Is this whole universe only a concept?

Last night I was having a good conversation with Joe in chat. We were discussing how real "fictional" characters actually are. I came to a conclusion that they are just as real as we are, if not more. For example, Harry Potter was invented purely for entertainment purposes, yet how many people know his name? How many people have been influenced by his actions? How developed is he as a character? I mean, he's fought Lord Voldemort since he was a baby. The two fundamental differences between you and Harry Potter are perception and emotion.

Perception, because people will always view you as real, and Harry Potter as fictional.

Emotion, because you can feel emotion, but Harry cannot.

Why didn't I say that Harry Potter is just a story that was written and published years ago? Because people still talk about it and think about it, you are now by reading this thread. Your story is still being written, and you are being influenced by your surroundings just as Harry was influenced by the memory of J. K. Rowling.

I used to think it was your personality that is you, but now I think it's your memory. Memory is what shapes your character, and is how the world views you. It's not your fault you're lazy, it's the media and technology's fault. But don't blame the media, blame our screwed society. Every time you buy groceries, honk your horn impatiently while waiting in traffic, or take your dog for a walk, that memory will spread across the world and influence everyone. Just by living your life, you affect everyone and everything in the subtlest of ways.

So what happens after we die? We lose our emotions and bodies, but besides for that, things continue as usual. We might say we "Become one with the Force". Our memory lives on, people might write stories or publish movies about us. Even if "you" as a person are forgotten, your memory would still live on in the subtlest of ways and affect generations to come.

There are gentler ways of saying it, then you have no control over your actions. This was a hard thing for me to accept, but as I investigated it further I realized it's true. And I can prove it, right now.

Close your eyes and try not to think for five minutes straight. You'll realize you can't even control the next thought that comes into your head.

Extend your arm straight out in front of you and try to hold it perfectly still.

What does all this mean? We're just here to enjoy the ride. Don't stress it too much. I'm also curious about your opinions on this matter.

Harry is not a product of memory, he is a product of inspiration and creativity. He has never had a body nor was born through a vagina nor will he ever experience a physical death and be buried. I don't see your point?

I see your point Ryder. Conan the barbarian is more real to me than most of the people in this temple. That is, I know Conan better than I know most of the folks here. I can imagine what Conan might say about any given topic and I can tell people about Conan as though he really is a real person. If you didn't know that Harry Potter is a fictional character, some people might be able to describe him in such a way that you go through life believing that he really exists. In that sense, he is just as real as any other person you have heard about but never actually met. I guess, the only thing we can really believe about this universe is what we have directly experienced ourselves. And even then, what we perceive cannot always be trusted.

I see your point Ryder. Conan the barbarian is more real to me than most of the people in this temple. That is, I know Conan better than I know most of the folks here. I can imagine what Conan might say about any given topic and I can tell people about Conan as though he really is a real person.

Depending on how long you have been here, I would see that as a fairly serious problem.

I have been in Jedi/Sith communities for almost 2 decades, and I am only binging up "time in" because at this juncture, I would find it a serious problem if people knew a fictional character better than me, especially with how much we talk about and share in these communities, and the topics therein.

If you didn't know that Harry Potter is a fictional character, some people might be able to describe him in such a way that you go through life believing that he really exists. In that sense, he is just as real as any other person you have heard about but never actually met

Yeah.....no.

Especially when you started talking about Wizardry, powers, Hocruxes, etc.

Fairly easy to distinguish that isnt real.

Depending on how gullible, or delusional, one is ultimately.

What does "real" mean? When people say someone is/was real don't they normally mean "They were born and existed"? In which case Harry Potter is not real. But Harry Potter has real effects. A different kind of real.

Jesus and Buddha have been written about, how close are they to the person who was born and existed? Is the written person more real than the person who was born?

I will always say that me and Harry have a similar child hood. Fiction character, fictional stories but the Harry part is a bit similar and can be identified by many. The same can be said for many myths and stories.

I'd say some are both real and concept at the same time, and some were real once and remain concept, and some were only ever concept. :lol:

Akkarin wrote: What does "real" mean?

That is the key question: a question more useful (and true) than any answer we can come up with.

I believe the how "real" you are lies in how many memories you have affected.

I do not believe it is possible to really get to know someone without some kind of gave to face interaction. I have seen snippets of how Conan the barbarian was raised, I have seen how he reacts to certain stimuli, I know what he looks like when experiencing different emotions.
I have only been a member here for a few weeks, so I haven't had much interaction with anyone here. The few interactions that I have had were limited by this text only medium that obscures our true emotions behind conciliatory language and a handful of emoticons.

If you really think that I can't tell the difference between a character in a movie and a real person who was born and existed, that tells me you have a very low opinion of my intelligence. [strike]Excellent, my plan is proceeding nicely.[/strike]