If You Could Take a Pill to Make You Dumber, Would You?

Quote:

Originally Posted by VenusHalley And yes, I sometimes feel like water sources of many countries have been spiked with stupid pills.

You couldn't be referring to the United States of America, could you?

Certainly not!

-Fleeing Bellocq, Molding Multivocal Manifestos in the Mission District

I've spent my life trying to achieve, thinking I would find fulfillment through this commitment, however, as I age (I'm 60), I realize that fulfillment cannot be attained externally. I have experienced success, and failure, both of which have taught me lessons, but neither of which has brought the fulfillment I so desired.
The Dalai Lama was asked what advice he has for those of us in the Western Culture, and he said, "You must overcome your need for acceptance, and your fear of rejection." This profound statement speaks volumes about our image-conscious, market driven society, where sports heroes and movie stars are elevated to god status. Perhaps, you're a biochemist searching for the cure for cancer, and you think that your contribution to the world is beyond measure... but you're still looking for recognition, and the misguided belief that you will find fulfillment there. "Phooey!" you might say, "I'm a physicist, on the verge of discovering the Unified Field Theory, and what could have more value than that?"...or you could say, "I'm a volunteer working at the local soup kitchen, and that's good enough for me."
You don't need brains or brawn or beauty to find fulfillment. We, in the West, have been fooled, and we fool ourselves, into believing that we do. Personal evolution has little to do with extraneous life. You will not find it at a mountain top or in the bottom of a test tube. It's right here within us, and it's available to all of us. The Buddhists know this truth; they call it the Tao or The Way.
Thanks for your response, Maven; that's why we're here: to express opinions, and to help each other find our way.

Nope. That would be a stupid idea. I don't care much for happiness. If I can get it, that's good, but if I am content, that is enough. People usually think in terms of either you are happy, or you are unhappy, which is a completely false perspective. I'm not sure if it is so much intelligence that makes one unhappy, but searching for happiness.

Blissfully dumb? Naw...rather be blissfully brilliant. More $$$ that way.

Gawd...I answered this. Who slipped that pill in my drink? *grin*

To be honest Yes, there are times when I have wished for ignorance, to be happy and content with my lot. I think of it as being one of the multitude in the film Metropolis except un-rebellious, content to be the "hands" that do not think, do not ask why, do not question.

Most of the time, No, never would I take a pill that would quell my curiosity. I am the one in class that asks the questions everyone wants to ask. I am a believer that knowledge is power. I live in my "head"

In Metropolis there was a quotation about; The mediator is between the head and the hands, it is the heart. Or something close to that.

Star Trek did a show w/ the same theme as Metropolis and I saw that first long before I saw the silent Lang film, but the idea behind the quote, or the Star Trek show has never left me. The idea that the pursuit of head/intellect alone is not enough, nor is the doing of hands/work, happiness/contentment comes from both, the heart/compassion is needed to blend them both into one. Or in the simple words of Buddha moderation in all things.

I tend to live too much in my head and at times I want it to just go away(thats when I would like to take a dumb down pill) thats when I know I need to back off and stop looking for answers to questions that have no answer....at least not yet, in this life as we know it.

Remember, intelligence has nothing to do with wisdom.....some of the most intelligent people are the least wise (my stbxh being one of them). However some of the dumbest people can still be wise.

I enjoy learning.....it's exciting to learn something new every day.....even at the age of 59, I continually strive to learn something new every day. Those lightbulb moments are the most exciting feeling.....but making sure that I use my wise mind & see the big picture before making decisions is also very important to me & is really more important when it comes to daily living.

Intelligence. Always intelligence. I would choose death if it meant I could hold all the secrets of the universe for only ten minutes.

Truth is the most important concept in the universe. Universes. And I'm not talking about being honest or theories or some god concept. I'm talking about that which reflects reality. Anything which does not reflect reality will fall by the wayside, cast to the depths with all the other failed ideas. Inconsequential. But truth is not contingent on anything else. It transcends everything - you, me, our happiness, our beliefs. When all else fails, even after all intelligent beings have become extinct, truth will prevail.

I don't care if it makes me miserable as all hell or drives me mad; I will not repress any knowledge as long as it brings me closer to truth. And as intelligent beings, having the ability to discover truth, we have an obligation to discover it.

"Intelligence. Always intelligence. I would choose death if it meant I could hold all the secrets of the universe for only ten minutes." Quote Michael

You know, that might be all you could last if you did have all the knowlege.

Sometimes I wonder if many of us would like to find a way to not think about all the things we think about.

We have. It's called "alcohol".

Or weed, or delusions, or escapism. Pick your poison.

I'm certain most of us actively try to forget because the truth is too painful. But that wasn't my point. My point was that truth is more important than us.

Yes, your right and we try to create other "legal" pharmacudicals to accomodate that as well.

Yes, the truth is often very painful, sorry to say.

It reminds me of the "curse of casandra". She was given the ability to forsee the future, but her curse was that no one would believe her.

I still don't think you're quite capturing my meaning.

It doesn't matter at all if no one believes her.

LOL Michael, you manage to hit a spot sometimes that makes me really chuckle.
I wish I could put into words how you sometimes do that and why. But it is more about me laughing at myself. It is very refreshing when it happens though.

However, aside from that I suppose that would be "part of" the curse as well, because aparently she is not allowed to see "that" part either.

Open Eyes