Glossary of TermsClear definitions are an important part of any especially helpful discussion, and in that spirit we've provided this glossary of some words important to Beingism. We've tried our best to define these words in a manner consistent with common usage, often as reflected by a dictionary. Sometimes, in order to discuss specific Beingist concepts which lack applicable words, we give specific meanings to words which may under other circumstances be used to indicate several different concepts, or to words which are normally defined only vaguely. We recognize that such words may legitimately be understood in a number of ways and that you may not automatically realize what we mean when we use them -- hence this glossary. Of course, as we come to better define and understand Beingism, our definitions may change and improve.
Bad Experienced negatively (unpleasantly), or more negatively than positively, by a being or group of beings.
Being Anything that has some degree of sentience.
Belief an idea one trusts accurately reflects reality.
Believe to trust an idea accurately reflects reality.
Causality The process of cause and effect.
Cause An event (A) that inevitably precedes another event (B) as a result of some underlying structure.
Compassion Consideration for the welfare (and therefore happiness) of beings.
Compassionate Behaving with consideration for the welfare (and therefore happiness) of beings.
Desire A potentially intense emotion inextricably experienced with an intuitive, often unconscious belief that some positive emotions will result from attaining something.
Determinism The idea that given the initial state of the universe and the principles at work within it, it is possible, in principle, to predict the state of the universe at any point in time.
Effect An event (B) that inevitably follows each instance of another kind of event (A) as a result of some underlying structure.
Fair The distribution of disadvantages and advantages (such as resources) based on impartial criteria (that is, criteria that do not give preference to the happiness of some individuals over others).
Faith belief in an idea regardless of the presence of supporting evidence.
Free Will The idea that the choices beings make are in principle indeterminable before they are made (regardless of the quantity of relevant knowledge or processing power available to the would-be determiner), and that the being choosing is a nonrandom “first cause.”
Good Experienced positively (pleasantly), or more positively than negatively, by a being or group of beings.
Happiness The complex experience of an overall positive mental state made up of many, largely positive, constantly evolving different sensations and emotions.
Happy Experiencing a complex, overall positive mental state made up of many, largely positive, constantly evolving different sensations and emotions..
Motivate To instill a being with the desire to do something and/or the intention to act on that desire.
Motivation Having the desire to do something and the intention to act on that desire.
Necessary Bad Something experienced negatively by a being or group of beings, but that ultimately leads to results experienced as more positive than negative.
Objective Existing independently of the perspective of a being or group of beings.
Ought [Used to signify that in order to bring about a desired result, one must take a particular action.]
Random Without cause.
Rational Consistent with the relationship between elements and between elements and the whole in a given system.
Reason 1) [verb] Thinking in a manner consistent with the relationship between elements and between elements and the whole in a given system. 2) [noun] The ability to think in a manner consistent with the relationship between elements and between elements and the whole in a given system
Reasoning using reason.
Religion 1. world view including the belief in the supernatural (especially including a sentient god or gods). 2. the institutionalization of a world view including the belief in the supernatural (especially including a sentient god or gods).
Religious believe in and/or participate in religion.
Resource Everything potentially used by the being or group of beings under consideration, possibly including (but not limited to) genetic, emotional, intellectual, social, and material things.
Sapience Capacity to experience complex thought.
Sentience Capacity to experience emotion.
Soul The purported immortal part of some kinds of beings, of indeterminate composition and so far undetectable by any scientific means, which makes up some portion of the psyche and plays a role of some kind in directing behavior.
Subjective From the perspective of a being or group of beings.
Supernatural phenomena which aren't governed by natural forces, and therefore lack an underlying logical structure (possibly including: magic, ghosts, souls, sentient gods, Santa Claus). Natural forces are being defined as all the forces in the universe.
Sustainable Able to continue indefinitely if no outside factors intervene.
Value That which a being desires.
Welfare The physical, social, mental, and financial conditions necessary to create happiness for a being or a group of beings.
Yo-yo A toy consising of a string attached to and wrapped around a deep groove in a spool, which can be spun down and up repeatedly using the laws of gravity and momentum.
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