Imposing fixed meanings

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The eternalist ploy imposing fixed meanings is the first of several that hallucinate meanings that don’t exist, in order to avoid perceiving nebulosity.

This ploy tries to force a pre-determined set of categories on experience. These often have fixed positive and negative values, and demand that you take particular actions in response to them. The “abominations” of the Old Testament are examples. “Stereotypes” are one contemporary secular manifestation.

Often these categories don’t fit, and the imposed meanings are wrong. When you act on them, reality eventually slaps you upside the head. You get unpleasant outcomes you didn’t expect—based on your wrong categorization. Then you are shocked and confused; the conceptual system breaks down and you have no idea what to do.

The antidote is curiosity. Wonder what things mean; investigate without presuppositions. Allow things to mean whatever they do, or to remain mysterious or meaningless if that’s what they want. Avoid premature judgements of meaning.

Ultimately, the antidote to all eternalism is to understand, recognize, accept, and stabilize the complete stance: that meanings are always fluid, partial, changing, and vague.