The Omnifarious Skeptic

My virtues:
1. Wisdom and Knowledge: creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, perspective
2. Courage: bravery, persistence, integrity, vitality
3. Humanity: love, kindness, social intelligence
4. Justice: citizenship, fairness, leadership
5. Temperance: forgiveness and mercy, humility and modesty, prudence, self-regulation
6. Transcendence: appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humor, spirituality
"Seven Blunders of the World"
1. Wealth without work
2. Pleasure without conscience
3. Knowledge without character
4. Commerce without morality
5. Science without humanity
6. Worship without sacrifice
7. Politics without principle
—Mahatma Gandhi
"Anything you state fallaciously can and will be used against your argument."- BR"If you don't want to burn your biscuits, then keep them out of the oven."- BR"Some find me to be a balm for sore eyes. Others find me to be a bomb for sore eyes."- BR"Show me up, or shut up."- BR"Once I did bad and heard of it ever/Twice I did good, and heard of it never."- Unkown"Don't be hasty."- Treebeard"The great aim of education is not knowledge but action."- Dale Carnegie"People don't generally engage in moral reasoning, but moral rationalization: they begin with the conclusion, coughed up by an unconscious emotion, and then work backward to a plausible justification."- Jonathan Haidt"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."- Albert Einstein"A person starts to live when he can live outside himself."- Albert Einstein"Each one of us contains a set Of persons which will be: Oh, how I wish my next own self Would take the place of me!"- Theodore Melnechuk"We are the universe come to know itself."- Carl Sagan"..one of the strongest motives that lead men to art and science is escape from everyday life with its painful crudity and hopeless dreariness, from the fetters of one's own ever-shifting desires. A finely tempered nature longs to escape from the personal life into the world of objective perception and thought."- Einstein"What we commonly mean by a 'normal person' is actually an ideal person whose happy blend of character is a rare occurrence" (Jung, 1966:par. 80)"In order to form an immaculate member of a flock of sheep one must, above all, be a sheep."- Einstein"The wise man asks himself the reason of his mistakes. The fool asks others."- Chinese Proverb"We only half live when we only half think."- Voltaire"Sow a thought and you reap an act; Sow an act and you reap a habit; Sow a habit and you reap a character; Sow a character and you reap a destiny."- Charles Reade"The secret of what something means lies in the ways that it connects to all the other things we know. The more such links, the more a thing will mean to us. The joke comes when someone looks for the "real" meaning of anything. For, if something had just one meaning, that is, if it were only connected to just one other thing, then it would scarcely "mean" at all!" - Marvin MinskyProverbs 14:15 "A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.""Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric."- Bertrand Russell"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence."- Einstein"The conscientious objector is a revolutionary. On deciding to disobey the law he sacrifices his personal interests to the most important cause of working for the betterment of society."- Einstein"No society can make a perpetual constitution or even a perpetual law. The earth belongs always to the living generation."- Thomas Jefferson"Truth is a fruit that can only be picked when it is very ripe."- Voltaire"Science alone of all the subjects contains within itself the lesson of the danger of belief in the infallibility of the greatest teachers in the proceeding generation . . . Learn from science that you must doubt the experts. As a matter of fact, I can also define science another way: Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts."- Richard Feynman"Science may be described as the art of systematic oversimplification" - Sir Karl Popper"Religious suffering is, at the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people."- Karl Marx"Atheism is a ferocious system, that leaves nothing above us to excite awe, nor around us to awaken tenderness." --R. Hall.“Measure what is measurable, and make measurable what is not so.”— Galileo Galilei"When you get down to it, all you have is yourself. All the rest is nothing." - Pablo PicassoWhatever one man is capable of imagining, other men will prove themselves capable of realizing." - Jules Verne"It takes two to speak the truth — one to speak and another to hear." - Henry Thoreau"I like your Christ. I do not like your Chrisitians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." - Mahatma GandhiRomans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will.""To be angry about trifles is mean and childish; to rage and be furious is brutish; and to maintain perpetual wrath is akin to the practice and temper of devils; but to prevent and suppress rising resentment is wise and glorious, is manly and divine." - Alan Watts"Life's Tragedy is that we get old to soon and wise too late."- Benjamin Franklin"Love your enemies just in case your friends turn out to be a bunch of bastards."- R. A. Dickson"Lord, protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies."- Voltaire"The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives."- Einstein"The children are the children. But I believe the adults are the children too. Bigger, older, wrinklier children. Less bendlier, less friendlier, but children the same. Just children who have lost their way, and now they're kind of lame. Giant children, true they are; they used to be normal [size]. But now it seems that having fun is something they despise..."- Ben Gleib"Everything is determined by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for the insect as well as for the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust - we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper."- Einstein"A photograph never grows old. You and I change, people change all through the months and years but a photograph always remains the same. How nice to look at a photograph of mother or father taken many years ago. You see them as you remember them. But as people live on, they change completely. That is why I think a photograph can be kind."- Einstein"When one is in love, one begins by deceiving oneself. And one ends by deceiving others. This is what the world calls a romance."- Oscar Wilde"We always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love - first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage."- Albert Camus"There is no noble love but that which recognizes itself to be both short-lived and exceptional."- Albert Camus"Riches I hold in light esteem, And Love I laugh to scorn; And lust of fame was but a dream, That vanished with the morn:"- Emily Bronte"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."- Einstein"A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom."- Thomas Paine's Common Sense"Time makes more converts than reason." - Thomas PaineProverbs 25:2 "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.""There is no such thing as absolute certainty, but there is assurance sufficient for the purposes of human life."— John Stuart Mill"There can be no justice so long as laws are absolute"- Jean-Luc Picard“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge.”- Daniel J. Boorstin“Whether you think you can or think you can't, you are right.”- Henry FordProverbs 10:12 "Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs."Proverbs 11:30 "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise."Proverbs 12:1 "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.""People do not like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions, conclusions are not always pleasant." - Helen Keller"We are all at a table together, deciding which rules to adopt, free from any vague constraints, half-remembered myths, anonymous patriarchal texts and murky concepts of nature. If I propose something you do not like, tell me why it is not practical, or harms somebody, or is counter to some other useful rule; but don't tell me it offends the universe."- Jonathan Wallace"You need not expect to get your book right the first time. Go to work and revamp or rewrite it. God only exhibits his thunder and lightning at intervals, and so they always command attention. These are God's adjectives. You thunder and lightning too much; the reader ceases to get under the bed, by and by."- Letter to Orion Clemens, 3/23/1878"The best way to become boring is to say everything."- Voltaire"Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity."- Voltaire"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better."~ Samuel Beckett"Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes."- Phil Daniels"To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men; that is genius"- Ralph Waldo Emerson"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."- Ralph Waldo Emerson"No man can come near me but through my act."- Ralph Waldo EmersonGalatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.""All men are equal; it is not birth, but virtue alone, that makes the difference."- Voltaire"I believe that the man choosing progress can find a new unity through the development of all his human forces, which are produced in three orientations. These can be presented separately or together: biophilia, love for humanity and nature, and independence and freedom." - Erich Fromm"No pleasure is a bad thing in itself, but the things which produce certain pleasures entail disturbances many times greater than the pleasures themselves."- Epicurus"Humanity takes itself too seriously. It is the world's original sin. If the cavemen had known how to laugh, History would have been different."- Excerpts from The Picture Of Dorian Grey"As [Dorian] looked back upon man moving through history he was haunted by a feeling of loss, so much had been surrendered to so little purpose. There had been mad willful rejections, monstrous forms of self-torture and self-denial whose origin was fear and whose result was a degradation infinitely more terrible than the fancied degradation from which, in their ignorance, they had sought to escape."- Excerpts from The Picture Of Dorian Grey"First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Social Democrats, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Social Democrat. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Jew, Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me."- Pastor Martin Neimoller (Ex-Nazi)

Elucidating my self is one of my key goals.... the negative illusions that our earthly societies hold don't please me too often; many are than simply self-destructive; the damage cascades. Positive illusions are beneficial mentally and physically, but the differentiation between reality and illusion should indisputably always be known and understood; that way realism can be easily advocated at any useful time, and illusions (negative or positive) can be dismissed for the greater good.

I also wish to improve myself and my perspectives, because they are not perfect. I look for wise analysis of my person, and wise/helpful suggestions on betterment. I'm eclectic in my learning; even if you are only half-accurate in your advice, I will consider what is said, and I will attempt to establish complete accuracy; for both our benefits.

In my decision making, I am autonomous : a side-effect of psychological egoism and reciprocal altruism . When it comes to getting the facts straight, I am vigorous and audacious. I am persistent about the esoteric and empirical concepts I try to convey. I realize that past social constructions made a person very ignorant, and that the "answers" to problems were vogue though vague; ineffective. The modern world, however, should be the foundation of new social constructions, exempt from shallow, ignorant, bombastic, and destructive selfishness ; based on vice. We should be currently be conditioning our minds with self-interest supported by constructively selfish motives; based on virtue.

As you can see for yourself... There are still a lot of social problems in our societies. Rectify! Reactify! Become superfly! Let us resolve our Imperfect Communication ; the natural problem is not eternal.

I am a hardcore deconstructionist. Deconstructionism is one's passion, and I find it sexy. Deconstruction is über useful for analysis of any sort; especially social analysis. Consequently, deconstruction has led me to the understanding and appreciation of valid reciprocal altruism .

The choice to take on revolutionary stances amidst the multitudes of blind conformists is appealing to me. Weak human nature should be overtaken by our stronger human nurture . The consequence of not doing so is the continuation of a destructive and unsatisfying cycle. Already, I see the tethers, of our "evil" nature, coming lose, and I second the motion.

Inquiry is a very important part of my relationships. I enjoy both relevant questions and answers in communication. I'm analytical in a concrete and abstract way. Relationships are strengthened when people know each other above common understanding; it creates a sense of individualism and uniqueness; as much as is possible in a society where individualism is a perfect competition .

You can maintain absolute control over your self. The illusion, directed by 'the man' (he holds you down), is that others will ALWAYS "control" you; a logical fallacy (appeal to fallacies). At most, others can limit you, they cannot, effectively and legally, control you mentally, physically, spiritually, or socially. There are limits that groups of people can put on you in said realms. We always have the option of solitude as well.

My greatest fear is extensive jading . I fear that becoming dedicated to any sort of monotonous work will eventually lead to boreout , if there is not a constant, even mild, flow of novelty. Minutiae is a curse. I hope that we are eventually able to better maintain our emotion machines (motivations).

I also hope that a vicarious degradation of novelty doesn't supersede direct novelty...

I am to feel that both evil and good are necessary . All opposites depend on each other.

My political preference is one of Libertarian Socialism . With the foundation of the society's code of conduct being ideal utilitarian values .

Concrete and abstract reasoning are two of the most important things to me. I am self-aware , reason has allowed me greater self-satisfaction and security. I have also experienced synesthesia (lexical gustatory) on several occasions during my youth up to the modern, and reason helps me to explain my abstractions. I find that Daniel Tammet has a few posthuman abilities and I admire that. Synesthesia can be quite a good thing ; the pros outweigh the cons.

I also believe that conflict is due to a lack of communication abilities; speech is so old-fashioned. Our minds lack the mental resources essential to truly rid ourselves of unnecessary conflict. That is why I am an advocate of Transhumanism . If we are able to transfer our minds into machines, or even create A.I.s, then we may very well be on the track to the most potent prosperity humanity has ever experienced. Communication capabilities will also be increased 1000 fold. Potentially, we could unlock a Technological Singularity ; mankind becomes exponentially more knowledgeable, etc.

Impartiality is another important factor for me. I practice impartiality at all times, and try to remain objective. It is vital to all debate; to all reason; to all justice; to all esoteric understanding.

I exercise my freedom of ah-speech by starting up threads on numerous concepts/subjects I'm interested in, and have attained first-class benefits in the process.

I am interested in ridding the world of planned obsolescence .

I believe in and respect Howard Gardner's Theory Of Multiple Intelligences . Therefore I don't exclusively advocate formal educational success as the only form of aptitude. It's a shame that social intelligence leads us into intellectual weakness... Conventional truthiness is an obstacle to revolution.

The latent convictions of mankind will be their downfall. The slightest effort man can do to make known his latencies is to write of them, and recognize that which errs within. To leave evidence of truth, even if cowardice prevents it from being fully uncovered or recognized.

Mystery is directly related to the multivalent reasoning that each individual is subject to. Enigmas are not forever.

Intelligence/enlightenment/knowledge does not betoken apathy.

Alexithymia is a curse, not a strength.

I am a post-structuralist .

Deconstruction"Whenever deconstruction finds a nutshell -- a secure axiom or a pithy maxim -- the very idea is to crack it open and disturb this tranquility. Indeed, that is a good rule of thumb in deconstruction. That is what deconstruction is all about, its very meaning and mission, if it has any. One might even say that cracking nutshells is what deconstruction is. In a nutshell. ...Have we not run up against a paradox and an aporia [something impassable]?...the paralysis and impossibility of an aporia is just what impels deconstruction, what rouses it out of bed in the morning..." (Caputo 1997, p.32)
The Self

"Why are we so reluctant to admit how little is known about how the mind works? It must come partly from our normal tendency to repress problems that seem discouraging. But there are deeper reasons, too, for wanting to believe in the uniqueness and inexplicability of Self. Perhaps we fear that too much questioning might tear the veils that clothe our mental lives." - Marvin Minsky

"The strangest and most wonderful constructions in the entire world are the amazing, intricate constructions made by the primate Homo sapiens. Each normal individual of this species makes a self. Out of it's brain it spreads a web of words and deeds, and like all other creatures, it doesn't have to know what it is doing; it just does it. The web protects it, just like the snails shell.... As such, it plays a singularly important role in the ongoing cognitive economy of that living body, because, of all the things in the environment an active body must take mental models of, none is more crucial than the model the agent has of itself."- Daniel Dennet (1991)
"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us 'universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."- Einstein
Human Enhancement"The human species, the sluggish Homo sapiens, will once again enter the stage of radical reconstruction and become in his own hands the object of the most complex methods of artificial selection and psychophysical training... Man will make it his goal...to create a higher sociobiological type, a superman, if you will"- Lev Trotsky
"There is a cultural war going on, all right. Not between East and West. Or between North and South. Or Islam vs. Christianity. Nor is it based on that ridiculous political metaphor and curse bequeathed to us by the French -- left versus right. Not even faith vs. humanism. All are distractions.The struggle is between panic and confidence. Between those -- both left and right -- who preach that we must enslave our minds to simple doctrines, and those who know that free people can argue, learning from each other, using all of the tools at hand to raise a generation of human beings who are smarter and better than we are." - David Brin

Why don't you click on some links while your here. You might find something YOU LIKE! *stabs you*

Viralcom
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How To Survive A Prison Sentence
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Masturdate
HomoSAPiens
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Terminus
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Derren Brown: Zombie Game
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USC Vice President Has Inquiries As To Where The Air, That Costs Money, Came From