That goes on of itself?

"goes on" = continues to exist/function
"of itself" = independently; without assistance

It is a cryptic statement, presumably intended to have some philosophical or mystical meaning.

Hi, GPY. Thanks for the reply.

GPYIt is a cryptic statement, presumably intended to have some philosophical or mystical meaning.

Considering he was a philosopher, it probably has a philosophical meaning!

GPY"of itself" = independently; without assistance

Can I also use 'by itself' without changing the meaning? I know the expre

You don't understand the bold part because Alan Watts isn't making sense, or he thinks he's making sense of ideas that English doesn't convey well.

Watts believes that there's a spiritual connection between each individual and the rest of nature, so for him, it's a mistake to say that a total person, a "real" person, is the individual living in a world separate from himself. The "real"

NugsoCan I also use 'by itself' without changing the meaning?

More or less, but it feels a bit more "ordinary".

Thanks for the reply deadrat. Well, I don't know much about Alan Watts, but if he believed that there was a connection between us and the rest of nature, he wasn't wrong at all.

@GPY,

Thanks for the reply.

Nugso, Please don't get me wrong. I am not denying a connection between us and the rest of nature. In fact, I think it's possible to have enlightening discussions of the topic, from things I find useful (like the measurement problem in quantum mechanics) to those I don't (like Jung's theory of synchronicity). My objection is to the newage language of the overly-abstract and the ill-defined, wh

Hi again, deadrat. I hope I didn't come off as arrogant or angry. The way you talk (disliking people who make simples things harder by using fancy words) reminds me of Richard Feynman — my favorite physicist of all time!

Nugso, Not in the least. I aspire to be half as clear as Richard Feynman. Have you read his autobiography Surely You Must Be Joking, Mr. Feynman?

deadratHave you read his autobiography Surely You Must Be Joking, Mr. Feynman?

I've read all of his books except Feynman Lectures on Physics. 'Surely You Must Be Joking, Mr. Feynman?' is among the best books I've read. In fact, it's probably in my top three along with Anna Karenina and The Brothers Karamazov.

Sorry to all and especially to the

Who can tell? That's part of problem with Newage stuff.

"By itself" means without outside intervention. "My new car can parallel park all by itself." The car's mechanism can do the parking without my touching the steering wheel or the pedals. I'd guess that "of itself" conveys more. English has the expression "in and of itself," which means roughly inherently and self-contained. Phi