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Phluck
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/10/99
Posts: 11,394
Loc: Canada
Last seen: 5 months, 3 days
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The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special.
#4020401 - 04/06/05 04:38 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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When I was 14 or so, I remember thinking how everyone was brainwashed. Nobody was thinking critically other than a select, persecuted few.
What I've realized now is, nobody was thinking critically and coming to the exact same conclusions. It's a bizarre assumption to think that if everyone questioned what was happening around them, they'd end up thinking just like you. I see this kind of thinking a lot around here. Like, "maybe if you took some mushrooms you wouldn't think like that", or "*sarcastically* shh, don't say that, haven't THEY told you that critical thinking is wrong?".
Critical thinking and skepticism have been around for thousands of years, and we've had tons of famous thinkers over the course of history that have introduced new, challenging, and innovative ideas.
What's really lacking isn't the ability to question the ideas that others have, even though that is crucial, it's the ability to question OUR OWN ideas that people are missing. Tons of us lack the ability to self criticize, as soon as they attach themselves to their idea, they refuse to thoughoughly examine it for errors, and often ignore the errors when they do become apparent. When looking for more information, they look for information that backs them up, and ignore the stuff that refutes what they say. I'm certainly guilty of this, and anyone who says they aren't is probably in denial.
-------------------- "I have no valid complaint against hustlers. No rational bitch. But the act of selling is repulsive to me. I harbor a secret urge to whack a salesman in the face, crack his teeth and put red bumps around his eyes." -Hunter S Thompson http://phluck.is-after.us
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Lux
member
Registered: 04/21/04
Posts: 189
Last seen: 18 years, 9 months
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Re: The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special. [Re: Phluck]
#4020433 - 04/06/05 04:53 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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Absolutely, this became painfully clear once when I was finding what I considered wonderful relevations being touched upon in random talks by random people all around me, even children. It become obvious then that we are all indeed in the same boat.
It is also important, as you touched upon, to not become attached to the words with which we've come to describe an experience, or realization. It is important to look into the essence of things and see that indeed there are many paths to the same goal. The path isn't important, not so much as is the direction of the path.
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freddurgan
Techgnostic
Registered: 01/11/04
Posts: 3,648
Last seen: 11 years, 9 months
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Re: The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special. [Re: Lux]
#4020560 - 04/06/05 06:43 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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Yeah that's true. I remember talking to some kid that I had pinned as a total..hmm..redneck? And didn't feel like talking to, but damn did he surprise me. Kid was deep, and I learned a lot from him.
But yeah I'm defenitely able to self-criticize. I know you said if I said that I probably can't, but I really can. I never cling to any ideas ever because I just pick them apart. Maybe it's almost a flaw at this point.
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery
Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 95,368
Loc: underbelly
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Re: The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special. [Re: Phluck]
#4021063 - 04/06/05 10:07 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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Good post. Very good point. It's for sure part of the condition of most personality structure to become invested in belief. And as you said, for long periods of time examination of the belief goes undone. Usually it takes a shock of some kind to get one examining ones beliefs again. That may be one of the reasons we evolve so slowly.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery
Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 95,368
Loc: underbelly
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Re: The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special. [Re: Icelander]
#4021072 - 04/06/05 10:09 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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And it may be one of the reasons that psychedelics are beneficial to many people. They provide the shock
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Psychoactive1984
PositiveCynicist
Registered: 02/06/05
Posts: 3,546
Loc: California, Monterey Coun...
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Re: The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special. [Re: Phluck]
#4021134 - 04/06/05 10:28 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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-------------------- "Their is one overriding question that concerns us all: How can we get out of the fatal groove we are in, the one that is leading towards the brink?" Albert Szent-Gyorgyi "We may not be capable of eradicating the corruption of reason, but we must nevertheless counter it at every instance and with every means." Dan Agin "Politics is the best religion and politicians are the worst followers." -It's ok to trip as long as you don't fall. -Substance over Style. -Common sense is uncommon.
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Huehuecoyotl
Fading Slowly
Registered: 06/13/04
Posts: 10,689
Loc: On the Border
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Re: The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special. [Re: Phluck]
#4021422 - 04/06/05 11:47 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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You are correct. The most important quality is the ability to change the status quo for the better. Any fool can criticise.
-------------------- "A warrior is a hunter. He calculates everything. That's control. Once his calculations are over, he acts. He lets go. That's abandon. A warrior is not a leaf at the mercy of the wind. No one can push him; no one can make him do things against himself or against his better judgment. A warrior is tuned to survive, and he survives in the best of all possible fashions." ― Carlos Castaneda
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jux
I'm better thanan STD!
Registered: 04/06/04
Posts: 924
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Re: The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special. [Re: Huehuecoyotl]
#4022047 - 04/06/05 03:08 PM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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I prefer to just let the status quo maintain itself for the general populous. I'd much rather exploit the status quo for my own personal gains.
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eMotionALLmotion
DivineeMotive....
Registered: 02/28/05
Posts: 759
Loc: The Symphony of Lights......
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Re: The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special. [Re: Phluck]
#4022426 - 04/06/05 04:53 PM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Phluck said: Critical thinking and skepticism have been around for thousands of years
. . Skepticism is based on fear of the "unknown", or the "unrealized", and can only hinder and "box in" personal or spiritual growth.... If you so choose to due so....
-------------------- Uni-VersALL MasterPeace eMotive Divinity NowThere Infinity eMelody
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Huehuecoyotl
Fading Slowly
Registered: 06/13/04
Posts: 10,689
Loc: On the Border
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Re: The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special. [Re: jux]
#4022746 - 04/06/05 06:11 PM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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I have been guilty of that in my life...
-------------------- "A warrior is a hunter. He calculates everything. That's control. Once his calculations are over, he acts. He lets go. That's abandon. A warrior is not a leaf at the mercy of the wind. No one can push him; no one can make him do things against himself or against his better judgment. A warrior is tuned to survive, and he survives in the best of all possible fashions." ― Carlos Castaneda
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Phluck
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/10/99
Posts: 11,394
Loc: Canada
Last seen: 5 months, 3 days
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Re: The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special. [Re: eMotionALLmotion]
#4024328 - 04/07/05 12:01 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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Skepticism is based on fear of the "unknown", or the "unrealized", and can only hinder and "box in" personal or spiritual growth....
Bull. Skepticism is the very thing that has accelerated science and technology over the past centuries.
-------------------- "I have no valid complaint against hustlers. No rational bitch. But the act of selling is repulsive to me. I harbor a secret urge to whack a salesman in the face, crack his teeth and put red bumps around his eyes." -Hunter S Thompson http://phluck.is-after.us
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eMotionALLmotion
DivineeMotive....
Registered: 02/28/05
Posts: 759
Loc: The Symphony of Lights......
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Re: The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special. [Re: Phluck]
#4024662 - 04/07/05 01:30 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Phluck said: Skepticism is based on fear of the "unknown", or the "unrealized", and can only hinder and "box in" personal or spiritual growth.... . Bull. Skepticism is the very thing that has accelerated science and technology over the past centuries.
. I didn't say ANYTHING about "science" OR "technology" growth....
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Phluck
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/10/99
Posts: 11,394
Loc: Canada
Last seen: 5 months, 3 days
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Re: The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special. [Re: eMotionALLmotion]
#4024943 - 04/07/05 03:34 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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Why can't skepticism be coupled with emotional growth, though? Is it necessarily to twist truth and reality to achieve happiness or inner peace?
-------------------- "I have no valid complaint against hustlers. No rational bitch. But the act of selling is repulsive to me. I harbor a secret urge to whack a salesman in the face, crack his teeth and put red bumps around his eyes." -Hunter S Thompson http://phluck.is-after.us
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Silversoul
Rhizome
Registered: 01/01/05
Posts: 23,576
Loc: The Barricades
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Re: The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special. [Re: Phluck]
#4025835 - 04/07/05 11:13 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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Skepticism helped me with my emotional growth a great deal. It helped me to realize that I am responsible for my own well-being, and that blaming my problems on forces beyond my control will not get me anywhere in life.
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dr0mni
My Own Messiah
Registered: 08/21/04
Posts: 2,921
Loc: USF Tampa, Fl
Last seen: 16 years, 9 months
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Re: The ability to question the status quo is not THAT special. [Re: Phluck]
#4025848 - 04/07/05 11:16 AM (18 years, 11 months ago) |
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"it's the ability to question OUR OWN ideas that people are missing"
WOW! I couldn't have said it better! I think I lost sight of this fact recently, but try to stay objective by always admiting that I could be wrong, and that all viewpoints are relative, including mine... But then again everyone says that.
I try to keep myself ready to let go of all of my assumptions. But I think that is nearly impossible to do when in a human body/mind.
I kinda miss the S&P forums! If anyone has noticed, I used to spend all my time here and never went in any other forum on the site. Then I started growing my shrooms and stopped comming here, instead I spend all my time in Cultivation.
I still like to come back here and check up on all s&p buddies (you ARE my buddies whether you know it or not) and see how far into nowhere all the philosophizing has gotten us...
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