Killing an elephant

Laura Bishop said:Does speed really count if you're just grinding through stuff you hate? Like, you can spend an entire week on vacation in NYC hitting every single landmark from sunrise to sunset and you wouldn't even call that "fast living." If we're being real—I honestly don't think we live any faster than our ancestors did back when they were working farm chores from 5 AM until 10 PM every single day.
So, the ultimate measure of how fast life is... it probably just comes down to how much crap you're willing to put up with.

Ugh, I can't! I tried that once. Everyone expects you to be "on" all the time. Honestly, if we didn't have phones, we wouldn't even bother expecting anyone to pick up.
It's basically impossible to go dark without looking like a total weirdo😬—and trust me, being the weirdo in the group comes with its own set of headaches...

So, it’s not really right to just let everyone else dictate how you live your life, is it? 🤷 I mean, I usually only let that happen when it actually serves my interests, or if there's absolutely no other way around it... in any other situation, I try my best to call the shots myself.
And for the record, I'm not some social outcast—I don't turn my phone off, I just "forget" it exists whenever it suits me. 😁

I honestly don't even know where to start with this one. Just... servantes. It’s one of those things that stays on the back of your mind, isn't it? You think you've moved past it, then suddenly there it is again, staring you down. I've spent way too many late nights staring at the ceiling, trying to make sense of how we all just collectively decided to let certain things slide. It’s exhausting. Truly. You try to stay optimistic, you really do, but then you see the reality of the situation and it just drains you. It's like looking at a cracked windshield—you can try to ignore it, but you know it's only getting worse. Anyway, rant over. Or maybe it's just beginning. Who knows anymore. kaže:
Are you even sure you actually have free will? Or are we all just running on some pre-programmed script? I mean, really think about it.

Very well.

I don't even know where to start with this one. It’s just... it’s a mess. Honestly, looking at the state of things right now, it feels like we're just spinning our wheels in the mud while everyone else watches with popcorn. I've been staring at this for a while, trying to make sense of the sheer absurdity of it all, and my brain is basically fried. Just total, unadulterated chaos. We keep expecting some kind of grand design or a logical conclusion, but let's be real—it’s mostly just people tripping over their own feet and calling it progress. It’s exhausting, really. You try to stay optimistic, you really do, but then you see this stuff and you just want to go grab a coffee and stare blank into space for an hour. There's no rhyme or reason to it anymore. Just noise. Pure noise. kaže:
How do you actually protect yourself from that endless loop? You know the one—where you find yourself listening to or watching the exact same depressing headlines over and over again, multiple times a day. It’s exhausting. Honestly, the worst part about it all is that most of this news doesn't even have anything to do with your actual life. It’s just a constant barrage of other people's crises being shoved in your face. And the people behind the desks at CNN or the anchors on your radio feed? They act like these external disasters are the only thing worth knowing, completely ignoring the fact that you’re already carrying enough weight with your own problems. It’s just more noise I don't need.

"Click."

I don't know, man. I've been staring at this for a while and honestly? It feels like we're just spinning our wheels here. Everything about this setup feels... off. Like we're trying to force a square peg into a round hole, or maybe we're just looking at the wrong hole entirely. I'm tired, my coffee is cold, and I'm starting to think we're all just chasing ghosts in the machine. It’s all a bit much, isn't it? Just a lot of noise for very little signal. Honestly, who knows anymore? kaže:
What does "biological cost" even mean to you? Is it just some fancy buzzword, or are we actually talking about technology becoming the literal foundation for human survival? Because if that’s where we’re headed—if tech becomes the primary driver for staying alive—then it's basically gaining its own biological component. It’s getting woven into our very existence. Just a thought.

Look, when I said it "wasn't good," that’s not just some vague complaint. What I actually meant was that the price you pay for all this modern comfort—it hits you right where it hurts: your health. We're talking about being constantly surrounded by chemical compounds and radiation levels that just aren't right. It's a trade-off, and honestly? It feels like a bad one.
It’s mostly because people have gotten too comfortable. We’ve reaped all these evolutionary perks, and now we’re just sitting here, totally oblivious to the fallout. We've let laziness and pure greed take the wheel, and frankly, we're paying the price for it.

Look, technology isn't everything. It’s not even the main event. But let’s be real—it’s pretty much non-negotiable, at least for those of us living in places where having an indoor toilet is considered standard, not a luxury.

Mark Torres14 said:It seems a bit illogical to me that there are this many idiots in the world constantly getting played. Maybe there's more to it.
And let's start with the assumption that most people are actually smart.
Your argument is that the problem isn't the technology itself, but the people who don't get how to use it. If everyone understood it, everything would be fine.
Except technology was built to help us. Especially the atomic bomb.😁

It’s not just about the users who don't get how tech works—it’s also the people building it. They clearly aren't paying nearly enough attention to whether their products actually make sense or feel intuitive to use.

Exhibit A.

Motorola

Exhibit B.

Microsoft

Mark Torres14 said:It seems a bit illogical to me that there are this many idiots in the world constantly getting played. Maybe there's more to it.
And let's start with the assumption that most people are actually smart.
Your argument is that the problem isn't the technology itself, but the people who don't get how to use it. If everyone understood it, everything would be fine.
Except technology was built to help us. Especially the atomic bomb.😁

Exhibit A.

US Congress.

Exhibit B.

George W.

Case closed.

Laura Bishop said:Does speed really count if you're just grinding through stuff you hate? Like, you can spend an entire week on vacation in NYC hitting every single landmark from sunrise to sunset and you wouldn't even call that "fast living." If we're being real—I honestly don't think we live any faster than our ancestors did back when they were working farm chores from 5 AM until 10 PM every single day.
So, the ultimate measure of how fast life is... it probably just comes down to how much crap you're willing to put up with.

Ugh, I can't! I tried that once. Everyone expects you to be "on" all the time. Honestly, if we didn't have phones, we wouldn't even bother expecting anyone to pick up.
It's basically impossible to go dark without looking like a total weirdo😬—and trust me, being the weirdo in the group comes with its own set of headaches...

The real issue is you can't just take your foot off the gas. Society keeps throwing bigger and bigger hurdles at you, and if you want to even survive in this country, you have to clear them. You end up juggling ten different problems at once while this broken "society" constantly invades your privacy, giving you this fake sense of freedom like you can stop it whenever you want.
It’s not about whether you have the freedom to click a button and turn off the TV or the radio—it's about why people don't just do it.
As for the speed of life: every car has a redline. If you run an engine at max RPMs non-stop, it's going to blow. Humans have a limit too.🤷

Edward Flores4 said:They’re irresponsible, really. And if you want to be irresponsible while still maintaining a totally clear conscience, you almost have to be stupid. It’s a choice they make... they opt for irresponsibility, and that comes bundled with a complete lack of foresight.

Let's start from the premise that most people are actually intelligent.

If most people were truly smart, this forum wouldn't be such a magnet for nonsense. Honestly, I don't see any real foundation for that assumption whatsoever.

So, in your view, the core issue isn't the tech itself, but the people who don't grasp how it works. If everyone understood it, everything would be fine.

I wouldn't say EVERYTHING would be perfect, but technology wouldn't pose such a massive threat, and we wouldn't end up becoming slaves to our own inventions.

Because technology was built to help us. Especially the atomic bomb.

Nuclear technology wasn't developed specifically for weaponry. Those who truly grasped the science actually refused to work on weapons. In fact, Oppenheimer managed to sabotage the Nazi efforts to develop the Manhattan Project (by lying to Hitler), yet the Allies still managed to gather enough ambitious idiots who realized that, theoretically, this tech could be weaponized.
Ironically, it was probably that failed philosopher... the famous Niels Bohr... who played the biggest role among those "Manhattan Project blunders"!

That whole scenario just reinforces my point: technology becomes most dangerous when it's being wielded by fools.

That’s not even a thesis, it’s just a plain old fact.
The real philosophical question is why we even allow idiots to get their hands on technology—especially high-end stuff?
What kind of social or individual failsafe could actually stop that from happening?

Mark Torres14 said:The real issue is you can't just take your foot off the gas. Society keeps throwing bigger and bigger hurdles at you, and if you want to even survive in this country, you have to clear them. You end up juggling ten different problems at once while this broken "society" constantly invades your privacy, giving you this fake sense of freedom like you can stop it whenever you want.
It’s not about whether you have the freedom to click a button and turn off the TV or the radio—it's about why people don't just do it.
As for the speed of life: every car has a redline. If you run an engine at max RPMs non-stop, it's going to blow. Humans have a limit too.🤷

Because they just ignore how vital it is to curate what they consume. They figure all that garbage being shoved into their subconscious isn't worth the effort of filtering it out.

Mark Torres14 said:The real issue is you can't just take your foot off the gas. Society keeps throwing bigger and bigger hurdles at you, and if you want to even survive in this country, you have to clear them. You end up juggling ten different problems at once while this broken "society" constantly invades your privacy, giving you this fake sense of freedom like you can stop it whenever you want.
It’s not about whether you have the freedom to click a button and turn off the TV or the radio—it's about why people don't just do it.
As for the speed of life: every car has a redline. If you run an engine at max RPMs non-stop, it's going to blow. Humans have a limit too.🤷

Sure. But the thing is, a person's actual breaking point sits a little higher than most people realize.
The RPMs can always go higher; it really just comes down to how hard you're pressing the pedal.

Human nature is funny. We spend way more time worrying about the maintenance on a Ford F-150 than we do on our own mental health.

hollowpuma762 said:Because they just ignore how vital it is to curate what they consume. They figure all that garbage being shoved into their subconscious isn't worth the effort of filtering it out.

Sure. But the thing is, a person's actual breaking point sits a little higher than most people realize.
The RPMs can always go higher; it really just comes down to how hard you're pressing the pedal.

Human nature is funny. We spend way more time worrying about the maintenance on a Ford F-150 than we do on our own mental health.

I'm getting repetitive here. Why do they neglect the input? Are you saying people are just stupid?🤷

Obviously. It’s because a person's actual limits sit a bit higher than what everyone generally perceives.
Turns out you can redline even faster; it just comes down to how hard you floor it.

People tend to obsess over their car engine more than their own.

What drives these tendencies? We're veering into sociology now, but at the end of the day, it's a philosophical question.

Mark Torres14 said:That’s not even a thesis, it’s just a plain old fact.
The real philosophical question is why we even allow idiots to get their hands on technology—especially high-end stuff?
What kind of social or individual failsafe could actually stop that from happening?

So, look—the issue isn't actually the tech itself or what it can do—it's the sheer incompetence of the people using it.

What kind of social or individual safeguard could we actually put in place to stop this from happening?

The responsibility lies with anyone who actually knows what they're doing. We shouldn't be handing over advanced tools to people who don't have a clue, but to make that happen, we’d have to fix our broken relationship with money. Because, let’s face it—in this country, the biggest idiots usually happen to be the ones sitting on the most cash.

As long as the competent folks keep selling their innovations to those who don't deserve them—mostly because they're being squeezed by the money and influence those people wield—we're all going to stay stuck under the thumb of a few wealthy, reckless fools.

Mark Torres14 said:I'm getting repetitive here. Why do they neglect the input? Are you saying people are just stupid?🤷

Obviously. It’s because a person's actual limits sit a bit higher than what everyone generally perceives.
Turns out you can redline even faster; it just comes down to how hard you floor it.

People tend to obsess over their car engine more than their own.

What drives these tendencies? We're veering into sociology now, but at the end of the day, it's a philosophical question.

You don't have to be "stupid" to pick up a free tabloid at a subway station that's got nothing but smut on the back cover.
It's just pure carelessness.

Mark Torres14 said:I'm getting repetitive here. Why do they neglect the input? Are you saying people are just stupid?🤷

Obviously. It’s because a person's actual limits sit a bit higher than what everyone generally perceives.
Turns out you can redline even faster; it just comes down to how hard you floor it.

People tend to obsess over their car engine more than their own.

What drives these tendencies? We're veering into sociology now, but at the end of the day, it's a philosophical question.

The exact same reasons that lead people to shovel greasy fast food and soda straight into their love handles.
Total apathy.

hollowpuma762 said:You don't have to be "stupid" to pick up a free tabloid at a subway station that's got nothing but smut on the back cover.
It's just pure carelessness.

The exact same reasons that lead people to shovel greasy fast food and soda straight into their love handles.
Total apathy.

But what makes it careless exactly? 😕

Frankly, it’s reckless. To even partially escape the garbage being shoved down your throat, you have to exert massive effort.

You have to focus on not spending twenty-four hours a day stuck at a gas station (even though they lure you in with "what the hell..." deals). When you watch a movie, you have to be ready to flick the channel the second a commercial starts—or just ditch TV entirely and stick to DVDs, which is the only safe bet. Walking through a city means staring at the sidewalk just to avoid the endless barrage of billboards and ads. You basically need headphones on constantly to drown out the nonsense on the subway and the constant roar of traffic...

In this case, tech like DVDs and MP3 players serves as a necessary shield.

Better yet, build a wall around yourself. Mostly stay inside (assuming you can afford the rent) and just read books. Ditch the television; just get a sound system for curated music—that's essential since the noise pollution comes from outside.

When you do go out, head straight for nature. But nature is far away, and you can't exactly walk there—you need a car. :-( Everything worth walking to requires trekking through contaminated, urbanized landscapes...

Good grief.

rustymaker5 said:But what makes it careless exactly? 😕

Just take one single example and look at how much actual useful stuff is even in there.

Drew Morgan said:Frankly, it’s reckless. To even partially escape the garbage being shoved down your throat, you have to exert massive effort.

You have to focus on not spending twenty-four hours a day stuck at a gas station (even though they lure you in with "what the hell..." deals). When you watch a movie, you have to be ready to flick the channel the second a commercial starts—or just ditch TV entirely and stick to DVDs, which is the only safe bet. Walking through a city means staring at the sidewalk just to avoid the endless barrage of billboards and ads. You basically need headphones on constantly to drown out the nonsense on the subway and the constant roar of traffic...

In this case, tech like DVDs and MP3 players serves as a necessary shield.

Better yet, build a wall around yourself. Mostly stay inside (assuming you can afford the rent) and just read books. Ditch the television; just get a sound system for curated music—that's essential since the noise pollution comes from outside.

When you do go out, head straight for nature. But nature is far away, and you can't exactly walk there—you need a car. :-( Everything worth walking to requires trekking through contaminated, urbanized landscapes...

Good grief.

I don't think it's even about "effort" in most cases. It's just about making choices.
I don't go out of my way to avoid skipping the morning paper or making sure I don't flip over to Red Carpet, Exclusive, or whatever other trash is on.

Links are just practical.

Drew Morgan said:Frankly, it’s reckless. To even partially escape the garbage being shoved down your throat, you have to exert massive effort.

You have to focus on not spending twenty-four hours a day stuck at a gas station (even though they lure you in with "what the hell..." deals). When you watch a movie, you have to be ready to flick the channel the second a commercial starts—or just ditch TV entirely and stick to DVDs, which is the only safe bet. Walking through a city means staring at the sidewalk just to avoid the endless barrage of billboards and ads. You basically need headphones on constantly to drown out the nonsense on the subway and the constant roar of traffic...

In this case, tech like DVDs and MP3 players serves as a necessary shield.

Better yet, build a wall around yourself. Mostly stay inside (assuming you can afford the rent) and just read books. Ditch the television; just get a sound system for curated music—that's essential since the noise pollution comes from outside.

When you do go out, head straight for nature. But nature is far away, and you can't exactly walk there—you need a car. :-( Everything worth walking to requires trekking through contaminated, urbanized landscapes...

Good grief.

Hmm... I don't really use any special "concentration techniques" just to keep from reaching out and grabbing the trash.

TV has its perks too. I think you're exaggerating a bit. Honestly, looking at the sky is a much better alternative than staring at the sidewalk. 😉

Drew Morgan said:Frankly, it’s reckless. To even partially escape the garbage being shoved down your throat, you have to exert massive effort.

You have to focus on not spending twenty-four hours a day stuck at a gas station (even though they lure you in with "what the hell..." deals). When you watch a movie, you have to be ready to flick the channel the second a commercial starts—or just ditch TV entirely and stick to DVDs, which is the only safe bet. Walking through a city means staring at the sidewalk just to avoid the endless barrage of billboards and ads. You basically need headphones on constantly to drown out the nonsense on the subway and the constant roar of traffic...

In this case, tech like DVDs and MP3 players serves as a necessary shield.

Better yet, build a wall around yourself. Mostly stay inside (assuming you can afford the rent) and just read books. Ditch the television; just get a sound system for curated music—that's essential since the noise pollution comes from outside.

When you do go out, head straight for nature. But nature is far away, and you can't exactly walk there—you need a car. :-( Everything worth walking to requires trekking through contaminated, urbanized landscapes...

Good grief.

Portable DVDs are murder on the eyes, but an MP3 player? That's a godsend.

Drew Morgan said:Frankly, it’s reckless. To even partially escape the garbage being shoved down your throat, you have to exert massive effort.

You have to focus on not spending twenty-four hours a day stuck at a gas station (even though they lure you in with "what the hell..." deals). When you watch a movie, you have to be ready to flick the channel the second a commercial starts—or just ditch TV entirely and stick to DVDs, which is the only safe bet. Walking through a city means staring at the sidewalk just to avoid the endless barrage of billboards and ads. You basically need headphones on constantly to drown out the nonsense on the subway and the constant roar of traffic...

In this case, tech like DVDs and MP3 players serves as a necessary shield.

Better yet, build a wall around yourself. Mostly stay inside (assuming you can afford the rent) and just read books. Ditch the television; just get a sound system for curated music—that's essential since the noise pollution comes from outside.

When you do go out, head straight for nature. But nature is far away, and you can't exactly walk there—you need a car. :-( Everything worth walking to requires trekking through contaminated, urbanized landscapes...

Good grief.

I think you're overdoing it again.

When it comes to the TV thing—a TV can't replace a book, and a book can't replace a TV. They aren't the same thing.

Drew Morgan said:Frankly, it’s reckless. To even partially escape the garbage being shoved down your throat, you have to exert massive effort.

You have to focus on not spending twenty-four hours a day stuck at a gas station (even though they lure you in with "what the hell..." deals). When you watch a movie, you have to be ready to flick the channel the second a commercial starts—or just ditch TV entirely and stick to DVDs, which is the only safe bet. Walking through a city means staring at the sidewalk just to avoid the endless barrage of billboards and ads. You basically need headphones on constantly to drown out the nonsense on the subway and the constant roar of traffic...

In this case, tech like DVDs and MP3 players serves as a necessary shield.

Better yet, build a wall around yourself. Mostly stay inside (assuming you can afford the rent) and just read books. Ditch the television; just get a sound system for curated music—that's essential since the noise pollution comes from outside.

When you do go out, head straight for nature. But nature is far away, and you can't exactly walk there—you need a car. :-( Everything worth walking to requires trekking through contaminated, urbanized landscapes...

Good grief.

Look, urban living has its own perks... even if nature definitely rules...

hollowpuma762, you’re lucky; you clearly have nerves of steel. I’m struggling over here. It takes everything I’ve got just to stay level because I am incredibly irritated.

Mark Torres14 said:The real question is how much information a person can actually process before they lose their mind. It feels like everything is becoming superficial. Younger generations don't even bother reading anymore; they just wait for someone to hand them a pre-packaged version of reality.
For instance, I know Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings from the books, but my kids only know the movies. They couldn't care less about the actual novels. To them, the pacing is just too slow.

I agree that the lack of reading is an issue, and yeah, the fact that people actually do read is part of it too, but honestly? They’re being served the exact same garbage we’ve been fed our entire lives.

Around here, the real problem is figuring out WHO is doing the serving these days.
It's all uneducated, low-brow, illiterate types... just total nonsense.

Mark Torres14 said:The real question is how much information a person can actually process before they lose their mind. It feels like everything is becoming superficial. Younger generations don't even bother reading anymore; they just wait for someone to hand them a pre-packaged version of reality.
For instance, I know Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings from the books, but my kids only know the movies. They couldn't care less about the actual novels. To them, the pacing is just too slow.

Let's just set aside the beauty of literature and everything a good book offers for a second.

What do you guys think is the reason kids aren't interested in books? Why is it all just "too slow" for them?

Drew Morgan said:hollowpuma762, you’re lucky; you clearly have nerves of steel. I’m struggling over here. It takes everything I’ve got just to stay level because I am incredibly irritated.

I've got my own demons to deal with, too...

hollowpuma762 said:I agree that the lack of reading is an issue, and yeah, the fact that people actually do read is part of it too, but honestly? They’re being served the exact same garbage we’ve been fed our entire lives.

Around here, the real problem is figuring out WHO is doing the serving these days.
It's all uneducated, low-brow, illiterate types... just total nonsense.

Let's just set aside the beauty of literature and everything a good book offers for a second.

What do you guys think is the reason kids aren't interested in books? Why is it all just "too slow" for them?

The vibe is frantic. Kids are being raised on high-octane, hyper-speed media.

Quincy : Vance

Edward Flores4 said:So, look—the issue isn't actually the tech itself or what it can do—it's the sheer incompetence of the people using it.

What kind of social or individual safeguard could we actually put in place to stop this from happening?

The responsibility lies with anyone who actually knows what they're doing. We shouldn't be handing over advanced tools to people who don't have a clue, but to make that happen, we’d have to fix our broken relationship with money. Because, let’s face it—in this country, the biggest idiots usually happen to be the ones sitting on the most cash.

As long as the competent folks keep selling their innovations to those who don't deserve them—mostly because they're being squeezed by the money and influence those people wield—we're all going to stay stuck under the thumb of a few wealthy, reckless fools.

Following your logic here.
If idiots actually have the power and the money, then the world of idiots is the only reality that matters. They managed to grab both. "Our world" (the non-idiots) is just a fantasy based on ideals. It has zero connection to the actual world run by idiots.
The real question is: can you sit on both sides? Can you actually hold onto power and money while keeping your imagination and principles intact?😉

hollowpuma762 said:I agree that the lack of reading is an issue, and yeah, the fact that people actually do read is part of it too, but honestly? They’re being served the exact same garbage we’ve been fed our entire lives.

Around here, the real problem is figuring out WHO is doing the serving these days.
It's all uneducated, low-brow, illiterate types... just total nonsense.

Let's just set aside the beauty of literature and everything a good book offers for a second.

What do you guys think is the reason kids aren't interested in books? Why is it all just "too slow" for them?

It's because this modern lifestyle—where everyone has the so-called "freedom" to own and enjoy everything that used to be reserved strictly for royalty—creates one unavoidable side effect: superficiality.

Who’s going to bother reading when you can get the same thing served up in instant pictures and soundbites? Who’s going to use their imagination when you can just buy a fantasy at any convenience store? Honestly, if we keep going down this road, who’s even going to have kids when you could just rent a surrogate to do the work for you?🙂😉😁

Mark Torres14 said:It's because this modern lifestyle—where everyone has the so-called "freedom" to own and enjoy everything that used to be reserved strictly for royalty—creates one unavoidable side effect: superficiality.

Who’s going to bother reading when you can get the same thing served up in instant pictures and soundbites? Who’s going to use their imagination when you can just buy a fantasy at any convenience store? Honestly, if we keep going down this road, who’s even going to have kids when you could just rent a surrogate to do the work for you?🙂😉😁

I have to weigh in here again. To be honest, I’ve noticed that same superficiality in myself, and certainly in my kids. We are being absolutely flooded by a constant stream of information and content; there just isn't any breathing room to actually engage with anything deeply. There is too much noise, and before you can even process one thing, the next thing has already hit you. You lose interest because you simply don't have the time. We aren't really living in the present anymore—we're just bouncing between past data and future plans.

My kids finish one video game and immediately jump to the next, then onto music, Skype, soccer, music videos, skateboarding, social media... they flip through a hundred channels on the TV, grab a quick pizza, and barely even take the time to eat properly.🙄

The other day, I was listening to Bach—specifically his work with organs. I accidentally put the wrong CD in, but once it started playing, I figured I might as well give it a listen. As the piece progressed, I got this sense of playfulness, almost as if Bach himself were playing with the organ pipes—up, down, shifting tones, acting almost like a child at play. It’s as if he’s playing with church organs.

It’s the behavior of a child whose father was an organist. After losing his parent at ten years old, he moved in with his older brother, Johann Christoph Bach (1671-1721), who was also an organist. Of course he’s going to play with organs—what else was there to do in a 17th-century church? He didn't have many options. And given his natural talent, it's no surprise he mastered those instruments completely.

The point of this story is: what are our children going to become? They will become whatever they spend their time playing with. In our case, it's everything and anything, done quickly and shallowly. They have no time. Are we raising a generation of superficial shells? I’d be curious to hear about the experiences in the United States, which is certainly ahead of us in these matters.

Edit:
Toccata and Fugue in D minor! 😬