Posts tagged culture
(via lifeofgenius)
An opinion can’t be right or wrong, its an opinion. Its what they believe to be right or wrong. You can’t say that something someone believes In is right or wrong because its their choice. Therefore opinions, in the context of an opinion are always right according to the person with an opinion. Therefore, again, two people with different opinions are both right.
I hope to God you are not a troll, but I am gonna bite because I am more scared that you are not a troll.
OK, I will save you some years of agony and go ahead and help you out. You are being down-voted because your opinion on opinions is actually very wrong.
First off, your logic is full of fallacies. Study the fuck out of logical fallacies, please.Here’s a good website that trims the fat and puts it into a nice, clean format — but that site is severely lacking in detail. For that detail, here is a good book to start out with, called Critical Thinking. Critical thinking is not some willy nilly term your English professors used, but rather a very solid thought process used in thescientific method and formal logic. This article gives a very good explanation of the value of critical thinking on our culture. Critical thinking is what your opinions need and, as I will later show, what we all need to effectively handle our opinion-saturated media.
Now. On to your comment. Opinions can be right or wrong. Someone could have the opinion that smoking is good for you, whereas that’s obviously false. Someone could have the opinion that 2 + 2 = 5 but that’s obviously false. And someone could simply have the opinion that bacon tastes good, which is not true or false but just an opinion. Opinions are simply views or judgements about something not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. Opinions and facts are not opposites, nor are they mutually exclusive.
Finally, please read this and watch the videos at the bottom. In short, the United States compulsory education system is a tool used by the government to condition, subordinate, and ultimately control the people. This is not some inane conspiracy theory — it is something academia is aware of but cannot do anything about (politicians and corporations have the money, not academics). By depriving students of critical thinking skills, students have turned into factory grade drones made to follow demands and not question authority. Students are manufactured to accept the sound-bite opinions they hear and see on the media as quality communication, whereas it is objectively bad argumentation. Thus, the unrelenting banter between both sides of the “political spectrum,” continually undermine communication and logic skills.
I hope that this information will be enlightening for you and it inspires continued learning. I fear, however, that you will question what I say and go on continuing thinking whatever it is you think. You will use what I say as evidence for your own opinion. This is called confirmation bias. You will also probably claim that, “All knowledge is relative, so what makes you think you’re right?” But then you are committing a relativist fallacy. But in the end, when you discover that the knowledge I provided is actually of great value, do not beat yourself down — you are not stupid. Intelligence is a vastly understudied realm and it is silly to label people as stupid or smart. Just embrace knowledge and try to soak up everything you can, attributing your success to your efforts and not your brains.
The following was posted on the Facebook page of Occupy Ottawa:
“Although NASA covered up the strange photon cloud that’s now enveloped the solar system, the word has leaked out from some scientists.”
I appreciate the continued advocacy for upending the corrupt political and economic system which creates inequality, but this is utterly inane. Even as an undergraduate physics student and aspiring astrophysicist, I can refute the absurd claims of this article. Photons move at light speeds and thus cannot retain the shape of a cloud, for one. (See this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon for more information refuting your the pseudo-science article.)
However, I cannot entirely blame people for believing conspiracy theories — our increasingly catastrophic global economic and environment conditions create a climate which makes people desperate to believe almost any fringe theory. Plus, there are a host of psychological mechanisms which favor belief in conspiracy theories.
A very wise friend of mine has this to say about the Occupy Movement: “It’s goals/protests are somewhat anomalous, with very little defined purpose… As such, it is rather unimportant politically — the most it will really accomplish is to annoy people (which has happened and continues to happen).
“Sociologically, however, it is much more interesting… It shows the level of desperation and hopelessness that people are starting to get. It is more of a warning sign in this regard and a very sad one.
“How *that* will effect politics might be the bigger issue. Personally, it makes me really want to go out and help people who need it… But probably not actually participate.”
It is simply arrogant to tell people to educate themselves before sharing pseudo-science conspiracy theories. Such arrogance would only anger people and distance them from rational conversation. Showing compassion and understanding, however inane the conspiracy theory, and politely offering critical thinking to their argument by sustained questioning might prove to be better method towards the eradication of conspiracy theories. Finally, describing the phenomenon of confirmation bias may help tremendously as well.
A lovely chart explaining common logical fallacies, including the often overlooked “Tu Quoque” and “No true Scotsman.” via @EbertChicago
If only this was taught in public schools, maybe our students would be better prepared to face the information over-saturated world that is today.
If only people didn’t accept the logical fallacy laden banter common of today’s media as acceptable communication, maybe people would have deep, rational conversations of lengthy discourse.
If only people wouldn’t blindly follow opinions of little substance and much logical fallacy, maybe we could see each other’s side better, empathize with each other, be less polarized, see each other for our personal worth, and have humanity.
If only everybody knew these. If only I knew these. If only you knew these.
I’ve ended my extended Internet abstinence about a month ago, but I’m still severely cutting back on my Internet use. Overall, it went well, but I think it could have gone a lot better if I was living in an entire community of people who didn’t use Internet (do you know of any?). Doing it on my own felt like living in Brave New World — I’m assuming you’ve read Huxley’s masterpiece. I really identified with the character who’s originally from the savage lands and starts living in the BNW world. He felt so overwhelmed by all the soma and the people addicted to the soma that killed himself at the end. Don’t worry, I’m not nearly that stressed out. But it’s still interesting to think about: mindless Internet games, videos, social media drama, tv are simply today’s soma. It’s effectively sedating our culture — I hate it.
Oh, and Google’s “Project Glass”
Those glasses that shove a computer in your face? That thing is the devil incarnate. People will just sit around watching cat videos all day. Brave New World much?!
That was metonymy: cat videos are just an example of the larger phenomenon. We’re just becoming more and more a sound-bite culture, obsessed with instant gratification, constant novelty, and high stimuli. We’re already so absorbed in our phones and computers, reading shit articles, daily news drama, watching thirty second YouTube videos just for entertainment. Even the “educational stuff” is pop facts with no rational argumentation or dialectic or sustained focus. It sucks us into our iPhones and not into each other… people are getting so addicted: mindless Internet games, videos, social media drama, tv are effectively sedating our culture — I hate it.
Nonetheless, here’s why I’m posting. I really, really want to find any communities, regions, or social communes that don’t use Internet. I’d like to find one — or create one if it doesn’t exist.
Yeah, I could go to a remote, mountainous region in the Himalayas, but I’d rather not butt in on a people’s culture like that. I’d rather not contribute to globalization. Instead, something somewhere in North-east USA? Actually, I’d be interested to know of any place regardless of geography.
I found this guy who lived on his own with no Internet in Cuba and decided to try to replicate it in the USA. I wish him luck. Here’s an excerpt of his blog. Oh, and here’s the Reddit post from which I found the blog post, which has quality critical comments (quality as in not like the unrestrained hatred one often finds on the Internet).
“I moved into a new apartment at the start of April, and decided to try an experiment: not having an internet connection.
When I tell people that I don’t have internet, they assume that it’s because I just moved in, and haven’t set it up.Nope, don’t want it.
Is it because I can’t afford it? Nope, don’t want it.
At this point, people become a little confused. Why would I not want an internet connection?
Anytime everyone believes the same thing without question, there’s a good chance it’s something that we as a society haven’t thought through. This can be a good idea for things that have stood the test of time. But if something is new, we can’t afford to accept or reject an idea without question.
The internet snuck up on us. It’s extremely useful, but we haven’t thought through how we should use it. It’s gotten steadily more enticing…there’s so much more you can do and read.
If you want, you can spend your whole day on the internet. And that’s a problem. I think it’s a bigger problem than most people are willing to admit: many people have become internet addicts.
I was one. Here’s my story.”
So, know of any accessible community that doesn’t use Internet?
Isaac Asimov (via declareyourbeing)
Get off tumblr! Read a book!
(via lifeofgenius)
Welcome back! This week, we’re going to tackle a topic that a few commenters brought up in the last Challenge.
Erika: “I’ve found that blog[s] typically have contributed to my cynicism and decreased empathy towards people. I tend to read many political blogs and or celeb gossip blogs, which inherently make me hate the world most of the time.”
CGMcBG: “I struggle with this also. I stopped watching the news a bit after 9/11, but the internet had [sort of] taken [its] place. I want to stay informed, but it’s hard to remain positive in light of such worldwide madness. How do you balance the two? (rhetorical question)”
:) this is what I’m doing… only going without *any* news, internet, et cetera.
ps- I may write a blog soon… as much as I try to escape the media over-saturated world, it’s very difficult when it still completely surrounds you. I feel like the character in Brave New World — the one that commits suicide at the end. However, I’m not suicidal, so don’t worry.
Societies come together slowly, but can fall apart quickly, say researchers who applied the tools of evolutionary biologists to an anthropological debate.
Using archaeological records and linguistic analyses rather than fossils and genes, they created an evolutionary tree of political…
Farrar, Straus & Giroux/Scientific American (July 3, 2012). Available for discounted pre-order now.
“If David Sedaris were an experimental psychologist, he’d be writing essays very much like these. Bering’s unique blend of scientific knowledge, sense of humor, intellectual courage, and pure literary skill is immediately recognizable; no one writes quite the way Bering does. Read this book. You’ll learn, laugh, and then learn some more.” —Christopher Ryan, co-author of the New York Times bestseller Sex at Dawn
“Bering has an uncanny way with words, an incisive capacity for logical thinking, and a stunning talent for breathing new life and enthusiasm into science.” —Gordon Gallup
“Bering’s addictive curiosity and wry, dextrous humor makes this a book that’s as searingly funny as it is impossible to put down.”—Violet Blue, tinynibbles.com
I <3 Jesse Bering
When it gets to the point where hundreds of people reblog “fuck school,” and is a common thing to say, it becomes obvious that we need massive education reform.
Compulsory schooling is a tool the government uses to condition, subordinate, and ultimately control us.
This is no conspiracy theory. It’s very true. Study educational psychology, sociology, and/or anthropology and you’ll see that academics are all aware that the current system is set up this way. Why don’t they change it? Because they’re not the one’s in control. The politicians are, as well as their corporate partners.
To read more on this subject check out the following:
From knowledgeable to knowledge-able: learning in new media environments:
http://www.academiccommons.org/commons/essay/knowledgable-knowledge-able
Google: Michael Wesch, the Kansas State Cultural Anthropologist and read his articles and watch his videos.
Google: RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms
Paulo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” (1970)
Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner’s “Teaching as a Subversive Activity” (1969)
Jonathan Kozol’s “Death at an Early Age” (1967)
(via imgfave)
Maybe if we surround ourselves with books a little more than we surround ourselves with tumblr feeds.
Maybe if we grew attached to characters in books a little more than we passively follow unknown personalities on these blogs.
Grow enchanted with story, enamored with an author. Tears flowing as pages turn. Tell me, has the Internet made you cry the same way? Internet is like a callous sandstone, corroding and the mind to any emotion. It shuts off our frontal lobe, desensitized to the feelings of others. Destroys our theory of mind — our ability to empathize, to think about other minds. Turning us into autistic fucks.
(via imgfave)
“These protestors, who are actually few in number, have contributed nothing. They are parasites. They’re pure, genuine parasites. Many of them are bored, trust fund kids, obsessed with being somebody. Meaningless lives, they want to matter.” — Rush Limbaugh
Living on the farm has been great. I had no computer, so my internet addiction couldn’t physically happen.
So I turned on my iPhone’s internet. It’s practical. It’s helpful. Could it be that bad?
Yes. I was sucked into it. Ugh. So I had a friend password restrict the Safari browser.
I had been tumbling on my iPhone, but it looks like that’s gonna stop too. I want to completely get rid of all my internet addiction cues, and being on an addictive site like tumblr is one of those cues.
Every once in a while, I may go to a library to update my tumblr via computer (like I’m doing now), but for now I’m going on a hiatus again. It may last for several months. May? June? I want my “internet brain” to go away and return to a “non internet” brain. I want my thoughts to stop racing. I want to stop thinking in short 140 character sound bites. I want to stop expecting the ability to close out of every window, so I can think more fully, continuously, without distracting. I want to be able to weed kale without having the desire to send the picture of a kale-fractal to tumblr.
I want to think. I want to stop my habit of thinking “just google it” and instead practice habitual critical thinking to solve problems. I’m sure google has the answers, but google is going to kill me in the long run.
So cya. And if you find away to think critically and use the internet simultaneously, let me know. Thoughts?
quippyambiguity asked: I'm still not familiar with the ways of Tumblr and how to reply to posts that people write. Anywho. You mentioned that you don't entirely feel comfortable joining the Peace Corps if it means increasing globalization. Perhaps the Peace Corps implants some general ideas from our culture into those that they are visiting but the individuals "volunteering" seem to, for the most part, harness the traditions of that group of people. Their interaction doesn't seem harmful. They genuinely wish to help.
:) yeah, I hope that’s the case. But regardless of how helpful the volunteers are, how can the blending of cultures be prevented?
…or I’m not really sure what you’re getting at — or are you not sure what I was getting at?
Yes, for the most part, the volunteers harness the traditions of the culture they’re in, but it’s not as if they’re a clean slate. How can one’s figurative cup be completely empty? Wouldn’t some of what’s in the volunteer’s cup spill onto the culture their in?
So, yes, helping people is good. But dying cultures and dying languages is not (at least for me). How can inter-cultural aid happen without the dissolving of different cultures?
Subtitle says it all.
And again, haven’t read it yet.
I could go on to talk about the increasing globalization and the increasing travel and communication that comes with it. And further discuss the inverse relationship to dying languages and cultures and the increasing monotony of the world. That’s the only reason I don’t want to join the Peace Corps: that I feel guilty contributing to globalization. Thoughts?
