Human Being: Verb or Noun

“I live on Earth at present, and I don’t know what I am. I know that I am not a category. I am not a thing — a noun. I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process – an integral function of the universe.”

- R. Buckminster Fuller.

Hi ATS

As a slight variation on the recent definition of woman fiasco, I thought I'd share this interesting perspective, beautifully expressed by a fascinating character. Has anyone ready any books by Buckminster Fuller? Any recommendations on where to start?

What an interesting way to view oneself. As animated and ever changing matter, I'd agree with Buckminster in that we certainly more akin to verbs than nouns. I love his take of humanity as integral functions of the universe. What do you think?


Hope you have a good night, friends!

a reply to: zosimov

I’m going with Alan Watts on this one…

“We do not "come into" this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree. As the ocean "waves," the universe "peoples." Every individual is an expression of the whole realm of nature, a unique action of the total universe.”

- JC

a reply to: Joecroft

Great addition to the theme; thanks!

a reply to: zosimov

Human Being...Human Becoming?

a reply to: Sookiechacha

I like that take as well; thank you!

a reply to: zosimov
This is written by Paul Hedderman.....
Life is a verb, not a noun.

You’re not the seer. That is a STORY, an INTERPRETATION. The conscious contact is being claimed by the head. It puts you to sleep to the awareness that you ARE conscious contact. Life is a VERB. It’s just happening. Not TO anyone. Just energy, ripping like crazy. But Self makes a NOUN of itself. A thing. The illusion of being a noun is that everything is happening from outside TO YOU.

Life is happening; it’s a verb. The verb is the reality and the noun is the illusion. You are looking at it from the point of view of being a noun so you’re missing it. That’s what your head is doing all day: INTERPRETING what is going on and making it into a story about something else. You lose the verbing of life as soon as the noun claims the experience as something that happened to it.

There's more to follow.....in the link.
nomindsland.blogspot.com...


What is Selfing?

a reply to: Itisnowagain

Another great post. Cheers!

a reply to: zosimov

“I live on Earth at present, and I don’t know what I am. I know that I am not a category. I am not a thing — a noun. I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process – an integral function of the universe.”

- R. Buckminster Fuller.

It's still a noun. A verbal noun.Verbal noun

Actually, people use the word 'human', which is an adjective, like a noun.

"I am a human, they are humans".

The noun is 'human being'.

a reply to: CJCrawley

I teach grammar, but thanks anyway


Despite the title, grammar was not really the point of the thread though; it's more of a philosophical idea.

Looking at it from a grammatical point of view, though, is also interesting in light of the "state of being" verbs that don't show action but rather identify the noun, i.e. we are being attacked; you are being stubborn, etc.
In this case, the verb form indicates something ongoing.
As in, you are being a human being.
I love language, especially when it opens up philosophical boxes. Thanks for this post.



a reply to: zosimov

a reply to: RedKaliBlack

I love language and philosophy, too! Glad you enjoyed the post.
I'd really like to get my hands on the book "I Seem To Be A Verb," by R. Buckminster Fuller. It's a bit pricey though.

originally posted by: zosimov
a reply to: RedKaliBlack

I love language and philosophy, too! Glad you enjoyed the post.
I'd really like to get my hands on the book "I Seem To Be A Verb," by R. Buckminster Fuller. It's a bit pricey though.

You weren't kidding about that price! It's easy for me to pay high prices for rare books or ones I just must have, but I was surprised at the prices for this one on Amazon. I'll look around, but whatever the Amazon prices are, in general I rarely find them much different from that. Because everyone else...looks it up on Amazon! Even the smallest local thrift shop with one employee can do it. Sometimes on Ebay, though, if no one is buying despite what it's been valued at. Anyway, would like that book, so maybe someday.

a reply to: RedKaliBlack
Why do you want that particular book?

You are not a noun.
You are a living verb.

The subject interest me, and although I'm not in a position this moment to reread the Amazon write up, which is where I looked, it seems the book is partly as expensive as it is because it has odd features, like turning the text upside down and a few other nifty sounding things I can't recall right now. But it's just the kind of book I adore. a reply to: Itisnowagain

Good stuff, thanks for posting. I love thinking and hearing about this kind of stuff. a reply to: Itisnowagain

a reply to: RedKaliBlack
Glad you liked it.
Here is some more....