My preferred model of the good emotional life is to entertain whatever thoughts come, realizing that thoughts can by themselves never be evil or immoral.
Thoughts are known to cause action. That’s why people take care in entertaining and expressing their thoughts.
Well, I suspect that in practice people take care in expressing their thoughts in these sorts of contexts primarily because expressions of thoughts are frequently treated by others as evidence of otherwise-imperceivable actions, which isn’t quite the same thing.
Sam thinks “I’m having this thought. I know that thoughts cause actions, and I don’t wish to act on this thought. Therefore, I will avoid thinking about this thought. Further, I know that expressing thoughts makes those thoughts more likely in the future. Therefore, I will also avoid expressing that thought.”
Pat thinks “I’m having this thought. I know that if I express this thought, my neighbors will assume that I’m acting on this thought. I don’t want them to believe that. Therefore, I will avoid expressing that thought.”
I’m saying that: *Sam and Pat are doing two very different things
your description of why people take care in expressing their thoughts seems to describe Sam
my description seems to describe Pat
I think most of the times people take care in expressing their thoughts, they are behaving more like Pat than Sam.
Gotcha. It’s kinda funny I meant to describe Pat in the first place, didn’t even think about the first one. If you know thoughts cause actions, so will everyone else. They’ll know you have thoughts that cause actions if you express them. I think my comment could convey both of these interpretations.
Ah, gotcha. Sorry, I misunderstood you. I was perhaps primed by reading a bunch of earlier comments from other people that were more explicitly talking about the former.
Thoughts are known to cause action. That’s why people take care in entertaining and expressing their thoughts.
Well, I suspect that in practice people take care in expressing their thoughts in these sorts of contexts primarily because expressions of thoughts are frequently treated by others as evidence of otherwise-imperceivable actions, which isn’t quite the same thing.
I’m not sure I get what you’re saying.
Consider two people, Sam and Pat.
Sam thinks “I’m having this thought. I know that thoughts cause actions, and I don’t wish to act on this thought. Therefore, I will avoid thinking about this thought. Further, I know that expressing thoughts makes those thoughts more likely in the future. Therefore, I will also avoid expressing that thought.”
Pat thinks “I’m having this thought. I know that if I express this thought, my neighbors will assume that I’m acting on this thought. I don’t want them to believe that. Therefore, I will avoid expressing that thought.”
I’m saying that:
*Sam and Pat are doing two very different things
your description of why people take care in expressing their thoughts seems to describe Sam
my description seems to describe Pat
I think most of the times people take care in expressing their thoughts, they are behaving more like Pat than Sam.
Gotcha. It’s kinda funny I meant to describe Pat in the first place, didn’t even think about the first one. If you know thoughts cause actions, so will everyone else. They’ll know you have thoughts that cause actions if you express them. I think my comment could convey both of these interpretations.
Ah, gotcha. Sorry, I misunderstood you.
I was perhaps primed by reading a bunch of earlier comments from other people that were more explicitly talking about the former.