So in your opinion, brain chemistry has nothing to do with mental stability.
I find that for many people they can alter their "brain chemistry" as you put it by practicing guided meditation and learn to control their thought processes to direct them more purposefully. I assume there is a group that has no ability to do this and their minds are random and chaotic but I don't think that's all of them. The mind appears to not have the structure required to purposefully guide it when you are young and only through diligent practice and training can you attempt to guide it and control it. Sadly, very few people are interested in this and seem to believe that everything external to them is responsible for altering their mental state. That is only true if you want it to be or at least that's why I've found to be the case.
Why do you suppose a group of people on a scale of millions are not "having any fun living"? Isn't the answer to that question the root cause of the problem?
Why would you use her to base a belief on millions of other people?
What beliefs could you use to know the true state of millions of other people at a given moment in time? Let that sink in a bit. The real truth is, we can only know by scientific inquiry possibly what the state of millions of people was in the past because it involves 1) taking measurements and 2) analyzing the measurements and compiling the data into a form by which we can see something. By the time you've done this, the previous state you measured has already changed to something else. Unless you're doing something like this or referencing some type of data that was collected in this manner, you are most certainly making a baseless claim.
Adolf Hitler supposedly knew what was best for Germany as did Joseph Stalin for the Soviet Union. Everyone thinks they're the "good guys" but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Ever see the movie Falling Down with Michael Douglas? Know the scene at the end where he finally realizes he's the "bad guy" and all along he thought he was the mistreated "good guy". That's precisely where this nonsense comes from but in order to realize it takes a lot of research and an openness to facts procured via rational inquiry. At one point in my life, I was just like you and everyone else, full of cognitive biases and distortions, secretly trying to spin words and bend things to fit my desired version of reality. I realized at one point I was perpetually frustrated with my expectations of reality not being met. Then I asked myself a simple question: Where did my expectations come from? And then I realized, most of them were imagined with no basis in reality and that by holding onto them I was irrationally creating my own anguish. So I did the most logical thing. I let them go and I find that I feel much more at peace because of it. I think most people are deathly afraid to do this but what's on the other side while not perfect is remarkably better than being perpetually frustrated and angry. You have nothing to lose. What you think you have is not real.
Slap on the wrist, formal apology issued, dinner and drinks at the White House with the executives of the company so that they can swear fealty, and back to #MAGA. Next problem? This is easy.
Actually you forgot a la Wells Fargo, board members resign, receive golden parachutes for a job well done and then are replaced and the cycle continues. Every once in awhile though someone gets justice like Bernie Madoff or does anyone remember the Enron scandal?
I don't know dude. I purposefully came out there because I like the insane pressure, impossible timelines, and general feverishness of the culture. I like that I can routinely do what others cannot or will not do. That's appealing. Build this by tomorrow? Sure. I'll microdose on some lsd then intersperse micro bumps of cocaine with a little liquor and get it done if it takes me working through the night. But that's not for everyone and in the long term is probably poor for my health. That being said, it's what gets me in to work every day and I wouldn't trade it for an easy 3 month timetable desk jocky job.
I would assume you're making a joke but either way, here's the rub. Whatever the product of your efforts is, it all disappears into ancient history over time sometimes remarkably fast. So much in fact, it's as if it never happened at all. No one remembers you or what you did regardless of the level of persistence and wizardry. Usually along this path, you sacrifice important relationships and other things that may have lasted up until your final hours. I suppose everyone gets the choice but remember who's going to be beside you on your death bed. That's who really matters and is worth investing time in.
The sun's energy is, for practical purposes, infinite. So if we got to a point where we can harvest it efficiently, it's reasonable to think that there wont be conflict over finite resources. Of course this has never happened so there is no evidence. But it's a reasonable prediction.
We might have also discovered a means in the future to provide power by harnessing rainbows projected from unicorns' rear orifices too. We could make any number of prospective baseless claims about the future and as you said "Of course this has never happened so there is no evidence". You do realize this type of thinking is outside of reality right? I mean you have laid this out to emphasize that point. Do you normally think in this manner? I mean imagine being a police offer in a hostage situation and you say "Hey guys, I know what we can do. If this were the future, we might have lasers and mind control devices and that's how we would resolve this situation at hand." While your mind is off in some grand future, a hostage dies. How in the world is that even remotely valuable right now? We are dealing with now. Do you know how to focus on what is happening right now? There is help for people who cannot do this. It's called "Time Perspective Therapy". Usually people who suffer from some form of PTSD have this psychological problem.
... you didn't get assign projects that are due tomorrow that have ZERO requirements and then if you question where the requirements are you get labelled as being "negative". This is why we actually need representation unfortunately. Many tech company managers to do the equivalent of finding a corner in a circular room because that's "what we need" and then act surprised when you can't do it and say "What's your problem?"
These things are not mutually exclusive at all. "Left" does not mean you want a communist central leadership.
This is correct. However, Liberal philosophy is largely around collecting more tax revenue because citizens are either too dumb or evil, lazy shits to know how to spend it on what's "best for the country". Therefore, give it all to the Federal Government because they know how to do it better for you. What do you call that?
Maintain borders, strong alliances, Constitution and republican government. You know, what we've been doing here for 200 years. Resisting globalism won't suddenly turn the US into North Korea.
Interesting, thanks for sharing! And what about this in your mind is a "middle position" or perhaps maybe you can define better what you mean by "middle position"? Perhaps you could describe why this middle position is better than other positions maybe with pro's and con's?
"You can choose what state suits you best you know. We have a wide variety of them. 50, in fact."
Yeah? So I am lucky to live where I do. I know it. But your simplistic approach implies that is is easy to just uproot and move which tells me you have never had to suffer. So move along. Your input means nothing.
Wow, clairvoyant, I'm so impressed! You guessed wrong about my life but please do continue, what else do you supposedly know about me? You know people who think they have psychic abilities usually have other psychological problems. Have you considered getting some help for that? If you really do think you have psychic abilities, by all means reach out to the James Randi Foundation. We would love to have our first legitimate psychic!
Humanity always results in war. What do you think is going to happen when the global community tries to pressure Saudi Arabia into permitting gay marriage? They're going to say go to hell and what will the globalists do? There are only two choices, economic sanctions or military intervention.
LK
Or the 3rd option: wait it out. As global demand for oil drops (and prices along with it) Saudi cash reserves have taken a massive hit lately and they have increased taxes, cut oil subsidies, and cut wages/bonuses in the past year or 2. In a world where alternative fuels grow increasingly accessible the Saudi quality of life is becoming increasingly unsustainable. If the US, UK, and France were to cut off military imports to Saudi Arabia as well, the country could easily collapse in the next few decades.
Do you really think the conflict over finite resources will really end there? If so, what is your evidence?
Humanity always results in war. What do you think is going to happen when the global community tries to pressure Saudi Arabia into permitting gay marriage? They're going to say go to hell and what will the globalists do? There are only two choices, economic sanctions or military intervention.
LK
This is exactly my point in another post that got modded troll. Why would Saudi Arabia react this way to having legalized gay marriage? Religious beliefs. Sharia Law. The root of this particular problem is (drumroll) RELIGIOUS BELIEFS!
Wow troll eh? Tribalism is at the root of all human conflict and I described factual historical accounts of examples. Do your research! You will be surprised by what you find. Religion is not the only source but has been a significant source of it. This is why we stay in conflict people because people are emotionally attached to cultural traditions that perpetuate the problem thinking it's supposed to have a positive impact! Have you ever wondered why despite this great enthusiasm to eliminate conflict, we keep perpetuating it? There is a logical answer to that question but you might find the truth psychologically uncomfortable. We once thought smoking was good for us and racism was a noble practice! We've come very far but we have a long way to go and it all starts with the beliefs that humans hold and convey to each other. If we fix the fundamental beliefs it will cascade outward like ripples on a pond. You have to be honest with yourself and put your egos and cognitive biases aside which is notoriously difficult for human beings. I get it.
Nationalism always results in war, people who think of themselves as superior will end up fighting others or factions within themselves.
You are describing Tribalism. It has been a problem since the dawn of civilization and is a significant source of conflict. Nationalism can be a form of Tribalism. It depends on the morals and ethics of the Nation. If you're really interested in this topic, you need to dive into the general sources of conflict. Nationalism can be one source. Religion is a far greater source. For example, the Israeli-Palestine conflict, all religiously motivated. World War II, religiously motivated. Hitler thought he was a good Christian fighting the infidels (Jews blamed for Jesus' execution) same as Islamic Jihad folks. Globalization doesn't solve this type of problem. Once you know this you can start asking yourself more interesting questions about what might make a positive impact on it. Good luck! Seek and ye shall find.
Isolationism and nationalism simply won't work in the long term.
Great! What will work then? What are your thoughts on strategy here? Do you have any constructive thoughts on the subject or just complain about what's wrong? It's easy to point out what's not working well. It's far more difficult to help with going in the right direction. If you're not willing to help with that, you have no right to complain.
Globalization is a means to lower business operating cost. It's that simple. Libertarianism is about maximizing personal freedom of everyone not just corporations. Do you see most companies doing this? Apple locking people into their platform and not interoperating with other platforms. Comcast locking you into archaic price models because it's what's best for them, not you. The US Chamber of Commerce rubbing elbows with politicians to slant things in their favor at your expense. They do not represent the true views of Libertarians which would be promoting this country to be as free as possible for all citizens. Companies don't want humans to be free. They want them locked in as loyal consumers and to pay the highest prices possible.
My point is that when government does something that they do not have the incentive to do things that are not in your favor in order to profit from it.
I think you meant corporations but you're precisely correct. Everyone is free to decide what they want to do within the bounds of the laws of the land. No one can be forcefully coerced to do anything. You seem to favor forceful coercion. I hope you know what that means because when you put those types of policies in place they aren't selectively applied in your favor.
That may be but I'll tell you what, the government doesn't either.
The difference is that the government is not rewarded for cutting corners so they don't cut corners until it hurts.
And your point is? What is the value of making this type of statement to me? Look, I get it. You have what you consider to be some morally superior philosophy. Do you know how many people are running around making this claim and their claims are all different? It's like religion. We have thousands of flavors of religion all claiming to be the best objective morality and yet they all differ. What is the value of that? Do you think that is ever going to be resolved? If so, how? The human race has grappled with this since the dawn of human civilization and yet here we are without a solution. Do you still think you're intellectually superior? If so, fix it. Or you could just get over that the world is not perfect and never has been and do the best you can with the one life you get to live. Your choice.
Slashdot Mirror
So in your opinion, brain chemistry has nothing to do with mental stability.
I find that for many people they can alter their "brain chemistry" as you put it by practicing guided meditation and learn to control their thought processes to direct them more purposefully. I assume there is a group that has no ability to do this and their minds are random and chaotic but I don't think that's all of them. The mind appears to not have the structure required to purposefully guide it when you are young and only through diligent practice and training can you attempt to guide it and control it. Sadly, very few people are interested in this and seem to believe that everything external to them is responsible for altering their mental state. That is only true if you want it to be or at least that's why I've found to be the case.
[you] don't have any fun living anyway.
Why do you suppose a group of people on a scale of millions are not "having any fun living"? Isn't the answer to that question the root cause of the problem?
Why would you use her to base a belief on millions of other people?
What beliefs could you use to know the true state of millions of other people at a given moment in time? Let that sink in a bit. The real truth is, we can only know by scientific inquiry possibly what the state of millions of people was in the past because it involves 1) taking measurements and 2) analyzing the measurements and compiling the data into a form by which we can see something. By the time you've done this, the previous state you measured has already changed to something else. Unless you're doing something like this or referencing some type of data that was collected in this manner, you are most certainly making a baseless claim.
We live for the thrill, the pressure, and the insanity of it all.
If insanity is what you seek, there are far more effective ways to pursue that end result than what you're doing.
Most people call it society.
Adolf Hitler supposedly knew what was best for Germany as did Joseph Stalin for the Soviet Union. Everyone thinks they're the "good guys" but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Ever see the movie Falling Down with Michael Douglas? Know the scene at the end where he finally realizes he's the "bad guy" and all along he thought he was the mistreated "good guy". That's precisely where this nonsense comes from but in order to realize it takes a lot of research and an openness to facts procured via rational inquiry. At one point in my life, I was just like you and everyone else, full of cognitive biases and distortions, secretly trying to spin words and bend things to fit my desired version of reality. I realized at one point I was perpetually frustrated with my expectations of reality not being met. Then I asked myself a simple question: Where did my expectations come from? And then I realized, most of them were imagined with no basis in reality and that by holding onto them I was irrationally creating my own anguish. So I did the most logical thing. I let them go and I find that I feel much more at peace because of it. I think most people are deathly afraid to do this but what's on the other side while not perfect is remarkably better than being perpetually frustrated and angry. You have nothing to lose. What you think you have is not real.
How many bankers did jail time under Obama for the financial mess?
The same amount that did under the George W. Bush administration
Slap on the wrist, formal apology issued, dinner and drinks at the White House with the executives of the company so that they can swear fealty, and back to #MAGA. Next problem? This is easy.
Actually you forgot a la Wells Fargo, board members resign, receive golden parachutes for a job well done and then are replaced and the cycle continues. Every once in awhile though someone gets justice like Bernie Madoff or does anyone remember the Enron scandal?
I don't know dude. I purposefully came out there because I like the insane pressure, impossible timelines, and general feverishness of the culture. I like that I can routinely do what others cannot or will not do. That's appealing. Build this by tomorrow? Sure. I'll microdose on some lsd then intersperse micro bumps of cocaine with a little liquor and get it done if it takes me working through the night. But that's not for everyone and in the long term is probably poor for my health. That being said, it's what gets me in to work every day and I wouldn't trade it for an easy 3 month timetable desk jocky job.
I would assume you're making a joke but either way, here's the rub. Whatever the product of your efforts is, it all disappears into ancient history over time sometimes remarkably fast. So much in fact, it's as if it never happened at all. No one remembers you or what you did regardless of the level of persistence and wizardry. Usually along this path, you sacrifice important relationships and other things that may have lasted up until your final hours. I suppose everyone gets the choice but remember who's going to be beside you on your death bed. That's who really matters and is worth investing time in.
The sun's energy is, for practical purposes, infinite. So if we got to a point where we can harvest it efficiently, it's reasonable to think that there wont be conflict over finite resources. Of course this has never happened so there is no evidence. But it's a reasonable prediction.
We might have also discovered a means in the future to provide power by harnessing rainbows projected from unicorns' rear orifices too. We could make any number of prospective baseless claims about the future and as you said "Of course this has never happened so there is no evidence". You do realize this type of thinking is outside of reality right? I mean you have laid this out to emphasize that point. Do you normally think in this manner? I mean imagine being a police offer in a hostage situation and you say "Hey guys, I know what we can do. If this were the future, we might have lasers and mind control devices and that's how we would resolve this situation at hand." While your mind is off in some grand future, a hostage dies. How in the world is that even remotely valuable right now? We are dealing with now. Do you know how to focus on what is happening right now? There is help for people who cannot do this. It's called "Time Perspective Therapy". Usually people who suffer from some form of PTSD have this psychological problem.
... you didn't get assign projects that are due tomorrow that have ZERO requirements and then if you question where the requirements are you get labelled as being "negative". This is why we actually need representation unfortunately. Many tech company managers to do the equivalent of finding a corner in a circular room because that's "what we need" and then act surprised when you can't do it and say "What's your problem?"
These things are not mutually exclusive at all. "Left" does not mean you want a communist central leadership.
This is correct. However, Liberal philosophy is largely around collecting more tax revenue because citizens are either too dumb or evil, lazy shits to know how to spend it on what's "best for the country". Therefore, give it all to the Federal Government because they know how to do it better for you. What do you call that?
Maintain borders, strong alliances, Constitution and republican government. You know, what we've been doing here for 200 years. Resisting globalism won't suddenly turn the US into North Korea.
Interesting, thanks for sharing! And what about this in your mind is a "middle position" or perhaps maybe you can define better what you mean by "middle position"? Perhaps you could describe why this middle position is better than other positions maybe with pro's and con's?
"You can choose what state suits you best you know. We have a wide variety of them. 50, in fact."
Yeah? So I am lucky to live where I do. I know it. But your simplistic approach implies that is is easy to just uproot and move which tells me you have never had to suffer. So move along. Your input means nothing.
Wow, clairvoyant, I'm so impressed! You guessed wrong about my life but please do continue, what else do you supposedly know about me? You know people who think they have psychic abilities usually have other psychological problems. Have you considered getting some help for that? If you really do think you have psychic abilities, by all means reach out to the James Randi Foundation. We would love to have our first legitimate psychic!
That would require changing the Republican Party to be less addicted to having a stranglehold among the Solid South.
You can choose what state suits you best you know. We have a wide variety of them. 50, in fact.
Why is the answer so black and white? Maybe there is some middle position that would work best for our country.
Sounds great. What is this middle position you speak? Can you elaborate?
Nationalism always results in war
Humanity always results in war. What do you think is going to happen when the global community tries to pressure Saudi Arabia into permitting gay marriage? They're going to say go to hell and what will the globalists do? There are only two choices, economic sanctions or military intervention.
LK
Or the 3rd option: wait it out. As global demand for oil drops (and prices along with it) Saudi cash reserves have taken a massive hit lately and they have increased taxes, cut oil subsidies, and cut wages/bonuses in the past year or 2. In a world where alternative fuels grow increasingly accessible the Saudi quality of life is becoming increasingly unsustainable. If the US, UK, and France were to cut off military imports to Saudi Arabia as well, the country could easily collapse in the next few decades.
Do you really think the conflict over finite resources will really end there? If so, what is your evidence?
Nationalism always results in war
Humanity always results in war. What do you think is going to happen when the global community tries to pressure Saudi Arabia into permitting gay marriage? They're going to say go to hell and what will the globalists do? There are only two choices, economic sanctions or military intervention.
LK
This is exactly my point in another post that got modded troll. Why would Saudi Arabia react this way to having legalized gay marriage? Religious beliefs. Sharia Law. The root of this particular problem is (drumroll) RELIGIOUS BELIEFS!
Most of us give up on Ayn Rand when we get out of puberty and start reading books for adults.
What do you read to get your wisdom? Please do share.
Wow troll eh? Tribalism is at the root of all human conflict and I described factual historical accounts of examples. Do your research! You will be surprised by what you find. Religion is not the only source but has been a significant source of it. This is why we stay in conflict people because people are emotionally attached to cultural traditions that perpetuate the problem thinking it's supposed to have a positive impact! Have you ever wondered why despite this great enthusiasm to eliminate conflict, we keep perpetuating it? There is a logical answer to that question but you might find the truth psychologically uncomfortable. We once thought smoking was good for us and racism was a noble practice! We've come very far but we have a long way to go and it all starts with the beliefs that humans hold and convey to each other. If we fix the fundamental beliefs it will cascade outward like ripples on a pond. You have to be honest with yourself and put your egos and cognitive biases aside which is notoriously difficult for human beings. I get it.
Nationalism always results in war, people who think of themselves as superior will end up fighting others or factions within themselves.
You are describing Tribalism. It has been a problem since the dawn of civilization and is a significant source of conflict. Nationalism can be a form of Tribalism. It depends on the morals and ethics of the Nation. If you're really interested in this topic, you need to dive into the general sources of conflict. Nationalism can be one source. Religion is a far greater source. For example, the Israeli-Palestine conflict, all religiously motivated. World War II, religiously motivated. Hitler thought he was a good Christian fighting the infidels (Jews blamed for Jesus' execution) same as Islamic Jihad folks. Globalization doesn't solve this type of problem. Once you know this you can start asking yourself more interesting questions about what might make a positive impact on it. Good luck! Seek and ye shall find.
Isolationism and nationalism simply won't work in the long term.
Great! What will work then? What are your thoughts on strategy here? Do you have any constructive thoughts on the subject or just complain about what's wrong? It's easy to point out what's not working well. It's far more difficult to help with going in the right direction. If you're not willing to help with that, you have no right to complain.
Globalization is a means to lower business operating cost. It's that simple. Libertarianism is about maximizing personal freedom of everyone not just corporations. Do you see most companies doing this? Apple locking people into their platform and not interoperating with other platforms. Comcast locking you into archaic price models because it's what's best for them, not you. The US Chamber of Commerce rubbing elbows with politicians to slant things in their favor at your expense. They do not represent the true views of Libertarians which would be promoting this country to be as free as possible for all citizens. Companies don't want humans to be free. They want them locked in as loyal consumers and to pay the highest prices possible.
My point is that when government does something that they do not have the incentive to do things that are not in your favor in order to profit from it.
I think you meant corporations but you're precisely correct. Everyone is free to decide what they want to do within the bounds of the laws of the land. No one can be forcefully coerced to do anything. You seem to favor forceful coercion. I hope you know what that means because when you put those types of policies in place they aren't selectively applied in your favor.
Corporations don't give a shit about people.
That may be but I'll tell you what, the government doesn't either.
The difference is that the government is not rewarded for cutting corners so they don't cut corners until it hurts.
And your point is? What is the value of making this type of statement to me? Look, I get it. You have what you consider to be some morally superior philosophy. Do you know how many people are running around making this claim and their claims are all different? It's like religion. We have thousands of flavors of religion all claiming to be the best objective morality and yet they all differ. What is the value of that? Do you think that is ever going to be resolved? If so, how? The human race has grappled with this since the dawn of human civilization and yet here we are without a solution. Do you still think you're intellectually superior? If so, fix it. Or you could just get over that the world is not perfect and never has been and do the best you can with the one life you get to live. Your choice.
username: outsourced_clown
password: fired
Added to my list of test logins/passwords.
FTFY