I have an evolution in a couple questions that are common philosophical inquiries:

1) In the question, "is the glass half-empty or half-full?" I have a new answer: both. There's no point in looking at life in either way, because it doesn't work that way.

2) In the question, "are we spiritual beings on a physical journey, or are we physical beings on a spiritual journey", I have a new answer: neither. We are elemental beings on an elemental journey. Why? See above response.

In other words, I am getting tired of this binary tangent the world seems bent on going into. False dichotomies have done enough damage. Let's move on and further the conversation.

Thoughts, anyone? (Keep in mind, your response will show your intelligence, or lack thereof...) Not meaning to intimidate anyone, but this is not a time for silly.

1) In the question, "is the glass half-empty or half-full?"

- Depends on whether I'm emptying it out or filling it up.


2) In the question, "are we spiritual beings on a physical journey, or are we physical beings on a spiritual journey".

- Depends on why the journey was started to begin with.

We are elemental beings on an elemental journey.

Okay I can agree with this stateent though that is a limiting one


We are so much more then just elemental, spiritual and physical beings

And the glass half full/empty perspective makes me laugh so I usually just smash the glass against a brick wall then it's neither

1)

2) Processes, physically intertwining and affecting all that happens, interdependent. That's the physical, so I imagine spiritually it's the same deal, but I don't think there's any separation.

by that measure, both the chicken AND the egg showed up at the same time.

I depends on the mood. If you feel positive, you look at the half that is full, if you feel bad, you look at the half that is empty.
Anf if you feel inspired, you look at the half that is empty as a goal to fill it up ( No Dan. not )

eaglebear4839 said:

Isn't the 'glass half-empty/half-full' question more about whether one is an optimist or a pessimist?

As for the second, to paraphrase Woody Allen (from Hannah and Her Sisters), What's the point in pondering questions to which you'll never get the answer?

How does that song go? 'Why are we here? / Because we're here / Roll the bones'? I'd say that's about the size of it.

Ace said:

...That's why I answered it by saying it depends on whether or not I'm emptying the glass or filling it up: if I'm emptying it, it's half empty. If I'm filling it up, it's half full. Either way I'm halfway to my goal.

Or halfway from your goal.

And yes, the glass inquiry is about pessimism or optimism, generally, but I'm evolving that concept, because I think it (and the other) and the other are are both false dichotomies.

Byron said:

always half full

1) half-full. there's always hope. and if not, then there is nothing. what a dire way to view the world.

2) physical beings on a spiritual journey, in the sense that whether it exists or not, i think we're all searching (actively or passively) for that "something more"

eaglebear4839 said:

Yes, if I want to view progress as a negative.




Yes, but you didn't do a very good job of explaining why they're "false dichomoties". You simply said that "it doesn't work that way". You also didn't really explain how you're "evolving" the concept. You just said that you were.

Doesn't really give us too much to chew on, philosophically.

Depends on whose round it is! If its my round its half full...if its someone elses round its half empty!!!

iceblue07 said:

Question is,why is the glass bigger then it needs to be?

I drink straight from the bottle.

whether the glass is half empty or half full, there's no point in bragging or complaining about it either way. there's water everywhere, so if i don't have enough, i should quit bitching and get more; and if i think i'm hot stuff for having half a damn glass of water, someone should take me to a mineral spring and ask me if i still think i'm such a big deal.

as for the spiritual/physical journey thing, i think one hand washes the other. in order to use this life as a spiritual journey, you need the physical shell. and whether you like it or not, you do take a physical journey through life. one may be more of a conscious journey than the other, but even that suggestion is prone to debate. there's no either/or to that question as far as i'm concerned. it's both.

The glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

I am a "half-empty" person

Learned a long time ago, that if I anticipate the worst I'll be less likely to get let down