There is a world of difference between the different degrees of association and differentiation. It is one thing to make an assumption about an apple based on however it was you learned to deal with them, the vocabulary you learned about them, and so on, as means of getting on in life. It's true you are not wholly inspecting the apple on its own unique nature and merits, but it moves things along faster.

This is semantic association; it is relatively mild. But to crank the association machine in the direction of "identify this moment with X moment in the past as though they were the same" is lethal to the soul and the intellect.

Any judgement made about a living and communicating entity on the basis of that sort of blind response categorical imperative is downright dangerous to self and to others.

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