Saturday, February 9, 2008

Perceptions, Abstraction levels and contradicting co-existing truths

jyoti: People say that nothing in this world happens without gods consent then why is man blamed for his actions. answer now.

Saket: It's a mix of perceptions and abstraction levels; and the unclarity that results from this results into non-intuitive observations.

jyoti: That is not a clear answer.

Saket: Here it goes. we humans need abstraction to comprehend things.
for example, do you see car as a box?
or as a box with four wheels
or as a things with four wheels, steering wheel, and gear stick
...
or as the mechanical functioning of the engine components
...
or the electron level functioning in the chemical reactions that transform energy and cause movement
...
each abstraction level is correct, but contradicts the explanation at the higher or lower abstraction level.
So, this is understanding that different abstraction levels exist, each offer truth, and such truths co-exist but contradict each other

Now see perception:
Lift a book and face the cover in front you, and the binding to Nayna; and ask her what she sees. She'll probably say that she sees the binding of the book. And now ask yourself; you'll say you see the cover of the book, with some image, with some title etc.
Nayna will politely disagree that she sees no image etc. Both perceptions are true, but again are co-existing contradicting truths.

Looking at it mathematically:
Mx Ty
where, Mx is a mind frame
and, Ty is a time frame

Your viewpoint is Mx Ty bounded at some abstraction level z. People associate with their viewpoint more strongly than other's viewpoints (trapped in Mx Ty and z) and hence the conflict.

Saket: So, by definition of Mx and Ty;
As x changes to be x' - implies different minds will see it differently;
And y changes to be y' - implies your mind with see the truth differently, in past or future.

So, if there is a conflct b/w Mx Ty z and Mx' Ty z' - then that's natural.
Note: i've kept Ty constant

jyoti: that was really nice answer; with a touch of reality

Saket: i'm glad you like it :)

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Everything just flew over my head. Please keep it simple.

Zen Master said...

Well, my argument is that Ty is not a true variable..let's say five years before i considered that Genocide is wrong.. even now i do.. in ur eqn Ty has become Ty' but the outcome is same... what we percieve as changes owing to Ty is actually changes in mindset (Mx). e.g. Single moms.. which was considered unacceptable earlier.. but now its no big deal. it is not that Ty has changed.. over the years Mx is.. another way to look at it is.. Time is relative (theory of relativity) hence there is no absolute time.. however mindframe and abstration levels are still pretty much real.. why do u want to use Ty?? --Sushant

Saket said...

Thanks for your comments.

@Sushant:

Ty variable has a use. Consider someone - a fixed Mx (mind, rather than state of mind or mindset). Perhaps 5 years ago he/she thought 'single moms are unacceptable', but now has changed his/her view. Thus, for same Mx, Mx Ty and Mx Ty' are different views. If Mx Ty and Mx Ty' co-existed at the same time (not possible) then they'd have a difference in views (quite naturally).

Zen Master said...

Hi Saket,

That's exactly what i said. his state of mind has changed. it's not about time. it's about his mind set.

Cheers
Sushant