Posts by redtinker36

.. what are you even talking about .. why would you want to wash away all your own blame ..?

Michael Anderson2 said:Nothing is really "allowed" or "forbidden"—things just are the way they are.

... but that implies there are causes... which lead to certain consequences...

... essentially, one thing exists... which then gives rise to something else... which will eventually become its own reality...

Michael Anderson2 said:"Gone" one way or another...

Look, faith relies on all these various stories and myths—but accepting reality doesn't require any assumptions. Reality just *is*. It's here, it can't be altered, so just deal with the fact... 🤷

.. if you're still breathing .. just wash up ..

Look, faith relies on all sorts of stories and little narratives—but accepting reality? That doesn't require any assumptions. Reality simply *is*. It’s right here, and it can't be altered—just accept that fact... 🤷

.. reality is temporal ..

.. everything flows, everything changes .. the sun isn't just "new" every day .. it is constantly, perpetually new ..

.. so, is it actually okay to go ahead with something just because you feel it's wrong to do.. 🙂 ..?

Michael Anderson2 said:Look, I’m talking about reality—what is. There’s no fixing it. You can shoulder the blame, you can call yourself guilty, you can chalk it up to fate or even God's will—it doesn't matter. What is, is. It’s an undeniable fact. Regardless of who is responsible, you can't change what has already happened. It won't change, it can't be undone, and it certainly won't just vanish. What is, is.

So, how do you deal with reality? You can cry about it, whine, point fingers, or make excuses—whatever you choose—but the reality stays exactly the same. It isn't going to budge.

If reality remains unchanged no matter how much you try to explain it away or justify it, what's left to do? Accept things as they are, do the best you can with what you know, and stop stressing over the outcome. Whatever happens, happens—damn it...

What rights? I have no idea what rights we're even discussing here. Reality is what it is, and nobody has "rights" over it. There are no rights, no help coming, and no changing it. It just exists. Every single moment is set in stone, whether you like it or not, whether it works in your favor or against you, whether you take responsibility or not, whether you're right or wrong, whether you blame yourself or someone else, whether you're grateful or resentful, or whether you worry or stay indifferent. What is, is...

This isn't some theory. It's a plain, hard fact, proven by experience... 😁

.. precisely .. if you die this very second .. everything you've built .. is gone ..

So, how do we deal with reality? Whether you choose to cry, complain, blame, or make excuses, the reality remains unchanged. It isn't going anywhere.

.. best approach .. amor fati ..

If reality stays the same regardless of how you explain or justify it, what choice is left? Accept what is, do the best you can with what you know, and stop stressing over the outcome. Whatever happens, happens, damn it...

.. you move from the state of being .. into the act of doing .. for the sake of the future ..
.. amor fati .. blooming .. .. the future is fundamental time .. Heidegger .. and Sartre ..

What rights? I have no idea what kind of "rights" we're discussing here. Reality is what it is, and nobody has any claim over it. No rights, no help, no changing the facts. Existence just exists. Every moment happens whether you want it to or not, whether it favors you or works against you, whether you take responsibility or not, whether you're right or wrong, whether you blame yourself or someone else, whether you're grateful or resentful, or whether you worry or remain indifferent. What is, is...

.. if you pass away now ..

This isn't some abstract theory; it's a plain fact, proven by experience... 😁

.. yes .. that's right ..

.. in other words .. why would you even care about theories like that .. ? .. did you lose something .. ?

.. I’m talking about you .. about your own responsibility .. about the mere fact that you exist .. .. what exactly are you even getting at .. ? .. (.. I wouldn't want the fact that some drunk can just trample over you to grant him any kind of rights .. even if he isn't actually stepping on you, if you catch my drift ..)

Michael Anderson2 said:Yeah, that’s just how it goes—there's no changing it. You just do what you think is right and let things play out...

.. so, where are you placing yourself here? .. Are you playing God? Or acting like the Earth is your personal playground? Or maybe just some guy sitting in front of the TV? ..

.. You're human .. and you're responsible for yourself down to the very last atom.
.. Forget about "events" .. forget about some nuclear strike being aimed at the Midwest .. if they miss New York ..

.. right now, things are unfolding exactly as they must.. but tomorrow is going to be a reflection of who you choose to be today.. .. and that's what you're setting in motion..

rustymaker5 said:So, what I'm hearing is that you try to boost your own ego by stepping on everyone else?

.. screw everyone else .. they don't matter ..

.. but for yourself .. yeah .. that's how you try to bolster your own standing ..

.. you .. you're doing even more than I am in all of this .. you're strengthening your whole circle .. your neighborhood ..

.. you might think someone is one thing... but they turn out to be a complete jerk... and honestly, there's no point in even trying to talk to them or hang out
.. whether I should just say that to his face..
.. or if I should stay quiet and just walk away..

.. that’s the hard part of life..
.. especially if you're a minority living in a deep-red stronghold like rural Alabama..

rustymaker5 said:Look, I get it—ignoring someone when there's zero common ground or they’re just totally uninteresting to you makes perfect sense. But then what's the whole point of all the fighting and the constant need to throw insults?
Does that mean the person being attacked and insulted instead of just being ignored is actually considered worth communicating with somehow?

.. or maybe you're just proving something about yourself .. .. making yourself look small ..

.. here are the questions ..

.. if you actually enjoy arguing .. what would be off-limits for you? .. and if you don't .. what on earth is driving you to do it?

.. and besides .. what do those Neanderthals and cavemen gain from any of it?

rustymaker5 said:Since you all seem to be such brilliant minds on here, I was wondering if anyone would care to weigh in on a little thought of mine... personally, when it comes to communicating in this digital space, using ad hominem attacks is basically the online equivalent of getting slapped in the face in real life, and we all know people resort to that kind of low blow the second they run out of actual arguments and just want to force their own narrow perspective on everyone else as the absolute truth.
So, what does that actually say about those kinds of users? Does it mean they lack basic social etiquette, or are they just aggressive types, or maybe—and this is my guess—they’re just deeply insecure people? Because it seems incredibly easy to sidestep that whole mess by just ignoring them, yet so many people refuse to take the high road. I get it, not everyone is going to click with everyone else, but I truly don't grasp the desperate need to turn everything into a violent confrontation...🤷

.. the topic isn't really well-defined .. .. this one of yours ..
.. are you looking to debate five or ten different things .. ? .. about which ones .. ?

.. what I'm interested in is this .. why don't they just leave .. .. if they don't fit in .. why not just go .. ?

.. I understand the need for a forceful response ..
.. sometimes someone pushes so hard that you have to shut them down ..
.. but why don't others just brush it off .. ? .. that's the question ..
.. nobody can kill you or burn your house down here ..
.. you know .. ?

hollowpuma762 said:No, I'm not. You just missed the point entirely.
Let me try explaining it again, friend to friend.

A human being shares certain traits with animals—stuff rooted in raw instinct and basic biological drives. But there's a massive gap between us and the animal kingdom. We have things like reason, conscience, intuition, imagination, and the ability to actually sit back and contemplate life.

The second a person gives in to those primal urges, they drop straight down to an animalistic level. And honestly? The people running the show know this perfectly well. They exploit it to manipulate the masses, keeping everyone's brain fogged out for as long as possible. Look at modern media—the constant barrage of hyper-sexualized imagery and the blatant push for skin exposure. It’s basically psychological warfare designed to spike hormone levels and trigger those primitive responses. When those primary instincts take over, they effectively shut down the higher-level reasoning part of the human brain.

People who actually believe they belong in the same category as animals are usually just deeply indoctrinated and totally oblivious to their own potential. And they're doing it to their own damn detriment.

.. and the referendum ..

.. write an essay about bottom-tier journalism..
.. spend three days scrolling through the internet—checking sites like the New York Post and the Daily Mail.. and just list the headlines.. all of them.. in order..
.. call the topic "What on earth do these Americans even want?"..
.. and try to figure out..
.. pay close attention to the columns.. you don't actually need to read them.. just the headlines..
.. the conclusion should basically be that these rats.. it seems.. have lost their way..
.. damn.. if you want to start writing a thesis right now.. then assume this..
.. there's no point in messing around for nothing.. no matter how small-time these Americans might seem.. even they have to fall under certain laws..
.. anyway.. that's all from me.. hang on.. maybe someone smarter will chime in..

.. I agree .. though I should mention .. the sheer variety of directions this discussion took .. felt .. perfectly suited for philosophy ..
(.. not that I'm suggesting my .. old anarchist-communist leanings .. always pull me toward .. letting a topic breathe .. until it dies on its own .. but fine .. I won't .. drag or push .. anything specific .. into the fray .. just to keep the debate at a steady level .. (.. wouldn't want to end up tripping over my own feet like some clumsy amateur..))

.. true .. given how it leaned toward science .. and how the US pushes in that direction ..

.. true .. purpose and meaning have always pulled toward .. God and religion .. and while Americans might balk .. even if they'd be making a mess of things by claiming .. there is no God ..

.. but .. a third point .. equally vital .. linguistics .. following that famous guy's logic ..
The intelligence that kickstarted evolution didn't emerge from the very evolution that produced our own intelligence.
.. and .. intelligence .. as a core concept .. the one thing that could actually settle the question of intelligence .. would effectively screw over both the US and the clergy ..

.. it is my deep conviction that a topic .. with this much multimedia potential .. was born .. specifically to shine in philosophy .. or perhaps to die there .. collapsing under its own weight ..
(.. much like how the Third Reich once rose with such blinding brilliance .. only to collapse in a bunker .. via suicide .. where Hitler essentially blamed the Reich .. saying .. if you aren't capable of greatness .. then .. just stay small ..)

The intelligence that kickstarted evolution didn't emerge from the very evolution
that produced our own intelligence.

.. Gruntovac is just a neighborhood... it's all one cohesive unit... these folks will be cursed while he ends up being the one left holding the bag... if I may express myself philosophically...
.. he just wanted to get back at that guy from the city who crushed his chicken...
.. the world belongs to God... everything will eventually fall into its rightful place... it really isn't like that... I swear... the world... Gruntovac...

I don't mean to overstep—not by much—but I really feel I should point out that the only truly vital questions being asked here are the ones posed by ironmarlin1.
It’s similar to how one might argue from a purely philosophical standpoint—much like Dostoevsky’s fractured logic—that everyone is entitled to do whatever they can to another person right up until the moment they get caught.
On the flip side, there is the very practical, very human question: do I really need to buy those shoes when I know someone else—say, a struggling family in a small town in Ohio—can't even afford books for their kids?
I’ll admit my own limitations—my thinking is a bit old-school, perhaps a relic of outdated ideologies—but regardless of how brilliant you all may be, you’ll never solve this dilemma from the perspective of an outsider who has nothing to gain.
What I am trying to say is this: if I were forced to face this choice at its most extreme level—to either succumb to the problem or die trying—I hope I would choose death. And I hope God gives me enough strength to meet that end with a smile (even if, personally, I have no intention of handing my hard-earned dollars over to anyone for books).

This is exactly what you need to be weighing—long before you even think about having kids.
It’s too late for regrets now—there's no turning back from this path.
Don't sweat it too much—even if you really messed up—because, let's face it, your kids will end up footing the bill anyway.

You’re becoming quite skilled—a real shaman out there—right now... truly impressive.

... and regarding that topic — Mark Torres14 ...

You missed the point—this thread is about what makes something good, not about being independent.
Look, this isn't actually about the kids—it's about you. What exactly are we supposed to be teaching them when it's clear you haven't even figured it out yourself yet?
Topic number three... it’s about procrastination—specifically, the delay of one's own life. It goes like this: given that I can no longer teach myself—mostly because I'm getting older and, frankly, a bit more frail than I'd like to admit—should I find someone else... and focus on teaching them instead?

... one more thing — just so I'm sure I caught everything and didn't miss the point.

I believe we're on this planet to do some actual good for others—to leave things better than we found them. As for what everyone else is actually doing while they're here? Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue.