4 ms·

“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” A quote that could certainly apply to research on biological systems. Just because you

“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” A quote that could certainly apply to research on biological systems. Just because you think you're smart, doesn't mean you can out think the system or even understand it.

adfm 5y ago
This is my favorite PKD quote. Nothing is as perfect as you believe it to be.
- RotaryTelephone 5y ago
  Especially childhood heroes :(
perl4ever 5y ago
In this essay, he mentions not knowing what a schizophrenic experiences, and then talks about his preoccupation with what is real, how reality seems fake, and startling coincidences that seem like precognition. These actually are most of the core experiences of schizophrenia for some people; people don't realize this because the stereotype (of hearing voices and so on) exists semi-independently of the illness and is self-reinforcing. Probably there are many people who are more or less what is called "schizotypal" and don't have an episode that leads to hospitalization or other crisis so they never identify with the people who experience psychosis. There was a former judge who was institutionalized a long time ago, and was still able to write a great deal about what he experienced, named Daniel Paul Schreber. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Paul_Schreber https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Paul_Schreber
- boomlinde 5y ago
  Perhaps these are just fundamentals of human experience. Jung for example held that experiencing synchronicity was normal and healthy. What is real and not is a question that has occupied thinkers for literal millennia; some degree of solipsism seems like a natural outcome of considering critically how knowledge can be obtained by someone limited by her senses and beliefs. It's just sound ontology if it doesn't manifest as debilitating illness.
  - perl4ever 5y ago
    >Perhaps these are just fundamentals of human experience I think they are fundamentals of human experience. Especially because people are culturally influenced by those with more pronounced experiences than they themselves have had.
- slibhb 5y ago
  > In this essay, he mentions not knowing what a schizophrenic experiences, and then talks about his preoccupation with what is real, how reality seems fake, and startling coincidences that seem like precognition. The sense that some things are real and other things are fake is present in virtually all philosophy and is probably part of being human. Sometimes, in philosophy, the empirical world (the way things appear to us) is fake and thought/categories/essences/ideal objects are real. Other times this is reversed, categories are seen as mere conventions, and reality is just empirical measurements with no "real" way to order them.
  - perl4ever 5y ago
    >probably part of being human Of course it's part of being human, aren't schizophrenics human? Dehumanizing other members of homo sapiens is also fundamentally part of being human, no question in my mind.
Animats 5y ago
That's similar to "Science is true whether or not you believe in it", which is attributed to Neil deGrasse Tyson. Both are probably based on some far older remark.
- robbiep 5y ago
  There’s also ’ For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled’ by Feynman
- asplake 5y ago
  “Science is true”? Seems quite an odd thing to say
  - effie 5y ago
    I am very suspicious of self-proclaimed defenders of science in the media. They may know some science, but they are too close to ideology and propaganda outlets and too far from genuine research. When political opponents can be labeled as dumb right-wing extremists, then, of course, the message is "we are friends of science and science is true". When actual scientists reveal inconvenient facts regarding current policies, then that is proclaimed as disinformation and censured.
- vintermann 5y ago
  Well, that's the point, that it ISN'T the no-nonsense scientist statement it's often used as. In context, there were a lot of things in PKD's life that didn't go away even though he tried his best to not believe in them.

adfm 5y ago

This is my favorite PKD quote. Nothing is as perfect as you believe it to be.

RotaryTelephone 5y ago
Especially childhood heroes :(

perl4ever 5y ago

In this essay, he mentions not knowing what a schizophrenic experiences, and then talks about his preoccupation with what is real, how reality seems fake, and startling coincidences that seem like precognition. These actually are most of the core experiences of schizophrenia for some people; people don't realize this because the stereotype (of hearing voices and so on) exists semi-independently of the illness and is self-reinforcing. Probably there are many people who are more or less what is called "schizotypal" and don't have an episode that leads to hospitalization or other crisis so they never identify with the people who experience psychosis. There was a former judge who was institutionalized a long time ago, and was still able to write a great deal about what he experienced, named Daniel Paul Schreber. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Paul_Schreber https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Paul_Schreber

boomlinde 5y ago
Perhaps these are just fundamentals of human experience. Jung for example held that experiencing synchronicity was normal and healthy. What is real and not is a question that has occupied thinkers for literal millennia; some degree of solipsism seems like a natural outcome of considering critically how knowledge can be obtained by someone limited by her senses and beliefs. It's just sound ontology if it doesn't manifest as debilitating illness.
- perl4ever 5y ago
  >Perhaps these are just fundamentals of human experience I think they are fundamentals of human experience. Especially because people are culturally influenced by those with more pronounced experiences than they themselves have had.
slibhb 5y ago
> In this essay, he mentions not knowing what a schizophrenic experiences, and then talks about his preoccupation with what is real, how reality seems fake, and startling coincidences that seem like precognition. The sense that some things are real and other things are fake is present in virtually all philosophy and is probably part of being human. Sometimes, in philosophy, the empirical world (the way things appear to us) is fake and thought/categories/essences/ideal objects are real. Other times this is reversed, categories are seen as mere conventions, and reality is just empirical measurements with no "real" way to order them.
- perl4ever 5y ago
  >probably part of being human Of course it's part of being human, aren't schizophrenics human? Dehumanizing other members of homo sapiens is also fundamentally part of being human, no question in my mind.

Animats 5y ago

That's similar to "Science is true whether or not you believe in it", which is attributed to Neil deGrasse Tyson. Both are probably based on some far older remark.

robbiep 5y ago
There’s also ’ For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled’ by Feynman
asplake 5y ago
“Science is true”? Seems quite an odd thing to say
- effie 5y ago
  I am very suspicious of self-proclaimed defenders of science in the media. They may know some science, but they are too close to ideology and propaganda outlets and too far from genuine research. When political opponents can be labeled as dumb right-wing extremists, then, of course, the message is "we are friends of science and science is true". When actual scientists reveal inconvenient facts regarding current policies, then that is proclaimed as disinformation and censured.
vintermann 5y ago
Well, that's the point, that it ISN'T the no-nonsense scientist statement it's often used as. In context, there were a lot of things in PKD's life that didn't go away even though he tried his best to not believe in them.