Solipsism: It’s all in my head.
”In this very one-fathom-long body, along with its perceptions and thoughts, do I proclaim the world, the origin of the world, the cessation of the world, and the path leading to the cessation of the world” ~The Buddha Rohitassa Sutta
“Let us treat the men and women well: treat them as if they were real: perhaps they are.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
I remember being around 4 or 5 years old, sitting on top of the vaulting horse in the front of our barn, marveling to myself that I could realistically be the only real person on this planet and everyone else may actually be robots. It sounds kind of egotistical, I’ll admit but give me a break, I was a four year old and it was kindergarten version of philosophy. I remember returning to that thought many times though, it seems it’s never really left me.
Solipsism is the belief that only one’s own mind is known to exist, can be known to exist. Objective knowledge is impossible to prove because it’s all a phenomena of the senses. Our senses perceive everything we know and not even at the most optimum level. The mind is the central point which integrates and assesses these inputs and that’s really all anyone has.
To take it a step further, you know that God proposed in monotheistic religions who’s supposed to be watching you all the time? In my view, that’s very much much the conscience and sense of self intensified to the extent that it’s projected onto the outer world.
Also, let me put another perspective on that: Who’s to say we don’t project ourselves into reality in other ways? Onto other people? How do you really know anyone or can be sure you know anyone? If you can’t truly know anyone, are we attracted to those we assume are like us because we want to know ourselves?
A little food for thought.
