New Social Thread

[Zephyrus]

Congratulations, you're a spoiled and privileged person who has never needed to know anything besides book learning and this "crisis" is the worst thing you have ever known! Save the anxiety for real problems and spare us these pompous and autofellating "revelation" posts.

Yes. Let's all degrade ourselves to a lowest common denominator lest we appear selfish and superior (note how I say "appear" because I know that there is no such thing as legitimate superiority). Face it. Great human achievements are accomplished because there is a societal infrastructure in place in which the many are oppressed for the benefit of the few. My privilege comes at the cost of many who do not have the opportunities I do. That's not an argument to throw it all away to be in solidarity with them. Yes, I don't have a lot of the problems most other people have. But I'm also not going to transmute those problems, human suffering, into a virtue.

 

[damnromulans]

I didn't say throw it away, I said shut the fuck up about it because you sound like a pompous douchebag with absolutely no concept of actual hardship or difficulty and it's very easy to make fun of you when you do that.

And btw superior is as superior does

Edit: I sound mean and I'm honestly not trying to pick on you, I just don't want you to get your ass kicked

 

[Vimana]

Zeph, I know it's a cliché, but "one day at a time." You don't always have to be living your goals every single day.

I want to learn about six languages, but today I'm going to smoke some weed, play Starcraft, and catch up on my reading on pre-Yahwist polytheism in Israel.

 

[King Richard]

/whitepeopleproblems

 

[Zephyrus]

Calling me pompous, pretentious, narcissistic, and all other such epithets no longer has an effect on me (well, a minor effect since I'm taking the time to defend myself rather than ignore it). Heaven forbid I take pride in myself. Those words are designed to marginalize people, often out of envy. Accept your place in the order of things and be proud of what you accomplish. It's all for the greater good.

 

[Zephyrus]

Edit: I sound mean and I'm honestly not trying to pick on you, I just don't want you to get your ass kicked

I appreciate honest opinions more than passive-aggressive discourse. Your words are designed to humble me and put things in perspective, and I appreciate that. But ultimately I need to define who I am and not others.

 

[damnromulans]

Don't be a tard, you're supposed to be of superior intellect, where did I say "do not make lifelong efforts at self-improvement and awareness?" Hey guess what, I almost guarantee everyone on this site feels the same way you do (about different things probably but it's all the same shit). My message is "chill out and enjoy life, you're in good company" - not "you should be as dumb as everyone else, fuck classics, go watch Jersey Shore!"

 

[Vimana]

Actually, do watch Jersey Shore. It's a really great way to feel smarter.

Just look at this:

 

[SentinelSlain]

In July I'm going to have to leave this place and go back to England, which isn't too terrible in itself, but next academic year I'll have to return to my university town, which is probably the worst place in England, if not Northern Europe. There is a certain type of person there, a group, who I cannot stand. Urgh. Yuck. They are disgusting retards.

 

[zabu of nΩd]

I really psyched myself out yesterday, but I am genuinely determined to make improvements in my habits and priorities. I think a major thing about me is I want to identify with older age groups than my own, that is, in academia, which is causing me to think so negatively about my own generation and the Sturm und Drang of youth in general. Also, I am a huge control freak, and when I sense I'm losing control of my own life, I have a doom-and-gloom crisis like I did yesterday.

Classics is my life, Grant. I live it every day and it forms so integral a part of not only my thought patterns, but also my identity as a human being historically, culturally, and even spiritually. I would sacrifice anything for it, and I have done so. And I want to sacrifice even more, crucify myself for it. The Greco-Roman pantheon, in a figurative sense, is what I worship. I cannot fathom being a scholar in this field without living the way the Greeks and Romans did, speaking their language, thinking their thoughts. The phil- in philology is no paltry prefix.

This sounds like fanatical rhetoric, but it is a genuine passion. Every person should have a passion to be this devoted to. It's how we derive purpose from life.

I'm all for someone having a passion in life, but I often wonder if in your case it comes at the cost of a broader perspective. I know you to be very intelligent and rational, and I assume you recognize that today's society (and not just the "lowest common denominator" of it) operates upon a great deal of modern wisdom that is absent from (or perhaps contradictory to) the wisdom of classical society.

That's not to say you should step back from classics as a calling in life, but there is a risk of becoming intellectually blinded by it. Perhaps by following the threads of modern knowledge that are being spun today, and by expanding your circle of smart friends to absorb valuable perspectives independent of your own, you can better avoid things like stagnation and "moral bankruptcy".

Yes. Let's all degrade ourselves to a lowest common denominator lest we appear selfish and superior (note how I say "appear" because I know that there is no such thing as legitimate superiority). Face it. Great human achievements are accomplished because there is a societal infrastructure in place in which the many are oppressed for the benefit of the few. My privilege comes at the cost of many who do not have the opportunities I do. That's not an argument to throw it all away to be in solidarity with them. Yes, I don't have a lot of the problems most other people have. But I'm also not going to transmute those problems, human suffering, into a virtue.

This is probably not the place for political philosophy, but... really? I thought great achievements were made because there are brilliant/talented people out there who make useful contributions to our knowledge and technology, and capitalism generally promotes opportunities for those people. "Oppression" (or might I say selfish competition for resources) is the default state of nature, and it's reined in by institutions we put in place as a result of our intelligence and problem solving abilities. I don't see how you can call that state of nature something we should strive to uphold.

 

[zabu of nΩd]

Oh and just for the record: I don't find Laura's criticism very constructive here

 

[-CC-]

Actually, do watch Jersey Shore. It's a really great way to feel smarter.

Just look at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7e22ttwwfg

I also wear a shirt before a shirt.

 

[Dak]

This is probably not the place for political philosophy, but... really? I thought great achievements were made because there are brilliant/talented people out there who make useful contributions to our knowledge and technology, and capitalism generally promotes opportunities for those people. "Oppression" (or might I say selfish competition for resources) is the default state of nature, and it's reined in by institutions we put in place as a result of our intelligence and problem solving abilities. I don't see how you can call that state of nature something we should strive to uphold.

That opinion you are answering is the general gist of the Republic (Plato in general), and to a lesser degree, echoes of Aristotle.
That Zeph is puppeting this position is not surprising given his narrow focus, but it is ignorance rooted in the early, fledgling philosophic endeavors.

It is the the exact same mindset that defends the worst sorts of abuse of both mankind and nature.

 

[Vimana]

I just ordered a pizza and ended up getting an acid hookup from the driver.

 

[damnromulans]

Oh and just for the record: I don't find Laura's criticism very constructive here

If you want constructive criticism from me you can pay me for it!

 

[SentinelSlain]

Ho.

 

[zabu of nΩd]

That opinion you are answering is the general gist of the Republic (Plato in general), and to a lesser degree, echoes of Aristotle.
That Zeph is puppeting this position is not surprising given his narrow focus, but it is ignorance rooted in the early, fledgling philosophic endeavors.

It is the the exact same mindset that defends the worst sorts of abuse of both mankind and nature.

Yeah I was going a bit easy on him tbh, haha

 

[The Ozzman]

Whoa hold on, since when is almost thirty old as fuck?

Since WAIF thinks anyone not in college is old as fuck

 

[monoxide_child]

By sex and drugs I mean activities with relatively immediate gratification. Also, aren't you old as fuck (i.e. almost 30)?

i'm 28, i've always been atracted to older women, i've had sex with so many women that i've lost count, and i've only had sex with someone under 30 once in my entire life

 

[King Richard]