Does anyone know the answer........please help!?

Question

one day soshi was walking on the bank of a river with a friend."how delightly the fishes are enjoying themselves in the water!" exclaimed soshi.His friend said : "you are not a fish; how do you know that the fishes are enjoying ?" "You are not myself," returned soshi;"how do you know that I dont know that the fishes are enjoying themselves?"

DOES ANYBODY KNOW........

Answer 1

There is no "answer" to this. It is a parable which you are expected to think about, not to ask others about.

To me it has an indeterminate number of levels of meaning. One is that it is absurd for us humans to make anthropomorphic projections upon other species, since we cannot know what they are thinking, nor even whether they think at all.

Another level is that all our "knowledge" comes to us through sensory perceptions, so that we cannot really be sure that our conventional reality (in which we are discrete beings interacting with other discrete beings) exists at all. Soshi could be either omniscient or a projection of our own thoughts, for all we know. Or God.

Or we could look at it from the point of view of the fish? What is the behavior that is making Soshi think they are enjoying themselves? Are they jumping out of the water? Maybe they are desperately struggling against the violence of the rushing river. Or from the point of view of the river? Maybe it is held captive by the passive violence of its oppressive banks. Or from the point of view of each drop of water? Or each atom? Or each electron, serving out a life sentence of revolving inescapably around its nucleus?

You see why there is no answer to the parable, let alone a "right" answer. It is just a jumping-off place for thinking about thinking.

Answer 2

Soshi's friend is wrong.  He has no way of knowing what Soshi knows.

Answer 3

What is being said is that you should never assume about what someone or something else does or doesn't know because, you are not them nor can you see what is in their brain.

Answer 4

It's pretty obvious. Just ask the fish if they are enjoying it.

Answer 5

hhhiiiii!!!

hmmm..well i think dat fishes may be njoying..coz my mood is pretty gud 2day but i m not sure dat dey'll b njoying 2morrow or not coz dat depends on ma mood....so, soshi myt b saying coz he myt b feeling it...he must hav been eloquent at dat day..but his frnd in a mood ov debate or sm negative thoughts gng on...

Answer 6

Soshi's premise is a logical fallacy: infinite regress.  The friend is correct in saying that he doesn't know if the fishes are 'enjoying' themselves. The same can be applied when people state that God doesn't exist. Some people know that God exists, some people question this, and others deny it.  You can't state truthfully that God doesn't exist unless you are omniscient.

Consider this: it doesn't matter what Soshi believes to be true...what really matters is whether or not Soshi's belief is true. Think about it!

Good question, very philosophical! =D

Answer 7

What? who is a fish?

Answer 8

Do you know if I know the answer? Do I know if you know that I know the answer?  

Answer 9

Hi Anu,

it means that you cant never judge a book by its cover, appearances are tricky and you can only learn how someone may feel when you experience whatever he/she s going through by yourself. We can t get into someone elses mind and emotions so thats why we d rather not judge.

Have a nice day:)

Answer 10

How deep and sensitive it is? There is an inherent meaning. The feelings of  other persons, creatures and even the feelings of the plants  and animals can be felt. That is why I have seen  lot of people, who keep dogs in their houses say that their dog is so intelligent, so nice, so beautiful, etc. etc. They praise about it  like anything. God has given to every person this faculty of face reading.

One should be capable of knowing the other persons mood. Whenever the opposite person is in bad mood, upset or angry or happy, it is clearly revealed in his face. That is why, they generally quote, face is the index of man. The nerves and facial impression changes according to the mood. I am surprised how Soshi's friend is not having this perception.

Answer 11

Neither one is wrong - they both asked questions, not making a statement.

Answer 12

Soshi studied Marine Biology in college.

Answer 13

obviously soshi is a fish whisperer. :) hahahaha.  

Answer 14

Soshi is quite obviously a lunatic.

Answer 15

if soshis friend is friend indeed he should have known soshi well............whether whether soshi knows how to swim.what are his feelings........

.

Answer 16

thsi is one of those trick questions..

it could go either way...

but I think the fishes ARE enjoying them selfs

because Soshi may think diffrent thoughts

then his friends.

Answer 17

Its all about the feeling.