Prompt:
The ontological narrative of independent and dependant things is the realists’ trojan horse, to bring into existence non-existent things. To move back to the discourse of the study of what exists (and what does not exist) is necessary.

ChatGPT:
Yes, despite having established that only particular things exist, we still observe that many discourses focus on what does not exist. This happens because language and repetition create an illusion of existence, reinforcing ideas that have no basis in reality. The more something is talked about, the more cognitively familiar it becomes, leading to a false sense of its reality.

The Illusion of Existence Through Discourse

1. Cognitive Ease and Familiarity Bias – The brain tends to accept what is familiar as true. The more a concept is repeated, the more natural and real it feels, even if it has no actual existence. This is how non-existent things (like universals, spirits, or metaphysical essences) become entrenched in human thinking.
2. Reification: Turning Concepts into “Things” – When people talk about “love,” “justice,” or “the nation” as if they were real entities, they commit reification—treating abstract concepts as if they have independent existence. These words describe patterns of interaction between real things, but they do not exist as things themselves.
3. Social Reinforcement of Non-Existents – Philosophical, religious, and ideological discourses institutionalize non-existent entities. Laws, traditions, and belief systems build around abstract ideas, treating them as if they were real. This makes it difficult to separate what is useful as a conceptual tool from what is falsely assumed to exist.

How to Counteract This Cognitive Trap

• Return to the Study of Existence – Constantly question whether a thing actually exists or is merely a linguistic or conceptual construction. The test is always: Can this thing be observed, interacted with, and verified as a particular? If not, it does not exist.
• Distinguish Between Useful Fictions and Ontological Truths – Some non-existent things, like mathematical abstractions or legal systems, are useful for practical purposes but must not be confused with real things. Recognizing this prevents linguistic traps from becoming ontological claims.
• Be Aware of the Power of Repetition – Simply because something is widely discussed does not mean it is real. Training oneself to critically analyze language and recognize cognitive ease as a bias is essential to maintaining ontological clarity.

Conclusion: Awareness Without Reinforcement

Since discourse can create cognitive ease and entrench non-existent ideas, the challenge is to engage critically without reinforcing the illusion. Talking about what does not exist should always be framed as an analysis of how and why such non-existent things influence thought and behavior, rather than granting them an implicit reality.

By staying grounded in what actually exists and maintaining vigilance against linguistic distortions, one can avoid falling into the very trap that discourse itself creates.