Thread: A thought
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Unread 11-29-2004, 01:34 AM   #1 (permalink)
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What is the most important thing?

This question could itself be the most important question?

Lots of things are important: Politics, The Arts, Religion, Sports, Technology, Philosophy, Health, Fun, Knowledge in General, etc.

And I believe that you could make an honest and well-based claim that any of the above, or perhaps some other subject is The Most Important Thing

It's a damn hard question, and it appears nobody has the answer to it.

Intuitively (although I suspect this is drilled into our heads from formal education) our answer would usually be something like "Happiness" "Love" or "Wisdom"

But what of religion? Isn't it really what it's all about? No matter what your religious beliefs are, they should take precedence... shouldn't they?

Well if you look at the issue on a physical level, then perhaps happiness is the most important, and this is caused by health and well-being. Maybe this is the most important.

Westerners have passed down a tradition that knowledge is of the highest value. Easterners, on the other hand, have had a tradition that treats knowledge with much criticism, to the point that it appears ignorance is sometimes valued.

So what is the most important thing? I believe that even Sports or Music could be the most important. Something which entertains us, and we can foster a love for.

For any of these there is an argument. Is it best to pick some point of view and argue for or against it? Or perhaps the best thing is purely believing in something.

Maybe the question itself is irrelevant. There may be no cosmic judge, or system of measurement for such things, therefor nothing can truely be better than anything else. If this is the case, then is the answer different for everybody? Or perhaps it simply doesn't matter.

But we were all born with some sense of what is good and what isn't right?

Can you really come to a firm conclusion on anything? When we learn things we believe we can come to a solid conclusion on (specifically mathematics) are we learning these principles or merely remembering them from some inner knowledge. Perhaps knowledge is recallection (As Plato believed).
If this is the case, then perhaps the best thing is to remember all that our souls have previously known. This, I believe, would be pure wisdom.
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