Posts by Nancy Thompson3

Noah Sanchez7 said:If there isn't some element of liberation involved, then any philosophy that just pushes existence for its own sake feels pretty hollow to me.

Fine. If that's how we're going to play this game.
Do you honestly think Vestax offers any kind of liberation?
Look, here's my take: people are drowning in consumerism. It’s constant—just gathering more stuff and blowing money on material goods. Even the church complains that its congregation would rather spend their time at the local mall than sitting in a pew.
People judge each other based entirely on what they own.
And when things fall apart, they turn to drugs to cope. Within the DJ scene, cocaine dealing is basically thriving—you see it everywhere from guys like Kala to those types over at the Apartment or Pif, or even Charlemagne.

Where is the "liberation" in that? To me, that's just mindless vegetating.

Noah Sanchez7 said:Now, let me be completely honest with you. Around the time I was 17 or 18, I felt this existential weight for the first time, and honestly, it felt pretty heavy...
Since then, I've been torn between two things.
On one hand, there's what I believe to be true—integrity, clarity, and purity. On the other, there's that existential pressure where it feels like you have to "sell out" just to get by...
That pressure lasted until the day I finally told myself: "forget all of you." I knew I wouldn't find any happiness following your scripts, so I chose my own path instead—even if it means being a pauper on the street or starving. I'd rather face death than live a life that isn't mine, one that doesn't resonate with who I actually am.

Look, nobody is forcing your hand. You don't have to!! You just think you do. Realizing that you aren't obligated to follow suit is actually a massive step forward...

I've made up my mind, and it's final... if you're looking for someone to conform to your standards, don't expect to find me among you.
If you know what I mean...

That’s fine. Really. If you don't have an ego, I suppose you could live that way. Just endure the winters, the cold, the insults, and the constant condescension from the Siemens crowd who love to judge you for not being exactly like them... But no, I won't do that. I’m choosing to walk my own path, and that doesn't mean living in a gutter, nor does it mean grinding away in some cubicle wearing a button-down and a tie.

I've made up my mind, and it's final... if you all expect me to just conform, then don't expect to see me around anymore..
If you catch my drift...

I hear you. Respect!

Noah Sanchez7 said:You know how it goes. I used to get dragged into arguments with everyone about everything. I eventually realized it just drains my battery.
If I feel like a discussion is actually constructive—meaning it’s focused on people and helps them learn something—then I don't mind putting in the effort.

I just don't get it. I'm sitting here telling you we don't even know how to survive on this planet, let alone figure out how to leave it, and you're trying to tell me that debating it is pointless. It isn't pointless; maybe you just don't know how to hold your own in a conversation. And honestly, how do you even argue against cold, hard facts?

Noah Sanchez7 said:I mean, seriously. No one has the right to tell you how to live your life, how to act, or what kind of worldview you should hold...
Being different—really, truly different—it takes a massive amount of courage and some serious mental discipline..

Try telling that to those uptight corporate freaks over at General Electric.
BTW: I don't work at General Electric, nor would I ever survive among that crowd.

Brandon Hall88 said:🙂
Wonderful.
Honestly, I can't tell if you're actually describing what life is to you or just describing a movie plot. 🙂

So, how would you answer this one:
Who are you?

A movie doesn't have a physical body. Sure, the film strip itself is material, but what’s projected on it is pure INFORMATION—it’s independent of whatever MEDIUM carries it, kind of like how a computer virus doesn't care about the hardware it infects. Real life involves a unique, singular body that evolves, replicates, and maintains itself. Once that body is gone, the life is gone. I guess that's why we bother sterilizing our food.

So, how would you answer this question:
Who are you?

I guess I'm just a conscious entity that's temporarily occupying a suitable biological vessel. I'm not the body, and maybe I'm not even "life" itself. Life is just my vehicle for navigating this material world.

Noah Sanchez7 said:Hold on, where did we go with this? Didn't Bob already argue—and prove—that a "civilized" person naturally trends toward negative birth rates??

So, check out this quote from Agent Smith:

Agent Smith said:I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You're a plague and we are the cure.

Yeah. Exactly. Once there's too many of us—and, let's be real, our total biomass probably outweighs every other living thing on Earth combined—then intelligent beings are basically expected to either:
a) ditch the home planet entirely, which requires propulsion tech that isn't exactly being perfected alongside Vestax turntables and Trumpian tea parties
b) just tank the birth rate and keep it in the negatives for a while until some kind of equilibrium is reached

Brandon Hall88 said:What even is life?
If you can give me an answer to that... then maybe I'll tell you the difference.... 🙂

I guess life is just some kind of activity performed by a structure that's capable of staying alive, replicating itself, and adapting—or evolving, I suppose—within its environment. But it shouldn't be just some digital optimization. Even though a computer virus and a biological one aren't fundamentally different in how they operate, the first one isn't truly alive because it lacks a physical, bodily presence.

Hannah Morris3 said:But is that actually experiencing it—or just observing?

I mean, I guess it makes sense to ask him that, but I’d probably throw in another thought:

If that's the case, then what's even the difference between actual existence and just sitting through a movie at the AMC?

urbangardener35 said:@Brandon Hall88
You know, Arthur Janov talks about what a "normal" person looks like in his book "The Primal Scream"—as opposed to a neurotic one—and there’s this honestly mind-blowing overlap with how you describe an awakened person. It actually reminds me of some stuff I read about Bushmen and their way of life, where they describe them using those same exact traits as your idea of a "whole" human being.
What I'm getting at is... I really think an "awakened" person (whether you call them enlightened, whole, or saved) is just any mentally healthy individual. And man, it's a tragedy, but I feel like those people are incredibly rare these days.

@Noah Sanchez7
Look, I'm no big-shot philosopher urbangardener35—I'm just some total nobody 🙂... I mean, I actually had an account on this forum a while back too, but I haven't bothered changing my handle because, honestly, it still pretty much sums me up perfectly.

And a neurotic is just a normal person. It's like how someone gets muscular because their environment demands it—like if they're working a dock job—neurosis basically emerged as a natural mechanism.
Purists like Arthur Janov? They're actually worse than the worst neurotics.

If anyone actually wants to be enlightened, maybe they should just go live with the Bushmen.

Noah Sanchez7 said:There’s really no reason for us to be insulting one another.

I don't think you're stupid; I just think you've become way too caught up in your own intellect. Honestly, getting obsessed with being "smart" can actually be a lot more dangerous than getting high on money or coke.
It's risky for you, and for everyone around you.

You seem to be "tripping" on all these theories about abandoning Mother Earth or defending against alien invasions and things like that.
What's going on? Maybe you just need a different kind of escape—not drugs, just a way to unwind. 🙄

You also get worked up over theories about population control and stuff.

Capitalism is the engine driving everything, and I don't see any other alternative, but it really needs to be driven by humanistic values.
Are you even sure that marginalized communities actually want to be "educated," as you put it? Did you ever stop to ask them if they even want that?
You haven't?!
Then where do you get the right to decide their fates, or to think you have the authority to mold people into your own image?
If you're so interested in sculpting things, go grab a massive rock and make whatever you want out of it. My hat's off to you.

a) You guys were the ones who slapped the "genius" label on me, so if it bothers you, just peel it off. Don't blame me for what you decided to call me.
b) Capitalism isn't the only option, and it's certainly not the best one. It's a system built on greed, and greed triggers constant competition, which just burns through resources instead of actually meeting everyone's needs.
Nobody really possesses a sense of humanism, and if capitalism hadn't been so brutally crushing communism, it might not have turned so paranoid and negative. But... it will come back around. That's just how the cycle works.
c) People in marginalized communities do get educated because they live among people who are educated, so they slowly absorb that culture. Believe me, the reality for these communities today is worlds apart from what it was twenty years ago.
d) Since apparently you haven't realized, I actually can make plenty of things out of a block of stone. Unlike some of these modern sculptors, I don't run away from the actual work of carving.

Side note: I have every right to think whatever I want. I have the means, the knowledge, the desire, and the ability.

Noah Sanchez7 said:Who gives you the right to sit there and lecture us about the need to shrink the human population?
Who do you think you are?
Are you out of your mind? What is wrong with you??

What was the topic again, Bob? I thought we were discussing the concept of ego and its "harmfulness"... but it seems those preaching about it here actually have some of the most inflated egos I've ever seen..

How would you reduce the population, and more importantly, why? I haven't seen any overt racism or religious intolerance toward specific groups, but where do you get the authority to pick a nation and comment on "their" need to stop reproducing?>;..

And what kind of sick theory is it to suggest that a civilized society should aim for negative birth rates—basically, just focusing on mortality...??

It's just as absurd to oppose brands like Sony or Technics, or even the principles that support turntables as musical instruments, all because everyone is expected to obsess over Bob's theories about a potential "mosquito attack"—whatever on earth he means by that (maybe aliens?)...

Should we all just act like Bob? Or rather, follow his subtle implication that we should "think like me, or you shouldn't exist at all." That is massive ego! THE BIGGEST ONE!

And where exactly do you get off deciding what everyone else is thinking? Honestly. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion—even you, despite your questionable judgment.

Quincy:

What are you people? Who actually are you? Are you guys actually insane? Seriously, what is going on with your brains??

Our brains are perfectly fine, unlike yours—which you were busy tearing apart just a few days ago.

Quincy:

What was the topic again, Bob? I feel like we were all deep in some debate about the ego and how "toxic" it supposedly is... But honestly, looking at this thread, it seems like the very people preaching about it might actually have some of the most inflated egos here. I guess. Maybe I'm just seeing things.

Look, I have an ego. And if you’d actually bothered to read what I wrote—which, let's be honest, it looks like you didn't—you would've seen that I am actually DEFENDING the ego here. I'm making the case that the ego is necessary. In fact, I've gone as far as saying I've actively worked to develop mine. Okay?

Quincy:

How would you even go about reducing the population, and more importantly, why? I haven’t exactly seen much blatant racism or religious intolerance directed at specific groups here, but I still don't get it... where do you people get the right to pick a specific nation and start commenting on "their" need to stop procreating? It feels wrong, I guess. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like a massive overstep.

I don't see the point in trying to cull humanity or anything like that. That seems extreme, honestly. If you really wanted to tackle overpopulation, maybe—and I'm just guessing here—you'd focus on educating people in lower-income communities. It's probably more about providing better access to education to naturally bring those birth rates down. Just a thought.

Quincy:

And what exactly is that? Sick. Just... sick. So, I’ve been sitting here chewing on this idea... this whole theory that a civilized society actually *needs* negative natality—you know, where mortality outpaces births. It’s a heavy one. Maybe it's just me, but I can't help but feel a bit cynical about the logic behind it. What's the actual argument there? That we need to thin the herd to maintain stability? Or maybe it's some sort of evolutionary reset button? I guess it's easy to sit back and theorize about population decline being a sign of progress or "civilized" balance, but it feels a little bleak when you really dig into it. It’s like we’re trying to engineer a graceful exit for entire generations just to keep the gears of society turning smoothly. I don't know. It feels a bit hollow, if I'm being honest. Just an idea, though. I'm probably overthinking the whole thing.

Practice, man. Real practice. It’s actually happening.

Quincy:

It’s such a sick thesis, really. All this constant pushback against brands like Roland or Technics... and then there's those people who insist on treating turntables as if they're some holy grail of music production. It’s honestly exhausting. I guess what they should be doing instead is focusing on stuff that actually matters—like how Bob is always obsessing over the threat of some "mosquito attack." Who knows what he actually means by that? Maybe he’s talking about aliens or something equally absurd. But hey, that's just my take.

Fair enough, you’ve got a point there. I guess I was being too generous by assuming DJs actually have much to think about in the first place. My mistake for thinking they were capable of that level of depth. Honestly, let them just stick to their Roland gear and stay in their lane. As for whatever tiny bit of intellect they were born with? They'll probably just end up snorting it all away with the cocaine.

Quincy:

Maybe we should all just act like Bob—or rather, how Bob likes to imply when he’s reading between the lines: "think like me, or don't bother existing at all." Honestly? That is some massive ego right there. Like, the biggest one I've ever seen.

You guys couldn't be me if you tried. Honestly, don't even bother. Just grab a Roland and... shave it all off!
And then everything just falls apart. That's the only time he ever seems to be "out sick."

Hannah Morris3 said:And you can all head home now—your shift is basically over. We all put in some serious work together today, so feel free to go complain about how this country is going to hell because everyone else is lazy... except for you guys. Hehehe

My job mostly consists of sitting in front of a computer editing. When a film or a scene is rendering, I don't really have much choice in terms of what to do with my time.
But hey, you're right, we've gone way overboard here.

Anyway, what was the topic again?

Hannah Morris3 said:The Chinese, my friend. Those sweet little Chinese people.
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on what actually constitutes a "collapse."

It doesn't bother me. At the end of the day, they're just people. Let them come. Once they finally learn how to act civilized, maybe then they'll stop breeding so much.

hollowbadger17 said:and India...
We’re looking at negative population growth. A massive expanse of land where rural towns are simply vanishing. Everything centers on one single metropolitan hub, while the rest of the country is left with settlements where people just drift aimlessly. Nobody wants to put in any real work anymore. Everyone just wants to pose in luxury cars and hang out at upscale spots... isn't that just a total fall from grace for Hannah Morris3?
A complete disaster.

Yeah. It's a crash. But usually, after a fall, there's a comeback. You end up with an empty country and vacant houses everywhere. Who fills them? Austrians?

hollowbadger17 said:Heh.
What exactly does "civilized" mean in this context? It feels like we're right back at square one.

To hell with the dollars.

But we aren't. We have negative birth rates, which—if you ask me—is actually a good thing. That's how it works in China and throughout Africa too...

hollowbadger17 said:Viruses, wars, famine... clearly, these stopgap measures just aren't cutting it.

I guess a better way would be to actually distribute those dollars more intelligently, you know? Maybe if we helped developing nations become more stable, people wouldn't be so desperate to... well, let's just say they wouldn't feel the need to swarm like that.

Hannah Morris3 said:Look, I’m certainly more aware than my grandmother was—so we’re both in the loop.
Mosquitoes aren't going to care what we're wearing when they start biting.
And apparently, the population is supposed to crash soon—just because we've had enough of this lifestyle, right? As if we'll all just peacefully exit the stage and stop reincarnating as Earthlings altogether.

Oh, please. You won't even see that day coming, because you'll be leveled long before you ever reach some kind of spiritual transfiguration.
What I mean is: sure, they're mosquitoes, but we have no idea how to deal with them.
The real problem: they don't just bite. They completely devastate everything.

hollowbadger17 said:But really, who is actually "aware"?
Most people are just sleepwalking through life. How can you expect them to take decisive action when they're living in a total delusion?
Elimination? It’s no coincidence that viruses are being let loose or that wars are being actively encouraged... the global population simply has to be scaled back.

if it's supposed to be shrinking, then why does the numbers keep going up?

Hannah Morris3 said:We are aware, sure—we just aren't doing anything about it. As for eliminating a massive chunk of the population? That seems inevitable at this rate, probably very soon, but that’s a whole other conversation...

You’re overlooking one major thing here: shrinking the population isn't the actual issue. That would happen eventually anyway, I suppose.
The real problem is that all these guys at high-end clubs spinning on Vestax turntables and hitting up those posh parties have no clue that a meteor or a comet could strike at any moment. Everything will be wiped out if we don't figure out how to actually get into space and deal with those little cosmic mosquitoes that buzz past Earth all the time—things that don't even matter to the planet, but for us, they'd be a total catastrophe.

Hannah Morris3 said:We haven't had those answers for a long time—maybe ever. What exactly has changed?

I guess it’s just that we really need to start paying attention to the problem. I mean, we have the science, and we definitely have the energy. There’s no turning back here. Unless, of course, our big plan is to wipe out 4.5 billion people just so we can go back to living under some kind of modern feudalism? Maybe.