MysterionMuffles

I developed this theory of the terrible twos and it's just a theory so take it for what it's worth. I'll state it before I watch the video to see if it matches what Stef says. To my understanding, the age of two is when children begin to exercise their assertiveness. They begin learning that they are separate from their parents as an individual. Depending not on how many, rather how forcefully a parent has told them "no," that willreturn ten fold when a parent disrupts the child's assertiveness development--simply by not respecting their preferences. When their need to be assertive is not fulfilled that's when tantrums appear. I also think tantrums don't exist in a child unless they have seen their parents exert negative emotions in an immature way to either their partners or with their children. does this sound plausible, completely way off or right on the money?

im right there with you, buddy. Only my siblings and I are Atheists and we can get along with our family alright without the mention of religion but when we do it's all about us being bad for not going to church and all this other nonsense. And when they even try to be passionate about Christianity it just sounds like really retarded fairy tales before they get edited for publishing. Best and only way to cope with such a situation is to get along with them on numerous levels that bury belief systems. I know my family's entrenched in religion due to obligation more than personal passion, so I try to not let their blind faith get in the way. Especially when I often school them about their own religion. They can't argue with me no matter how hard they try to reconvert me because they just get eaten alive.

Actually they can. Fiction writing contains a lot of different formulas that are consistent despite of the themes and ideas presented. Story and character arcs have reproducable formulas such as beginning, middle, climax and end. Even when stories are switched around in chronology of events, the feel is always the same. A character wanted something, we have our start, they run into obstacles we got the middle, and then comes a huge hurdle that tests their will where we get the climax, and finally at the end they get their reward or punishment for their actions. Character arcs have reproducable outcomes because characters are usually based on archetypes. They used to be based on one each, but the advance in the need for originality and diversity characters possess traits of numerous archetypes at a time these days. Like mecosystems basically. Taking a simple example: let's look at the archetype of a coward. That character will exude the lack of confidence and power a coward does, but once they find something worth striving for, they make the choice to overcome their fears if ever so slowly through said hurdles. This motivates their arc to develop into someone with a bit more confidence if not an extravagant advancement. Thats how writing about a type of character is reproducable because its logically consistent with the world they inhabit in which their will is tested. However in empirical reality, similar people with the same kind of cowardice may have to face hurdles either identical, easier or harder that will either give them the outcome of more or less confidence. Stories have to end and give resolutions and of course there are open endings, but typically they end in a reward or punishment for the character. Real life though is much more ongoing til death so evidence would be that a coward who gains insight on becoming more confident may either continue to develop or dwindle over time. And that pattern wavers because real life isn't as formulaic as fiction.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who is a little doubtful of Adam's methods. Seems kinda reckless to me. The dancing at Jefferson Hall was great, show the whole world how cops abuse power to enforce an inconsequential "crime," and the weed march...ehh yes that's good too, but the general populace will find his arrest a little more justified just because it had much to do with something already illegal from the get go. I dunno, intentionally getting arrested all the time is counter intuitive. Yes, he is revealing how irrationally he will get attacked by cops, but he seems to be asking for it quite a lot.

To dumb it down again a little: In regards to your original question I'd say that most fiction ever produced falls into the category of logically consistent but trumped by evidence. In general I found it very helpful when I started making the distinction that logic is something that applies to concepts and empirical evidence is just a fancy word for stuff that's not someones personal imagination So logic tells you whether the concepts you use are logical or illogical, correct/valid/meaningful or incorrect/invalid/meaningless. And empirical reality tells you what claims are true or false. Since it's the claims that are true or false, in order to actually mean anything they need to be logical. That also conveniently keeps me from ever having to argue whether 2+2=5 is true or not This was all I was just trying to say... fiction is another good example. If its well written fiction it will follow a logical pattern of consistency between the characters and plot lines, but empirically I know none of this really happened because it was someone's imagination that conjured up the story. Even if the author projected things from their real life, they only used those elements to enhance their work of fiction as an inspiration device, and twisted enough that it barely resembles what it was based on. Even in stories based on real life people an situations the way they are presented will seem logical and as consistent as possible, but there's added sentimentality and sensationalism to add entertainment value. ie The Social Network the Facebook movie was more of a characature of Mark Zuckrburg and his life but the empirical evidence is in what actually happened around that time...which of course is a lot less dramatic than portrayed in the film.

Heehee. I remember the confirmation class where we had to choose our patron saint name. I can't think of a single kid who took it seriously. We all tried to find the strangest and most obscure saints. Well, they're all strange. But some are wierder than others. When you're a teen, most of your values are determined by your peers. I don't think I would've been so skeptical of religion if I didn't have friends who were atheist. did you go to catholic school but had atheist friends? How did that work? also I meant to say that if religion was so great it wouldn't be introduced UNTIL the age of confirmation.

What I find about music--and I may be wrong on this so take it for what it's worth--is that depending on your personality, you tend to gravitate towards music that reflects it. Instrumentals that's up for debate, but I think at least lyrically you tend to gravitate towards songs you can identify or at least empathize with. From my personal experience, I was really into Korn when I was depressed little teenager lol. It helped me feel those emotions along with someone who wrote lyrics full of hatred and self defeat which is what I felt at the time. I used to think it gave me comfort to identify with Korn's lyrics but I think it just made me more sad. To this day I can still appreciate their musicianship because from their first 5 albums, I think they a unique signature sound that I find pretty awesome. I just have no interest in listening to their stuff anymore new or old because the lyrics and Jonathan Davis' whiny-ness puts me off. so nowadays I listen to a lot of math rock because I enjoy complex guitar riffs and I also listen to a little bit of metal if I could find any decent bands that don't scream or growl, as that is something I've lost my taste for also. I really couldn't take the aggression or the incoherent babblings anymore. What the hell am I getting at? I don't know. when I have kids, ill provide them with my library to start with but they're free to develop their own tastes as they grow older. Even if its rap that they get into, which is a genre I could never get too find of, at least not the mainstream crap. When it comes down to it I wouldn't limit my kids to what they listen to. As long as they don't let the lyrics influence them in any negative way if they happen to be negative, and let them know they can still appreciate the musicianship as a whole completely independent of the lyrics. Though I would argue that I would raise my kids well enough that they don't end up gravitating towards any destructively seeming music.

Hey thanks for your reply, that was actually the most direct answer I got. I appreciate all the replies but tasmlab's answer has been the most helpful. I completely forgot to consider what it's like to travel and spend your money there. That's right when I went to Copenhagen, Denmark, it was not at all difficult to exchange my dollars into kroners, especially digitally. I suppose it wouldn't be too hard if there were a reasonable amount of currencies. It would be similar to the different credit cards out there as well as travelling and converting the unit values. And I had the feeling someone would mention that merchants who refuse a certain type of currency would be losing out so that's a logical reason as to why it should be feasible.

I think I managed 3/4 of this before closing the window. I really thought it'd be a challenging article but he's not even sure what NAP really is.

I found confirmation to be a really peer pressure driven ritual despite of how teachers denied the fact. They really would say it should be your choice buuut you don't get to miss school for a fun retreat and all these other goodies. I really wish I didn't go but it doesn't mean anything. When I told my cousin she said "but you went for confirmation," lol as if that was the point of no return. Me and my friends really thought that was the case but obvious bs is obvious. If religion was so great they should never introduce it to kids on the age where confirmation becomes available. I only went to extend my middle name.

Yeah it usually becomes second nature but savour the hell out of the intellectual growth and it'll become an integral part of your life. I felt this way about Eckhart Tolle's message of being present. Back then I really was consumed by my thoughts and even though some of his teachings have become invalid through my intellectual growth with philosophy, the core principle of only using the mind towards constructive means has helped a lot in choosing to think rationally and to think only when needed. It has helped a lt to weed out the other mind garbage that used to plague my mind so with the addition of full atheism and anarchism, I'm pretty sure they too will be part of something bigger later on that will be easier to grasp thanks to what I'm learning now.

Oh my goodness! The things you describes especially with the abuse towards the dog... Made me weep internally. I just finished reading the entire thread and I am speechless. Like everyone else I commend you on your bravery and integrity. That pinnacle choice to protect your children from such destructive displays of power. I really hope none of them, especially the younger ones haven't picked up any of that behaviour themselves. Have you talked to them about it and had to explain how wrong it is to be aggressive or do they just instinctually know due to their own direct experiences in witnessing these atrocious acts. I mean...wiping a dog against its own urine and sitting on it to beat it up just AGH! There is no curse word that would suffice. I really think you should have a private chat with Stef about this, and definitely not on the Sunday show where you know people are listening live. I think it's best to do private so that your free to more vulnerability and that you have the choice to put it out there as a podcast or not. I would imagine it would get pretty intense so a one on one would be best.

Yeah I'm with you on that one. I was loyal to Nintendo up til N64 but wanted to play Final Fantasy and got a PS1 then 2, and finally I've got Xbox360 the biggest time waster I think I ever had. It's been with me through unemployment, school and an employment all separately in the past 5 years or so. And seriously I am not easily impressed anymore either. Maybe I've seen it all already or today's games just ain't trying anymore. I only play Assassin's Creed III multiplayer now since its a one of a kind game, everything else is just so easily categorized and homogenized. I think I'll pass on next gen unless there happens to be a Soul Calibur VI. Otherwise these interactive movies can be played by the rest of the over stimulated populace.

Hey everybody, this is a poem I wrote after trying to read the Bible and getting disgusted by every turn of the page. When I mentioned this discomfort to my mom and decision to go Atheist, we had an argument that spanned across 4 weeks and I began to understand first hand as to how the Bible teaches authoritarianism and moral hypocrisy. Everyone Outgrows Santa Claus Endowed with the obligation to Claim universal morals and truth Without any logic or empirical proof Capacity to reason often gets subdued I can't get a clearer picture in my head Why I've got to follow doctrine of the dead And I can't care how badly he had bled When his own father betrayed him as he fled To his notorious castle in the sky Which cannot be perceived with magnifying eyes Wherein he will reign terror and demise If you do so much as question the lies LIES Told from an early young age in life Taught in the ways of avoiding true strife Not with a hint of reason and evidence But only for my masters convenience I can't get a clearer picture in my head Why I've got to follow doctrine of the dead And I can't care how badly he had bled When his own father betrays the rules he'd set Countless of times with more countless of bodies Creating to destroy was his favourite hobby And after the first time he at least said sorry But that doesn't excuse his continual folly

Wow this is awesome, I hope you guys continue this series for a long time. It's great to see philosophical relationships in action. The way you two connect and speak with even the audience contains an honesty I'm yet to see in the (not so) romantic relationships that surround my life. Thanks for sharing and helping me restore some hope in my non existent love life. As you may have guessed, I'm single and feel like I gotta stay single only because I'm surrounded by a majority of unfulfilling relationships, which in turn kills my motivation to seek out a woman. There's probably only two great marriages out of the many in my family, while the others just feel like satisfactory enough and some are that are just downright dysfunctional. This video helped ease some of my anxiety on the matter.

Seeing as we are mostly bound by a centralized currency of bank notes, I find it difficult to see how money would be used and received in a free society. Would it even be wise to have competing currencies within the same geographical location? How would people even be paid for work and what would happen if you get paid in one form, but want to buy something from a vendor that doesn't accept that form of currency? would it be similar how we have dollars in forms of paper, coins and digital debit or would it be much more different? I am not very well versed in terms of economics, but I have been contemplating what would happen to all of our Monopoly money with an old woman's face on it/faces of dead presidents, once the state is abolished.

here's a review on the Xbox One that I found pretty informative. Does the PS4 pose any similar problems or is it going to knock Microsoft out of the market?

Wow guys thanks for over complicating a topic I intended to be simple. And I say that genuinely without sarcasm it's very interesting mind boggling stuff you guys mentioned. So now I kinda wanna take a backseat and just observe how you guys deal this out if you choose to continue the debate.

Oops never mind you just explained it. Ok well lets try to make sense of what you mean by fictional characters being similar to propaganda. If a fictional character in a story becomes the paramount of virtue--when they started off flawed at the beginning--through trials and tribulations, how would that be propaganda? I'm not saying all fiction is impervious to propaganda, like I said earlier in the thread Twilight is propaganda for normalizing abusive relationships. But how could all fictional characters be tools of propaganda when we got MLP characters exercising virtue after momentarily losing their way? In conclusion, I feel like you're over generalizing fiction to be a negative force in our society based on your personal experience, and that you say this with the assumption that anyone who subjects themselves to fiction is easily impressionable to emulate the behaviours they witness. Correct me if I'm wrong though, it's just a feeling that Im sensing from your posts.

Is Kitchen Nightmares the one where they find a failing restaurant and then help them improve their business?

Yeah, exactly. It's a form of normalizing such behaviour, which I think is very destructive because it still enables the abuse to occur if no moral argument is made to the abuser. Not to modify their behaviour per se, but to at least get them to question their own motives to see if the relationship is based on power or reciprocity.

So then...the Mafia has LEGITIMATE ownership of the territory because they terrorize (or threaten to terrorize) a certain location's denizens in exchange for their money and compliance? Then that's the same thing the government does, execpt on a larger scale and with a lot less class. The Mafia doesn't at least give people the illusion that they can choose which gang will run a certain area, but anyways that's beside the point. The thing with that is, does the Mafia really create land contracts within territory to specify ownership? I thought their ownership is more of an implicit agreement? Once again akin to the government's.

Isn't the indulging of any form of fiction an escape from reality? ie reading novels, watching movies/tv shows? I sense a hint of self deprication and regret here. Correct me if I'm wrong, but do you regret having watched catoons/anime? What is it about getting inspiration from fictional characters sad? I don't think there's anything wrong with it as long as you don't fully model your personality on one archetype of character. Because fiction can sometimes provide more truth than a basic factual lecture, plus be more entertaining. Entertainment can = education and that's an argument for another day. The whole point of fiction (good fiction anyway) is to articulate relationships between people as well as their strive to overcome obstacles. When you listen to an FDR conversation, aren't you doing the same thing? I mean these people ARE real, no doubt, but in the act of listening, you do take yourself away from yourself anyway and get enraptured by how the conversation turns out. Pretty much the same thing happens with fiction: the story has an argument to put forth and demonstrates it through character interactions, and you become a fly in the wall to take it as you wish. You can come back to reality and reflect on whatever drama you just watched unfold, and apply the principles you've learned to your own life. Most common one at the end of sitcoms are the blatant expression of truth that was witheld throughout the episode, thus escalating conflict between the cast. Through the demonstration of a 3rd party ensemble cast of characters, you gain insight and perspective on how relationships work, as well as the mutual exchange of inspiration through them. What I think MLP does well is articulate the individual friendships amongst 6 ponies and how they better each other through their disagreements and compromises. I find the best stories to include characters you can relate to, and I guess for Bronies, they can relate to the personalities/archetypes presented in MLP (ie bookworm, perfectionist, introvert, joker, the classy one, and the daring one), and that's the beauty of fiction. Finding a character to identify with and root for them, and I find my self doing the same thing listening to an FDR podcast when a caller has a personal problem Stef is helping them out with. If it hits anywhere close to home for me, I feel more inclined to keep listening to see what resolution and epiphanies are met by the listener by the end if any. Well, hope that helps you understand, if not how MLP is a good watch, then at least the power of fiction.

Wasn't Power Puff Girls intended for little girls too? I remember being drawn to it along with some of my other guy friends, but there was less taboo about it because it actively chose to masculinate the the characters. Of course that's when I was young though, so I'm not sure if there was an adult following for that.

Masonkiller that is a fine set of questions! Maybe Stef should turn them into a podcast if he hasn't already in a more formal or concise manner.