Well said.If people want to change the world for the better, more power to them. But, I won't be guilted into donating for specific charities that I'm not personally passionate about. Most people don't have enough money to give to every charity that has a viral campaign or a commercial. You pick and choose what (and if) you want to donate. Not giving to charity doesn't make you a bad person, but then you can't criticize others for not doing it.
I'm cynical to the point that I don't believe we will ever be rid of war, famine, religion, and hatred and that sucks. But, I do my best to make my life and the lives of those around me as pleasant as possible. We're only on this earth for a few decades and then it's all over. That isn't much time to influence change unless you're someone who is in a position to be influential.
I say live a good life and hope that you can lead by example.
If people want to change the world for the better, more power to them. But, I won't be guilted into donating for specific charities that I'm not personally passionate about. Most people don't have enough money to give to every charity that has a viral campaign or a commercial. You pick and choose what (and if) you want to donate. Not giving to charity doesn't make you a bad person, but then you can't criticize others for not doing it.
I'm cynical to the point that I don't believe we will ever be rid of war, famine, religion, and hatred and that sucks. But, I do my best to make my life and the lives of those around me as pleasant as possible. We're only on this earth for a few decades and then it's all over. That isn't much time to influence change unless you're someone who is in a position to be influential.
I say live a good life and hope that you can lead by example.
If people want to change the world for the better, more power to them. But, I won't be guilted into donating for specific charities that I'm not personally passionate about. Most people don't have enough money to give to every charity that has a viral campaign or a commercial. You pick and choose what (and if) you want to donate. Not giving to charity doesn't make you a bad person, but then you can't criticize others for not doing it.
I'm cynical to the point that I don't believe we will ever be rid of war, famine, religion, and hatred and that sucks. But, I do my best to make my life and the lives of those around me as pleasant as possible. We're only on this earth for a few decades and then it's all over. That isn't much time to influence change unless you're someone who is in a position to be influential.
I say live a good life and hope that you can lead by example.
There was actually less war in the past ten years than any other decade in recorded human history. So I'm not so sure about that, we seem to be getting better by degrees.
Unfortunately that's a split second in the broader consideration of human civilization, which seems to be characterized by violence and stupidity in large measure being combated by valiant attempts at enlightenment and progress... which are ultimately futile when it comes to improving the aggregate quality of human beings out there.
Quality of life =/= Moral, ethical quality of human being. If anything the decadence and opulence afforded to a large majority of people has made their moral centers even softer and more malleable.
There is no escaping the bell curve, the majority of society will just observe and reproduce whatever it sees without much question. The mechanisms may have changed, but instinctual and largely uncivilized human nature is still prevalent. As much as people may disguise it and try and rationalize it away, the pink elephant is that civilization is nothing but a convenient illusion right now. Occasionally it cracks and you can see beneath it though.
I just have a low opinion of the average human.
I once saw a list of all the averages, and it painted a very depressing picture. Granted it was the average American, who is more well off than the average human, but it was silly pretty damn depressing.
An IQ of 100, reads half a book a year, is religious, but not particularly knowledgable about that religion (can't name the first book of the Bible). Can only speak one language. Probably thinks he is only using 10 percent of his brain...
The list goes on.
Well, there was that study of how a human can only have so much empathy, or only care about x amount of people.
I forget the name.
What does that mean?
1: I mean, people are murdering each other less. People are doing few bad things. That's not to say that murder and bad things don't happen, but I don't see how you can call that disguising or rationalizing away bad behavior. It's pretty inarguably just less of it.
2: The phrase "Pink Elephant" refers to an alcoholic binge.
It means through massive exposure to the amounts of information through media people have become even more intellectually and contemplatively lazy. A lot less thinking and a lot more reproducing. I mean does the average individual even consider why exactly they do/believe/think half of the things they do? Or is it just "how things are"?
I'll agree with you there, there is somewhat less observable physical violence. But human beings have found other ways of manifesting their generally unsavory levels of morality. Emotional or psychological abuse being prominent among them.
Make no mistake, the average human being contributes very little in the way of improving people as a species. The bell curve maintains the status quo, no more, no less. It only takes one hour sitting on the bus/walking in a mall/around campus to be reminded of how predictable and unoriginal humans really are. Monkey see, monkey adjust slightly due to variable previous inputs and personality quirks, and then monkey do.
Also colloquially used to denote a topic that is undesirable to discuss.
I see no evidence of that.
Emotional and psychological abuse is nothing new. People are just becoming more aware of it.
Ordinary people do those small good things. But the state of the world would suggest those things aren't enough. Hundreds of millions of good gestures don't stack up against billions of small human crimes each day.1: Everything you say here is anecdotal.
2: Making the world better doesn't require grand gestures. At least, that's not all it requires. It also requires ordinary people doing small every day things to make things better. Spreading new ideas, treating people with respect, calling folks out on bad behavior. "Hastag activism" and casual every day acts of kindness may be drops in the bucket, but when there are hundreds of millions of drops in the bucket, you're going to fill it eventually.
No it is not. You're thinking of "the elephant in the room."
Suit yourself.
And yet it's existence is proof humans are moving in the same direction as always. Different methods, same motivations.
Ordinary people do those small good things. But the state of the world would suggest those things aren't enough. Hundreds of millions of good gestures don't stack up against billions of small human crimes each day.
The fact that more people are happy with the world than the ones that seem to find problems with it is equal indication that there is actually little change. It's a good rule to be highly skeptical of something questionable when the majority are in favor of it.
People who believe that the Vatican is involved with the mass consumption of children and offer up no evidence to such a claim what so ever... People like that, their opinion on almost anything is suspect, I think. Call me cynical.
OK... How would you feel about if I stated point blank: "I think it's possible that Alex_Spider has brain damage. His posts tell me this might be true." Then when asked for evidence I offer up none and cover my ass by saying stuff like, "It's just logical and you all are going to have to grasp that..."? Dude... you know very well that wouldn't be kosher (or halal either).
I always think you are passionate A_S, and your heart is in the right place most of the time, but frankly, your attitude and view point on the world is this terrible mix of both naive idealism and the worst kind of incredulous, populous cynical bovine excrement that too often all you back up with is that "It must be so... It's just like movie/tv show/comic book/novel X." The problem in the world is neither idealism or cynicism, but that too often WE AS INDIVIDUALS rubber band from one extreme to the other, and I think most of your posts are a perfect example of this.