Consciousness - Donald Hoffman - Neuroscience
Collective Insights
Words are Merely Pointers to Truth
Concepts and words serve merely as pointers to deeper truths, not as the truths themselves. Spiritual traditions emphasize that our language fails to encapsulate the ultimate reality, as it transcends verbal expression. In practical scenarios, concepts like free will are useful for navigating life, yet they do not reflect profound metaphysical truths. Probabilistic choice points in theories of conscious agents allow for a constructive discussion of free choice, but they remain limited to contextual usefulness without claiming any ultimate significance. Words are fallible representations, and genuine understanding comes from direct experience, akin to tasting cinnamon to truly grasp its essence. Silence and immersion in the truth are essential for authentic knowledge, highlighting that verbal communication lacks the depth of direct experience.
