I think what I've been talking about fits the bill.
Do you mean in the particular task at hand? That if you do you math test well, you'll get a better grade? I could stretch that your overall propability to get a good math grade increases if you do well, but that's it.
It's not just for a single task at hand, but for all things in life. IMO, it's about trying one's best in all things, not just one.
You should've listened to your doubt, because that's not what I was talking about.
Yeah, I didn't think so. But I don't regret making my statement, because if nothing else, it will help this confusion ease.
Let me give you an example. Let's say you and I are working out at the gym. You become brutally honest with me, and tell me that if I want to get my abs into shape I'll have to come to the gym two more times a week. I listen to you, I start going to the gym more often, get in shape and become proud over my achievments.
However, I only came to the gym more often because you advised it. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have started going to the gym more often until some other event would've convinced me. And you only said I should come more often because I was at the gym, at that time. If I would've been sick that day, you wouldn't have, and you would've been forced to tell me at another time, or maybe it wouldn't cross you're mind and you would never think about saying it ever again. And in turn, you only told me to do it because you wanted to give me advice, like something a friend would do. If you would've thought I was an obnoxious moron, maybe you couldn't care less about my health.
We can compare it with something that's commonly misunderstood of chaos theory (but still proven), the butterfly effect. Weather predictions are totally useleess if they're off with a couple of factors, wich is why everyone makes jokes about how wrong the forecasts are sometimes. Therefore, you cannot predict wether or not it will rain in Kansas City a year from now, because a butterfly can flap it's wings and throw the whole weather prediction off, wich is why weather fills the criteria for a chaotic system. And you cannot predict what your life will be 30 years from now; you could be depressed and filled with no motivation at all, or be full of energy after a series of events and accomplish great things. It's all decided by very small changes that accumulates into larger ones. No wing flap, no rain. No advice, no abs.
I did read Jurassic Park, thank you. ^_^
I see what you mean now. You're not saying that we can't change habits or overcome addictions, which are also based on certain chemicals in the brain (I assume, at least). That's what it sounded like you were saying in the context of what I was trying to say.
I am aware that we most often need external forces to let us know to change our ways. I'm not arguing that. My argument is that we do have control over what we do.
Now that we're clear, your statement fits perfectly well with Buddhism... in fact, I think it's part of the Buddhist teaching of "no-soul". In this teaching, it's said that we don't have immortal souls, but are simply aggregates of existence that go on and on and on.
I do too. I'm just discussing wether or not you can say "Buddhism is right" while at the sime time saying that "Materialistic atheism is wrong". The sort of secular buddhism you're explaining sounds like it doesn't contest material atheism at any ground, and that I do confess.
And that is what I'm trying to say.
All right, and depending on the interpretation, it either contradicts or doesn't contradict all other religions in the world. Shake hands?
Okies. ... they need to have a "shake hands" smiley.
Sorry, I jumped to conclusions.
S'okay.
I'll confess that it's lazy to lable everyone by their community. My intention was just that it's more practical to discuss views and how they contend other views.
Oh, I'll certainly admit that there are plenty of schools of Buddhism that do not work with materialistic atheism.
