Amelius Posted January 29, 2014 Posted January 29, 2014 I am starting to find the pursuit knowledge to be a pointless endeavor(except for more pragmatic fields like engineering, which I'm in); I find that every time I learn something, I run the risk of exposing myself to social/physical attacks from the society I live in.So, for instance, when I came out as an atheist, I experienced a lot of anxiety due to the society's negative outlook unto the matter(I live in Lebanon); same thing happened with libertarianism/anarchism.If I don't speak out and voice my opinion, I would inevitably live my life in a sort of cognitive dissonance state of affairs, which would probably lead to much anxiety. On the other hand, speaking out might also cause backlash which would also cause much anxiety. I mean, I keep envisioning myself wanting to get a job and helping out my folks by becoming financially independent when I finish college, but on the other hand, I keep having these negative thoughts of something happening to impede my goals(like what happened with Kokesh, or being killed by some religious zealout)I was encouraged by a friend to start a Youtube channel, since he thinks I have quite a lot of valuable things to say, although I think I'm somewhat paranoid to do that.What do you think I should do? Speak up or not? And if so, to what extent?
Iconoclastic Posted January 29, 2014 Posted January 29, 2014 Speak out: yes. Extent: anonymous You as an individual need a philosophy guide you through life. So the pursuit of knowledge in a philosophical sense is a necessity.
dsayers Posted January 29, 2014 Posted January 29, 2014 Rafiki, I commend your courage in considering such things in a world that would punish you for considering such things. I could say a lot on the subject, but there's one facet that I think would be the most helpful to you. Since you're talking the temptation of taking the blue pill, let us stick with the Matrix analogy. Have you ever seen the Matrix? There is one scene in particular that crystallizes our struggle well. Often called the woman in the red dress scene or the agent training scene. In it, Morpheus is explaining to Neo that everybody he sees in the Matrix represents the very minds they are trying to free. However, until such a time that they do, those people are still a part of that system. It then demonstrates that "agents" can take over those people at any time to fight against those trying to free them. This is comparable to parental, social, and cultural norms lashing out from within them to protect that which is familiar to them. Simply put, people do not arrive at religion and statism (another religion) by way of logic, reason, and evidence. It is simply momentum. It's a decision made for them by others that they choose to abide in order to fit in. What makes OUR efforts so important is that it ups the pressure. The day will come when it's simply no longer comfortable or socially acceptable to support things like theft (taxation), assault (spanking), and murder (war). On that day, the revolution is over and without violence. After that, the only thing I'll mention is that it's not enough to have good ideas. You have to also be able to communicate them well. If you cannot, you might want to consider developing that skill or teaming up with somebody that you could do a channel together with.
Amelius Posted January 29, 2014 Author Posted January 29, 2014 Thank you for your replies.What I still don't understand is this: Is spreading what I know worth it? I mean, I've been hearing and reading about a lot of cases of police raids and unwarranted arrests(like they're ever warranted) to non-violent people. In my area, there has been a crackdown on non-violent activists and bloggers recently. So now, every-time I'n in a public sphere where there are people who can track me or read what I say(although I don't find myself this scared in classroom discussions, for instance), I get very anxious about what to say in fear of them eventually retaliating and using force to subdue me and take me away. I want to voice my opinions without the fear of being stopped, investigated and tortured for having a different opinion. What should I do? Should I keep silent?
marius Posted January 29, 2014 Posted January 29, 2014 Its really hard because you have the choice to leave. But in that case were would we be if the people who dared to challenge their day's dogma left? So on one side you have the choice to leave the place and live a happier life, and on the other you can affect the future of children for the better. I chose the second one, but first i need to understand how things work in this world. I have to activate in the marketplace. This way i could have an impact. It may help if you dont focus on the conclusions but on the method. = I accept the arguments that if people are raised peacefully and lovingly, the world will be better. So lets do that. No need to doubt god and get killed. That doesnt serve anyone.
Iconoclastic Posted January 30, 2014 Posted January 30, 2014 All the more reason to stay vocal, with the emphasis on anonymity. Have you ever looked into the possibilities of staying anonymous online? Like TOR, encryption on everything, proxies? Using tools like these will make it very difficult for intelligence agencies to find out who you are. Thank you for your replies.What I still don't understand is this: Is spreading what I know worth it? I mean, I've been hearing and reading about a lot of cases of police raids and unwarranted arrests(like they're ever warranted) to non-violent people. In my area, there has been a crackdown on non-violent activists and bloggers recently. So now, every-time I'n in a public sphere where there are people who can track me or read what I say(although I don't find myself this scared in classroom discussions, for instance), I get very anxious about what to say in fear of them eventually retaliating and using force to subdue me and take me away. I want to voice my opinions without the fear of being stopped, investigated and tortured for having a different opinion. What should I do? Should I keep silent?
Holo Cene Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 I am starting to find the pursuit knowledge to be a pointless endeavor(except for more pragmatic fields like engineering, which I'm in); I find that every time I learn something, I run the risk of exposing myself to social/physical attacks from the society I live in.So, for instance, when I came out as an atheist, I experienced a lot of anxiety due to the society's negative outlook unto the matter(I live in Lebanon); same thing happened with libertarianism/anarchism.If I don't speak out and voice my opinion, I would inevitably live my life in a sort of cognitive dissonance state of affairs, which would probably lead to much anxiety. On the other hand, speaking out might also cause backlash which would also cause much anxiety. I mean, I keep envisioning myself wanting to get a job and helping out my folks by becoming financially independent when I finish college, but on the other hand, I keep having these negative thoughts of something happening to impede my goals(like what happened with Kokesh, or being killed by some religious zealout)I was encouraged by a friend to start a Youtube channel, since he thinks I have quite a lot of valuable things to say, although I think I'm somewhat paranoid to do that.What do you think I should do? Speak up or not? And if so, to what extent? Wow, what absolute bravery to even ask the question. I'm in America and I do not choose to share as much as you seem to want to. It boils down to exactly what you are hoping to achieve and having reality based expectations. If there is any good to be done then I would say that you do it, but it has to be tempered against the fact that most people would consider it a taboo to discuss things outside of conformist conventions. If you meet a curious person with intelligence and openness sharing your ideas might be a good idea, but otherwise tread carefully.
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