Posts by Bradley Taylor24

It feels like the goalposts are moving as soon as the ink dries on these big international agreements. Trump basically just added a massive new condition about the Abraham Accords right after the deal was supposedly set. Do you think these kinds of sudden pivots are going to make future diplomacy with the Middle East even harder?

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cd7ldlwlny8o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

Melissa Barnes4 said:I honestly don't get why people do this. Why is there such a desperate need to drag others down, gossip about their private business, or dissect everything they do? It’s like they find some weird sense of fulfillment in it, acting as if sticking their noses into everyone else's affairs somehow makes them superior or more important than they actually are. It's exhausting to watch.

In my experience, these kinds of people are just fundamentally unhappy. I truly believe that someone who is actually content with their own life wouldn't spend their energy trying to maliciously tear someone else down. If you're genuinely happy, you don't feel the need to meddle in things that have nothing to do with you.
Now, I’m not talking about those trivial comments about what someone chose to wear or other superficial nonsense.

What’s your take on all this?

p.s. I tried searching for a thread on this already, but came up empty.

Personally, I find that people of this ilk provide absolutely wonderful material for trolling and lighthearted mockery; consequently, they serve as an inexhaustible wellspring of entertainment. I quite enjoy them. 😍

Breaking news: check out this link regarding the "All-Time Highest Box Office Hits," which leads directly to an article about the biggest flops in cinema history.

Jerry Martinez50 said:At the very least, I would have heard his name. If you were to ask an average or even a highly educated American who Tesla was, they would likely just roll their eyes... Honestly, the typical American barely knows where the North America are located. Someone actually once asked me if there was an ocean right next to Italy...

Hello, anyone who has ever spent any time playing Command & Conquer certainly knows who Tesla is.

He's the guy behind those electric towers we set up at the entrance to the base. 😁

That sounds quite intriguing. 👍

P.S. I sincerely hope those boys have finally learned that regular backups are an absolute necessity, and that they won't have to experience the heartbreak of drive failure themselves. 😁

Hannah Alvarez2 said:The real deal is all about how you deliver the critique. Personally, I don't have any habit of dressing up the truth, but if the reality is a bit harsh, I'll wrap it up nicely first.

Think about it: saying "this is total garbage, everything is wrong" versus "you've still got some work to do to hit your target" can basically mean the exact same thing. But the reaction? Totally different. One leaves people feeling completely defeated, while the other actually lights a fire under them.
It's like weather. Rain and hail are both just precipitation—it's all just water hitting the ground—but one helps things grow while the other just wrecks everything in its path.

To be perfectly candid*, the first sentence you mentioned is far more palatable to me. The second sounds like condescending patronization; after all, how could anyone possibly presume to know what level I am personally aiming to achieve? Phrasings like that, much like the construction marked with an asterisk (*), almost cause my Lie Detector to redline every time I hear them. I prefer concise, concrete answers over this sort of New Age managerial nonsense.

On a final note, I suspect you may need to spend some more time studying basic grammar if you hope to reach a level where my stomach doesn't turn at seeing "hailstorm" and "encourages" used in such a manner.

copperharbor172 said:Why bother with a book? Honestly, just look at the statements made by those famous feminist leaders from the 60s until now. Or better yet, just check their marital status—that’ll tell you everything you need to know. They're either lesbians or have never even been close to a guy, which makes their whole perspective pretty irrelevant. Feminism is basically like the political parties here in the States... Their platform is always something like, "We're going to create jobs and hire 200,000 new people over the next five years."

The reality? Unemployment hits record highs, and the economy ends up looted and completely gutted.

At that point, you can just let someone like Sanders tell you, "How can you judge us when you don't understand the nuances? Just read our manifesto and then you'll see."

Look, ladies, no offense, but I've dealt with way too many irritating, rude, and aggressive feminists who seem to be fueled entirely by pure hatred for men. Even when you listen to the speeches and watch the behavior of the "great" award-winning activists, it doesn't change the vibe. I don't think I need any literature to explain it to me; I've experienced the whole thing firsthand.😉

P.S

And please, don't go thinking you "fought" for women's rights. You didn't. You got them from the men you were asking for help in the first place, backed by massive lobbying efforts after tens of millions of men died in the World Wars. I'm not saying I'm not glad you have most of the same rights as men—you definitely do, and that's what matters—but let's be real: you aren't quite as "tough" as you pretend to be. If men had been forced to lie in freezing water from birth until death, things would look a lot different...☕

That is the truth. My favorite moments are when they start lecturing me about "voting rights," completely unaware that their votes don't actually carry any weight; we simply allow them to participate so they can feel satisfied. 😁

Women. 😍

brightridge59 said:@ Bradley Taylor24

I'm absolutely terrible at this, especially since you're out here comparing women to sheep! 🤣

I actually have a couple in my neighborhood who don't just do everything together—like being pregnant, having kids, or even just running errands—but they actually call each other "Mom" and "Dad." 😱

They are both such wonderful people; they’re both college-educated, and she has her own career rather than staying at home, so they’re really the last pair I’d expect to act that way.

I feel like we've drifted a bit from the original topic, haven't we? 😁

Well, they exist to me, at least. Even if they are a bit flock-minded. 😁

I find myself quite repulsed by the exact type of individual you’re describing. When they speak, there is a complete absence of personal agency; nothing is ever "I did this" or "this is my preference." Instead, everything is framed within an incessant "we." We had a disagreement, we took a nap this afternoon, we didn't enjoy certain foods, we dislike specific brands—it is a constant stream of collective pronouns. It is a behavioral profile that becomes apparent very early on, allowing one to avoid them entirely if they have any foresight. These are the people who use photos of their children as their own profile pictures and avatars. They fill their signatures and status updates with countdown tickers toward a child's birth date. They engage in a million tiny ways to solicit attention by essentially commodifying their offspring—children who, in many cases, haven't even been born yet. Ultimately, the issue was significant enough that the Forum recognized the chaos and designated a specific section just for them, presumably to keep their particular brand of mania contained. 😁

brightridge59 said:I find it quite difficult to wrap my head around the idea that even in our modern era, women still face such limited choices—to the point where one might feel like opting out entirely. That’s just how I see things. And honestly, I wouldn't dream of judging anyone, because I certainly wouldn't want to be surprised if someone actually found happiness within those constraints.

When I look at certain dynamics in the world around me, I truly struggle to believe that people can still hold the mindset that the man should always come first, essentially bending everything to his will while the woman is treated as if she barely matters at all.

I have to admit, your comment caught me completely off guard. I had always thought of you as... well, quite grounded, realistic, and open about your perspectives. That is why this almost malicious sense of exclusivity was so startling. To suggest that a woman effectively ceases to exist simply because she chooses to be a homemaker and a mother is truly a harsh thing to say. 😢

brightridge59 said:I find it quite difficult to wrap my head around the idea that even in our modern era, women still face such limited choices—to the point where one might feel like opting out entirely. That’s just how I see things. And honestly, I wouldn't dream of judging anyone, because I certainly wouldn't want to be surprised if someone actually found happiness within those constraints.

When I look at certain dynamics in the world around me, I truly struggle to believe that people can still hold the mindset that the man should always come first, essentially bending everything to his will while the woman is treated as if she barely matters at all.

Fair enough, but those are just certain cases. How do you account for instances where young women walk away from successful careers to devote themselves entirely to their children? I know two such women personally, and I can tell you that when they left their firms, their absence was felt deeply across their entire departments. They were incredibly talented and high-achieving professionals. Now, they are home, fully dedicated to raising their kids, and they are genuinely happy. 🙂

brightridge59 said:I certainly wouldn't want to make a broad generalization, but I feel like that is exactly what you're doing right now. 😁

Do you have any examples of female villains? I’m looking for characters that sort of capture the essence of most women, if that makes sense.

To be perfectly honest, I’ve always found myself gravitating toward male-dominated circles. There’s just something about the dynamic that feels more intuitive to me; I find it much easier to strike up a conversation and truly find common ground with men than I ever have with the opposite sex.

Do you happen to be on the same page as I am regarding this matter? 🙂

I’ve found that I tend to get along much more easily with men; there’s just a certain relaxed, open, and genuinely fun energy about them that I find really refreshing. To be perfectly honest, based on my own personal experiences, I’ve often found women to be somewhat more difficult—tending toward being unkind, envious, or even a bit hypocritical. It seems like our conversations frequently drift toward trivialities that simply don't capture my interest or leave me feeling quite bored, so if we’re talking about ease of connection, I definitely give the edge to the guys. Of course, I realize this is strictly my own subjective take on things, and I’m sure many others would have a completely different perspective to share. After all, there's a saying for a reason—different strokes for different folks!

I certainly respect that it’s your personal take on the matter, but I have to wonder—where is the actual evidence to support the claim that women are inherently unpleasant?

To be honest, I find myself gravitating toward male company quite often. It isn’t necessarily about being in a large group where it’s five guys and me, though; more often than not, it’s just those meaningful one-on-one conversations that I truly value. In fact, if I look at my inner circle, I actually have more close male friends than female ones. My relationships with women tend to stay a bit more on the surface level—usually centered around grabbing coffee, going out for drinks, or just chatting about the latest guys we've encountered. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but I find the depth I share with my male friends to be much more fulfilling.

I also have a few wonderful girlfriends in my circle whom I can say, with absolute certainty, are truly lovely people. They aren't just friends out of habit or convenience; they are genuinely kind souls through and through. 🙂

I honestly can’t quite wrap my head around how the title even relates to the actual topic at hand. It feels completely disconnected. From what I can gather, it just looks like a gathering of some well-known, rather frustrated men.

What truly weighs on my mind—and I find it genuinely unsettling—is that even when you weigh all those arguments regarding the historical suppression of women, there remains this lingering question. I was actually discussing this recently with an old friend of mine, much like how one might sit down for a long chat over coffee in Seattle, and we touched upon a profound paradox. If women finally have the autonomy to choose their own paths—choices that previous generations quite literally fought and died for—why is it that some still gravitate toward being exclusively a mother, a homemaker, and a wife? It’s a complex puzzle that I can't help but dwell on.

Why wouldn't someone simply choose the path where they feel most fulfilled? For instance, you have chosen to serve as a moderator, whereas another individual might decide that isn't for them. Every person arrives at their decision through their own unique set of motivations, and all those reasons are valid, even if they are difficult for others to grasp.

Ryan Wood98 said:I suppose you could flip that logic around to suggest that women who experience abuse are to blame because they chose those men, or that women handling both career work and all the household management are responsible simply because of their choice in partners.

Your argument implies that we are all entirely responsible for our own choices and that, consequently, no one has any right to complain about the outcomes.

Well, I guess one could look at it that way, 🤷 but I suspect things might be a bit more complex than that.

Whatever happened to free will? Isn't that one of the fundamental qualities that defines a human being? I haven't met anyone quite like this walking around out there.

Yes, matters are certainly more complex and rather chaotic, but each of us possesses the capacity to observe and interpret those variables. From there, one can arrive at a decision through independent thought. People who lean on concepts like "fate," "divine will," or similar notions are merely offering excuses—it is a way to evade taking responsibility for one's own decisions and actions.

boldwalker12 said:Come on, don't be like that—give me something actual to work with! Lay some specifics on me so I can actually dig in.

I will wait patiently until you can provide a single concrete instance of feminist organizations being demonized.

boldwalker12 said:It was a rhetorical question.
Feminist groups aren't out here painting all dads as villains; they're just pointing out facts that everyone else would rather ignore. Look, it's obvious that any institution or organization is going to make mistakes. But what does that mean? Does it mean we have to demonize them at every single turn? Because that’s exactly what happens, day in and day out. It's honestly exhausting trying to argue within that framework—like, "Oh, why don't kids get assigned to men?" Well, let me break it down for you: it's because in a patriarchal society, the stereotype is that the mom is the caregiver while the dad is the provider, the authority figure, the one who brings home the paycheck and hands out the discipline. If you follow that outdated logic, it's not hard to see why mothers end up with custody. Feminism isn't about fighting for bad moms who abuse their kids while some caring father is blocked from seeing them—that's total bullshit. And why are domestic violence shelters filled with women instead of men? That's a different conversation entirely. Why are efforts to help women who have absolutely nobody to turn to—women who are literally struggling just to survive without being terrified for their lives—constantly being sabotaged? Why do we read about murdered women every single day and just treat it like it's normal? Why do something like, what is it, 60% of high school girls think it's okay if their partner hits them? Why, why... goddammit.

Should those very same organizations be spending their time demonizing the entire male gender every single day?🤷

boldwalker12 said:I honestly don't see how awarding custody to mothers clashes with patriarchy. It's pretty clear that a woman's primary role—and ideally her *only* one—is motherhood. They brainwash us with those "declining birth rate" headlines just to remind us where a woman belongs, which by extension dictates where children belong. Also, it was only super recently that we started actually punishing those deadbeat dads who refuse to pay support. Generally speaking, the amounts most guys shell out for their kids are straight-up pathetic. And it's equally shameful how they treat kids from previous relationships, to the point where an ex-partner often ends up becoming an ex-parent too. Honestly, I’m genuinely shocked whenever I run into a good, dedicated father who doesn't patronize his kid or neglect them—someone who can actually change a diaper and deal with a kid screaming in the middle of the night instead of just being some decorative figure sitting in front of the TV acting like a big authority. It sounds ridiculous, but I automatically give those guys a gold star. And it's sad, because that shouldn't be a "plus"; it should be the bare minimum. There are way more irresponsible fathers than there are irresponsible mothers.

In a country that actively pushes the idea of women as housewives and mothers, talking about specific child support amounts is kind of a joke, considering most women don't even leave their husbands because they lack the financial means to do so. When women apply for jobs, they're still judged based on their plans for a private life, potential pregnancies, and so on. They’re still facing an insane amount of sexism. And all those ideas about "safe houses" or escaping? Those don't exist because those institutions are mostly useless; women could leave if they wanted to, but they can't. It's not true. They simply don't have the money. Plus, men still get hired for responsible positions most of the time; if an employer has to choose between a man and a woman with identical qualifications, they’re picking the guy every single time.
Forget child support and all that nonsense; we aren't in Sweden. Women here are lucky if they even get decent maternity leave and a chance to actually return to work.

Is the quoted sentence intended to be a statement or a question? 😕

The core issue here is that certain feminist organizations consistently paint fathers in a negative light, pushing for maternal custody as a default. They often do this even when it is clearly detrimental to the child's best interests.

My point is that having a noble cause doesn't grant these feminist groups immunity from making mistakes. Everyone who takes action is prone to error, whether they choose to admit it or not.

Steven Johnson3 said:It seems like a bunch of threads have been sparked lately, all centered around these PDFs that basically categorize women as nothing but trash. It looks like being female is being treated as the ultimate misfortune. I suppose that’s why so many people celebrate when they find out they’re having a son. Honestly, this whole mess probably traces back to Adam. But why such sweeping generalizations? Does this criticism apply to older generations, or just the younger ones? Is it meant to be universal? Should I feel ashamed simply because I am a woman? And why are feminists constantly being belittled? Would these critics actually prefer if things hadn't changed—if women were still stuck at home without any rights at all?

Could we perhaps get links to those specific discussions? Also, could you clarify who exactly would want things to remain unchanged? That final sentence was somewhat difficult to parse.

boldwalker12 said:That’s just not how it works. People who discriminate against women are the exact same crowd pushing hate against the LGBTQ+ community, Black Americans, or anyone else who doesn't fit their narrow little worldview. And honestly? There are way more of them than you'd think. Not everyone is out there shouting their bigotry from the rooftops, either—sometimes you really have to read between the lines to see what they're actually thinking. It genuinely blows my mind how many people who act all "progressive" and "chill" on the surface are actually harboring these deep-seated sexist views the second you start digging. In my entire life, I’ve literally only met two guys who didn't have some major issue with feminism: one was gay, and the other was just... fine. That's it. That's the whole list. 😁 Most people operate on this "fine, whatever" logic—like, sure, they’ll accept some things, but man, they take it way too far. The absolute worst part is when they try to play the victim by claiming they’re being oppressed by actual marginalized groups. Or they start hitting you with those tired personal credentials: "Oh, I’m a great partner to my girlfriend," or "I have plenty of gay friends, Black friends, and Mexican friends, so I can't possibly be a bigot." It’s the same script every single time. Honestly, you can count the truly tolerant people on one hand. I bet a huge chunk of this intolerance is just fueled by how messed up everything feels right now. If we actually lived in a functional society, most people would probably lose their minds over all these different groups. Then again, if we hadn't spent the last 50 years aggressively pushing for equality, the situation for women today would be a total nightmare.

The nineties basically dragged us decades back into the dark ages, and now we’re seeing this weird "traditional values" revival that somehow always translates to domestic violence or people making excuses for it. So, they finally pass one decent, sane law, and half the men in the country start screaming like they're about to be sent to a mass lynch mob. Why? Look, every single law has loopholes and can be abused—that’s just how things work—but most of these guys are just losing their minds because someone is finally trying to end the Wild West era. I mean, honestly, who actually thinks a man should be allowed to lay hands on his wife in his own house? It's insane. Even in some parts of rural America today, you still hear people telling pregnant women, "Oh, just have a son." We're still stuck in a system where inheritance flows straight into male hands, and we're being governed by a bunch of chauvinists. There are advocates for this outdated sexism on every street corner, and heaven forbid anyone dares to point it out—you'll immediately get labeled as some sort of aggressive militant just for speaking the truth.

I recently hit a wall with some truly mind-blowing news: apparently, even when you’re dealing with an "educated intellectual," you still have to sit them down and explain—step by agonizing step—that feminism isn't some grand conspiracy to enslave men or establish a New World Order where we get to settle scores for centuries of historical baggage. But hey, I failed. Naturally, I’ve been branded a man-hater. It’s funny how activists are always dismissed as just a bunch of frustrated old ladies. And honestly? The loudest critics are often the women who swear feminism has done nothing but dump a pile of crap into their lives. They act like they were better off back in the day when they could just sit around and knit all day, but now they’re expected to crochet *and* hold down a career. They completely miss the point. It’s not feminism’s fault that they’re stuck in this awkward collision between the leftover scraps of the patriarchy and a movement trying to actually make progress—all while their husbands refuse to lift a finger for housework. No, blame feminism! Or better yet: "Who does she think she is, telling me how to run my own house?!" Yeah, sure. The irony is thick. These same women wouldn't dream of burning their college diplomas or quitting their jobs, yet they love to tear down the very movements trying to expand their horizons. Then you’ve got the ones who insist that a woman's worst enemy is just another woman. It's a circus, really.

Then you’ve got the people who think feminists look down on stay-at-home moms. They completely miss the point—it was actually those very same women who fought to make sure you have the actual freedom to choose. Whether you want to be a homemaker or an architect, that choice exists because of them. Most people just don't get it. Honestly, it would be such a relief if this was just some uneducated minority, but it's definitely not. I could probably count on one hand the number of people who wouldn't absolutely lose their minds at me for saying this right now.

There are certainly moments where the exaggeration is palpable. If the titles of these threads actually reflected reality, child custody during divorces would be distributed equally between fathers and mothers. In practice, however, the default assumption remains that the child stays with the mother, even in instances where it is blatantly obvious she wouldn't be the optimal caregiver.

On a related note, do women actually pay child support in cases where custody is granted to the fathers?

silvercobra68 said:That one person only messaged me to talk about self-help.

And you immediately tried to dismiss it as off-topic, even after I clarified I wasn't talking about Orwell or his novel.

That makes you just as much of a killjoy.

Honestly, I should have just posted over at an automotive forum with those gearheads; I would've found five times better conversationalists there than here in this philosophy section. You guys aren't even philosophers. What on earth are you doing in a philosophy sub?

I truly don't understand what you were anticipating after following those sentences with, "Orwell, who clearly hasn't a clue. Loser.". Given the years we've all spent in these discussions, one might reasonably expect you to realize that such remarks are nothing more than standard trolling, simply disguised as the opening premise of a thread.

How can you possibly claim that "everyone is being negative" when you have only heard from one single person?

Based on this reasoning, even Arthur C. Clarke wouldn't have a clue, yet he remains an absolute genius and one of the greatest minds of our time. It is certainly something worth contemplating.

Wait a second—how can you claim you didn't have an "idiot who belittled and demeaned you"? Didn't you mention previously that your father used to slap you over unorganized things? If that doesn't fall under the category of being belittled and devalued, then perhaps it is high time we reconsidered the criteria for qualifying for this group.

And honestly, just let him go. We all deserve better than that.

In truth, I suspect that simply letting him go won't be enough. That jerk has already forgiven you once before. You really need to drive him away. It’s for his own good, and yours too. That way, he'll finally get rid of someone who lacks respect for him and isn't being sincere, and you'll be able to sleep easy when you're out enjoying yourself.