Posts by Jamie Davis9

Honestly, guys, your real issue is that you can't handle even a little bit of lighthearted ribbing without immediately hiding behind your precious little rulebooks.

How are you all calling yourselves "guerrillas" when you're actually so fragile that nobody can take a single word you say seriously?

Megan Patel69 said:That’s true. Fake gurus. Some of them probably know exactly what they're doing and just play dumb. Daniel Castillo11 makes a good point about how people misuse non-dualism for those same reasons. I suppose anyone claiming there is no ego isn't necessarily enlightened; they might just be mentally unstable. Usually, there are just a lot of unhealthy ego defense mechanisms at play. All this arguing over whose ego is smaller or comparing oneself to others seems to only serve egomaniacs. They likely just want to lower the collective ego so they don't feel so threatened.

deflate the collective ego. 😵

good grief... Lord, help us.

Melissa Stewart6 said:So, are you saying he was claiming that for himself, or what exactly are you getting at?

And I'm just going to say, that honestly sounds more like a suggestion for a tattoo than a coherent thought.

Melissa Stewart6 said:He didn't even claim to be the Superman himself...

It's clear you haven't the slightest clue what he actually said.
And it isn't "superman," it's the *Übermensch*. Sorry, but even the spelling is wrong—it’s Nietzsche, with a 'z,' so you're really stretching the topic here, for heaven's sake.

If neither of you qualifies as an *Übermensch*, then you're just wasting my time.

Melissa Stewart6 said:Actually, I think that very urge to transcend our own nature is what makes us human.
Nietzsche spoke about becoming the Superman.

Of course, some people view that kind of striving as nothing more than a restriction on freedom (or the expression of our raw impulses).

Mhm... as if that whole "superman" concept from Nietzsche wasn't officially debunked the moment he decided to embrace a beaten horse.

Exactly.
A forced collective identity—and how could a collective be anything *but* forced?—is inherently regressive by its very nature.

Isaiah 45:5 says, "I am Yahweh, and there is no other; besides me, there is no God. Though you do not know me, I will clothe you:"
Isaiah 45:6 "so that from the rising of the sun to its setting they may know there is none besides me; I am Yahweh, and there is no other."

And it's all written right there in black and white.

There you have it.
Furthermore, it is a massive blunder to assume that having an individual identity somehow precludes us from finding true community.
Camus wrote The Stranger before he ever touched The Plague.

Melissa Stewart6 said:That doesn't necessarily mean they're citing the Bible. Do you actually know anyone who uses the Bible as their basis? Because if you say 9 out of 10 people do, I'd love to see the proof.

Yeah, they do.

Melissa Stewart6 said:Wait, ninety percent of people actually cite the Bible? Are you serious?

I’m not entirely certain on the specifics, but if I recall correctly, there’s a significant number of registered Catholics in this part of the country, isn't there?

Joseph Bailey41 said:Does Capital count? 🕺

And look, I might come across as completely clueless here, but I don't even know where you're located.
In my neck of the woods, you can barely find seasonal workers, let alone someone who would swear an oath on Capital.

Joseph Bailey41 said:If you pluck that sentence out of context like this, it doesn't seem so bad. You have those "I am" meditations which are actually pretty decent; they don't lead to egoism at all, but rather help you experience yourself and the world more fully by stripping away those rigid social roles we play. However, once you look at the entire Bible and those gems like "I am a jealous God," "do not have other gods besides me," and all those "wonderful" scenes of mass slaughter personally sanctioned by YHWH himself... well, then we’re in real trouble.🕺

That sentence isn't scary at all; in fact, it’s everything you really need to know about who you are.
And there's a whole chapter for the advanced students, too. 😁

hiddenhound3 said:Yet, we are all simply who we are 😁

Can anyone truly claim to be someone they are not? 😳

I fail to see how this relates to the ego at all.

That’s it. I really don't understand what part of this is escaping you.

Melissa Stewart6 said:You say people don't read the Bible, but I’d argue that most people just don't read much of anything these days.

True enough, but eighty to ninety percent of the population isn't going to cite some other book they've never even heard of.

Melissa Stewart6 said:You say people aren't reading. But think about this... most people don't read books at all.
Of those who do read, only a tiny fraction picks up anything substantial.
So, what’s the takeaway? If it doesn't matter what happens to the Bible because nobody reads it, then it shouldn't matter what happens to 99 percent of all other books either... since people aren't reading those, either.

Oh, so "biblos" just means book now? 🙄 Is that how you're choosing to broaden the scope of this discussion, or am I just misreading your logic? 😁

Melissa Stewart6 said:Well then, tell me—what should we do with the Bible? Just toss it in the trash?

It really doesn't matter at all.

The truth is, ninety-nine percent of people haven't read it, and they certainly aren't going to.

Honestly, props to you for having the patience and diplomacy of a saint.

But personally, I find it absolutely mind-blowing that nobody has ever bothered to actually translate the name of that damn YHWH—which basically translates to 'I am the one who IS'—as the most blatant, direct assertion of ego over everything else in existence.

The Bible is an incredibly wise book, provided you aren't an idiot.

Brian Foster3 said:Defensive play is weak. You are always the target.

what kind of mindset tells you to just convince yourself that you have nothing, and that everyone else around you has nothing too? 🤔

Everything is hollow, fake, and ultimately nothing. You can choose to be tied to that void, or you don't have to—it really just comes down to how much awareness you actually possess.

nothingness, looks like I'll have to borrow some cash from my buddies again

🤷

Look, I'm not even kidding around anymore. 🙂

I love your glow. The sun doesn't need to struggle to radiate; it just does. And there isn't a damn thing you can do to dim that light. 😁

It fades over time, which is just how things go, but the younger generations have to step up and drive the charge because that's simply how nature is wired.

Brian Foster3 said:Defensive play is weak. You are always the target.

what kind of mindset tells you to just convince yourself that you have nothing, and that everyone else around you has nothing too? 🤔

Everything is hollow, fake, and ultimately nothing. You can choose to be tied to that void, or you don't have to—it really just comes down to how much awareness you actually possess.

nothingness, looks like I'll have to borrow some cash from my buddies again

🤷

Look, I'm not even kidding around anymore. 🙂

I love your glow. The sun doesn't need to struggle to radiate; it just does. And there isn't a damn thing you can do to dim that light. 😁

Blah blah... do you even possess a sense of self?
If you weren't attached to who you are, you wouldn't even be posting here.

Brian Foster3 said:Defensive play is weak. You are always the target.

what kind of mindset tells you to just convince yourself that you have nothing, and that everyone else around you has nothing too? 🤔

Everything is hollow, fake, and ultimately nothing. You can choose to be tied to that void, or you don't have to—it really just comes down to how much awareness you actually possess.

nothingness, looks like I'll have to borrow some cash from my buddies again

🤷

Look, I'm not even kidding around anymore. 🙂

I love your glow. The sun doesn't need to struggle to radiate; it just does. And there isn't a damn thing you can do to dim that light. 😁

Well, I'm a human being, not a star.

Why on earth would anyone call this a beautiful post?

It’s actually terrible. 🤷 And I’m being completely serious when I say that progress simply doesn't happen without a little bit of friction and conflict.
I honestly can't wrap my head around this delusional mindset where you try to convince yourself—and everyone else around you—that you have absolutely nothing to offer and that they have nothing either. 🤔

It's useless; it looks like I'll have to go back and borrow some wisdom from Hunter S. Thompson, since he managed to articulate this perfectly so I don't have to.
🤷

There, I'm being dead serious now. 🙂

hiddenhound3 said:It isn't just about her physical appearance; his sister practically had to point out how much he's obsessed with her, which essentially makes the sister the third wheel in this entire relationship. To me, his psyche feels entirely incestuous, or perhaps he simply feels incomplete without her presence. There is a fatalistic bond tying them together. Throughout the film, I was left with the distinct impression that he only truly loves Alma when she acts like a doll—silent, motionless, and devoid of any independent will or effort.

Look, we're talking about a man who spends his life tailoring women's dresses.
The sister functions as a sort of proxy for the mother, though I didn't catch any actual sexual undertones there.
He’s clearly comfortable playing the part of his late mother's sterile, perfectionist little boy, using her memory as the ultimate blueprint for every other woman he encounters.
Ultimately, the mother represents his only true connection to femininity. 😁
His repressed urge to break free from all that rigid perfectionism shows up in one tiny detail—his attraction to a certain "imperfect" female figure—but he's far too foolishly guarded to ever admit it.
He’s trapped by his own neuroses, and the sister acts as nothing more than a lingering extension of his mother.
She’s the only one who truly understands his baggage, and she hands him off to a woman who isn't threatened by any single facet of his complicated personality.
🤷

hiddenhound3 said:I find myself agreeing with a certain portion of this analysis, yet I feel the final segment of the film—where the narrative pivot occurs—has been somewhat overlooked. To my mind, that turning point represents a true equalization of power, achieved specifically through her act of violence against him via the poison.

To be perfectly honest, I must admit this film continues to haunt me; I still struggle to fully grasp the nature of his relationship with his sister. What I did find particularly compelling about this review, however, was the observation regarding that insatiable hunger that seems to permeate the entire story.

In fact, has anyone else noticed the sheer abundance of the meals he orders at the very tavern where Alma works, considering how thin he actually is? 🤷 So much of the action unfolds within the confines of the kitchen and dining room. I am convinced this is far from accidental, and I am currently attempting to decipher why food and the dining table are granted such profound significance throughout the film.

Oh, and don't forget, he absolutely loves her curves! 😍 😁

Exactly. What we’re seeing here is this constant, shifting interplay between these deeply intertwined layers of masculinity and femininity. It’s a dynamic where the man is just as much a woman as she is a man, yet they both manage to honor their own distinct natures—if we really want to get pedantic about it—to achieve their own specific brand of genius. In his case, that brilliance manifests through tactile, manual craftsmanship, whereas hers feels more ethereal, rooted in the intellectual and the spiritual.

I don't know, sometimes I get the impression that the most misogynistic people out there are actually the ones who go out of their way to champion women's rights. Take Hemon, for example. 🙂 To be honest, I’m just talking under my breath here.

hiddenhound3 said:An intriguing perspective:

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cu...ic-masculinity

Pure MeToo movement propaganda.
Doesn't it strike you as a bit of a pamphlet?

I don't know, I personally didn't get the impression that the film endorses the inherent genius of masculinity, though I certainly saw plenty of other things in there. 😁

Aha, so that’s why they haven't bothered responding to my latest appeal for days now.
I suppose it’s because I’ve filed three appeals before this, and every single time they were actually granted, so if they were to rule in my favor again—which, logically speaking, they really should—it would basically prove that when it comes to me, moderator errors are the standard rather than the exception.

But honestly, in light of that realization, I’ve decided I won't be petty enough to insist on absolute justice, even if letting it slide makes my own track record look a little less perfect.