i fw Hume, especially re: the non-endurance of the self, shout out to Shakyamuni

“A revolutionary age is an age of action; ours is the age of advertisement and publicity. Nothing ever happens but there is immediate publicity everywhere. In the present age a rebellion is, of all things, the most unthinkable. Such an expression of strength would seem ridiculous to the calculating intelligence of our times. On the other hand a political virtuoso might bring off a feat almost as remarkable. He might write a manifesto suggesting a general assembly at which people should decide upon a rebellion, and it would be so carefully worded that even the censor would let it pass. At the meeting itself he would be able to create the impression that his audience had rebelled, after which they would all go quietly home--having spent a very pleasant evening.”
― Søren Kierkegaard, The Present Age

“In order than everything should be reduced to the same level, it is first of all necessary to procure a phantom, its spirit, a monstrous abstraction, an all-embracing something which is nothing, a mirage--and that phantom is the public.”
― Søren Kierkegaard, The Present Age

“More and more individuals, owing to their bloodless indolence, will aspire to be nothing at all--in order to become the public: that abstract whole formed in the most ludicrous way, by all participants becoming a third party (an onlooker).”
― Søren Kierkegaard, The Present Age

great little read.

i wish Mickey were here to enumerate Kierkegaard’s shortcomings

Isnt this from the NPR series "Thursdays in Park Slope"?

Physicalists and other positivists continuously mistake the map for the territory, then, upon not finding something on their map, make the leap of faith that the thing doesn't exist. They'll even deny their own existence or their own experience of qualia to confirm this belief. Infuriating!