Ever wonder why you feel misunderstood even by those closest to you? Explore why perfect human understanding is impossible—and why that might be the point
This reminds me of that famous "Mary's room" thought experiment. Mary is a scientist who has always lived in a closed room and has never seen the color red but she has been given all the possible information about red. She has learned what red is like and all the scientific data about it. But she hasn't experienced it. No qualia at all. Is it possible that she fathoms a red apple as well as a person who has actually seen the color red? Could she recognize it among other colors? Does she learn something new the moment she sees red for the first time? Could she explain and describe it as thorough as someone who has seen red?
Personal experiences are sometimes impossible to put into words. Qualia is often ineffable. Even to ourselves sometimes! Let alone somebody else's understanding of it.
Federico Faggin says that experience is all there is. Our mental formations and personal narratives of "what is out there" is our true reality. Our qualia is what makes our world (s).
To pretend otherwise is to fall into "scientism" according to him. One of the greatest limits of science is the overlooking of personal experiences and only measuring what is measurable with our limited instruments.
Between what I think, what I really mean, what I think I say, what I really say, what you hear, what you think you hear, what you really hear, what you think you understand and what you really understand, there are 9 possibilities of not understanding each other. (Ana Maria Rossi)
Lets tolerate each other more and our misunderstandings as well.
This reminds me of that famous "Mary's room" thought experiment. Mary is a scientist who has always lived in a closed room and has never seen the color red but she has been given all the possible information about red. She has learned what red is like and all the scientific data about it. But she hasn't experienced it. No qualia at all. Is it possible that she fathoms a red apple as well as a person who has actually seen the color red? Could she recognize it among other colors? Does she learn something new the moment she sees red for the first time? Could she explain and describe it as thorough as someone who has seen red?
Personal experiences are sometimes impossible to put into words. Qualia is often ineffable. Even to ourselves sometimes! Let alone somebody else's understanding of it.
Federico Faggin says that experience is all there is. Our mental formations and personal narratives of "what is out there" is our true reality. Our qualia is what makes our world (s).
To pretend otherwise is to fall into "scientism" according to him. One of the greatest limits of science is the overlooking of personal experiences and only measuring what is measurable with our limited instruments.
Between what I think, what I really mean, what I think I say, what I really say, what you hear, what you think you hear, what you really hear, what you think you understand and what you really understand, there are 9 possibilities of not understanding each other. (Ana Maria Rossi)
Lets tolerate each other more and our misunderstandings as well.
Sometimes we don't even understand ourselves!
Mu.