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What has greatest value on earth?

onesteptwostep

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Or in of all of existence?
 

Sinny91

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Time.
 

Architect

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The human neocortex.

For this question you want to create a tree of the things in the world, the leaves being roughly dependent children of the parents. For instance, the internet has tremendous value, and it depends on computing hardware, which has other children (e.g. pacemakers, cellphones, ...). Therefore computing hardware has greater value than the internet. The greatest value therefore is the root node, which is human intelligence which creates all this, which was/is created by the neocortex.

Time and other physical properties don't count as they're boundary conditions. They exist irregardless of valuation - that is value is something that can be created or destroyed. If it can't be destroyed, it can't have value.
 

Rook

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Well if we limit your question to our solar system, and the benefit being aimed at humans or the planet that contains them, it would be the sun.

If we expand the question to all of existence, then I have no answer.
 
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come to think of it, i am far from certain about what value actually means.

i'd better stay out of this.
 

TheManBeyond

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I think the power to attract people and be loved while hated by thousands, i find that so unreal and kinda admire that. From Hitler to Cobain, the good and the bad ones. I wish i could have that "something".
 

Minuend

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the ability to make people believe in specific values
 

Cognisant

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I think the power to attract people and be loved while hated by thousands, i find that so unreal and kinda admire that. From Hitler to Cobain, the good and the bad ones. I wish i could have that "something".
the ability to make people believe in specific values
People follow the examples set for them, if you want people to follow you then you need to do that which none of them have the initiative to do. Wite the manifesto and they will read it, build the stage and they will gather, to spur them into action first take action yourself. People are sheep and the herd always follows the fastest, either to move or react.

What has greatest value on earth?
Survival.
 

Inquisitor

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On an individual level, good health is the most valuable thing one can possess. If you don't have that, you ain't got s***.

On a more universal level, life is the most valuable "thing" on earth. I don't think anyone would have a problem if we spewed toxic waste all over Mars and blew it apart to extract every valuable natural resource. But here on earth, when we do this, it usually involves killing life in some way, and that bothers everyone at least a little. Without nature, we are absolutely nothing.
 

onesteptwostep

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relationships

I think to some degree everything that is of value can be categorized into what you've said.

I'm surprised no one said self-esteen or self-awareness yet, or community or unity.



Here's something to keep the topic going: I think one thing that has definate value is our relationship to truth.
 

Pyropyro

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I think to some degree everything that is of value can be categorized into what you've said.

I'm surprised no one said self-esteen or self-awareness yet, or community or unity.



Here's something to keep the topic going: I think one thing that has definate value is our relationship to truth.
You are describing things that are valuable to you. Is the goal of this thread to gather subjective responses?

And why did you press enter three times for the last paragraph instead of just once?:confused:
Indeed, it can't be anything else than that. Either nothing or everything which tends to have equivalent connotations.
 

Black Rose

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Indeed, it can't be anything else than that. Either nothing or everything which tends to have equivalent connotations.
:D I like nothing because it factors into every possible value. Nothing creates a sort of universal value through fear.
 

onesteptwostep

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You are describing things that are valuable to you. Is the goal of this thread to gather subjective responses?

Yes, I am. But for the most part I think people would agree that they have value, value which is higher than most other elements of life which are deemed to have value. Which are given by other people, of course.

My goal? I don't really have a goal, I was just wondering what how people would reply to it. This is one way (my way) of smoking on my pipe of idle recreation :D

All in all the responses would be subjective, but I would love to hear responses which others deem objective.

And why did you press enter three times for the last paragraph instead of just once?:confused:
Oh because the line of thought is completely different from the other two sentences above it. A counterpoint or a change in the direction of thought needs symbolic representation.
 

ZenRaiden

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An insect might not be able to even answer a question like this, but a human niether, because there are many things that matter. People who try to come up with just one thing are going to fail. Its many things that matter. I think the best thing that a human can do is be rich in experience and be happy with that. Life is about change and many things matter.

It reminds of the old questions that teachers ask students about what they want to be in life. No one really wants to be just one thing in life. People who seek single solution to life and single meaning will just come up with some cliché answer and no meaning attached to it.

Look at unhappy people. Those are usually the people that point their life to just one cause and thats it. They end up being alcoholics, workaholics, people of vanity or something like that. They end up doing retarded things that dont make sense and in the end one thing only that in the end doesnt do much in their life. Once these people heal and get to the point of realizing their flaw they see things more in context of their being and suddenly they realize that this meaningless thing they experienced got them nothing.
 

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This image:

swimming-is-one-of-the-best-ways-to-burn-calories-cant-burn-things-underwater-dickhead.jpg
 

onesteptwostep

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An insect might not be able to even answer a question like this, but a human niether, because there are many things that matter. People who try to come up with just one thing are going to fail. Its many things that matter. I think the best thing that a human can do is be rich in experience and be happy with that. Life is about change and many things matter.

What do you think matters the most ultimately, out of the plethora of things that matter to a person? I understand that adhering to one cause can lead to discontentment, but surely there's something out of all the effort; an underlying principle or idea (or entity perhaps) which ties them altogether.
 

ZenRaiden

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What do you think matters the most ultimately, out of the plethora of things that matter to a person? I understand that adhering to one cause can lead to discontentment, but surely there's something out of all the effort; an underlying principle or idea (or entity perhaps) which ties them altogether.

Lets say you die this moment. Right now. What was the most important thing in your life. What was the holy grail of your life. Whats the point?
 

onesteptwostep

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I had to think for a bit, but here's what I came up with:

Probably lots of things for me, if I were to reflect before my death. But.. then everything that I deemed important I think would tie up with the character, will, and plan of God. The calculus of everything that made me smile, what I thought was important whether good or bad, would integrate, theoretically, with what he/it is. I wouldn't think it's the most important, but it would be something that would dominate my thoughts. But then if it's something that dominates my thoughts, maybe it would be the most important thing for me.

If I were to turn atheistic before death I'd probably think similiarly without the deity part while trying to put a finger on the glory, narrative, and journey that is life. I would think about the times of happiness, triumph and redemption. It would seem to have less coherence though, though I think there's definately great subjective value in it.
 

YOLOisonlyprinciple

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I am the most valuable thing in the world

You are all a figment of my imagination. Without me, none of you exist.
:elephant::elephant::elephant:


As for what OP really wants (without making metaphysical assumptions), i think the answer is "consciousness"
Your "consciousness" is the most valuable thing in the world
 

8151147

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I am the most valuable thing in the world

You are all a figment of my imagination. Without me, none of you exist.
:elephant::elephant::elephant:


As for what OP really wants (without making metaphysical assumptions), i think the answer is "consciousness"
Your "consciousness" is the most valuable thing in the world
You was saying something hit right in my spot man. It may not relate to the question from OP. But I always wonder that we made faults, because we was insane. Just keep being sane.
 

paradoxparadigm7

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Time and other physical properties don't count as they're boundary conditions. They exist irregardless of valuation - that is value is something that can be created or destroyed. If it can't be destroyed, it can't have value.

Our neocortex has great value but it's a property of our evolutionary biology and without direct individual control. So if you take this into consideration, relationships and the quality there of seems to be of the utmost value. When I think about my death, I'll think about my relationships-how I've failed and triumphed and impacted those close/loved to me. This, I consider "God-like" (in all the good qualities that term connotes) as our relationships reflect the quality of value itself. (I'm not sure what my last sentence really means but it sounded good :o)
 

StevenM

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Something that is extremely rare, I suppose.

"Value"..... wouldn't that be something that can be in possession? What value would there be if one could not be it's owner?

Nah, the earth itself can be it's master, and still, it attains it's value. ( <- not sick poetry from a depraved romance, I promise).

If there were many, many rare and sought after things, would they then be less valuable?

....

excuse me.
 

al.otakupunk

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I actually have two answers for this.

In the grand scheme of things... nothing. Something that's important to one person could be completely irrelevant to another, and as far as the rest of the universe goes, it has other things to worry about, and really doesn't care about you, or me, or anybody else on this planet.

On a personal level... loyalty. This is an ironic answer for me, mostly for personal reasons, but I just think that it's really kind of great when two or more people care about each other and are always there for each other.
 

Brontosaurie

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how isn't total net value everyone's default definition when nothing is specified in the question?
 

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Our neocortex has great value but it's a property of our evolutionary biology and without direct individual control.

No, exactly the opposite. You literally are what you think*. You reprogram your neocortex with your actions and thoughts. This isn't an arguable point, it's standard neuroscience at this point. The neocortex is a blank template that you can reprogram. It's not to say that other parts of the brain are re-programmable, as I've noted Type appears to be non-programmable, thus I believe it's based in the cortex as motivations. For an interesting example of this look up the story of Phineas Gage.

Further we're now actively reprogramming the neocortex. People with Parkinsons already have neural implants to control the disease. This is exponentially continuing, as we're now in the 'decade of the brain', with billion dollar research programs on it.

The last job evolution had was to create the neocortex. That self-reprogrammed itself, recursively bootstrapping to modern humans, who now are taking it to the next level by moving it into the machine world.

* We've observed neurons and associated nets changing dynamically according to action and thoughts with fMRI and other brain scanning technologies.
 

8151147

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how isn't total net value everyone's default definition when nothing is specified in the question?
Simply this.

I can't find a certain context or a frame of reference from OP to define the value. Still the question can be answered that everything from a single unit to a big universe has the greatest value, and equal to each other.
 

Brontosaurie

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Simply this.

I can't find a certain context or a frame of reference from OP to define the value. Still the question can be answered that everything from a single unit to a big universe has the greatest value, and equal to each other.

don't you think it would be feasible to roughly assess some phenomenon, pattern or attractor as the most valuable a priori, with the anti-entropic principle of life in general as reference?

i don't have any suggestions right now. well i have but they're dirty ones. sperm. pussy. etc. (with adequate level of abstraction ofc)
 

kora

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What assigns value duh consciousness.

Not just functionality intelligence syntax etc but qualia, subjectivity, meaning
 

onesteptwostep

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Well if subjective meaning had the most value, would we be okay if we were hooked up to a electric machine like the matrix? Our egos or consciousness does assign value, but when looked at from a viewpoint of another person that state of being or whatever object the person places value on may be largely diminished, thus losing its status as something that has the greatest value.
 

Inquisitor

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No, exactly the opposite. You literally are what you think*. You reprogram your neocortex with your actions and thoughts. This isn't an arguable point, it's standard neuroscience at this point. The neocortex is a blank template that you can reprogram. It's not to say that other parts of the brain are re-programmable, as I've noted Type appears to be non-programmable, thus I believe it's based in the cortex as motivations. For an interesting example of this look up the story of Phineas Gage.

Further we're now actively reprogramming the neocortex. People with Parkinsons already have neural implants to control the disease. This is exponentially continuing, as we're now in the 'decade of the brain', with billion dollar research programs on it.

The last job evolution had was to create the neocortex. That self-reprogrammed itself, recursively bootstrapping to modern humans, who now are taking it to the next level by moving it into the machine world.

* We've observed neurons and associated nets changing dynamically according to action and thoughts with fMRI and other brain scanning technologies.

What's your theory concerning why it's not possible to re-program type?
 

paradoxparadigm7

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No, exactly the opposite. You literally are what you think*. You reprogram your neocortex with your actions and thoughts. This isn't an arguable point, it's standard neuroscience at this point. The neocortex is a blank template that you can reprogram. It's not to say that other parts of the brain are re-programmable, as I've noted Type appears to be non-programmable, thus I believe it's based in the cortex as motivations. For an interesting example of this look up the story of Phineas Gage.

Further we're now actively reprogramming the neocortex. People with Parkinsons already have neural implants to control the disease. This is exponentially continuing, as we're now in the 'decade of the brain', with billion dollar research programs on it.

The last job evolution had was to create the neocortex. That self-reprogrammed itself, recursively bootstrapping to modern humans, who now are taking it to the next level by moving it into the machine world.

* We've observed neurons and associated nets changing dynamically according to action and thoughts with fMRI and other brain scanning technologies.

Just now saw your post. Are you talking about neuroplasticity? I stand corrected about not being under our direct control but I would think it takes some effort to rewire and reverse some negative plastic events such as sexual abuse, near death experiences and so on. These events are like one trial learning that pairs intense emotions with experiences. Thanks for bringing this up. Our neocortex is like clay and we're the artist...very cool stuff!
 

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Are you talking about neuroplasticity? I stand corrected about not being under our direct control but I would think it takes some effort to rewire and reverse some negative plastic events such as sexual abuse, near death experiences and so on. These events are like one trial learning that pairs intense emotions with experiences. Thanks for bringing this up. Our neocortex is like clay and we're the artist...very cool stuff!

Yes it's not always easy. Taking that Phineas Gage example however, he was able to lose 25% of his brain and retrain skills completely lost, elsewhere in his brain, which indicates an extremely high degree of flexibility in the brain. People with PTSD have difficulties for sure, but they are able to deal with it by indications.

I've been able to reprogram myself of religious beliefs and other ideas inculcated in me when I was young. It's not an easy process, mainly it just takes time. Your brain does this work when it's 'offline' - i.e. asleep, so you must think of where you want to be during the day, and at night the reprogramming occurs. Pretty fascinating, but I have verified this for myself time and time again as I've refactored my viewpoint and fundamental outlook.
 

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Value is subjective. I guess you could argue Architects point that your mind/neo-cortex is the most valuable entity, as without it you couldn't even comprehend or think about valuation. But then this presupposes that human cognition has value in itself.
 

WALKYRIA

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You full... Life has the reatest value !
Nough said.
 

WALKYRIA

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Also being a Nietzchean.. POWER.
Man, believe me but anything synonymous with power is the most valuable thing on earth.
diamond is also very valuable.
A hot girl is also very valuable for me.
Wait... food is too valuable for me also.
ANd... and oxygen, I crave for this O2 thing.. without it I can't breathheeee, and water.
... anyway, anything synonymous with power and life should be the most valuable things ever.
so to put it in an equation: life+ power= value , am i right?
 

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On a more serious note, things like knowledge and power.
 

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