Do we share the same 'ability' to experience reality?

C

Creative Fossil

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In Biological terms

Do we share the same 'ability' to experience reality?

We all agree that humans have differing amounts of ability, skill, natural talent for certain things (or all things for that matter).

Some are born musically gifted for example, they display great ability very early on and need very little tuition, compared for example to the likes of me, who cannot pick out tunes and needs very rigid guidance to play even the most basic melody.

Others while naturally musically gifted may not be able to follow rigid learning , will never be able to read music and get no further than picking out tunes naturally.

This is just an example of variety of ability (not a great one) to get me to my following discussion:

Is our ability to experience the same reality identical?

How realistic is it that our ability in this area is identical with no variation?

Given the great variety of all other abilities.


I will explain why I am asking this question shortly.
 
Creative Fossil said:
Is our ability to experience the same reality identical?
How realistic is it that our ability in this area is identical with no variation?
Click to expand...

How odd and strange that you asked those questions when, in the very first sentences, you've pointed out to us several examples showing that we all have a wide range of senses and abilities.

So, and as you've pointed out, the answer is 'no', our abilities to experience most anything is not equal.

Baron Max
 
It depends upon the reliability of the equipment we use to verify what our notoriously deceptive senses are telling us. A loose wire can throw the results right off.
 
We experience reality through our senses and it is also dependant on how our brain interprets them,
so there's a great variety on how people experience reality, and their ability or capacity depends on that, among other things.
 
pillar.jpg
 
I have to agree with Max that's it's very, very odd for you to post a question and provide the only correct answer to it at the same time. It would have made much more sense to just have suggested a discussion on why we experience it differently.
 
Maybe she expected someone to experience and interpret her post differently.
 
Do we share the same 'ability' to experience reality?
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Given that we're all the same species with the same environment and the same genetic developmental background, etc. wouldn't it more strange if we didn't share the same ability to experience reality?

Is our ability to experience the same reality identical?
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Inasmuch as we're all human then it is "identical".

How realistic is it that our ability in this area is identical with no variation?
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No variation? We all have "height". How realistic is that that our height is identical with no variation?
 
Is the question of a sense of wounder, awe, exultation? Can a tone deaf mute experience the same wonder as a piano virtuoso? Can an atheist feel the wounders of god? Can a retard laugh?

We, all 6billion of us, are more alike then different. Our reality is the same, for all but a very small minority who can be said to be well not quite human by quirk of nature.

So when pondering whether Joe Blank has the same appreciation of life as you, you should automatically decide yes for it is most likely so.
 
We experience reality differently. Hence:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_war

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_war

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Editor_wars

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_war

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxy_war

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_war

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_dictatorship

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowder_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistoric_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber-warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungle_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armoured_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanized_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiological_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ski_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_warfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_warfare

&c &c
 
Blindman said:
Is the question of a sense of wounder, awe, exultation? Can a tone deaf mute experience the same wonder as a piano virtuoso?
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By being tone deaf the answer is obviously: no. But tone deafness is an actual condition. You might as well ask can a one-legged man run...
Can an atheist feel the wounders of god?
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Wounders? Wonders I assume you mean. Describe the "wonders of god". If you mean nature then the answer is yes. We just interpret nature differently but are no less aware (and probably are more so) of them.
Can a retard laugh?
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Yes.
for all but a very small minority who can be said to be well not quite human by quirk of nature.
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How so?
So when pondering whether Joe Blank has the same appreciation of life as you, you should automatically decide yes for it is most likely so.
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The same "appreciation"? I'd say the answer is most likely "no". We all interpret our experiences a different way, we all have specific things we like and don't like.
 
Creative Fossil said:
This is just an example of variety of ability (not a great one) to get me to my following discussion:

Is our ability to experience the same reality identical?

How realistic is it that our ability in this area is identical with no variation?

Given the great variety of all other abilities.


I will explain why I am asking this question shortly.
Click to expand...

We are not equals. The very question itself poses a contradiction to nature. Science has rarely shown otherwise.
 
Why do I get the premonition that someone thinks they know what "reality", in general is, and feels that they themselves have not only a different but a better experience of it than the rest of us ?

Simple illustration of the problem: colors are not part of "reality", by most definitions of "reality" as something independent from human perception. The wavelenghs of light form no particular little groups and rainbows, but instead form an (essentially) continuous spectrum varying only in energy content per wavelengh. Nevertheless, colorblind people are held to experience less of "reality" than the rest of us.

Common sense, firm rejection of whimsy, and agreement with "realistic" people, will tell you the world is flat and God made it in seven days.
 
So we agree

We have different abilities when it comes to experiencing reality?

OK here is the reason for seeking your agreement before going into the real topic.

First we agree not everyone is a Mozart and born with great musical ability so SOME abilities are quite rare but exist none the less. If not for the likes of Mozart we would deny the possibility of his talent at such an early age.

So here it is

I myself know a few extraordinary people who have an experience of reality that is not shared with others. It is consistant enough not to be delussion etc. Most science people would simply say their version of reality was not real because it did not match their or the majority of the popualations, ie not normal. Though to say their experience is not 'normal' is not the same as telling them it is not 'real'.
Their experience is real, I have observed it.

So I was wondering if this experience they have is simply a case of they have an ability that is not widely shared. I accept this. But I wonder why when you ACCEPT we do have a varying range of abilities that science people find such difficulty accepting a range of ability when it comes to 'experience of reality'.

NOTE: Before you start asking for demonstrations/proof.
Ask yourself how easy is it for someone to demonstrate how they experience reality when it is part of their make-up. I can NOT demonstrate how I see colour. If I saw it differently to you, how would I demonstrate this?

Example: I know someone who has unusual encounters with animals before news of a death. He cannot explain how/why this happens and can certainly not demonstrate it in advance of nature taking it's course. It just happens with enough regularity to be a 'norm' in his life and significant. So maybe his ability to experience reality is different to the norm. As are other types of 'weird' experience. Not all are fantasy.
 
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There was a reason I mentioned chimps. Many have been taught sign language and can talk with humans. I'm surprised you don't know that.
 
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