>You look to future moments, in the present moment. There is only the present moment.
Only as an accounting trick.
People alive have a long series of present moments to go through. And they are conscious of that, and can make plans, and look forward to those.
Dead people don't have anything.
>This isn't a philosophical stance - it's actually a subtle point that isn't obvious until pointed out, everything you experience, you experience right now, and never any other time, always now.
Animals do that (and not sure even for them).
Humans always include the past and the future in their experience of "right now".
If there's "only the present moment", then knowing you have 2 weeks to live because of some sudden severe illness (with no other symptoms except death), would be just as well to anybody. I doubt that this is the case. Of course a stoic can argue otherwise (I don't care what will happen in 2 weeks), but that's a bona fide philosophical stance. Not a subtle point about the human experience.
Right, you've described our “intuitive” view — I put that in quotes because it’s more likely that the nature of our society and its emphasis on “progress” has made us think that the future is a real thing. Actually, the present moment is the only real thing, and the future is just a mental projection made in the present moment. Perhaps surprisingly, so is the past — the past is an abstraction, a projection by our minds that doesn’t really exist. This isn’t just philosophy or speculation but a fact evident to any conscious being that doesn't try to rationalize abstractions into existence, as we Westerns often do.
Some would argue that the entire universe, past present and future, exists simultaneously for an outside observer — I believe there have been some results in quantum physics even suggesting this. This might apply to the physical world, but obviously not to consciousness.
One more thing: realizing this truth is actually very freeing, and has made me more adept at conducting life strategically in this world, not less.
> "People alive have a long series of present moments to go through. And they are conscious of that, and can make plans, and look forward to those.
This is in complete agreement with what I've said. I am merely pointing out that when you make plans, when you are aware of a long series of present moments to go through, you are doing so, right now.
Never any other time.
Again, this isn't a philosophical position as is stoicism - this is based on personal experience. If you ask yourself when anything ever happens, it is only from the present moment that you can make any claims. Because the thought of what you did yesterday or what will happen tomorrow is going to always happen in the now.
> If there's "only the present moment", then knowing you have 2 weeks to live because of some sudden severe illness (with no other symptoms except death), would be just as well to anybody.
This is an excellent point. The folks who are in tune with there only ever being the present moment - would have a very different reaction from those who have a thousand and one concerns because there's the future to look forward to.
This is not to say they will not be affected - there are very deep rooted instincts in the human experience, that don't want to experience dying. The subtle point is that there is another part to the human experience that doesn't mind living or dying - the part that is very well aware that there's only the present moment, and hence no living or dying from that perspective.
It's not one perspective or another that one has to accept as 'right' - it's just recognizing that there are many aspects to life, and being aware of 'easy come, easy go' of moment to moment, as well as 'no pain, no gain' of planning your life out, is good, because then, there is balance in between the two.
The hippies are stuck in 'it's all one maaaan' and the average person is stuck in worrying about tomorrow, so the hippy would benefit from a little planning, an average person from a little oneness :)
No. It's standard practice. No company would be able to operate without acknowledging for expected revenue and planning its moves accordingly. No company lives "in the moment".
And for the same reason, it's BS to say "it's just the present" for humans as well. For animals, maybe.
Only as an accounting trick.
People alive have a long series of present moments to go through. And they are conscious of that, and can make plans, and look forward to those.
Dead people don't have anything.
>This isn't a philosophical stance - it's actually a subtle point that isn't obvious until pointed out, everything you experience, you experience right now, and never any other time, always now.
Animals do that (and not sure even for them).
Humans always include the past and the future in their experience of "right now".
If there's "only the present moment", then knowing you have 2 weeks to live because of some sudden severe illness (with no other symptoms except death), would be just as well to anybody. I doubt that this is the case. Of course a stoic can argue otherwise (I don't care what will happen in 2 weeks), but that's a bona fide philosophical stance. Not a subtle point about the human experience.