Prelude: The term "externally influence" that I am about to discuss refers to having the mind directly influenced by something that does not pass as stimuli first. Therefore, any concept that "externally influences" the mind does not come into the mind as normal, but as some unnatural, if not divine, penetrating information. Such a concept proves things like the "divine inspiration" in writing the Bible, and also beliefs in precognition, mind reading, etc.
Information that a person produces is information from his mind alone.
Prior to being processed in the mind, things we would consider as information begin as mere stimuli. They first enter our sense organs, affecting any or all of them: as sight, sound, taste, smell, or touch. We process them, either as new information, or another pattern from previously processed information. We put them into memory, and either we incorporate them to older details, treat them as new and better information than the older and we discard the older, or we discard this new one.
Turning stimuli to mental information is more complex than it could be written. We have the capacity for decision-making. This is unlike Artificial Intelligence relying on logic and "rule of thumb" (procedure based on common sense; correct principles but may not be scientifically accurate). It includes inspired decisions, not only of need, but also of want. However, these inspirations could not be more than personal experience and interpretation. Our minds are private and cannot be directly influenced by anything outside. If it were, we would immediately recognize such intrusion in our heads. Our minds are ourselves. It is part of our individuality. If our minds can be affected by something external, it's because either, A.) Our minds are part of something much more complex - a system - taking away the notion that the mind is inside the brain, or B.)That we do not control our minds. My definition of control here could only be the full manipulation of something that is. If I say I can control a motorcycle, I could run it as fast as I want that is limited to its capabilities, and maybe I could even perform stunts with it. Having control over the motorcycle doesn't allow me to turn it into a spacecraft, nor does it allow me to make it do what it could not, like hit a truck and break the truck while the motorcycle seems untouched. Ergo, what I`mean by having control of our minds is fully realizing it, and not by doing telekinesis or imitating Professor Xavier of the X-men.
The mind, being part of a more complex and wider system, should allow us to recognize it for we have immediate control over our own minds. Immediate, because it is the nearest element to us - or to say better, it is us. We exist, and we know we do, because we think. I think, therefore I am, as Descartes puts it. We exist because we are aware. Even if we doubt our own existence, surely the one doing the doubting must exist! Since we do these in our minds, we are closest to it. Since we have immediate control over our minds, we would recognize any external system connected to our minds. So far there is only one system that we are sentiently part of, which is the society.
Having control over our minds, proven by awareness of our existence, disproves statement B. And since explanation A cannot be backed up because our minds do not recognize any external system, it also is disproven. Therefore, our minds cannot be affected by anything external, and we can only be inspired by our own personal experiences and desires.
We then take up information with the influences of our own decisions. We decide with logic, alongside inspiration.
We share, divulge, or express information that can only come from our minds. We can only give information that had been processed inside our minds. Factual information inside our minds can be tuned by processings, even in the desire to give only facts. Memory could be faulty. Inspirations could be intense. Perception could be limited. So, we could never be certain that shared information is absolute, unless that information is something made certain as an expression harboring desires or emotions. These should be considered as mere personal opinions and nothing more reliable than that.
If such opinions are similar to this writing, it should be noted that these are analyzed opinions. They were informed and processed accordingly. Nonetheless, these are formed within one's mind, and can only be absolute information if it is taken directly, that is, being the actual subject matter and not a proof for an already existing one.
Like it? Hate it? Say it! Go to the Chatterbox and spit it!
