CloserToGod: Black Iron Prison Rebuttal

Started by AFK, February 05, 2007, 04:22:29 PM

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Manta Obscura

Quote from: Cainad on December 04, 2008, 01:02:27 AM
Quote from: Nigel on December 03, 2008, 09:46:49 PM
I tend to think of the term "jailbreak", in this metaphor, as "breaking down your jail" by consciously recognizing its component parts, thereby giving you the ability to interact with and change the way you perceive the world.

TITCM


I've tried to deal with the confusion surrounding this metaphor in the past, but I don't know how successful I was. All I know is that I butted in on one of the famous LMNO-vs-Ratatosk debates.

Basically, I argued that the confusion over "breaking out" of the BIP (which is referred to in the very first part of the BIP pamphlet) is the result of actually having two metaphors with the same name. Somehow this dual metaphor sneaked its way into the publication without anyone complaining, and I rather like that even though, or perhaps because, it causes this confusion. I'm going to try to restate my position.

The first Black Iron Prison I will deal with is the "larger" BIP. This is the BIP that consists largely of biological limits on our perception, and this is the one where we "rearrange the bars" but cannot escape because to "escape" this BIP implies nothing short of omniscience. We as humans are biologically incapable of, say, perceiving all wavelengths of light simultaneously or hearing sounds out of our fairly limited range. However, the other component of this BIP is belief systems, which are highly changeable. Therefore this larger BIP cannot be broken out of, but it can be altered for the purpose of changing one's perception of reality to some extent.

The second Black Iron Prison is the "smaller" BIP. This is the BIP that we are invited to "escape" in the pamphlet, and it's also the BIP that (hypothetically) one escapes by comprehending the psychobabble about Reality Grids in the Principia. This is the BIP of ignorance, since one cannot change one perceptions of reality if one never grasps the idea that one's perceptions are limited.

Corollary to all this is that when we "break out" of the smaller BIP, then we are free to tinker with the belief systems that comprise part of the larger BIP. Your mileage may vary, and certain people seem to be more focused about either the larger BIP or the smaller one.



I did all these fancy metal gymnastics, and then Nigel wrote the above quote and made the idea of two BIPs unnecessary.

To Nigel for putting it simply and eloquently, and to Cainad for explaining the intricacies:  :mittens:
Everything I wish for myself, I wish for you also.

LMNO

Bumped to the new page, because I edited it pretty heavily.

Quote from: LMNO on December 04, 2008, 02:12:31 PM
I like where that just went.

The only apprehension I have is that this creates a Finish Line, and the ability for someone to say "I have broken down my prison cell.  I am free."

Yeah, they're missing the concept, but i'm really feel that the act of breaking down the walls is a constant, unending process which is far more important than "finishing".

Just because you pruned your hedges last spring doesn't mean you never have to garden again.  And just because you broke down your prison walls doesn't mean you're not using the bricks to build a new one.

A true initiation never ends.  The journey is more important than the destination.  Breaking through the wall is more important than what's on the other side.

AFK

My shorthand is this:

Breaking out of your cell is kinda like the ole cliche, expanding your horizons. 

I see two shapes, one inside the other.  The outer shape is like the larger BIP Cainad talks about.  For arguments sake let's say it is a circle.  Of course, since we can never really perceive "everything" we don't really know that it's a circle.  The inner shape is what we can perceive.  It's more of an irregular shape, and we never really know entirely what the shape is, because as we "expand our horizons", we reveal more of the edges.  In fact, we discover that some edges go farther out than we expected.  So it's kinda like feeling around in the dark in some respect.  But as we open out minds to more input, some dark is lifted and we discover these new "edges" that we didn't know existed before. 

I really should Gliffy this. 
Cynicism is a blank check for failure.

LMNO

I was thinking the same thing as I was reading that.

Cain

I have a better solution, courtesy of incomprehensible French philosophy.

However, you will have to wait for one (1) rant and one (1) exposition, probably in this forum.

LMNO

I know I paid for the whole seat, but right now I'm only using the edge!



...



Man, that joke isn't really funny when you write it down.   :kingmeh:

Cain

Sadly, I'm gonna have to complete this job application form first.  It is mostly done, but will require a little more work.

Cainad (dec.)

Quote from: Rev. What's-His-Name? on December 04, 2008, 02:41:54 PM
My shorthand is this:

Breaking out of your cell is kinda like the ole cliche, expanding your horizons. 

I see two shapes, one inside the other.  The outer shape is like the larger BIP Cainad talks about.  For arguments sake let's say it is a circle.  Of course, since we can never really perceive "everything" we don't really know that it's a circle.  The inner shape is what we can perceive.  It's more of an irregular shape, and we never really know entirely what the shape is, because as we "expand our horizons", we reveal more of the edges.  In fact, we discover that some edges go farther out than we expected.  So it's kinda like feeling around in the dark in some respect.  But as we open out minds to more input, some dark is lifted and we discover these new "edges" that we didn't know existed before. 

I really should Gliffy this. 

I totally just got a mental image of being inside a giant geode.

LMNO

Make sense.  Plus, you can only see how beautiful it is once you break it open.



ZOMG!  Metaphor Confluence!

Cain

Well, that took longer than it should. Rant up.  Exposition to follow.

LMNO