what your answer is, I just want to see if you can articulate it. Is it possible to give it a name, other then "God"? This name of course bringing forth into the conciousness for most something completely different then what you are trying to describe.

I thought maybe you did know what my answer was, considering some of your other statements, and I can articulate it concisely, in one sentence I suppose, but I guess my point in not doing that, is that I am saying it in each post, already. But many don't see what is front of them, and they won't if they don't search for it.

You can call it God, love, truth, Logos, wisdom, intelligence,...I guess you could call Hate in the right context...none of these words have exact meanings, they are all dependent on their context...I've also thought of it as food...can't think what else right now. As the bible says "God is love". People think of God as a person. He is certainly that, but is not limited to that.

Really, for me, it depends on the kind of answer I'm trying to come to.

For mathematical and scientific questions, I'll usually seek my answers through previously gained knowledge, books, magazines, and reports.

For advice, my answers are usually found in my own head, or through conversation with friends.

When it comes to answers to questions such as, "What is the meaning of life?" "Is there a meaning?" and their kin, I usually turn to myself and try to pay as much attention to my senses and my feelings as possible. Reality, as we know it, is simply what our senses detect; if I can sharpen my senses, maybe I can know more of what existence is.

quote:Originally posted by I_Like_Traffic_Lights:

I think I know very well what your answer is, I just want to see if you can articulate it

Of course I've articulated it many times here on totse and that is why I am now shy about explaining it too explicitly. That just seems to encourage people call it derogatory names rather than think about it and consider it.

That has also been my experience in face-to-face discussions with people...once you spell things out, they no longer think about it, but just dismiss it, I guess because they have it symbolized by a few words then, and they think that means they understand it, and can then easily dismiss it.

If you know very well what my anwer is, I think it would be interesting for you to post it and "articulate it", since I've already done that and I know pretty much what effect that has when I do that, and so there isn't much motivation for me to do that.

Depends on the question.

If it involves common sense, I ask my wife. Other times, I ask god or one of my power animals (shaman-speak for guardian angel, I guess) or consult an oracle--Crystal Oracle, Tarot, whatever seems most appropriate.

totse