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 Blacksails wrote:

 Kali wrote:
I responded to your comments, not your person. Check your reading comprehension.

Oh, that's so much better.

You must be a hoot at parties.




Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Cheesecat wrote:


I think you're confusing intellectualism with pretension.

Oh, and this.

Something about horses.

This has to be a record, Kali is only 33 posts in and already 90% likely to make most people's ignore lists. He's kind of cute though, in the Trololo guy kind of way.

To the OP, my advice is to getcher arse off the couch and get to work or school. One of the worst things in life if wasted potential and looking back at a lifetime of what ifs. If you can honestly say to yourself you gave life your best shot and made the most of what you were given you can be well pleased with yourself.
I used to be in your position and decided to do something with myself, and hit a lot of pitfalls that I learned from. There were more than enough successes and moments I wouldn't trade for anything to make me happy I chose the path I did.

 Kali wrote:

 Sigvatr wrote:
Luck exists, certainly.

Actually, it doesn't. A die lands on the side it will land on because of the way it's thrown and the medium it's traveling through and the cosmic forces acting on it. Well, actually, it lands that way because there's no way, ontologically, for it to have landed without being something that it's not, but that's a bit more esoteric than needs to be discussed for the purposes of this argument.

The point is that everything is "out of your hands." Even your own thoughts are suspect, at least certainly at the ego-level.

Blaming people for their own misfortune is nonsense. Just as you don't control your fortune, they have no control over their misfortune. What you're interested in and informed by is the world of seeming, a place devoid of substance that encourages you and your ilk to prey on the meek. The 'master morality' is what's truly enslaved, as it confirms your gleeful subordination to nature.

Variables that can be influenced. Variables that cannot be influenced. The latter are extremely rare. Location of birth belongs to the latter. Most others do not.

In fact, all variables are uncontrollable. You didn't choose where you were born just as you didn't choose what time to wake up today and you didn't choose to be entangled in discussion with a stranger on the internet. You didn't choose your contentment with fruitless labor just as you didn't choose to chain electron exchanges in a way that your brain interprets as the sensation of touching your keyboard. These things happen, and they don't even happen to you. They happen to the thing you're observing, and to take pride in them is a spiteful folly.

 Soladrin wrote:
You must have such a happy life knowing you may as well not exist.

I exist entirely separate from the 'physical' human being that I seemingly occupy, just as you do.

No I don't, if I existed separate from my physical human being I'd be something very simple. Dead.

 Soladrin wrote:
No I don't, if I existed separate from my physical human being I'd be something very simple. Dead.

Well, no, you wouldn't and you aren't. Death is a biological phenomenon. It happens to living things, which you are not. Even within a materialist conception, you are not a living thing, you are an enigmatic emergent thing that comes from decidedly inorganic processes.

Your existence is sustained indefinitely and completely by its necessity as part of reality. What subjectivity looks like beyond the death of the "person" you're observing is up for debate, but it is certainly impossible for you to die.

 Kali wrote:

 Soladrin wrote:
No I don't, if I existed separate from my physical human being I'd be something very simple. Dead.

Well, no, you wouldn't and you aren't. Death is a biological phenomenon. It happens to living things, which you are not. Even within a materialist conception, you are not a living thing, you are an enigmatic emergent thing that comes from decidedly inorganic processes.

Your existence is sustained indefinitely and completely by its necessity as part of reality. What subjectivity looks like beyond the death of the "person" you're observing is up for debate, but it is certainly impossible for you to die.

HOLY gak IM IMMORTAL GAIS.

Seriously though. There is so much wrong with this line of thinking I don't know where to begin. My individuality is a direct result of a biochemical process saying otherwise is just moronic.

 Soladrin wrote:
Seriously though. There is so much wrong with this line of thinking I don't know where to begin. My individuality is a direct result of a biochemical process saying otherwise is just moronic.

Well, you can continue to simply say that, but I will continue to explain how it's wrong. You are not a human being. You are not a human consciousness. These things are part of the world, and are completely driven and defined by the world. You are autonomous, free from slavery to nature, those things are not. This is what separates you from them, and makes you supernatural.

 Kali wrote:

 Soladrin wrote:
Seriously though. There is so much wrong with this line of thinking I don't know where to begin. My individuality is a direct result of a biochemical process saying otherwise is just moronic.

Well, you can continue to simply say that, but I will continue to explain how it's wrong. You are not a human being. You are not a human consciousness. These things are part of the world, and are completely driven and defined by the world. You are autonomous, free from slavery to nature, those things are not. This is what separates you from them, and makes you supernatural.

Wait, you honestly think humans are above nature?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 Kali wrote:

 Soladrin wrote:
Seriously though. There is so much wrong with this line of thinking I don't know where to begin. My individuality is a direct result of a biochemical process saying otherwise is just moronic.

Well, you can continue to simply say that, but I will continue to explain how it's wrong. You are not a human being. You are not a human consciousness. These things are part of the world, and are completely driven and defined by the world. You are autonomous, free from slavery to nature, those things are not. This is what separates you from them, and makes you supernatural.

You're not "explaining" anything, you're stating a load of opinionated, existential bollocks as irrefutable fact and getting all high when someone challenges your little fantasy with proven science. Just because you say we are not living beings and all that other crap you keep spouting does not make it true, no matter how much you might think it does. Give the condescension and egotism a break.

Trolls like to be fed, folks.

 Kali wrote:
The point is that everything is "out of your hands." Even your own thoughts are suspect, at least certainly at the ego-level.

Surely the dice is only out of my hands after I roll it?

Also, upon reading through this thread and taking on every piece of information given, I think I have become a scientologist.

 gorgon wrote:
Trolls like to be fed, folks.

Do the eat Biology-o's or Existential Frosted Flakes?

Where are our mod overlords? D:

According to Kali they have no control over this situation nor over the Dakka website itself. It's like a troll's wet-dream!

Why on earth would we need mods? This is a strange, pseudo-philosophical discussion- but it may actually help our OP. From his last post, it sounds as if he can work, and has worked hard in the past. He is seeking purpose in life. Now he probably won't follow the philosophy slowly being created in this thread, but it may start him asking questions- and that would be no bad thing.

"What is real? How do you define 'real'? If you're talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then 'real' is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain. "

That's from the noted philosopher and sage, Morpheus.

"I think, therefore I am."

-René Descartes

 Cheesecat wrote:
"I think, therefore I am."

-René Descartes

I prefer Porky Pig's own statement better:

"I'm pink, therefore I'm ham."

"I yam what I yam."

-Popeye

'Green Eggs & Ham' by Dr Seuss.

Wow.
Got into interesting philosophy discussion there, nothing new to me, just was not expecting to see it here.

Blacksails:
Your realist views I enjoy.
Sometimes each of us need a slap to the side of the head and the question raised "Are you REALLY sure this is the path you wish to go? Let us step through this..."

Kali:
I think I would question more the source of motivation in general than questioning if effective change can be had.
You could point to Buddhism where it ALL is an illusion and to avoid attachment but it does not preclude participation in the world: it is still a worthy thing.

"You earn nothing and deserve nothing for 'your efforts.' It's despicable that you would further feel justified in lording your fortune over others who weren't given the same sickening endowments."

Why make any effort at all as outlined by your statement?
It is all a matter of perspective, rather than "lording" how about to try to inspire?
Show achievements are possible with some efforts even if it is just to broaden the mind or experience?
Anything undertaken I earn something (knowledge, practice, progress, patience), do not belittle that.
To "deserve" something we could definitely find some ground of it sounding suspiciously like entitlement.
I think what I find unpleasant is your stance makes it too easy to choose to do nothing and find it perfectly acceptable even if it is at the expense of others.

"What you're interested in and informed by is the world of seeming, a place devoid of substance that encourages you and your ilk to prey on the meek."

Certainly there are those who support themselves by preying on others, but I have seen even more people preying on kind hearted people's hard work to help fund their play time.
To aspire to a certain level of self-sufficiency that the immediate conditions would allow is worth working towards for either group.

Sigvatr:
Taking ownership of the conditions you cannot control and making use of the what you can is key in moving forward in life.
I too feel "luck" is only half the equation: it is what you do with it when it happens and there is nothing to say it cannot be leveraged.

Life is under no obligation to be fair so you have to make use of the opportunities at hand to improve them... or you could just simply accept them for what they are since you are utterly powerless to change them according to others.

I still haven't found work btw.

But GW are advertising in my area. My letter will sell me on the fact that i'm experienced with working with people, confident, fit, etc, and i know a bit about 40k.

Chances of success, 35%?

People like you are the reason I vote Conservative. Get off your arse and get on with it.

 Albatross wrote:
People like you are the reason I vote Conservative. Get off your arse and get on with it.

WOW

'You is what you am
A cow don't make ham'
-Frank Zappa

 Albatross wrote:
People like you are the reason I vote Conservative. Get off your arse and get on with it.

Hear hear!

 cincydooley wrote:

 Albatross wrote:
People like you are the reason I vote Conservative. Get off your arse and get on with it.

Hear hear!

Poor effort troll

 eskimo wrote:

 cincydooley wrote:

 Albatross wrote:
People like you are the reason I vote Conservative. Get off your arse and get on with it.

Hear hear!

Poor effort troll

Well, I've already been suspended once this month.

If I told you how I really felt, I'd be on to number 2.

 cincydooley wrote:

 eskimo wrote:

 cincydooley wrote:

 Albatross wrote:
People like you are the reason I vote Conservative. Get off your arse and get on with it.

Hear hear!

Poor effort troll

Well, I've already been suspended once this month.
If I told you how I really felt, I'd be on to number 2.

I hate it when you hold back, you could hurt yourself!

 Albatross wrote:
People like you are the reason I vote Conservative. Get off your arse and get on with it.

Work is the cancer that eats at your soul. We have no need of ceaseless toil and certainly no want of it.

 Kali wrote:

 Albatross wrote:
People like you are the reason I vote Conservative. Get off your arse and get on with it.

Work is the cancer that eats at your soul. We have no need of ceaseless toil and certainly no want of it.

Unless, you know, you actually enjoy your work.

 cincydooley wrote:

Unless, you know, you actually enjoy your work.

That sounds immoral.

 Kali wrote:

 Albatross wrote:
People like you are the reason I vote Conservative. Get off your arse and get on with it.

Work is the cancer that eats at your soul. We have no need of ceaseless toil and certainly no want of it.

Huh?
I like puzzles, my work involves lots of puzzles during the day.
Being helpful to others and smoothing the way to goals.
Teamwork, companionship, success... it is a reasonably pleasant cancer.
We eat well, live well, travel interesting places, can pay for equipment and connections to people such as yourself online.
I sleep well at night, help teach other people skills they show interest in and enjoy.

Rather than tasks eating a soul, what do you feed it with?
Taking in air and donated food under a funded by others roof does not at first glance make my soul expand with joy but monks do find a way to make it noble.

Purpose, something, meaning, a reason to be on this earth, to inject a little passion.
I can respect even these "temporary" works as part of the wonders of participating in the world not being some passive consumer.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2616621/Dont-sneeze-Monks-spend-30-hours-building-intricate-artworks-millions-grains-sand-brush-away-teach-followers-lasts-forever.html