Flame — HabitableZone

Flame » in reply to re: The "significance" refers to "narcissism"

not necessarily
Daniel — (archived)

We can't be MORE important than any one of them ?!

I am typing this during the STS-117 4th spacewalk: what other animals have accomplished that? Not even dolphins. Recognizing that can be narcissistic for an unhealthy and unbalanced mind, lacking in perspective. But it's not necessarily narcissistic if you have perspective and imagination. Maybe however, the centuries of terrible European history have influenced your thinking in this respect.

As for sentient life on other planets: if it exists, then they can also regard themselves as the centre of their existence. Maybe it's a bit like being on the surface of an expanding balloon: every point can be a centre.

In any case, this has no bearing on the idea of a Creator: I have tried to explain many times now, that we could be both signficant, and yet a miniscule one of many, at the same time. This is because if God exists then everything is significant to him in one way or another. So, how would such an attitude be narcissistic? On the contrary, it takes huge persepective together with imagination, to see how we could be significant and yet just one of many, at the same time.

Log in or register to post.

The whole thread (148 posts)