Changing Things

Cloud City said:

Socrates, schmockrates. Have you ever tried to have an independent, original thought of your own?

Click to expand...

so you would ignore the wisdom of socrates. undoubtedly you see the works of plato, aristotle, lao tzu and confucius to be pure dreck as well. perhaps you prefer the writings of chairman mao or maybe mein kampf is more to your liking. i suppose you see the limited experiences of one man to be sufficient to understand the state of humanity. to think a thought that has never been considered before is incredibly rare. gathering the insights of those who came before would seem only prudent. for some, it seems to think any thought is rare.

RickWhite said:

I know it's a new concept but you just might learn something.

Click to expand...

i doubt it.

undertheice said:

for some, it seems to think any thought is rare.

Click to expand...

What, are you looking in the mirror again?

I find it easier to communicate with folks in a chilled out manner.

I love it here because it allows me to communicate effectively.

The advent of books spiked the rate at which knowledge accumulates.

Instead of loudly demanding answers to 420 questions all at once in a big pile of Mind Poo, chill out, give your questions names called discussion points, and nurture them with your friends like little green babies.

I don't think about Smart and Dumb very much, kind of like I don't think about Black or White very much either.

I have been thinking much about Light and Dark.

The natural world is dictated by genes, and genes smear things into subjective spectrums.

I believe the best way to defeat ignorance is to present ideas, as you can lead someone to answers, but you can't shove them through their skull.

Not many generations ago, the Catholics used to roast off your feet instead.

It is like trying to teach circles to someone whom you don't know can only understand squares.

The knowledge of our elders is great. There have been many wise men for very many, many generations.

How long after we began to walk upright was Humanity blessed with the first Star Myth?

That is a math question with a real number answer.

undertheice said:

so you would ignore the wisdom of socrates. undoubtedly you see the works of plato, aristotle, lao tzu and confucius to be pure dreck as well. perhaps you prefer the writings of chairman mao or maybe mein kampf is more to your liking. i suppose you see the limited experiences of one man to be sufficient to understand the state of humanity. to think a thought that has never been considered before is incredibly rare. gathering the insights of those who came before would seem only prudent. for some, it seems to think any thought is rare.

Click to expand...

Well put.

Why should we bother to learn from those before us, who needs it? That whole notion that to be a doctor you need to attend medical school is just a bunch of hooey. And all that other physics and math stuff, they don't know anything you can't figure out yourself. If you are going to build a bridge the best way is just to start building and figure it out as you go, all those engineering rules only stifle original thought.

"Do you believe that society, like nature, exists in a delicate balance?"


Which one in particular?

Woodstock.Hippie said:

"Do you believe that society, like nature, exists in a delicate balance?"


Which one in particular?

Click to expand...

if you believe that it is a "delicate balance". but its not. both nature and society are violent as hell. nothing "delicate" about a hurricane, weather in the sahara, winter, summer....its all violent, sudden and anything but delicate.

delicate balance is a treehugging term to make people think if they pee in the woods the planet will come tumblin down. just aint so.

jeff f said:

if you believe that it is a "delicate balance". but its not. both nature and society are violent as hell. nothing "delicate" about a hurricane, weather in the sahara, winter, summer....its all violent, sudden and anything but delicate.

delicate balance is a treehugging term to make people think if they pee in the woods the planet will come tumblin down. just aint so.

Click to expand...

Delicate doesn't mean peaceful or gentle. If the Earth were the astronomical equivalent of a hair closer to the sun all life would cease. But, it would take a hell of a lot to move the Earth.

By delicate balance, I mean that one small policy change can have monumental consequences. The mortgage crisis is a prime example. No pun intended.