Can you prove your own existence?

[s0teric]

If this world is an illusion and nothing is really happening would you be able to tell? Is this reality or is it a false one? How do you know?

You can just share your opinion or take the challenge of proving to me that you exist, if you like.

[† Talena Mae]

I exist... cause I am here.... but how do I know I am here? My friends see me.... but how do i know they are real also?

I bleed... if i did not exist how could I bleed? how so you know it is not simulated blood? I feel pain... how do you know the pain is also not simulated? I dont know...

How does one prove they exist... One can not prove they exist...

[Shade_13]

I don't believe i got the question right. Can you for instance bring an example of something that does exist indeed, so that i can use it in my answer?

Until that, does the fact that my existence can heavily affect the existence of others count?

I can smile to a plain girl in the street and she will feel more confidence in herself.

I can snap at a kid playing loudly and make him cry.

I can insult a lost, disturbed person so deeply that he will later commit suicide.

I can make someone feel attracted to me, or make them hate me.

Finally, I can put an end to someone's existence, kill them, or give life to a new person, starting a new existence.

Pretty a broad variety of possibilities for a simple illusion, isn't it.

[† Anras Rune]

the simple fact of the matter is no one can actually prove they exist as for all we kno we are prefabrications of someones or somethings concious. in that respect we can prove our own existance in ur own minds but when compared to the rest of the world we cannot

[Digital Reaper]

I exist cause i believe i exist

[s0teric]

I don't believe i got the question right. Can you for instance bring an example of something that does exist indeed, so that i can use it in my answer?

Pretty a broad variety of possibilities for a simple illusion, isn't it.

If I brought in something that DOES exist that would ruin the punch line

just because something is complex doesn't prove that it's not an illusion in and of itself... you have to be able to KNOW, you know what I mean?

You guys are thinking and thats good but there was someone who attempted to prove this in the past... maybe they can inspire your thinking more...

[Clockwork]

'Cogito Ergo Sum', there's my answer.

[† Mute point]

Proving that one exists is similar to how religious people prove that their god exists.. Ask someone else to prove that you don't. If they can't, then you must.

[s0teric]

'Cogito Ergo Sum', there's my answer.

YES! if you took my hint you took it well. However, I have some problems with this philosophy. Des Carte's line of thought goes as such. He looks at the world with a skeptical view and says, attempting to string a chain of absolute truth, that if there is one thing he cannot doubt it is that he is doubting(thinking). And because he is doubting(thinking) there must be a doubter. However, this line of thought presupposes he has a mind and logic to come to this conclusion. In order to prove he has a brain to think with he has to prove his own existence first. If he didn't have a brain to process information, he can't doubt it (or think). Therefore, unfortunately, this line of thought is invalid. That was a good answer, however, one of the best one would be able to think of in an extemporaneous situation, as people have spent lifetimes thinking about this. So if we cannot know, for a fact, that we exist without presupposing it ourselves, how can we know anything? In what situation could we know something for certain without presupposing it?

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Proving that one exists is similar to how religious people prove that their god exists.. Ask someone else to prove that you don't. If they can't, then you must.

Not true, if they don't exist then how can they prove you don't. That's just irrational. You must remove all reasonable doubt, brushing the problem under the rug and saying well I can't think of anything doesn't prove anything.

[Clockwork]

Proving that one exists is similar to how religious people prove that their god exists.. Ask someone else to prove that you don't. If they can't, then you must.

However, vice versa you cannot prove their existance either.

[Clockwork]

YES! if you took my hint you took it well. However, I have some problems with this philosophy. Des Carte's line of thought goes as such. He looks at the world with a skeptical view and says, attempting to string a chain of absolute truth, that if there is one thing he cannot doubt it is that he is doubting(thinking). And because he is doubting(thinking) there must be a doubter. However, this line of thought presupposes he has a mind and logic to come to this conclusion. In order to prove he has a brain to think with he has to prove his own existence first. If he didn't have a brain to process information, he can't doubt it (or think). Therefore, unfortunately, this line of thought is invalid. That was a good answer, however, one of the best one would be able to think of in an extemporaneous situation, as people have spent lifetimes thinking about this. So if we cannot know, for a fact, that we exist without presupposing it ourselves, how can we know anything? In what situation could we know something for certain without presupposing it?

You are right about the quote being used in extemporaneous situation.

I am not too sure about the validity of this but someone commented it to me on deviantART. He was showing me that it is possible you can prove something doesn't exist. There is an empty table with nothing on it. An old man says to another man that there is a box on it and describes what it looks like. He then points to where it is and tells the man to pick it up but it isn't there. Thus proving that a box doesn't exist there.

I am just saying that we could always start first by proving what doesn't exist rather than what does.

[s0teric]

I am not too sure about the validity of this but someone commented it to me on deviantART. He was showing me that it is possible you can prove something doesn't exist. There is an empty table with nothing on it. An old man says to another man that there is a box on it and describes what it looks like. He then points to where it is and tells the man to pick it up but it isn't there. Thus proving that a box doesn't exist there.

You can't prove anything if you first don't prove your own existance, because you don't have a mind to come to any conclusions and process any information because you don't exist. In your example, no, you wouldn't have seen that comment on deviantart. You don't exist, silly. Prove to me that you exist first and then I'll accept that argument

[Clockwork]

I can only prove that I exist to myself but I can't prove it to anyone else but even then you can't believe me because I can't prove that I exist to you.

[s0teric]

I can only prove that I exist to myself but I can't prove it to anyone else but even then you can't believe me because I can't prove that I exist to you.

the same line of logic applies to everything. you can't prove that individual things exist without proving the whole, because if you exist than you can know. And if you can know and you do know there has to be things to know. In other words, something can't exist in a nonexistant place. So if you can't prove it to anyone else you can't prove it at all.

[Bigntall]

What is real? How do we define real? If real is merely what you can see, smell, or touch, then real is simply electrical impulses interpretted by your brain. (I know, I probably screwed the quote up. But I don't care, it's been many years since I watched that movie)

[s0teric]

What is real? How do we define real? If real is merely what you can see, smell, or touch, then real is simply electrical impulses interpretted by your brain. (I know, I probably screwed the quote up. But I don't care, it's been many years since I watched that movie)

I see we have a matrix man! However, the matrix did nothing to prove one's existence either as once you got out of the dream world the robots had created how do you know that world is real? It's more like inception where you had to prove you weren't in a dream. Except you have no totem. The trick in this situation is finding an unchanging point to reference in order to prove/define reality. Good quote!

[Bardon]

If we can't prove to be real, how can they prove we aren't?

If everything in me like my memories, my feelings and my attachments is a big dream/illusion, it'd be no different in thinking my life was a lie and that i refuse to believe that no matter what logics ppl come up with.

Nobody has the right to declare who's non existing because they all are no different than each other, since we're in this together, since we all are doing something different its clear to believe we are different and our individuality alongside our conscience is more than enough to prove our own existences.

[s0teric]

If we can't prove to be real, how can they prove we aren't?

If everything in me like my memories, my feelings and my attachments is a big dream/illusion, it'd be no different in thinking my life was a lie and that i refuse to believe that no matter what logics ppl come up with.

Nobody has the right to declare who's non existing because they all are no different than each other, since we're in this together, since we all are doing something different its clear to believe we are different and our individuality alongside our conscience is more than enough to prove our own existences.

Okay, once again, you can't prove your own existence through complexity/things around you. If you can't prove that your mind exists in which you process all of this information then that would be a possible explanation but there are much better arguments to go off of once you prove your own existence. However, unless you prove that your mind exists you can't talk to me based on logic or life experience. What logic? You don't exist, silly. Your memories? What memories?

I personally believe that this is reality and this world exists, but no one has come up with a valid argument without presupposing their own existence. I'm not telling you, you don't exist. It's just a good thing to think through because if you don't know you exist nothing matters, and there is no truth. You can't know anything. And that's just bad

[seirachan]

Okay, once again, you can't prove your own existence through complexity/things around you. If you can't prove that your mind exists in which you process all of this information then that would be a possible explanation but there are much better arguments to go off of once you prove your own existence. However, unless you prove that your mind exists you can't talk to me based on logic or life experience. What logic? You don't exist, silly. Your memories? What memories?

I personally believe that this is reality and this world exists, but no one has come up with a valid argument without presupposing their own existence. I'm not telling you, you don't exist. It's just a good thing to think through because if you don't know you exist nothing matters, and there is no truth. You can't know anything. And that's just bad

It really doesn't matter, Hell for all we know we are all just playing a game that we wont remember till it's over. There's so many possibility's beyond the eye. But it just doesn't matter. Who cares if you are forgotten. Just live your life. We don't need a meaning. Perhaps it wont matter in the end. Oh well. I know that right now If I die it will hurt someone here. What i do will affect someone here. I don't need my existence to be proved. The emotions and people around me are good enough.

[s0teric]

It really doesn't matter, Hell for all we know we are all just playing a game that we wont remember till it's over. There's so many possibility's beyond the eye. But it just doesn't matter. Who cares if you are forgotten. Just live your life. We don't need a meaning. Perhaps it wont matter in the end. Oh well. I know that right now If I die it will hurt someone here. What i do will affect someone here. I don't need my existence to be proved. The emotions and people around me are good enough.

how do you know you don't need a meaning for all you know there is a meaning, you just missed it and you end up paying for it. Simply brushing it aside is not an option because without knowledge you can't know if we have meaning or not, or what the outcome will be because you can't process information. Why do you desire justice? if we don't exist it doesn't matter. No rule or law can bind non-existence. Until you prove your own existence you can't talk about life, experiences, or laws. You can have fun in your nothing. I'll just party it out in reality. lol