cynicist

This thread is a bit stale isn't it? I'm normally pretty good about noticing dates...

I didn't realize this whole conflict started with the rockets...

It's tough to find people who think Hamas is innocent but there are no shortage of those who would absolve Israelis of responsibility for whatever reason. Clearing up this misconception that Israel is merely defending itself is worthy of a 'truth about' video. Stefan specifically says he is not equating Jews to Nazis. Do I even need to explain why your statement, "seems he is referring to all Jews past and present", has nothing to do with the video?

Fun retro sound

That's not accurate. They took the currency seriously when other people didn't, and helped the project in the early days. Why shouldn't they be rewarded for that? Buying bitcoin isn't 'paying into the system to join it', it's buying bitcoin. There is no 'system' to speak of.

Some cop wants to feel like a badass and ends up murdering someone? And then they just get put on 'desk-duty'? Christ, maybe we could replace one of the non-violent drug-related incarcerations with this asshole.

Hey Dan! That sounds like a great offer. I don't have any yearning burning ideas at the moment but I am intrigued by those images. What exactly is that for?

Reading that article is like peering into the dealings of an alien civilization. I can't believe people think like this...

Edit: Speaking of fishing, seems like I still need to work on seeing the bait...

I'm curious what reason was, not sure how that makes me overly sensitive. I'd still like to know the answer. (even if I was the kind of person who cared about my reputation, do you think a -1 would make a difference when I'm over 200?)

I was asking a serious question. Would the brave individual who downvoted me care to explain why?

Because you aren't getting angry at your parents.

I admit that having different entrances sounds weird, but isn't this similar to the idea of luxury suites? People who pay more get different accommodations, like views, furniture, etc. And it's not just inflation: people pay more to live in some area because it's closer to where they work, and if it's in a nice, popular place then the demand is high and prices go up. If you can't afford it or want to save money then you move further away. I get the desire to live in a really nice place for little money but welcome to reality.

Why would anyone want to do this?

I think that's a great question. There are many people who use the label as a substitute for having their own identity and in order to feel superior to others. It's sad because by doing so they are diluting the credibility people will give to those who are just describing their belief. (or lack of) That's a separate issue from whether it's an ideology though, for that we need to start with the definition. I think the dictionary.com one is pretty accurate: Ideology - the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group. I'm not sure how atheism could fit this. At best you are talking about one belief (and many would argue even that) and it's not exactly something that guides ones actions. A belief in god might spur a visit to the church but not believing in a god doesn't say anything about how I should behave.

That seems harsh. Allow me to defend the button thought experiment Explaining complex ideas like how voluntary organization might work is difficult enough without extraneous details like, "but what about all the government services that already exist?!". When I say extraneous I don't mean it's not an important consideration by itself, just that it's completely irrelevant to this example, and so any attempt to address it just slows things down. We aren't Ents, time is finite, so allowing for gaps in some of the specific details can let you quickly get to the point you are trying to make. The example you provided ("If you could press a button to end the government would you press it?") is a really useful abstract tool in my opinion, even though it's impossible, because it lets you explore situations like how people might organize in its absence or whether corruption is inherent to it or human beings or something else entirely. Why go into the 'how'? I would just accept the premise and ask why wouldn't another government just replace it? Asking them to explain the how when it's obviously a theoretical fantasy situation seems pedantic. Maybe they are just idiots lacking in creativity or very irrational people, but I don't think the button thought experiment indicates that by itself.

My family is Polish. I'm the first generation to be born in America. If there's something wrong with my example please show me what it is. We agree as far as guns go at least.

If you have a theory like 'I'm just isolating myself', then test that theory. If it's true that you are just wanting to isolate yourself, then that means it has nothing to do with the relationships themselves, it's a problem with you. So evaluating those relationships should be fine. How do you feel about those relationships? What do you like about them? Does what you like outweigh what you dislike? You mentioned having a really close friend. So you know what it feels like to have a bond with someone, a meaningful relationship. Parents know you better than any friend could since they've experienced you as a child, in addition to just plain knowing you longer. How does your relationship with them compare? No problem. I just want you to be aware of the language you are using. I'm still trying to imagine what 'struggling with a relationship' looks like. Is a relationship like an achievement, or a task? I could see how you might struggle with those.

You may want to ask yourself why you didn't bring it to her attention.

Hey yourself So when you experienced this fear as a young child, what did your mom say when you brought it to her attention?

There's no need to get into military tactics or anything like that when you have a good logical flaw to work with at the very beginning. Let's try his argument in the context of slavery: So I was talking with this plantation owner who hit me with the argument that the only way freeing slaves would 'work' is if it happened globally all at once. What he meant, as he explained, was that if lets say just the US let all their slaves go then everyone would starve because there would be no one to pick our crops. I argued that it wouldn't happen because other solutions would arise that would make slaves unnecessary but he said they could never be as efficient as slaves and I don't really have enough specific knowledge about how a plantation is run to argue against that. I could go on but I'm sure you get the idea. The truth is that neither he nor you (nor I) know what kind of solutions might come up in a free society but we know one thing for certain, that the current situation is immoral. If this guy thinks he is smarter than the collective minds of every entrepreneur in America then I'd say he is delusional, so just because he can't see a way to do it doesn't mean that no solution is possible. (As a sidenote, if voluntarism does gain ground in some area it's going to be one that is already highly developed industrially and will only become richer the more free it is. Do you think some country in Africa is going to manage an invasion of the United States anytime soon? Well why would it be any different for a highly industrious free society compared to any debt-based tax farm? Personally, I think that by the time these ideas become mainstream and accepted people will just outgrow the state and these conflicts entirely but explaining that to this person would be very difficult)

That was my immediate thought as well, but consider that all of the darker spots on the map are better off economically than the lighter areas. You might think, well duh, they have smarter people there, however, technological progress also leads to higher productivity and efficiency, which allows for more people to specialize and learn rather than fight to survive. I think it's probably the result of a snowball effect between technology and rationality. Rational thought leads to innovation, and innovation leads to more time or capacity for rational thought. I'm sure that you're right and that the harsher environment sparked a greater need for innovation for survival's sake though.

I'm not sure what this comment about isolation has to do with the paragraph that follows it. (not a criticism, I really don't see the connection) You brought up positive and negative aspects of your relationship with two people in your family but in what way are you dismissing relationships or being isolated? Haha, what an interesting set of euphemisms. What does "a bit unmotivated" or "struggling with relationships" mean?

How long have you had this fear?

Trust your anxiety, it's not random. You have very good reasons for feeling that way about opening up to people due to past abuse, and even though a therapist's job is to listen and be empathetic they are still human and fallible. For my first experience with therapy I specifically looked up the most credentialed and knowledgeable person I could find in my area, with a PhD and decades of practice in the field. I broke down in front of her and the resulting experience was so horrible that I'm now even more reluctant to open up that way to a 'professional'. My advice is trust yourself and pay attention to how you feel. Don't tell the therapist anything just because they ask or you think it would be helpful. This isn't like going to a doctor at the hospital where you want to give them all the information you can to get the best treatment. These are your emotions, and in this area vulnerability can be dangerous if you are talking to the wrong person. You will naturally feel nervous at the beginning, it is after all a foreign experience for you. If you don't become more comfortable speaking to this person after the first session then I'd recommend finding a new person. If talking to them doesn't feel different or new compared to talking to the average person, find a new person. (you're looking for curiosity and empathy here so it should feel different from what you've had before) If you don't want to talk about yourself at first, then don't! One alternative is to ask the therapist about their thoughts on therapy or ideas on social anxiety. If you don't like their answers, run. If what they say makes sense and is reassuring to you then you will naturally be more open to revealing more intimate details.