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Can you will yourself into believing in Santa?

If believing in Santa can make you happy, can you?

  • YES

    Votes: 10 55.6%

  • NO

    Votes: 8 44.4%
  • Total voters
    18
Sunstone

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
It seems to me that believing in Santa in order to make you happy would be like falling in love with the idea of love, rather than with a beloved.

Lots of people, of course, fall in love with the idea of love. They really don't love who they suppose they love. They just want to be in love so much that they convince themselves that they are.

I suppose that believing in Santa in order to make you happy is something like that. You don't really believe in him -- not on all levels of your psyche -- but you want to believe in him so much that you convince yourself you do.
 
bobhikes

bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
I have always believed in Santa and teach my kids he is a spirit that inspires others. I see no problem with this and I am atheist agnostic and happy.
 
Quintessence

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
raw_thought said:
“I don't believe Pascal's wager was meant to imply that either, but again, if you want to believe "truth" (whatever the heck that is)”
Quintessence
I am an agnostic. However, I believe that a proposition is either true or false.
John 18:38 "What is truth?" retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him.
Call me superstitious! But I believe in objective truth.
Click to expand...

Ah, fair enough. I feel that if there is such a thing as objective truth, humans are not capable of knowing such things, being finite, non-omniscient, non-omnipresent, non-omnipotent creatures. I err more on the side of practicality and what is meaningful for me, whilst at the same time aiming to respect the boundaries of other beings, both human and non-human.
 
R

raw_thought

Well-Known Member
I'm confused. Are you saying that if we are not clear about a proposition ,its truth or falseness is not objectively obvious? There is no objective reality? Yes, we are morons . But that does not mean objective reality does not exist.
I have tried to explain this, over and over again. It is not that we are too stupid to know why there is something rather than nothing. Its that there is no explanation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And that is the mystical! Not bending spoon etc...
 
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D

Desert Snake

Veteran Member
raw_thought said:
Hmmmmmmmmmmm
So Santa ( the existence of) has a truth value???
Click to expand...


Are you saying there isn't? And yet you said santa is part of your X-mas tradition, so you are actually blatantly saying you are willingly putting truth value to santa, or that you are putting truth value to santa without realizing it.

Also, it's your analogy, You are the one who placed truth value to santa, not me.
 
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George-ananda

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
Can you will yourself into believing in Santa?

I can not because my mind demands rational argumentation. I am very logically-oriented.

My spiritual beliefs are the result of rational argumentation.
 
Willamena

Willamena

Just me
Premium Member
I cannot believe in Santa or profit at will. Willing belief defies (for me) what it means to believe.

I believe in Santa because he's real.
 
idav

idav

Being
Premium Member
raw_thought said:
WOW!!!
3 to one! 3 times me can believe a lie if it makes them feel good!:facepalm:
Those that answered the poll ( with a "yes" ) affirmed that they can believe in a lie ( Santa) if it made them feel good!
Click to expand...

Nothing to say it is a lie. I can bekieve whatver I want, I choose to believe in rational verifiable things. I just try not to use faith unless I really have to.

Santa really isnt a big issue aside from his real life character the legend of saint Nicholas.
 
ScuzManiac

ScuzManiac

Active Member
I'm a little confused as to the point of this or what the actual question even is...

And how it relates to the title (since we know St. Nicholas was a real person).

But....

Can you will yourself into believing something? No. You either believe it or you don't.
 
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