Posts by Casey Jones9

mistyfox812 said:It basically boils down to a set of fundamental concepts and procedures that aren't questioned within science as long as everything keeps "working." (Of course, philosophers do question those "fundamental" ideas, and even scientists do during "crisis periods" or times of "scientific revolutions.") The internal consistency of that system is constantly being scrutinized in the scientific community.
But I think what makes cults unique is how they specifically deny the very act of questioning as a valid process. They use those usual excuses about "clinging to concepts" or an "inability to see beyond reason" and things like that. Basically, they refuse to even attempt to answer questions by loudly labeling anyone who asks them as "someone who just doesn't get it," unlike the rest of the cult members who "do get it." This builds group cohesion and introduces a fear of being cast out among current and potential members, which stops any further questioning.

That’s exactly the problem—those "fundamental concepts" aren't clear at all. At least, they aren't to me. 😬
What you described below is just a description of certain cults. 🙂

Joseph Ramos11 said:>
Scientific communities can basically function just like religious ones, considering how often they end up leaning on dogma.

science = religion ☕

Joseph Ramos11 said:>
Cults are a different beast entirely, and they present a unique set of issues. The real problem with cults is how aggressive they are—always trying to force their views on everyone else while blatantly exploiting their followers.

I guess I agree. Those are pretty much the defining traits of a cult. You can find weird, niche terminology in just about any group, so that isn't really the deciding factor.

mistyfox812 said:I disagree. Science—at least in how it’s supposed to work—is meant to drive clarity. It expects you to iron out every single doubt, rather than just suppressing questions just to fit in with the crowd.

It doesn't push for clarity; it just trains you to accept their specific version of the truth...
I think some famous mathematician or philosopher—I can't recall which one right now—once said that you don't actually learn math; you just get used to it and bend your thinking to fit the patterns.

It's similar to how certain cults encourage their followers to ask questions, but only as a way to pull them deeper into the group's specific jargon and system.

Try seeking actual clarity from your physics professor and watch what happens. They won't clear things up; they'll just "explain" it away using more complex concepts and formulas. That's exactly how cults operate... 🙂

mistyfox812 said:That’s actually a solid point regarding cults. Most groups offering some kind of alternative lifestyle develop this specific jargon that makes zero sense to outsiders. They also tend to dismiss common sense or logical reasoning as a flaw belonging to "those who just don't get it."
By ditching rationality, they make sure a member—or anyone thinking about joining—doesn't start questioning the "doctrine." See, just asking questions puts you right in the category of someone who "doesn't get it," or someone who is "stuck in their rational ways" and "can't just relax and accept things as they are." I guess there's basically an unspoken pressure on members to shut up about anything that feels suspicious, because if they do, they risk losing their status and the approval of the rest of the group.

Yeah, but you can't use that as the sole definition of a cult, because that applies to other organizations too, like... maybe certain scientific institutions.

klimakos said:Anyone who isn't on our side is against us, plain and simple! If you aren't against us, you have a shot at joining us—but you won't be doing it alone! Being against us doesn't mean you'll stay that way, but if you do, you're basically fighting yourself! Those who stick with us might lose track of who they are, but they'll certainly know who we are! And those who lose themselves won't even bother asking anymore; they'll just know! ... I've got a few more points, but I'll save those for next time!

Look, you're seeing cult theory play out right before your eyes.
It’s a classic hallmark of a cult: they use these convoluted theories that nobody actually understands except for them. 😬

Then there's the rest:

2. They have supreme leadership ( = John Doe ) 😬
3. They have an organized structure (this forum thread) and a secretary (Grizli)—honestly, they're a modern cult—they even have an "online" schedule for operations and recruiting new members. 😬

All they're missing now is some prophecy about doomsday or seeking vengeance against anyone who treated them poorly. 😁

Joke aside. 🙂

So, what exactly defines "cult-like behavior"? 😕

stormycobra90 said:Come on, walk me through that... 😉

It’s hard to put into words. 🙂
It isn't just some vague "miracle" or whatever. 😬
You really have to experience it for yourself...
Maybe you already have.

stormycobra90 said:but then you just numb everything out... completely... 😬
right?

Yeah. But I think you're kind of misinterpreting how this works... 😉
It's not like you "numb" yourself and suddenly feel nothing. 😬

Instead, you start feeling this slow, steady sense of inner peace—this sort of mellow contentment and a connection to everyone else (regardless of how they treat you).

And it's not just about people, either.

That "connection" doesn't have anything to do with "emotions."🙂

stormycobra90 said:And about that part: "he isn't the only one" wasn't in quotes, so what you said comes across as an extension of his point... and using quotes could imply you don't actually understand the terms being quoted since you don't feel 🙄 🙂
😉

aha OK, 😁

I see how that could have been misread.

So, the "he isn't the only one" bit refers to forgetting unpleasant experiences because people just stop paying attention to them. 🙂

The rest is about how unpleasant experiences get "dulled," which eventually dulls pleasant ones too. But I guess that doesn't mean you stop feeling the bad stuff; it just means, over time, the intensity slowly fades. 🙂

Well, obviously. 🙄
I mean, how else would it be?

That’s exactly why I put "feel" in quotes. 🙂

And you haven't the slightest clue why you think those are just fairy tales?

stormycobra90 said:🙄

Give me a break with those fairy tales... 🤣

What makes them fairy tales? 🙂

You could at least explain why you think that. 😉

Harold Adams5 said:😍
Are you really the only person on the planet who thinks that works? Just forgetting about it?
Give me a break. It’s not that simple. We aren't robots (though I guess we'd love to stop feeling things when we're hurt... but only then.)
That approach of yours might work on some random idiot passing by, but we aren't talking about them here.

He isn't the only one. 😍

The whole point is that you "don't feel" even when things are "really great" or "really wonderful" too. 🙂

@Alex Parker8/">@@Alex Parker8: Nah, that happened before Reddit went down.

BTW does anyone know why it was offline? Maybe they were just upgrading their servers.

Sophia Castillo35 said:Maybe people just stopped posting on this thread?

Thanks, Sophia Castillo35, but actually, I just got all my emails from the forum hit my inbox after a 12-hour delay, so the issue is sorted out now.

👋

I just ran a test on my POP server and everything looks fine, but I’m still getting absolutely nothing from Reddit.

I don't have any email filters or anything like that set up. Does anyone have an idea what might be going on?

Is anyone else running into this, or is my POP3 server just acting up? 😕

Basically, I've stopped getting automatic email notifications whenever someone replies to a thread I'm subscribed to.

Karen Sanchez19 said:nothing is actually true

Truth is everything.😁

Alright, look at it this way:

Once we reach the end of the road, we'll 🙂
But until then, there are just mental concepts.

Karen Sanchez19 said:I guess they think so...
but I'm telling you, these theories about spirit and soul are just mental constructs. Where's the actual truth in any of that?

There isn't any absolute truth, but they serve as tools along the way. Right? Eventually, they'll turn into the truth itself.

Carl Lopez8 said:The idea that every rule having an exception is itself a contradiction tells us something about how the world works.

Yeah, it tells us that language and logic can only map out a fraction of reality. At least, that's my take.

And I guess it’s more intuitive to view that rule as a contradiction, but my experience with the real world suggests the statement holds water, even if it wouldn't fly in something like high-level math.