Devon Gibbons

I just began reading parenting books. The first one I've read and have enjoyed is more than a parenting book, but a personality diagnosis book. It is very insightful and I learned a lot about myself reading it. It's "The Manual" by Faye Snyder. Highly recommend it to everyone. Stef interviewed her once, and her son, Theoretical Bullshit, on YouTube has a vid about her book That's all I can say confidently now. I appreciate everyone else's recommendations as well.

Did you kill the kitten?

That was quite irrational. That is not my point; my point is the concept of family rather than Alpha/Beta dynamics is not her idea. It has been widely discussed in wolf pack dynamics research by educated and experienced wolf researchers. It's better described as theory than opinion due to its basis on evidence. My argument is not about the existence or absence of "Alpha and Beta" behavior in humans. It is for wolves, and solely wolves. I quoted the researcher and the research paper she cited in the article which I myself cited as well and quoted in my last post which, apparently you decided to ignore. I am quite angry at you right now, because I am being kind, while you end up saying: "There's a lot of things wrong with your reply." - ok, what? What is wrong with my actual reply? Quote me. "I doubt it is wolves that you are really arguing about" - nope, I am arguing about wolves. I believe you mistook the purpose of her paper. It is not to discount the Alpha/Beta paradigm altogether, esp regarding humans, as you seem to think it is. I sincerely do not agree it is people she is talking about, and I never said it was about people in any of my responses, did I? But, again, there is no progress like a wise man's doubt; go on: "Perhaps the reason you are defending her article is because there are people who hate the idea that they qualify as Beta." - All I gotta say is straw man. I am not defending the article, I am defending reason. If you do not submit to reason and evidence, gtfo. "It probably makes some people feel better to attack the source of the Alpha concept." - Let's move the topic from wolves to people, as you'd prefer. Do you believe you are an Alpha?

Time stamp for video was Tue Sep 2 11:18:00 2014. I don't know the time zone.

Canis lupus; research cited in article: She gives the article name and the researcher who changed his "alpha" hypothesis. The research paper cited in the article as it is above has a broken link. A simple Google search brings it up http://www.wolf.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/267alphastatus_english.pdf This is not her opinion. She is not a wolf researcher, she is a journalist. Stop throwing red herrings. Did you read the article before commenting twice saying this was bullshit? Look at the links and citations. She links the one paper as one of particular interest. As to the species of wolf, Mech's research paper is on Canis lupus. You are right, she does not specify the specie in the article with anything other than the term "gray" once, only referring to the article, and uses the nonspecific "lupine" a few times. Here is a quote from the cited paper by Mech, "Alpha Status, Dominance, and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs": He goes on in more detail about the dynamics of the family pack structure from here; and again, in his paper he says "The degree to which these arguments apply to other species [non-lupus] no doubt varies considerably and is beyond the scope of this article." Regarding the wolves, he studied "among members in free-living packs based on a literature review and 13 summers of observations of wolves on Ellesmere Island, Northwest Territories, Canada. "

If you'd have read the article it specifies its findings are about wild wolf packs, not captive wolves or their domesticated canine brethren. The article makes it a point that the alpha/beta paradigm only occurs in domesticated wolves and further distinguishes domesticated dogs from wolves in that wolves haven't learned helplessness as dogs have in their reliance on humans to get food out of a container.

2004 election when I was like 12, hardened by one year of middle school. I watched the 2004 primaries; Nader had a good speech about something or other [wasn't really into politics]. I was impressed. He said voting for Bush OR Kerry would still result in war. My family protested the Iraq war in 2001 on a street corner, and I thought she would agree with his points, but the mind-fuck of it came when she said "independents never win, it's a waste of a vote. They take the votes of those who would be smarter to vote Democrat". I knew something was up, at least that my mom had no principles. Regarding property, I suppose I saw that my mom was enslaved by the voting system and was irrational.

If the fundamental problem with the NAP is not life-boat scenarios, what is the problem? If you are saying people do not know how to apply the NAP, that just means they are more likely to break the NAP. If you would apply your statement to an actual situation, we might likely be able to bring the conversation down from the realm of platonic ideas into reality so that it can be argued instead of fantasized about.

Can you give an example of a life boat scenario? I bet I can answer it for you.

Fucking sick. I want to punch his windpipe closed.

"When trying to discuss philosophical ideas" - what philosophical ideas?

Lord of flies seems like a good hint in the lyrics. My interpretation of the song is that you, the listener, the one the song is about, are a kid. You learn that society is fucked up and that the way to be an adult is through lying and threatening and killing the true self of other innocents including your own true self, like established society and your parents did to you. The song is not meant to be illuminating, it is meant as propaganda, in my opinion, like Lord of the Flies was - the message that the band and the book wants you to believe is that cruelty is your nature, that it is human nature to be violent and cruel. The song is the initiation ritual of your corruption, and you carry the weight of the misdeeds you were led to believe were virtuous. The true self is easily distinguished in the desperation of the singer's tone which is that undertone of truth to it, like you connect with it, but the false self is the puppet master of his voice and the song's message is that of futility [hopefully you don't connect with that =/]. Whaddya think? Close?

Is this thread about philosophy or physics? Physics is about nit-picking using deductive reasoning to build theories; philosophy created all of human knowledge and all fields of study including physics through inductive reasoning. Is there a specific moral situation we are talking about, or are we analyzing analyzing on this thread? And if so, whose analysis of analysis are we analyzing? Would you guys shrink the length of your posts by highlighting and copying the part of the others' post you intend to respond to, then click "quote" or "multiquote" at the bottom of their post, then edit/redact down the specific part you intend to respond to? This led to my confusion here.

What does CMS stand for? Central musculoskeletal system?

Because if forgiveness is possible when restitution isn't, forgiveness is being ingenuous. Virtue's path is a straight one.

I asked him how many people he is currently seeing, and he responded "about 8 a day". I responded "oh my fucking God! Isn't that hard to do?" And he says "It's manageable". I had assumed he had fewer than he did, which is why I was so surprised. I thought he would say 3 or 4 /day. I appreciate all of your comments everyone. He's a faking-positive sociopath I learned yesterday anyway. I'll be looking for someone else.

I thought the number was kind of high, he would have to have at least 40, but he says it's better to come every two weeks, so he could have 80. How many patients should a psychotherapist see per week? He said studies show it is better to have therapy once every 2 weeks for the patient. Is this true? I can't believe it, because I hardly get anywhere even in one hour once a week. Thanks for replying

To follow your logic, 1 Israeli = 600 Palestinians. That's a bit fascist...

I believe Brook pointed out the essentials for anybody who is calling in: reflecting on the relationships you have currently, have had, and will have with your parents and endless curiosity about your feelings, positive and negative. Understand that your negative thoughts or behaviors were not originally yours, but that they are yours now, and only you can change them.

You caught the slip, thanks. He and I hung out from 13 to 16, but he was always inconsiderate and coercive - very manipulative. He began dating a 14 year old when he was 16 and I stopped hanging out with him because he changed and started lying to me more. Since she was a friend of my cousin's I learned he slapped her for not having sex with her. Sorry for putting him on the same level as your manipulator, I just kind of see the similarities in him and who you described. Maybe it wasn't fair to equate him to your abuser, but he was one creepy, lying, mother fucker.

I am curious, since you have been unemployed for 12 years which is much longer than I have had being unemployed (only 8 months total job experience however) - I am 22 and have been unemployed for 2 years - what is your definition of value? Because I think this is a meatball for my situation. Also, where not is the mutually agreed language? Do you mean that between your employer and yourself, your definition of value is different? Would you say you equivocate its definition in your own head? If there is an equivocation and you clarified and removed it, I think it may help. I look forward to your response, as I comprehended well the OP.

I don't know how much of a bond you had with your brothers, but I don't think most good bonds turn into violence that easily. My sister would choke me, and that was her choice. No event in particular made her do that. Likewise, your dad's employer probably didn't give your dad a 6 pack with his final check, it was his preference to spend the (i assume) fewer dollars coming into the house on beer [GREAT INVESTMENT]. I'm really sorry about your manipulation to be in that relationship with that rapist from said rapist and your mother. That is something that I could never imagine on my worst enemy. That is seriously fucked up. Your mom actually went around your father's back.... I had a good friend that was hot blooded and his mom did the same for him, but he was the abuser. You are an inspiration, spread the truth.