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John Raptis's avatar

"... a black sheep is still a sheep" pretty much nailed it.

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Leslie J's avatar

Since I left twitter I read more and listen to more podcasts while playing Scrabble online. I think I'm doing better? 🙄

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ediblspaceships's avatar

Probe : Electric media environments are orphic baroque spirals of dopamine induced distraction ...

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Steersman's avatar

Good questions. Sadly few answers, at least few that most people find all that palatable, or "inoffensive" ... 😉🙂

But something which Jonathan Swift remarked on, some 300 years ago:

JS: "... Reasoning will never make a Man correct an ill Opinion, which by Reasoning he never acquired: For in the Course of Things, Men always grow vicious before they become Unbelievers. ..."

His "vicious" and "unbelievers" being particularly noteworthy and relevant ...

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/07/10/reason-out/

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Katherine Brodsky's avatar

Great quote.

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Steersman's avatar

👍 Some of those "old timers" knew a thing or two ... 😉🙂

Though some of the younger whippersnappers -- like Mark Twain -- haven't been too shabby either:

http://www.paulgraham.com/cornpone.html

But while I appreciate or sympathize with your shots at technology per se -- something of a growth industry these days -- methinks the problem is less with the tool than with the tool "user". Biologist and ant expert E.O. Wilson argued that:

“The real problem of humanity is the following: We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions and godlike technology. And it is terrifically dangerous, and it is now approaching a point of crisis overall.”

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/9770741-the-real-problem-of-humanity-is-the-following-we-have

Wish I had a ready-made solution, could probably make a bundle ... 🙂 But don't think repudiating technology is a particularly wise or viable solution -- halfway across the stream isn't a good place to try changing horses. ICYMI, you might enjoy the dystopian book and silent film on that point, though can't say I recollect much of the latter, and never did read the former:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_(1927_film)

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Jul 22, 2023
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Steersman's avatar

What's your point? How do you know I haven't acted on, been acting on my concerns, and for some years in fact?

I quite agree with you that too many bloggers on virtually all sides of any issue -- present company excepted, of course ... -- are outright grifters, are only in the "debate" for the money as they clearly aren't listening, refuse to listen to the other side. Largely my point with the Swift quote and the Twain article.

But policies can't reasonably be implemented without some degree of consensus. Which requires discussion.

And my arguments -- basically from square one and particularly in the case of the transgender clusterfuck -- are that most people are scientifically illiterate, and too pigheaded to rectify that. Which requires some "re-education". You might try reading some of my posts on that score, starting with the last one, no pledge or subscription required ...

https://humanuseofhumanbeings.substack.com/p/binarists-vs-spectrumists

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Jul 22, 2023
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Steersman's avatar

Rather pretentious, being charitable ...

Where's your evidence that I haven't done any of that work? Takes more than a bit of time and effort -- and money -- to get any sort of a handle on the science, logic, and epistemology on which many of these issues turn. And to present them in something of a palatable format.

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Jul 22, 2023
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Steersman's avatar

🙄

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