Laertes Profile Joined August 2010 321 Posts Last Edited: 2017-04-08 19:34:46 #1









Am I crazy?









Or Enlightened.







And how does this affect DoTA?







Modern Philosophy and Science cannot exist without the notion that there is a part of our existence that is outside human control. In our Materialistic worldview, we have conceived of these events as "just happening". But I am no longer able to comprehend that notion; my spiritual view of the cosmos won't allow it. Call it childlike but what if the Universe has a mind(not a brain) like ours.What if we are the agents that carry out its cosmic will. Our Free Will is connected to its sense of mission, and so two things that should not coexist, predestination and free will, do so, and do so harmoniously.



This Panentheistic view of reality has important implications on the ground level. For example, what is it with dota?







Many people speak of matchmaking like it has intelligence.



People tell them they're just imagining things or they're just not playing well enough to have an impact.





...



But what if these people aren't wrong? What if they really are experiencing a calamity of teammates that are terrible and aren't allowing them to win?

And what if it's all for their own good?



In my worldview, I have an answer to this kind of experience. But to understand we have to discuss a very particular philosophical book.



Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy



In this book, written while Boethius is undergoing a Roman Death Sentence(Romans gave criminals death sentenced by slowly cutting off their body parts. They wanted to torture the criminal and they wanted the death sentence to be as long and as cruel as humanly possible). Boethius has previously been a child of fortune. He is the second-in-command to the Gothic King, he has a beautiful wife and his children are both consuls. Then he is caught in a political plot. In Consolation, Lady Philosophy, an embodiment of Philosophy herself, shows Boethius that his material sufferings are merely a distraction. He has lived a thousand lives and will live a thousand more. She shows him that everything he undergoes in his life is a test to be learned from, and by rising to the challenge he will be all the better because of it. In short, she teaches Boethius to look at the stars in wonder.



Boethius has been mistaken for talking about a Christian God, but actually he is talking about God as the whole Universe, conscious and living and breathing through man. In such a Universe, there can be no such thing as random chance.



I myself have experienced patterns in queues, but because I have this awareness, I have recognized what the hardship has brought to me. It has in fact improved my play, improved my hero pool, improved everything. But these people who complain don't see this. Winning is all that matters to them, so when they don't win, they forget that the Universe is benevolent, and because they believe only in chance, their experiences don't tie together or make sense.



Perhaps the Universe IS forcing these people to 50%, but remember when I said that we are the agents of the cosmos? If the Universe is forcing you to 50%, you are the solution, not anyone else. Even if it seems like you can't win because your teammates are terrible, you still have control over your attitude and many other things. Everything you need to unlock your potential begins with you. So nothing really changes, the wise ones aren't wrong when they say that you are the only constant factor. You're still human, you're still gonna get mad and become salty from time to time, but understanding that you are connected to everything else can help you figure out what is going on with your Dota, even if it seems like the problem is purely external, I guarantee you it is not. Something you are holding within is influencing your teammates play and yours, and you have to heal that or change it.



I hope my musings aren't so confusing or convoluted. I hope everyone who reads this takes inspiration, even if they don't agree with what is said.



I don't believe in random chance.Am I crazy?Or Enlightened.And how does this affect DoTA?Modern Philosophy and Science cannot exist without the notion that there is a part of our existence that is outside human control. In our Materialistic worldview, we have conceived of these events as "just happening". But I am no longer able to comprehend that notion; my spiritual view of the cosmos won't allow it. Call it childlike but what if the Universe has a mind(not a brain) like ours.What if we are the agents that carry out its cosmic will. Our Free Will is connected to its sense of mission, and so two things that should not coexist, predestination and free will, do so, and do so harmoniously.This Panentheistic view of reality has important implications on the ground level. For example, what is it with dota?Many people speak of matchmaking like it has intelligence. They cry on reddit that it is forcing their winrate to 50%. People tell them they're just imagining things or they're just not playing well enough to have an impact....But what if these people aren't wrong? What if they really are experiencing a calamity of teammates that are terrible and aren't allowing them to win?And what if it's all for their own good?In my worldview, I have an answer to this kind of experience. But to understand we have to discuss a very particular philosophical book.In this book, written while Boethius is undergoing a Roman Death Sentence(Romans gave criminals death sentenced by slowly cutting off their body parts. They wanted to torture the criminal and they wanted the death sentence to be as long and as cruel as humanly possible). Boethius has previously been a child of fortune. He is the second-in-command to the Gothic King, he has a beautiful wife and his children are both consuls. Then he is caught in a political plot. In, Lady Philosophy, an embodiment of Philosophy herself, shows Boethius that his material sufferings are merely a distraction. He has lived a thousand lives and will live a thousand more. She shows him that everything he undergoes in his life is a test to be learned from, and by rising to the challenge he will be all the better because of it. In short, she teaches Boethius to look at the stars in wonder.Boethius has been mistaken for talking about a Christian God, but actually he is talking about God as the whole Universe, conscious and living and breathing through man. In such a Universe, there can be no such thing as random chance.I myself have experienced patterns in queues, but because I have this awareness, I have recognized what the hardship has brought to me. It has in fact improved my play, improved my hero pool, improved everything. But these people who complain don't see this. Winning is all that matters to them, so when they don't win, they forget that the Universe is benevolent, and because they believe only in chance, their experiences don't tie together or make sense.Perhaps the Universe IS forcing these people to 50%, but remember when I said that we are the agents of the cosmos? If the Universe is forcing you to 50%, you are the solution, not anyone else. Even if it seems like you can't win because your teammates are terrible, you still have control over your attitude and many other things. Everything you need to unlock your potential begins with you. So nothing really changes, the wise ones aren't wrong when they say that you are the only constant factor. You're still human, you're still gonna get mad and become salty from time to time, but understanding that you are connected to everything else can help you figure out what is going on with your Dota, even if it seems like the problem is purely external, I guarantee you it is not. Something you are holding within is influencing your teammates play and yours, and you have to heal that or change it.I hope my musings aren't so confusing or convoluted. I hope everyone who reads this takes inspiration, even if they don't agree with what is said.

ahswtini Profile Joined June 2008 Northern Ireland 16336 Posts #2 https://www.dotabuff.com/players/193113856



the universe is doing a pretty shit job forcing u to be 50% the universe is doing a pretty shit job forcing u to be 50% "As I've said, balance isn't about strategies or counters, it's about probability and statistics." - paralleluniverse

eieio Profile Joined November 2009 United States 12099 Posts #3 On April 09 2017 06:03 ahswtini wrote:

https://www.dotabuff.com/players/193113856



the universe is doing a pretty shit job forcing u to be 50% the universe is doing a pretty shit job forcing u to be 50%

its a parallel universe that is forcing him tini its a parallel universe that is forcing him tini Staff RapGenius.com is white devil sophistry / Urban Dictionary is for demons with college degrees

Laertes Profile Joined August 2010 321 Posts #4 On April 09 2017 08:00 eieio wrote:

Show nested quote +

On April 09 2017 06:03 ahswtini wrote:

https://www.dotabuff.com/players/193113856



the universe is doing a pretty shit job forcing u to be 50% the universe is doing a pretty shit job forcing u to be 50%

its a parallel universe that is forcing him tini its a parallel universe that is forcing him tini



Let's focus on the contents of my post please, I was 16 when I bought the account I kinda just wanna let it go. Let's focus on the contents of my post please, I was 16 when I bought the account I kinda just wanna let it go.

TheVideoGameGuy Profile Joined May 2015 India 209 Posts Last Edited: 2017-04-09 03:53:18 #5 The day that we predict the point of the collapse of the wave function of any particle at a particular instant before the collapse is the day I will agree with you. I also see no reason to believe in a higher consciousness, and even if there was (such as a deistic deity) I see no reason why he'd bother with us little accidents of entropy. But if it comforts you, then by all means go ahead. Thy dendemic fools completing thy generic life processes

Archeon Profile Joined May 2011 1926 Posts Last Edited: 2017-04-30 01:04:42 #6 The thing I never get about theistic views is how people positively interpret them. If there is a will behind creation, then what about all the shit that's happening? Doesn't that make the creator/will a tyrant? It's not like dead people can improve. If a deity existed, the more powerful it was, the lesser the amount of scenarios get in which you could call it benevolent.



People talk about everything like it had intelligence btw, when people hit their toe at a chair they are going to call the chair stupid in 9 out of 10 cases. And I fail to see the message the universe is conveying in that regard.

If we stopped pretending the chair did it on purpose we'd have to accept that it's our fault but we are too mad at the situation. So object personification and MMR blaming actually keeps people from improving. low gravity, yes-yes!

Laertes Profile Joined August 2010 321 Posts #7 On April 27 2017 20:27 Archeon wrote:

The thing I never get about theistic views is how people positively interpret them. If there is a will behind creation, then what about all the shit that's happening? Doesn't that make the creator/will a tyrant? It's not like dead people can improve. If a deity existed, the more powerful it was, the lesser the amount of scenarios get in which you could call it benevolent.



People talk about everything like it had intelligence btw, when people hit their toe at a chair they are going to call the chair stupid in 9 out of 10 cases. And I fail to see the message the universe is conveying in that regard.

If we stopped pretending the chair did it on purpose we'd have to accept that it's our fault but we are too mad at the situation. So object personification and MMR blaming actually keeps people from improving.



You seem quite interested in this topic so I'll give you a little something to chew on.



You make a few assumptions about the nature of reality but there's a lot to understand and we can't cover that much ground right now so I'll make this short.



For us to talk about intelligence, we need to have a theory about how events come to occur. One of the fundamental features of an intelligent and therefore rational Universe is that only one thing ever happens because only one thing was ever going to happen. Now obviously Jesus doesn't wave a magic wand and things happen because we do live in an inherently rational Universe(there is a proof for this but it gets more complex the deeper we go so I'll hold off for now). But existence does have a rather interesting format for things to occur. Now there are two ways to interpret what I'm about to tell you. Only one can be objectively proven because the other requires a leap of knowledge that can only be garnered indirectly, through observation for example.



The minimalist interpretation is basically this: As Aristotle says there is a Prime Mover at the beginning of existence. A first cause that leads to all other causes. From there on out creation has its own gravity. Dust coalesces into planets and stars and what have you. From the beginning we realize the nature of cause and effect: causes are effects and effects are causes, so that causes create more causes and effects create more effects and vice versa.



The reason that only one thing ever happens is that in every instance of time, the laws of the universe never allow something different to happen in the same sets of circumstances. In a rational universe, gravity always works on the pen that is dropped from your hand. In the rational universe, the magnets always repulse and attract where they are supposed to repulse and attract. People who make decisions never make a decision that they would not make. As in, at any one time, everything you do is determined by who you are and what is going on around you. In some ways, Free Will is more about the Essence of You than it is about Will to Power as in deciding on something to do. Free Will is being instead of doing, if that makes any sense.



The maximalist interpretation creates a huge what if. What if it was set up that way?

This is an important question which I wont go into depth about here.

It's important because its the difference between a caring and uncaring Universe.

In the latter vision, life is a series of challenges which we must face, as if we are each living our own epic myth;

I can't go into the entire background of the logical validity of this idea; I would have talk about Leibniz and I don't have for that right now. I just dropped by to give you this since you seemed interested. Feel free to ask me anything else, I can answer some of the ideas you had about creator as a tyrant and the dead not being able to learn(Actually they can, and Socrates proved with logic that the soul exists before and after death), but alas I must go. Cheers. You seem quite interested in this topic so I'll give you a little something to chew on.You make a few assumptions about the nature of reality but there's a lot to understand and we can't cover that much ground right now so I'll make this short.For us to talk about intelligence, we need to have a theory about how events come to occur. One of the fundamental features of an intelligent and therefore rational Universe is that only one thing ever happens because only one thing was ever going to happen. Now obviously Jesus doesn't wave a magic wand and things happen because we do live in an inherently rational Universe(there is a proof for this but it gets more complex the deeper we go so I'll hold off for now). But existence does have a rather interesting format for things to occur. Now there are two ways to interpret what I'm about to tell you. Only one can be objectively proven because the other requires a leap of knowledge that can only be garnered indirectly, through observation for example.The minimalist interpretation is basically this: As Aristotle says there is a Prime Mover at the beginning of existence. A first cause that leads to all other causes. From there on out creation has its own gravity. Dust coalesces into planets and stars and what have you. From the beginning we realize the nature of cause and effect: causes are effects and effects are causes, so that causes create more causes and effects create more effects and vice versa.The reason that only one thing ever happens is that in every instance of time, the laws of the universe never allow something different to happen in the same sets of circumstances. In a rational universe, gravity always works on the pen that is dropped from your hand. In the rational universe, the magnets always repulse and attract where they are supposed to repulse and attract. People who make decisions never make a decision that they would not make. As in, at any one time, everything you do is determined by who you are and what is going on around you. In some ways, Free Will is more about the Essence of You than it is about Will to Power as in deciding on something to do. Free Will is being instead of doing, if that makes any sense.The maximalist interpretation creates a huge what if. What if it was set up that way?This is an important question which I wont go into depth about here.It's important because its the difference between a caring and uncaring Universe.In the latter vision, life is a series of challenges which we must face, as if we are each living our own epic myth;I can't go into the entire background of the logical validity of this idea; I would have talk about Leibniz and I don't have for that right now. I just dropped by to give you this since you seemed interested. Feel free to ask me anything else, I can answer some of the ideas you had about creator as a tyrant and the dead not being able to learn(Actually they can, and Socrates proved with logic that the soul exists before and after death), but alas I must go. Cheers.

evanthebouncy! Profile Joined June 2006 United States 1886 Posts #8 you got a brain, it can reason about stuff



your brain is too small to hold all the informations and patterns. so barring the "true" random that physicists would argue do exist via quantum mechanics, there are "as good as random" deterministic events that are just too much trouble to perceive with your limited brain.



so might as well treat them as random. Life is run, it is dance, it is fast, passionate and BAM!, you dance and sing and booze while you can for now is the time and time is mine. Smile and laugh when still can for now is the time and soon you die!

Laertes Profile Joined August 2010 321 Posts #9 On May 02 2017 18:37 evanthebouncy! wrote:

you got a brain, it can reason about stuff



your brain is too small to hold all the informations and patterns. so barring the "true" random that physicists would argue do exist via quantum mechanics, there are "as good as random" deterministic events that are just too much trouble to perceive with your limited brain.



so might as well treat them as random.



You'd be surprised how much you can suddenly have knowledge of when everything is "by design". Suddenly, you can sort of create this mathematical induction of knowledge using things that exist in the world to tell you about say, someone's personality(astrology), Indications of your dota play in that specific game based on your k/d(numerology), question and answer with your subconscious to answer difficult questions(daemon), or flipping random pictured cards to tell the future(tarot). All these spiritual techniques hinge on the idea that there is no such thing as random chance. I don't think the Universe is outside the comprehension of man, because Man is created like God, and our mind mirrors His. But you could also say that the Universe being fundamentally comprehensible is an important feature of a rational Universe(which wouldn't have random chance- "God doesn't play with dice"). You'd be surprised how much you can suddenly have knowledge of when everything is "by design". Suddenly, you can sort of create this mathematical induction of knowledge using things that exist in the world to tell you about say, someone's personality(astrology), Indications of your dota play in that specific game based on your k/d(numerology), question and answer with your subconscious to answer difficult questions(daemon), or flipping random pictured cards to tell the future(tarot). All these spiritual techniques hinge on the idea that there is no such thing as random chance. I don't think the Universe is outside the comprehension of man, because Man is created like God, and our mind mirrors His. But you could also say that the Universe being fundamentally comprehensible is an important feature of a rational Universe(which wouldn't have random chance- "God doesn't play with dice").