Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Outward Behavioral Observations

A rationalist who truly makes no assumptions refrains from assuming either negative or positive things about others, even when directly observing them.  Assumptions have not been proven (which is not even possible in the case of some ideas) by their very nature, but sometimes assumptions about the worldviews or personalities of others are more erroneous than others.  Certain hypothetical or relatable experiences can show just how little about these aspects of a person direct observation can yield.

A person who assumes that there is an external world, a person who believes there is no external world, and a person who believes in the existence of the external world because of the only way to prove one exists [1] could all behave identically on the outside.  There is not necessarily any distinguishing factor on a behavioral level.  All three might talk to other people as if they exist, speak of items like apples and cars as if they exist, and act as if these particular objects are real.

It is impossible for anyone without the ability to literally see into the minds of others (if they exist in the first place) to know if a random person who talks about such material objects as if they can specifically be known to exist is only using language in a conventional way for the sake of practicality or if they are actually assuming the object exists because it is perceived.  Even then, it would only be because of the telepathy that the contents of the other mind could be known, not because of spoken words.

In other words, while a person's worldview inevitably dictates how they live, not every individual action is shaped by a specific overarching worldview.  Whether someone is aware of the relationship between their worldview, personal psychology, and actions or not, more practical types of behavior could easily look identical no matter who is performing them or what their motives are.  A person has immediate access to all the nuances of this relationship between their philosophy and lifestyle.

Outward behaviors do not always have any connection to someone's true worldview, and it is therefore irrational and even potentially slanderous to assume anything at all about someone's philosophical beliefs simply because they act as if the external world is exactly as it appears to them or as if language truly bridges minds in an ultimate manner.  Behaviors are intimately connected to a person's ideologies, but sometimes the specifics of this are mostly visible only to the individual carrying out the actions.


[1].  https://thechristianrationalist.blogspot.com/2018/08/matter-is-not-illusion.html

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