quote:

Originally posted by shaolin_Z LOL, what the fuck happened here? Good job keeping you cool Trancer, I've lost it quite a few times more recently. You wouldn't even recognize those post as being from me if you were to read them.

Thanks, lol. It's cool.

Sometimes it's just like dealing with a bunch of kids who have no idea what they're talking about but yet they keep insisting that they do. It doesn't matter what the quantity or quality of the evidence is that you show them because they don't really even understand it anyway.

Oh well, at least other people get it. That's all that matters.

Some people aren't just stuck in Plato's cave, they're also still stuck in their evolutionary cave. Unfortunately, that's one particular quandary that all of the knowledge (and all of the common sense) in the world can't get them out of.

quote:

Originally posted by Trancer-X Thanks, lol. It's cool. Sometimes it's just like dealing with a bunch of kids who have no idea what they're talking about but yet they keep insisting that they do. It doesn't matter what the quantity or quality of the evidence is that you show them because they don't really even understand it anyway. Oh well, at least other people get it. That's all that matters. Some people aren't just stuck in Plato's cave, they're also still stuck in their evolutionary cave. Unfortunately, that's one particular quandary that all of the knowledge (and all of the common sense) in the world can't get them out of.

It's worse than dealing with a bunch of kids actually . Kids are not anywhere near as indoctrinated (obviously, they're still kids who haven't been totally conditioned by institutions, social constructs, and inherited culture) and at least have open minds. Unlike kids though, adults have no excuse for their under developed faculties of critical thought or pathetic juvenile ridicule.

___________________
"The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." -Stephen Hawking
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak out for me." -Martin Niemöller

There's lots of reasons people despise self styled intellectuals, primarily it's because they like to distance themselves from ordinary humans, getting themselves away from the smelly pack and living up the life in their own minds at least, akin of an adolescent 'know it all' that still lives at home. They proceed to lecture everyone else on failings, moral, emotional or spiritual, whilst simultaneously never sticking their own neck out into the world and having to deal with life's problems that the grotty little proles put up with.
What a wonderful life it must be indeed to not have to worry about putting children through school, finding a place to live, food on the table and oh bliss, read 1000's of books so you can get up on your soapbox, use a lot of complicated words to scream down righteous, moral indignation at the ordinary man or woman.

Are ordinary people that despicable to you that you must punish their every day to day activity which they perform just to survive at a rudimentary level?

In my eyes at least that makes you nothing more than just another bully who attempts to distance themselves from that self same pack of ordinary thinkers by sledging at the things people hold dearest. You can gold plate a cheap shot with all the glibness and verbal acuity you want, the sad, dull reality is that it just a core of cheap, lead shot.
You might also want to consider what you've done to make yourself an individual and where your moral compass points, is it only pointing north for the styled intellectual community which agrees with you or are you really doing this for the betterment of humanity?
Original thinkers are very uncommon people indeed and they don't necessarily come from a library of thousands of other peoples writings, their high marks at rote learning and intelligence tests. Even rarer they actually put their thoughts into actions, for better or worse, good or evil as they see it. What have you done to make this world a better place to make yourself this intellectual champion to us we should respect?

Because all I see here is someone wringing their hands in self righteous indignation on an internet message board and sledging those who don't think the same way you think they should.
Just the same way we don't belittle our lives under tyrants by choice, we also don't listen to people who belittle our lives by choice.

quote:

Originally posted by Lilith There's lots of reasons people despise self styled intellectuals, primarily it's because they like to distance themselves from ordinary humans, getting themselves away from the smelly pack and living up the life in their own minds at least, akin of an adolescent 'know it all' that still lives at home. They proceed to lecture everyone else on failings, moral, emotional or spiritual, whilst simultaneously never sticking their own neck out into the world and having to deal with life's problems that the grotty little proles put up with. What a wonderful life it must be indeed to not have to worry about putting children through school, finding a place to live, food on the table and oh bliss, read 1000's of books so you can get up on your soapbox, use a lot of complicated words to scream down righteous, moral indignation at the ordinary man or woman. Are ordinary people that despicable to you that you must punish their every day to day activity which they perform just to survive at a rudimentary level? In my eyes at least that makes you nothing more than just another bully who attempts to distance themselves from that self same pack of ordinary thinkers by sledging at the things people hold dearest. You can gold plate a cheap shot with all the glibness and verbal acuity you want, the sad, dull reality is that it just a core of cheap, lead shot. You might also want to consider what you've done to make yourself an individual and where your moral compass points, is it only pointing north for the styled intellectual community which agrees with you or are you really doing this for the betterment of humanity? Original thinkers are very uncommon people indeed and they don't necessarily come from a library of thousands of other peoples writings, their high marks at rote learning and intelligence tests. Even rarer they actually put their thoughts into actions, for better or worse, good or evil as they see it. What have you done to make this world a better place to make yourself this intellectual champion to us we should respect? Because all I see here is someone wringing their hands in self righteous indignation on an internet message board and sledging those who don't think the same way you think they should. Just the same way we don't belittle our lives under tyrants by choice, we also don't listen to people who belittle our lives by choice.

I think that I must have somehow missed the part where it says that I'm supposed to care about what people think about me.

Anyway, it's also kind of interesting to see how you guys appear to be operating upon some kind of demented double standard. The perniciously arrogant, corporate elitists get a free pass while blatantly accomplishing strategic objectives which are designed to bring about a one world, totalitarian form of government - all while someone who has the people's best interest at heart gets demonized for reacting improperly (negatively emotional and condescending) after being besieged by posts containing little to nothing but ignorance and ridicule?

Oh well, it really doesn't matter.

You've obviously never thought about the possibility that maybe since almost every aspect of our society has been engineered to pander to the lowest common denominator (i.e., base instinct and gross materialism) that those rare individuals who actually make it a habit of using their brains for higher thinking might have a hard time connecting with everyone else on a normal, day to day basis?

What should we talk about? Sports, war propaganda (take your pick, drug or terror), celebrities? Or should we just talk about how we need to be gettin' fat stacks of paper and bling? What a joke.

You've seen Idiocracy, haven't you?

quote:

Originally posted by LazFX oh and check the sig.......

what's a moran?

quote:

Originally posted by Trancer-X I think that I must have somehow missed the part where it says that I'm supposed to care about what people think about me.

It's not categorically written in black and white anywhere.

quote:

Anyway, it's also kind of interesting to see how you guys appear to be operating upon some kind of demented double standard. The perniciously arrogant, corporate elitists get a free pass while blatantly accomplishing strategic objectives which are designed to bring about a one world, totalitarian form of government - all while someone who has the people's best interest at heart gets demonized for reacting improperly (negatively emotional and condescending) after being besieged by posts containing little to nothing but ignorance and ridicule?

How quaint, we're not supposed to take anything you say with more than a pinch of salt, because you don't care about what we think of you, however you're quite happy to tell everyone else just exactly what you think of them.
My goodness, you even have our best interests at heart to keep the nasty government and corporate entities away, then a bit of a persecution complex to back it all up, that'll happen when you start throwing around metaphorical punches at people.
Sometimes they don't have to take it either when ideas get rammed down their throat.

quote:

Oh well, it really doesn't matter.

Apparently not even for you to self-question your own agendas and well being, much less anyone else. Lets face it, you're not very well equipped emotionally or on any kind of visceral level to be anyone's crusader.

quote:

You've obviously never thought about the possibility that maybe since almost every aspect of our society has been engineered to pander to the lowest common denominator (i.e., base instinct and gross materialism) that those rare individuals who actually make it a habit of using their brains for higher thinking might have a hard time connecting with everyone else on a normal, day to day basis?

I'm glad I'm not endowed with such a moral compass as I'd be lucky to find my own ass in the morning with both hands, let alone the front door. But even as I do manage to stagger out the door, for better or worse every day, at least I'm not a complete coward to be just sitting on my bum every day doing what is it?
'Higher thinking'
Which roughly equates to what?
Not a great deal, thinking by itself doesn't change anything, not you, not anyone else, not the world or society at large. Thinking and doing something can make a difference, sadly that requires a bit more than just sitting here typing on the internet.

quote:

What should we talk about? Sports, war propaganda (take your pick, drug or terror), celebrities? Or should we just talk about how we need to be gettin' fat stacks of paper and bling? What a joke.

It's the chillout thread, you definitely need to put down the axe and cool off a bit.

quote:

You've seen Idiocracy, haven't you?

One of the reasons I run a flash blocker to keep away malicious advertising unless I choose too, I never figured on keeping away youtube but I'll take it as a bonus.

quote:

Originally posted by Lilith One of the reasons I run a flash blocker to keep away malicious advertising unless I choose too, I never figured on keeping away youtube but I'll take it as a bonus.

Haha, I guess I'm not the only one...

quote:

"I am absolutely convinced that no amount of wealth in the world can help humanity move forward, even in the hands of the most devoted worker. The example of great and pure individuals is the only thing that can lead us to noble thoughts and deeds. Money only appeals to selfishness and irresistably invites abuse. Can anyone imagine Moses, Jesus or Ghandi armed with the money-bags of Carnegie?" - Albert Einstein

quote:

Originally posted by Lilith It's not categorically written in black and white anywhere.

I don't believe that it's written at all.

quote:

How quaint, we're not supposed to take anything you say with more than a pinch of salt, because you don't care about what we think of you, however you're quite happy to tell everyone else just exactly what you think of them. My goodness, you even have our best interests at heart to keep the nasty government and corporate entities away, then a bit of a persecution complex to back it all up, that'll happen when you start throwing around metaphorical punches at people. Sometimes they don't have to take it either when ideas get rammed down their throat.

I'm just a messenger. You're supposed to use your brain to first analyze the information and then use it while following the path of due diligence. Once you get used to doing that I'm sure that you'll find that it's not really all that hard and who knows, you might even like it! Learning can be a lot of fun.

quote:

Apparently not even for you to self-question your own agendas and well being, much less anyone else. Lets face it, you're not very well equipped emotionally or on any kind of visceral level to be anyone's crusader.

How do you figure? I've been enduring the same ridicule from you guys for a few years now and in despite of all of your personal attacks I still love everyone Anyway, I've been about as introspective as one can be given my Western upbringing and after everything that I've learned, I don't think that I could ever go back to materially focusing on myself in such a blind and inconsiderate way. We humans were brought into this existence in order to perfect our souls, not because we're here to compete to see who can collect the most material sh*t.

quote:

I'm glad I'm not endowed with such a moral compass as I'd be lucky to find my own ass in the morning with both hands, let alone the front door. But even as I do manage to stagger out the door, for better or worse every day, at least I'm not a complete coward to be just sitting on my bum every day doing what is it? 'Higher thinking' Which roughly equates to what? Not a great deal, thinking by itself doesn't change anything, not you, not anyone else, not the world or society at large. Thinking and doing something can make a difference, sadly that requires a bit more than just sitting here typing on the internet. It's the chillout thread, you definitely need to put down the axe and cool off a bit.

Yeah, it's obvious that you're content with blindly focusing on yourself and on frivolous material crap.

To me cowardice is sleepwalking through life while you continue to avoid asking the tough questions which are required to solve the problems that plague humanity.

You obviously haven't a clue (nor do you seem to care) about anything regarding philosophical, spiritual or metaphysical knowledge and because of that I do feel sorry for you. It must be painful to be so shallow and so fake.


You don't believe in the aphorism, nosce te ipsum? Well, thinking ALONG YOUR (narrowly defined) LINES definitely won't change anything but that's only because you haven't trained your mind to really think. Have you ever meditated upon a Koan before? Up until now, have you ever even heard of the term? Be honest.

quote:

One of the reasons I run a flash blocker to keep away malicious advertising unless I choose too, I never figured on keeping away youtube but I'll take it as a bonus.

It was Google video, not YouTube. Who doesn't allow Google? I'm glad that my Adblock Plus doesn't add blinders where I don't need them.

The thought police must be hard at work.

quote:

Originally posted by Trancer-X Thinking ALONG YOUR (narrowly defined) LINES definitely won't change anything but that's only because you haven't trained your mind to really think. Have you ever meditated upon a Koan before? Up until now, have you ever even heard of the term? Be honest.

Do you see your self and smell the shit you are shoveling??

Zen Death-Spiral..... ever heard of that??? I suggest you rethink your trip to nirvana lil man.... in other words.... You are doing it wrong.:

quote:

The writings of certain Buddhist monks, which are an expression of their samadhi or satori, tend to convey an impression of a kind of cosmic paranoia. It should be remembered that the triumph described by the arhat (enlightened man) is control of his own mind and conquest of his ignorance by the Dharma (cosmic Truth) or his satori experience. The great freedom of the Buddhist mystic is not freedom to be boorish and immoral for his own convenience and comfort. Many descriptions of samadhi and enlightenment are very misleading for beginners.

This describes you, you may think you are some sort of enlightened person.....but in truth.....you are doing it wrong. If you were truly knowing what you do, this poison of pride would not be clouding your mind. Meditating on koan is a great way to clear ones mind....but when you enter into it with a poisoned and prideful mind, such as yours, you run the risk of falling into a free fall that many ignorant people (mainly young WASP people) get into when they first start out...... The koan has done a great deal to popularize Zen; but also has led to many misconceptions.and your pride that you have showcased here screams of ignorance..... again you are doing it wrong....

I leave you with this Trancer....... even from what you think is "beneath your level" can hold answers :

quote:

A rich and powerful raja was convinced in his heart that no one was as powerful as he was. One day he began to wonder if anyone knew he believed this. So he called together all his officers and servants and asked them to tell him what they thought was in his heart. Many of them made guesses, but no one could satisfy the raja with his answer. Then the raja ordered his minister to find him someone who could see into his heart and he gave the minister one month's time to find this genius. The minister searched everywhere but as the month came to a close he was no closer to success. However, he had a clever daughter who said that she could find the right man for him. Knowing his daughter's wisdom, he entrusted the job to her. When the appointed day arrived his daughter brought home a simpleton, a shepard by trade, and asker her father to take him to the raja. The minister was horrified but he saw he had no alternative and he took the shepard to the court of the raja. The court had assembled and the raja was waiting. When the shepard looked up at the raja, the raja held up a single finger. At this the shepard held up two fingers. Then the raja held up three fingers, but at this the fellow shook his head violently and tried to run away. The the raja laughed and seemed very pleased. He praised the minister for bringing him such a clever man and richly rewarded him. The minister was confused. He couldn't understand what happened and begged the raja to explain. "When I held up one finger", said the raja, "I asked him if I alone was this powerful. By holding up two fingers, he reminded me that there is also God, who is at least as powerful as I am. Then I asked him if there was a third, and he denied that there was anyone else. The man really read my heart. I've been thinking that I alone was powerful, but he reminded me that there is God as well, but no third. That night, still confused, the minister asked the shepard what had happened. The poor man explained, "I've only got three sheep of my own. When you took me before the raja, he held up one finger, meaning he wanted one of my sheep. As he is a great raja, I offered to give him two. But when he held up three fingers to show that he wanted all three of my sheep, I became afraid and I tried to run away."

and Moran is a play on words... I guess you are not as smart as you think you are.....

quote:

Originally posted by LazFX Do you see your self and smell the shit you are shoveling?? Zen Death-Spiral..... ever heard of that??? I suggest you rethink your trip to nirvana lil man.... in other words.... You are doing it wrong.: This describes you, you may think you are some sort of enlightened person.....but in truth.....you are doing it wrong. If you were truly knowing what you do, this poison of pride would not be clouding your mind. Meditating on koan is a great way to clear ones mind....but when you enter into it with a poisoned and prideful mind, such as yours, you run the risk of falling into a free fall that many ignorant people (mainly young WASP people) get into when they first start out...... The koan has done a great deal to popularize Zen; but also has led to many misconceptions.and your pride that you have showcased here screams of ignorance..... again you are doing it wrong.... I leave you with this Trancer....... even from what you think is "beneath your level" can hold answers : and Moran is a play on words... I guess you are not as smart as you think you are.....

You haven't the slightest clue about who or what I am, Laz.

In your increasingly incessant but forever futile attempts at disparaging me, you seem to be projecting your own pictures upon my image. Of course that's quite disingenuous of you but I guess I shouldn't have expected any more than that.

What is it with all of the demons running amok today, anyway? I guess that's what I get for exposing the truth.

This kind of awesome response is making me want to start pamphleting like my hero Tom Paine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_(pamphlet)