'Dancing with wolves', or playing with 'Debbie', it's all the same...

Illusions, critical thinking, and understanding the difference.

When I was trying to work out how to present this post in the most succinct and precise way that I could to make my point, (it's a massive subject) , I found the topic of 'sex' as being the one arena that could really illicit the most internal conflicts, biases, and contradictory positions within one person - and thus, psychological pain.

So I'm going with 'sex'.
It acts as one of the clearest examples of how we are (mis)guided by illusion, and from that , into the very dangerous territory of delusion (a fixed belief).
This is not a moral argument.
Critical thinking starts by dispelling 'the subjective' as much as possible, including persona bias.

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*A quick point:
Morals within society - when formed upon the template of critical thinking, gives a solid foundation on which to grow.
Think 'the age of enlightenment', until nearly the present day.
Morals formed on the template of postmodernism, subjectivity, and non critical thinking - results in the decay of a 'prosperous' society.
Why?.... Because there's no solid foundations, on which to work from.
Think 'the age of consumerism of the 1950's', until present day....

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SHALL WE BEGIN...?

That moment when you find a hot doctor who hates chemical soup injections.

Sorry, I got distracted....

SHALL WE BEGIN...Again...

What do you see in the above photo?

Some Indians with a US military officer, looking at some buffalo?
Some Indians with a US military officer, looking at some buffalo that they're planning to hunt?

Or... is it a group of actors - pretending to be something that they're not - in an attempt to create a story? An illusion ?

All are subjectively true - depending on your perspective , mindset , and emotional state at the time you view the photo.

Only one of the above descriptions is objectively true.

We know this to be the case, because we know the film 'Dances with Wolves' was a film made in 1990.
We know this to be the case because Kevin Costner is an actor and director of this film.
(any pseudo intellectual pedantry re the photo and 'facts' is just that - pedantry - this post is grounded in reality).

Don't get me wrong - this isn't a post written with the intention of pouring cold water over the amazing human imagination and it's ability to create illusion.
Far, far from it, in fact.
Illusions are not a bad thing.

In fact, I'd say the opposite - and argue that illusions can be a very good thing.

Illusions are a conscious 'dream state', and they can be the foundational thoughts and imagery to great leaps forward in society.
Do you think that Gutenberg's printing press didn't first have it's origins in his imagination?
Or the Wright brothers first flight?

Imagination is a mental illusion of a potential.

Illusion, delusion, and knowing the difference.

This is where critical thinking comes in.
Your sanity depends on it .
Paradoxically (or maybe not) , you’re authoritarian overlords depend on you being 'insane' - delusions , as opposed to illusions.

A delusion is a fixed belief that is not amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence.

It's based in subjectivity, and not objectivity.

This is not to be confused with: illusion – which is misinterpretation of things that exist.

Sometimes it's unintentional, but mostly not.
'Voluntary illusion' is very common.

Every film you've ever watched and ‘really get into’, is an example of this. (such as the film 'Dances with Wolves', above).
A suspension of reality - for illusion.
Listening to music is similar.
You may feel one emotion, but by simply listening to a certain kind of music, you can alter then that emotional state.
Your illusion (listening to the music and 'feeling it') manifests itself into an altering of your real world experience. (the hormonal chemical reactions created through auditory stimulus).

How great is that?

Critical thinking is the opposite of that - it's an unemotional analysis of facts to form a judgment.

Illusion plays no part in critical thinking....

Morals.
When a moral judgment is made towards an inert object, you’ve left the realm of reality, and entered into the world of illusion/delusion.

A chair is neither good nor bad.
It's a chair.
When the chair becomes 'malevolent' or 'saintly', you've left the world of critical thought, and reality, and moved into one of illusion (or delusion) , depending on how you perceive the chair - for example - do you know that it's not really malevolent or saintly, and your just playing illusory games, or do you genuinely believe that the chair has some sentience and intent ?).

See the difference?

It's quite amazing how people can confuse 'inanimate' for 'animate' without ever realizing that they've done so (as you will see below).

Whats all this got to do with sex?

....The subject of sex is the vehicle of the message, not the message itself.

I'm using this vehicle precisely because it's so inextricably entwined with so many other values and , as such, an excellent example of how we can fall into the illusion/delusion paradigm, often unaware of where the boundaries lie, and so can be totally unaware as to whether we've (unconsciously) crossed them or not.

Sex dolls.

What is a 'sex doll?'
An object that's utilized for sexual gratification in some way?
Or...
An object made up of latex, silicon, and computer chips to promote a certain kind of illusion?

Both are correct , but only one of the answers is arrived at by using critical thinking.

Why then, would this gif (below), be seen as 'obscene', or a 'NSFW' content ?

A latex model exhibited at a 'sex toy' show.
Do you find a persons hand examining latex, distasteful?
Does it make you feel uncomfortable?
Embarrassed?

Are ....you ...offended ?

By an inanimate object of latex and silicon ?

By a person using their hand ?

Has the illusion of genitals and sexual behavior, crossed over into a delusion?

Are you firmly fixed in the belief that it is 'wrong', somehow?

Is there a firm belief that this inanimate object is obscene ? .....Bad?
...Or that a person using their hands to examine an inanimate object is somehow 'wrong'?

Any of the above responses are not critical thought process.

...your own personal values and biases that have leverage over what you think is a logical thought process, is of zero relevance.

See the difference ?

Do you remember discussing the chair earlier on in this post ?

Did you agree with me ?

I'm not here to pass judgment on whatever your emotional response is to seeing a person use there hands to examine a piece of latex, I'm here to highlight the two mental states, and help you to understand when you've crossed from one to another, unconsciously.

In this example shown above any perception that invokes an emotional response is a ridiculous one - and totally illogical .

This is where it can becomes dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Why?
...Being in a 'non logical' mental state opens you up to emotional manipulation. You're always more suggestible, and open to direction when in this state...mostly by people with an intent to control you - and who are, most probably, far more adept as such practices than yourself. ...(you're unwittingly allowing yourself to be led).

The critical thinking approach is logic and one based in reality.
The gif is an image of a person using there hands to examine an inanimate object.
NOTHING MORE.
Anything else that you assign to it, is bias. Not objectivity.

If you can consciously quash any personal biases and values that you have ( in order to reach a logical conclusion ) , then well done!.... you've employed the use of critical thinking .

One is truth, and the other is illusion ( or delusion).

And guess what? .... the truth really will set you free.

Free from the manipulations of people who want to control you.

Knowing the difference - and where exactly you are on the spectrum at any given moment between illusion and critical thinking - means that you're now totally free to indulge your illusory fantasy with 'Debbie' if you so wish - till your hearts content ! (or any other organ for that matter).

Knowing what is illusion and what is reality - and enjoying both to the maximum at the appropriate times - will truly set you free.

Not consciously knowing this, however - means forever confusing one state for the other - and as such, it'll make you very susceptible to the manipulations of others - which means - they'll control you...

Know the difference.

Be free.
Think critically.
Live your life with sound morals - one's based in critical thinking.
Enjoy illusions and know them for what they are - AND what they're not - for they can have real value.

*A quick 'P.S'.....

I wonder if this is one of the reasons that lovers of authoritarianism and their sycophants, hate humor ?

Isn't one of the main aspects of humor, laughing at the differences between the illusion/delusion and reality, and using the absurd contrasts between those states to make a point that's based in truth?
Isn't humor , the highlighting of 'the ridiculous' ?

Isn't the very highlighting of the ridiculous , a poison ? ...to those who wish to manipulate and control others?

It's no wonder that authoritarian lovers have no sense of humor and they really hate jokes....

'They' just can't allow themselves'get the joke, you see ...
...For to do so , would be having to admit that reality and illusion are two very different things.

To 'get the joke', you have to be able to see the juxtaposition.

They simply are not able to take that on board - as to do so, would mean their entire world view becomes both redundant, and false. ...It would be an admission to themselves that they've been utterly wrong !...
.... and the intellectually insecure midwit is far too psychologically weak to ever be able to find the courage to come to that conclusion...

...The response from the scared midwit and the psychological weaklings when faced with anything that threatens to shatter their delusions of how they see the world...

....Bless

Principles remain the same, only the terrain changes....