AnarcoB

I give zero votes.

Tyne, Yes. I find it terribly hypocritical to be the most important role model for a child (parent) and then berate a child for their behavior. I definitely have weaknesses in my skill set, but to recognize this is the first step in preventing a negative experience for a kid. I think we all construct walls to defend ourselves (not a bad thing) but then those walls prevent us from critically looking at ourselves and this seems to apply to how we parent. The long view of knowing the kids minds will develop and that they will outgrow the stage they are in, helps. Retrospectively, it's encouraging once they have matured to be able to look back and be able to respect the choices made in the midst of frustrating situations. One test I have if I am upset with a behavior is to imagine the kid as having already become an adult and able to watch how I am interacting with them as a child. (Or myself watching when I am older) As far as your initial question, I think at this age kindness and lack of reinforcement of negative behaviors works. By "works", I mean these behaviors will pass. There will still lots of difficult situations. I don't know of any strategies that work every time and every scenario, and that is probably what you would like help with the most. Here is a link to a book I thought was helpful http://www.amazon.com/Parent-Effectiveness-Training-Responsible-Children/dp/0609806939 Its a great principled approach but needs to be adopted by both parents I think, to be effective.

Okay. I accept determinism as a rational description of how matter and energy interact. I don't believe consciousness is anything more than this. To say I have to choose the popular definition of determinism or free will and all of the baggage and narrow conclusions drawn from these definitions is not treating the issue with the degree of care it deserves. Determinism exists, yet the entirety of all human experience is that we have free will. That was my point, and I think I made it fairly clearly enough to not be misunderstood.

Thanks Ray.

I struggled with the little ones. I am not inherently patient and able to concede the time infants and toddlers require. I and mine survived however. Looking back, I can see through all of the frustrations and worrying about behaviors and developmental stages and appreciate that the kids will pull through. I never found a sure fire technique that worked in every situation but time and behaviors pass. How we behave in principle and the examples of behavior and tone we convey year to year seem to be what matters.

As you meet each day and struggle with the choices presented to you in your life, do your decisions come without effort, or do you ponder, reflect, struggle? This is free will. How deep does your struggle go? Do your decisions arise as an effect of the emotion of the moment, or are they subjected to an external standard and experience? This is free will. Do you ever question your choices or are you 100% sold on every thought that pops into your head? Could you have done any differently in the past? It doesn't seem to matter. From a practical application of the theory of free will or determinism, where it matters in our immediate experience, we have free will. To look retrospectively at whether someone could have chosen otherwise seems similar to ask the question "What if... Magic?" The present moment is where we all live. We can have wildly differing degrees of insight into our own decision making processes and I think this is where the variability of free will exists. It doesn't seem adequate to characterize this experience and physical occurrence into what most feel are mutually exclusive concepts. The question seems to be analogous to asking what is 5+3+7+2.354847234? We can discard the decimals. We are apes with language, how we approach problem solving and attempt to understand that which is not immediately apparent seems to be what matters. A term adopted as a conclusion one way or the other feels like counting angels on the head of a pin. I think determinism exists... Right next to God in a parallel universe where we will never have any tangible contact. Long live free will.

This is a very emotionally difficult subject. Sometimes it may seem like the emotional pain can be skirted by an intellectual analysis and conclusion, but in the end it is just heart-wrenching and sad. It really is an awful position to be in. I don't have any answers, but take time to recognize and embrace your loss. Ultimately, there's only one other person who needs to hear it all.

Hi. Religious beliefs come in a lot of gradations and flavors. There are people who don't really get into religion much, and then there are principled atheists who post their most personal stories and struggles on FDR. I think there is a big difference between the two. Are your concerns just about atheism, or do they go deeper into other questions of what we as individuals are capable of conceptualizing? What are your dreams now? What matters most to you now? Who do you respect now? What type of person engages and challenges you now? Is your husband curious, respectful, understanding? Can you imagine a time in the future where, after your children are grown, you and your husband revel in each others presence? Is he struggling with this as much as you?

Thanks, that helps.

I have a question. Bitcoin is exploding in price. Litecoin is cheap. There are several others out there as well. My question relates to the longterm price stability of cryptocurrencies. What makes Bitcoin worth $850 right now and Litecoin $9.80 if they essentially perform the identical function? I know they have pre-determined limits, but if there are many different ones to choose from, so what? Why would one maintain a higher price over another in the long run if they all do the exact same thing?

Hey Chris, What's there to criticize? You're 100% correct. Any pursuit, idea, concept or cause that is placed behind the word "Anarcho-" is awesome. Keep up the good work. Can you imagine a society where the "Anarcho" is just assumed, and we all debated and experimented with different ideas? I can definitely see myself trying out different social structures to see what was the best fit for me. Why would we assume that we would be inclined to stagnate in the same society someone else created for our whole lives?

Define "people"

I didn't hear the show you are referring to but I think I understand the idea. I would suspect this "crisis" can arise from multiple sources. If you are sensing a need to make drastic changes in your early thirties, I would think you have a pretty strong sense of direction and a good chance of achieving your goals. Most people drift through life and end up in their forties to realize not only that they are going to die someday, but that even if they wanted to make a major life change, they can't. The "crisis" arises when no satisfactory alternatives are apparent, and in general, as we age we have fewer alternatives to choose from. But back to the theory you mentioned, people operate at such wildly differing levels of consciousness. There are so many people out there who look like normal average folk, but have lives almost completely driven by a history that has never been consciously appreciated. Here, I can see that theory being relevant. Hope my 0.000025 BTC helps

From Twin Cities. There are others out there, but maybe not real active on boards. I've been away awhile. I'm east of Minneapolis/St. Paul. and could meet for coffee sometime. Brent

Sounds like a good reason to restrict acces to 3D printers!