Terms and Opinions

There is a most peculiar although ever present, 

and essential activity of neurons.

The activity of using terms.

The use of terms originated as a tool that the biology of man used to survive. His teeth were not sharp, he invented a knife. His body was not furry, he invented an animal skin/fur jacket.

These 2 inventions, are objects; they are terms to be used. The way they came about was through a certain focus within consciousness, on negative space. Somehow consciousness had to discover that large caches of meat, were existing in a kind of negative space; a space without small chewable pieces of meat. The neurons in his brain sank their sense of self into a kind of negative space; a space which is "not" in some way. His tool the knife, connected that which was not, with that which IS. The tool expanded intellectual-cum-physical space; and became the new status quo.

There is a peculiar although ever present 

and essential activity of neurons;

The activity of opinions.

In the world of terms-as-tools, improvement and expansion is done by discarding a piece of the status quo term. A knife is made sharper by discovering that which is not sharp about it, and discarding it. That which is not sharp is discarded and forgotten forever, when the sharper is found. Status quo terms die, when expanded terms are found. But this is in the world of the measurable. In the world of opinions, which is a certain type of terms, measurement cannot be found; it can only be professed. Thus, the situation shows a stagnation of terms. A certain kind of reinforcement OF terms; not for the purpose of discovering what they are not - so they may be discarded - but for the purpose of reinforcing their presence.

Life itself must stick in certain places; to give a measured quantity, in order to push off of into the negative space which is invention. If all individuals did not reinforce their own terms i.e. vernacular, all of intellectual life in this world would not find a foothold to spring off of. The belief in "I" is a set of terms. Which, with every glance, every focus, gets reinforced.

The expansion of the entire intellect of humanity depends on the sense of "I". The status quo foothold which identifies the "not" of it. Intellect, the-expansion, requires "I". Absolute expansion is absolute pushing off. It is not the reinforcement of terms; but the denial-cum-pushing off of them.

Quoting is reinforcement. Reinforcement of the "problem". Does your thinking sing the song of reinforcement? If you say no, you only mean yes...

Egging, egging, egg it on. 

Taunting, taunting, joking...

(from a collection of unpublished papers circa 1998 but still relevant today.)