[Text, Anonymous]

[stringmods]

Are any of you familiar with Carl Jung? If not, then I suggest you do.

But that is not my reason to come to you today. Rather it is to, perhaps, open your eyes should you chose to do so.

What makes good, good and evil, evil? Should both be simply placed as one or the other? If the 'evil' become the ruling force, would the rules be reversed? If someone steps up to remove a tyrant, are they doing good, or, in the eyes of others, are they being the ones who are evil?

...Or are we what makes these forces exist in the first place? Can good be really called good if there is no evil to defeat, no goal for them to attain?

You were all called here for a reason, but should you believe one side...or the other about what is the truth? As we become more enlightened, we tend to forget what came before. And as history has a tendency to repeat itself...

A man looks above to the nearby mountain. He knows not how it was made, and therefore decides that a god put it there. Is this man false? Scientifically, perhaps, we know that mountains are produced by the movement of lithospheric plates. Yet when we knew nothing of this, we saw the truth in a god. And so, this idea is born and now exists. Man gave it power, and the ability to create the mountain is now that god's.

Personas are reflections of a character's inner self, yet they are the gods, demons and powerful creatures of our worlds.

So then...can a man become a god...or was he always one?

Comments

[text]

[deathof4thwall]

Man, you're wordy. Words words words. I can't even read this because my eyeballs just skitter down the text until they slam into place at the question mark!

Thanks for including that, by the way, because if you had forgotten that my eyeballs would have never stopped skittering and I'd never be able to read again, and I think we can all agree that would be a [i]terrible thing[/i]. Just [i]terrible[/i].

Anyway, from the general tone of the text, I kind of get the feeling you spend a lot of time in coffee houses and such, so could you tell me where the good ones are?

Re: [text]

[therooms]

I prefer tea.

There is one in Virgo Sector D3 called Morning Moon Arbour. It is a traditional chashitsu establishment.

Re: [text]

[deathof4thwall]

Ooo, chashitsu. I've never done one of those! Will I need special clothes? Or is it like one of those Yakuza bathhouses where you have to be naked to show off your tattoos? Will I have to get tattoos? Aren't tattoos basically just scars that you pour ink into, anyway?

Where can I get some ink?

[Text] [Anon]

[linefacingforever]

[...can a man become a god, or was he always one, hunh...? This is not helping his thoughts right now, you know. Thank you Izanami, Izanagi, and random texting person.]

Good and evil is open to the interpretation of the viewer. Maybe in truth, neither really exists.

[That was a little dark for him; he even hesitated to send that... so he switched to anonymous, curious as to the reply.]

[Text]

[therooms]

Are you implying that the reason good and evil exist is because Mankind believes it to be?

[Text] [Anon]

[linefacingforever]

[...hm. How to word this. Izanagi, a little help?]

Why not? The world would be empty if it were not for the ideas of man.

[Thanks... but more like how he would say it next time.]

[text]

[guidemethroughit]

Gods and demons, good and evil - those are all ideas created by mankind, which then take the form of Personas when drawn from the soul. As they are ideas, they lurk within the subconscious mind and take the form one's subconscious believes would be the form of that god or demon.

In the end, a man cannot become a god no more than a god can truly exist outside a man's mind.

[text]

[therooms]

And what would you call yourself in this equation as a former resident of the Velvet Room, Miss Elizabeth?

[text]

[guidemethroughit]

[Oh, someone knows her personal details! Well -- it wasn't as if she was keeping her ex-occupation under wraps.]

One who once stood idly by to watch the growth of humanity, but has taken her will into her own hands.

[otakuro]

You're saying that morality is relative. It depends on the society and the culture you grew up in. What they recognize as good is what you know to be good because it's the only example you've got. Some people believe there's an absolute good because it's modeled after an absolute good - a god. Well. I've met the one who's supposed to be Absolutely Good - or... gotten close enough that I know what he's all about, anyway. And I can say, that's a total crock.

So, sure, you're right, to a degree. But who cares? It's just words, and words only mean as much as we let them mean.

I'm not gonna fight for things like 'good' or 'justice' or whatever. I'll fight for us - for people. For people, individually, and for people as a whole. I believe in us - in humanity. I believe we have a future, and I believe that no matter what it is that's trying to destroy us, gods or the God or demons or other humans... we'll make it out alright.

[therooms]

A fine speech and one I may have heard before, however...what do you make of those who aren't human? Shall you fight for them too?

[otakuro]

Speech? That was practically concise compared to what we just got from you.

There aren't sapient things outside of humanity. Not in my world, anyway. Over here? Yeah, I'd put us on the same level. But the people who actually live in this world are human, too, so... that's what we're here for, isn't it? For their sakes.

not here

[ihaveanannouncement]

[Saori herself doesn't have real opinion of moral relativity. She's just done whatever she thinks is correct her whole life, stumbling along the way to find out what's wrong and what's right. But she is interested in reading everyone else's opinions to this.

Being an observer is more comfortable than participating.]

[ghost_shield]

*He mulls the words around in his head a bit.*

You'll have to forgive me if I'm rough about this. Philosophy isn't exactly a strong point of mine.

I think, perhaps, there's a certain truth to the idea that what is evil and what is good is largely a societal construction. On the other hand, it's an entirely necessary one. Humans are strange creatures, in a way; we have many varying impulses, some good, some bad. Yet we also have more complex ideas to mitigate those impulses. Conscience? Morality? God? Maybe they're constructs, but they're ones that allow us to create a framework in which to work together. They can cause conflicts too, but that's always the risk with ideas: somebody's idea might be evil to someone else.

Are humans Gods? I suppose so -- but only under the understanding that the Gods themselves are flawed, if somewhat powerful creatures. I think the risk comes in thinking not only that you ARE a God, but that being a God somehow makes you infallible. And it doesn't.

Man, that's a lot of stream of consciousness. Still, that's what I think. What about you, Mr. Anon?

[stringmods]

My thoughts are my own, and not one that I give away so freely. However, I will congratulate you on having a sound mind. the ability to question our surroundings may be a part of Mankind's greatest gift, after all.

[ghost_shield]

My line of work sort of relies on maintaining a reasonable capacity for seeing shades of gray. Of course, it also requires understanding the fine balance between reasonable and unreasonable demands. I can see the constructions, but I'm still human, so I have my own ideas on what good and evil entail. This isn't to say they can't be complicated on occasion, but I have to take a stand sometimes or else risk just being walked all over, and potentially getting myself hurt -- or worse, others. If this means occasionally being forced to judge, so be it.

[not_that_sasuke]

[He makes a mental note to check out this Carl Jung fellow.]

What is the definition of a god in this scenario?

[therooms]

Whatever you would like it to be. The meaning seems to change from individual to individual.

[not_that_sasuke]

Then that definition could also include spirits of objects or animals that have gained human sentience?

anonymous text;

[handshakegreeting]

I believe that in and of itself is up to the individual. One could have the most sincere of intentions, yet be viewed as a villain for what actions they have chosen and how they perform them on the path they tread. No two individuals will see the same situation in the same light, after all.

"Good" is only good whilst it rings with well-meant intentions, as does "evil" when it reeks of malevolence. They are the opposing sides of the same coin. The same could be said of many things, as well: Life stagnates when there is no death. There is no meaning, no moments of joy or truths to cherish if there is not grief and sadness.

As for gods...

For some they exist, for others... they do not. Perhaps they are simply unseen catalysts for events that could be explained by human-developed sciences. However, is it not rude to deny that which can be brought to light?

In short, they all can be considered constructs of the mind. Yet I believe you already know this, son of man.

text

[therooms]

And you feel you wish to discuss the matter with me? I should feel honored.

Rudeness depends on the light brought forth.

And indeed I do.

[text][anon]

[autofocus]

a man who is a god is who can see the truth, happiness and love under every skirt

[Absolute sincerity.]

[text][anon]

[therooms]

And here I thought that those chosen had at least one quality about them.

I was clearly wrong.

[cowardlyjustice]

[Okay so looking at old entries for a quick second, and this caught his eye.

All this TL; DR and humanity talk.... could it be...??]

phil, that you? might wanna lay off whatever youre on there thou

Text

[therooms]

This is not Philemon.