Should I be less angry at people who say stupid thing?
Offline Lately I've been trying to be less angry at people who say stupid things. I keep trying to tell myself that they are just misinformed, or that they were raised in an environment where the thing that they say are normal, but many people's willful ignorance makes me anger. I don't really want to hate people, but when people hurt other people because they don't want to deal with reality it makes me angry. It seems that my values are contradicting each other. I value freedom but I also value equality. Can you have both? Can people be both truly free and truly equal? I suppose it's only possible if people willfully chose not to inhibit each other, but when I encounter people like Fortunate_S it's hard for me to believe that that's possible. I think that people like Fortunate_S would control everyone if they thought it was possible. So if you could have only one what is more important, freedom or equality?
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No need to hate. Once you understand the human condition, and really give it thought, things are clear. People are easily led and religion in particular has a certain fascination for some. Of course they will defend it, even if all they have to defend with is a stick of ridiculous. You can only really feel sorry for them, but if they want to be assinine about it, I can be assinine back and have fun with it lol.
Faith is the word but next to that snugged up closely "lie's" the want.
"By simple common sense I don't believe in god, in none."-Charlie Chaplin
It's hard not to hate when you have been hurt personally. I remember through most of my childhood an intense fear of hell. I remember being taught of eternal pain and punishment. I've lost so many years of my life to fear of something thing that is nothing, and when I hear about them doing the same thing to other people it is hard not to hate. The problem is that it's pointless, because I can't do anything. I can't make people give up what they are holding onto so hard. People aren't really all that logical. We are beings formed from a process that doesn't care about imperfection, and there is so much pain in the world. I wish that I did not care, but I do. I don't want people to go though the same thing I did, but I'm powerless to help them. Who is at fault in this endless cycle of madness? Were the madness that has gone on before is used as proof for the madness that is yet to come. What can be done to brake a cycle that has been going on for centuries? How many, and how much is to be sacrificed so that people can escape from their uncertainty, and the fear that it brings with it?
Maybe if we could all share one lie it would be ok, but all the lies of the world can't be rectified. There is no way to make sense of all the different madness. I don't really know what to think. I don't really know what is best. Perhaps I am a fool. Often I think that. I keep coming to this site hoping to find some answer to how the world could be better, but in the end I keep butting up against my own powerlessness. Really, true change comes from many instead of one. It takes the work of many to make the world different. The true insanity is that all of those many are really one. The many is made up of ones. Only through the actions of the ones can the will of the many be manifest. We are a multitude of one.
I want my values to be the values. I want people to care about truth, equality, and life. I want the world to be filled with love, and I want to feel love myself. I want everything that is good, but good is both subjective and objective. Can good exist for everyone? Enough questions, or perhaps one more. What do you value so much that you are willing to give up everything else for?
Would have to be freedom, there is no use in being equally oppressed.
Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
No animal shall wear clothes.
No animal shall sleep in a bed.
No animal shall drink alcohol.
No animal shall kill any other animal.
All animals are equal.
Yes, you should be less angry.
Anger isn't healthy for you, and inhibits your ability to be effective. That is, "don't get angry, get even"- channel that emotion into motivation to cure the disease, rather than just disliking the victims of the disease (and the religious are victims).
I do think we should strive to see that fideistic religious proselytism is eliminated (not necessarily philosophies, which may be valid opinions)- and we aught to have laws to ensure this by way of strictly enforcing education and making anti-education illegal and subject to severe fines, and advertised spiritual threats a criminal act subject to imprisonment.
We're spending public funds trying to educate children on things like Evolution- religions that contradict this accepted secular education and spread misinformation should be, in the very least, forbidden from advertising this.
There are and aught to be limits to free speech and advertisement.
Cigarette companies can't advertise that cigarettes will make people healthy- religion shouldn't be allowed to advertise itself as true; distinctly where it conflicts with public education. Threats of physical violence and blackmail used to control people are illegal- so should be threats of spiritual violence and blackmail.
When that "oppression" is merely being forced to conform to a common standard of public honesty and accountability, I can't say I have a problem with this. Religion should be no more exempt from advertising accountability than are secular companies and organizations.
That's probably all it would take.
I agree. Evolution chooses freedom over equality.
1) If you feel that you start hating Fortunate_S because of his "lack" of logic, then visit some fundamental evangelical forum ... come back and be happy with FS.
2) It is extremely difficult to modify people's mind and behavior by pure logic. Assuming you are a traditional american, would you be convinced to eat live frogs and snakes if you are given a logical argument that they are tasty and nutritious?
3) If you know logic, do not assume that all other people should know it as well. Some of them cannot add two simple numbers without calculator.
4) If you are smart, get wise .... ouch I'm getting old and boring.
So if this does not help ...
If they were both nutritious and tasty I would eat them. Maybe not live, then I would have a morel dilemma on my hands.
Why would eating them live cause a moral dilemma?
This is an issue I've been struggling with for the last few years now. I work in an environment in which I am one of four main players and all but one are FUCKING STUPID. Guess which one I have the "privilege" of being. I'm calling bullshit on everyone who says go along to get along. It's time to start calling people out in every environment whether professional or social. It is simply not acceptable for stupidity to thrive in the way it does, and the best way to stop it is on smaller more local levels.
I don't think I've ever worked in an environment where competence was preferable to a good attitude regardless of the low I.Q. said attitude was attached to. Everyone says they like honesty and accountability but they never seem willing to be honest and hold incompetent people accountable. It's time to call the bluff.
Put your personal and professional relationships at risk and force the issue. If you want a rational future insist on a rational present.
"Faith, Faith is an island in the setting sun,
but proof, proof is the bottom line for everyone."
Proof, Paul Simon
Nothing this hard should taste so beefy.
I love it- that's practically a campaign slogan. Did that come from somewhere, or did you just make that up?
Excellent quote either way.
I don't think there is any reason to let it make you angry. It is the reality of our world and our society. There is a huge range of of things that affect how people approach life and even if they were all the same some people are just going to react differently.
From my perspective the only real way to have total freedom and total equality is by having an extreme form of socialism but there is no true implementation of that. Even then it is not true freedom as the society would need to support itself.
No one is ever going to have their perfect world because everyone has a different perception on what that is. All you can really do is take it all in stride and not let other people get to you. Do what you can to influence change, take pride in minor victories and not beat yourself over the head with what seems at times to be an immovable wall.
Just rolled off my slightly alcohol fueled fingers. Seriously, I'm fucking sick of a world ruled by incompetent people whose social skills earn them a spot in some management position thus putting more intelligent policies just out of reach due to their inability to comprehend higher level thinking.
"Faith, Faith is an island in the setting sun,
but proof, proof is the bottom line for everyone."
Proof, Paul Simon
Nothing this hard should taste so beefy.
May I use this?
We need to make shirts, or in the very least buttons.
It is very difficult to change the entire world. And as you say, whose model shall we choose for our utopia?
I am angry about a lot of things. How I deal with it is this: I change the things I can. I try to influence those I can. I try to participate in government as I can and vote for those with views similar to my own. I am not personally suited for politics, so I try to support those who are and who are rational. I have mentioned before, I will vote for the politician whose is the least religious regardless of their other philosophies. I refuse to support people who espouse religious views by buying their books or watching or listening to their shows. When I have the chance, I provide people with the facts to think rationally. If they refuse to be rational, then, I move on and maybe the next person will listen and learn.
The differences I can make are small. Perhaps there will be someone someday who can make larger changes. But in the meantime, I do what I can as I can. And I try to be patient.
-- I feel so much better since I stopped trying to believe.
"We are entitled to our own opinions. We're not entitled to our own facts"- Al Franken
"If death isn't sweet oblivion, I will be severely disappointed" - Ruth M.
YES!!!!!
-- I feel so much better since I stopped trying to believe.
"We are entitled to our own opinions. We're not entitled to our own facts"- Al Franken
"If death isn't sweet oblivion, I will be severely disappointed" - Ruth M.
Knock yourself out.
"Faith, Faith is an island in the setting sun,
but proof, proof is the bottom line for everyone."
Proof, Paul Simon
Nothing this hard should taste so beefy.
One of my co-workers last week. "I can't pay my electric bill, I hope they don't turn it off."
He doesn't pay the bill and yesterday "man my amp went out, it just burned up, but I'm going to get a new one when I get off work." and this guy is 30 years old.
Stupidity reigns supreme. But I did call him out on it, I asked him if he had paid his electric bill yet, "no but they probably wont turn it off right now." I laughed at him and walked back to the office.
His live in had a baby 3 months ago, lets discuss priorities and stupidity. I manage, and have 3 employees, between the three of them I could list the stupidest shit they have done on the job a mile long here. The best you can do when hiring people these days, is to try and hire people who will at least show up. It's pathetic.
As a side note, it's funny the dumbest of the three is the one that tries the hardest to do his job.
Faith is the word but next to that snugged up closely "lie's" the want.
"By simple common sense I don't believe in god, in none."-Charlie Chaplin
I hear you, but I also think it's a question of training. My main gripe about my coworkers is that most of the stupid shit they do is habitual. They need to be conditioned towards more sensible habits. Unfortunately my manager is right there with them and therefore not going to be of any help.
I have a similar coworker here. He's like a big stupid puppy. Always running over to help other people whether they need it or not, usually just getting in the way, and often at the expense of some higher priority he should be focused on. One time he was working with a customer when our UPS driver (a woman) pulled up for our afternoon pick up. He ditched his customer to help the driver with the couple of packages we had. She probably makes as much money as he and I combined (If not more.) and if she can't get the fucking packages herself she doesn't deserve the job. He also seems to think positive thinking actually does something. I fucking despise the guy.
"Faith, Faith is an island in the setting sun,
but proof, proof is the bottom line for everyone."
Proof, Paul Simon
Nothing this hard should taste so beefy.
Pretty much resembles me the story about a guy who stopped paying his mortgage, but got a brand new car (payed in cash). This could be out of pure rational reasons though.
That's the thing though, you can't really mold stupidity much. "duuuuuuuh..ok george." That's about what I get for feedback when I try to explain things to them.
I get along with them ok, considering they are not too smart and only think in their own little boxes, you know, beer, stereo's, women and well, beer and stereos, women, yea. They couldn't care less about the world around them. Sometimes I wish I could be as dumb, ignorant and carefree. Yea this is a sore subject to me, and I could rant all day about stupid people. I'm pretty lazy, but I do try to educate myself.
At least I have broken them from mentioning god around me.
Faith is the word but next to that snugged up closely "lie's" the want.
"By simple common sense I don't believe in god, in none."-Charlie Chaplin
I pay cash for everything I can. There are some bills I pay online by debit but, as you mentioned, I paid cash for my car. Payments and credit cards are the fastest way to unhappiness. I recently sold my hotrod, I could have put myself into some debt to keep it,(I really miss it
) but I refuse to put myself in a position where I am making payments if I don''t have too.
My sage advice to anyone, cash and carry all you can even if you have to save up for it, NOW does not equal happy longterm.
Faith is the word but next to that snugged up closely "lie's" the want.
"By simple common sense I don't believe in god, in none."-Charlie Chaplin
Regarding human stupidity, religion, and science, I love this one very much.
http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2008-16.html
It has gotten to a point when I am no longer surprised or shocked about humans doing extremely stupid irrational things.
The human race is doomed by their irrationality.
I am utterly convinced we will die by either religious irrationality or non-religious irrationality.
What the fuck is a "spirtual truck stop"?
Have you seen Bill Maher's "Religulous" ?
It's basically a little church at truck rest areas on highways, so the drivers can pray that they will get to their destinations without troubles. I wonder, is there a spiritual Wall Street broker stop to pray for the strong Dow index, or mini in-flight chapels on airplanes so the passengers and crew can pray for .... up or down? i am confused.
As said, it's a double win! Win-win. No priest, no spiritual truck stop.
100%
My fav though no priests are involved:
http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2007-05.html
-- I feel so much better since I stopped trying to believe.
"We are entitled to our own opinions. We're not entitled to our own facts"- Al Franken
"If death isn't sweet oblivion, I will be severely disappointed" - Ruth M.
Cognitive dissonance - the boring experiment test.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance
The louder someone defends something the more I wonder if they truly believe.
I cannot change another persons mind or behavior. They need to do it themselves. I know from personal experience the more argumentative it becomes, the harder the point is pressed, the less chance for change there will be. State the facts and let it lay.
Religion Kills !!!
Numbers 31:17-18 - Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.
http://jesus-needs-money.blogspot.com/
I don't believe that it all right to cause unnecessary pain to animals.