Comment by Sean2 on Zen and the Art of Rationality · 2008-08-03T02:06:35.000Z · LW · GW

You had said, in quotes: "Free yourself of attachments to thinking that the universe is one way or another: Arrive at your picture of the world without prejudice, and then feel fully whichever feelings arise from this picture. Let your emotions flow from your beliefs, not the other way around."

At some level of thought, I could be concerned about the interaction of belief and limited knowledge. I would ask myself, "Is my own knowledge enough that my consequent beliefs are in match with reality?"

I suppose that one must accept that one's knowledge is limited. I hesitate to neglect to say that one should, inasmuch, recognize this as it being the case for every person whom one interacts with. Now, the conceit of people, in face of that, is another thing.

I have seen it happen, time and again, when some new facet of knowledge has developed, to me, such that serves to make a rational explanation about a previous failure. I cannot mistake it, now, that I have developed an emotional attachment about knowledge. If this is not necessarily rational, but I can only hope that it works itself out in time. My job does not permit much of a philosophical look on life -- I am in the Army.

I think that I appreciate what you say about not making belief as to be based on emotion.

Without holding first regard for emotion, then, I hope that rationality can be warm enough company.

Looking for something on which to turn my mind to a more effectual end, this may have been what I was looking for.