Daniel

You're fired. ( I'm kidding ) You're right! I feel alive! This is fantastic! ( I'm still kidding, but I have ventured into jackass territory. ) I'm sad now. My countenance has fallen. ~Calls wife on the phone~ "honey, I'm dying. ... ... Honey? ... Who are you talking to right now? I hear a man's voice. Why is he cheering?" ( I'm kidding and getting creative.) Ok. Good. This is getting serious. Not me though. I'm not serious. Seriousness is death. Seriousness is death, Seriousness is death. ~stands-up~ ... ~stretching~ ... ~trunk twists~ Gotta stay loose. Not serious, not serious. My wife has man in deck ready to replace me. Don't want that. Don't want... OK! I'm ready. Brother Salvijus! Greetings! I apologize in advance for asking these questions. I'm about to do my thing. My critical analysis thing. But, I'm not doing before I tell you. I love you, man. You're a good dude. You helped me. I'm in your debt. Yes we argued, but you helped me. And I like you. Here's the thing: My mind right now is thinking about counter examples. There's waves and waves of counter-examples crashing on the "shores" of my mind. I release joy and love at a magnitude which I don;t think you appreciate and rarely am I laughing. Rarely. However, I, I cannot lie. I'm a giggler. I chuckle regularly. And you're 100% right, it is an expression of love and joy. But I know for certain I express love and joy in other ways too. So, I'm asking the question: What is the difference between the events where I am laughing during expressions of love and joy, and the other expressions of love and joy which do not produce the laughter? Do you understand the question? SnowyMountains proposed a self-reflection. When I did that, it seems like surprise is the key component which is producing laughter. Without it? No laughter. What do you think about this idea? Joy/Love >>> Surprise >>> laughter ??? For you own safety, please do not answer too seriously. It's a serious question I'm asking, but its not worth losing your life MAN. Get silly! Here's some frivolity. Click the link in case of emergency. Dogs, Cute Ones, Doing tricks ( I'm kidding and being playful and letting you know I care )

It's a question about what is it that triggers the laughter. It;s autonomous, right? Like blinking? What is happening in the mind when that is happening? Good. I think this is helpful. So, let's say that I am walking down the street and I see something funny, a bumper sticker. I laugh. Then I see another bumper sticker and I don't laugh. What is the difference in my mind, body, soul, spirit, psyche, what ever words you choose to use to describe it. Please don't say: "the second one wasn't funny" I'm asking what is it that makes something funny to the point of producing laughter? There are other events besides "funny-events" which produce laughter, but, maybe it makes sense to focus just on comedy? What is it that produces the laughter response which is, like I mentioned above autonomous? For me, since you recommended self reflection, thank you: I am comparing 2 hypothetical events in my mind. The first event: I see a bumper sticker and laugh automatically. "Your dog is a ...??? HAHAHAHA!" Then, later, I see the same sort of car, with the same bumper sticker, but this time, I don't laugh. In my mind, "That's funny. But there is no laughter." The difference is: I'm not surprised! I think "surprise" is required, absolutely required in order to laugh autonomously. What do you think? Can I apply this nearly universally to all forms of laughter? To what extent is this true? Surprise produces laughter? Lacking surprise suppresses laughter?

@Nungali, Do the aboriginal peoples fear or blame all serpents? Do they learn from them? It sounds like they respect them, and you do too? That would be the reason you distinguish between the python and the others?

Does this help? Notice it's manipulation. Marketing. The blame-game exploits a frailty in the human mind. If there isn't someone to blame already, then, a charismatic leader can manufacture one. This is demonization. The charismatic leader conjures a demon, do to speak, just so they have a common enemy to rally the people behind them. The serpent is just such a common enemy. Hopefully you're starting to see how unfair this is to friendly serpents who gave done nothing wrong. They didn't choose to born a serpent. I suppose it's useful to note that this charismatic leader doesn't need to be seeking a large group. They could simply be looking for an individual to be their disciple. If they are employing the blame game, it's likely they are predatory. It's something to watch for. Do they validate your aversions and encourage you to blame? Then they use this common enemy as a way to bond with you? Red-flag. It's marketing and manipulation.

What else?

I was referring to a friendly dragon.

~nods~

Ahhhh. Got it. Thanks for explaining.

It's not for me. It's for our mutual friend who is struggling. Are you not going to share information from the aboriginal mythology with him regarding the rainbow-serpent?

Oh. interesting. Did you understand the phrase in English? Have you heard it before?

@NaturaNaturans See here? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_views_on_religious_pluralism Don't forget, my opinion of Maimonides... when reading this, please. He's the outlier.

So what? That doesn't mean we need to force others to be monotheistic. We're Jewish Monotheists! Let me make an extreme analogy? To make a point. We believe God is in charge, and God knows best. What if God reveals itself to my neighbor as a cookie? A talking cookie that flies and glows in the dark? Who am I to argue? God revealed it self to me at Sinai. That has nothing to do with my neighbor and their divine revelation in the form of a floating glowing cookie. Let's up the ante? What if God reveals itself to me as a floating glowing divine cookie? Would I be able to deny it? Should I even try? This is God, we're talking about. I don't choose how, when, and to what extent God is revealing itself to me. So I cannot exclude the possibility that God has revealed itself to others in other ways. All I can tell you is: I was born a Jew. So God has a plan for me as a Jew. If someone is not born Jewish, then God MUST have a different plan for them. That's all. Simple. Besides, making an argument on principle doesn't work here. The scripture says what it says. There is no arguing, rationally, with words on a page. The words on the page always win. That's why contracts are written. That's why laws are written. That's why poems are written. That's why people autograph. Make sense? Don't believe the hype, dude. It sounds like someone's been feeding you false info.

In America, we call it "the blame game." Do you have something similar in your own native language?

@cobie, Do you have anything readily available? Dragon myths? Something friendly?

@nungali, Would you please enlighten us? What are you able and willing to share about the rainbow serpent?

A bear? Bro. Have you ever seen a bear attack? Why? Are you sure? All Europeans? Or just a large number of Christians, relative to your own life experience, who happen to the ones you are aware of? How is this conclusion just? Friend, do you want to hate the serpent? Do you need a demon to blame?

Can the eagle swim?

Serpents swim. Serpents climb trees. Serpents jump. Serpents do not get dirty because of their "magical" skin. Apply your metaphor. What does that tell you? Please?

Their scales shed dirt, naturally. Their skin is beautiful. Prized. Snake skin boots? You don't have them where you are? Here you go, this is a reasonable price. In a way, you're right. But, only if I reinterpret it beyond what I think you're intending. The serpent is being ( present-progressive, -ING ) pushed / cursed downward onto its belly. But its for a good cause. If it is ever NOT being pushed down, it would never, NEVER do what needs to be done: rising and striking at tyranny. Naturally, it's not going to like this. But, this is its function. And it's important.

Dirty? I've never seen a dirty snake. Those are worms. Also, earthy is, not something I agree with? Have you ever seen a flying serpent? I have. They are incredible climbers, amazing swimmers. And, they can jump! What does it mean to "shed", as in shedding their skin? They're freeing themself. What about their jaws? Are they locked or are they free to open wide, wider, wider, wider.... The tongue? What does it do? Is it limited to one side or the other? Do any others have a split tongue? The ancient philosophers were brilliant, way ahead of their time.

What are the characteristics of a serpent which distinguishes it from the others? It is rising and striking. What else?

.... the force: "desiring-freedom". "refusing to kneel" It's very important that it is understood as on-going action.

Naturally

Yes, please. I think I made to page 8. But before I head back to that spot, I'm planning to read your posts.

Category theory... man. It's the way.