Old 06-03-2012, 06:36 PM
  # 317 (permalink)  
Dalek
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Originally Posted by harry101 View Post
...what is there to distinguish between

a) the Beast, IT, taking over the personal pronoun I and pretending to be I in order to smoke and

b) the real "I" actually changing its mind and deciding to smoke?
That's easy. The Beast can't control the extremities, and it can't light a match, or a cigarette. You are describing the illusion of powerlessness that characterizes addiction. It may appear that the Beast is the one lighting the cigarette ("autopilot"), but it just isn't so. We can blame the Beast for the idea to smoke, and all the planning required, but only up until that pivotal moment when the conscious "I" decides to act on the plan and engages the voluntary muscles.

Originally Posted by harry101 View Post
Can scenario b) ever be true in the context of AVRT and a Big Plan? I don't think it can be.
The Big Plan is permanent and irreversible by definition, so if we go by that, then no. Someone can certainly say "to heck with my Big Plan," but then, it becomes (or always was) not-quite-a-big-plan, since it doesn't fit the definition of a Big Plan. I think this is what GerandTwine was trying to say, but with fewer words.

In the context of a Big Plan, where the "I" never smokes, and doesn't even have the option of choosing to smoke, then I cannot recognize all of the addictive voice and still smoke. Voluntary action such as lighting a cigarette requires the implicit use of the pronoun "I" in order to execute will, because "IT" will not, and cannot, move my arms and hands.

I may recognize lots of AV, and then still decide to smoke, but only if the part that does the smoking is not recognized, or objectified as "IT", if you prefer. In order for me to smoke, either recognition did not occur, or I consciously decided not to objectify the AV, essentially becoming one with the Beast ("all Beast").

It is not possible that I didn't recognize the desire to smoke. It was too conspicuous not to recognize, and I am adept at recognition. Rather, I chose not to objectify that desire as IT, and chose to not maintain the separation. As I was about to buy the pack of cigarettes, I heard the AV clearly say "you know what would go well with those cigarettes? Some Beer! Why not get a six pack as well?"

In contrast to the smoking thoughts, though, I did objectify the drinking thoughts as the Beast. This gives some weight to what GerandTwine concluded, which is that my original plan to stop smoking, in contrast to my plan for drinking, was not actually a Big Plan. If this were simply a failure of AV recognition (scenario a), then I would have picked up that six pack of beer right along with the pack of cigarettes, but I did not.
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