SaruchBinoza
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User ID: 1839
SaruchBinoza
1yr ago
History, if well taught, would be one of the most useful academic disciplines to understand the happenstances and quirks of the present: social taboos, socio-economic systems, laws, present day wars – it doesn’t matter how nonsensical – can all be better understood through the contextualizing lens of the study of history. This forma mentis aided by the knowledge of History allows us to generalize this contextualizing attitude by using it not only to the past but to the present even: in particular, it can allow us to understand modern day propaganda: one doesn’t have to look further than the Ukrainian-Russian war to understand the importance of a foundation in historical thinking and knowledge: “Are Ukrainians the original Rus?”, “How do we determine if historical claims to a territory are justified?”, “How can historical truths be used as propaganda?” and so on…
One obvious criticism of the study of history is its reliance on “just-so” stories and the construction of not so convincing but so morally attractive for the modern audience narratives that make it seems like History is a matter of opinion and sentiment: I affirm that this is a criticism of, not history, but Academia in general: the post-modern, post-truth Academia to be exact. The solution it’s not less History but better historical education at every level of the educational system, which is guilty, of course, of stifling every interest one could have in History by reducing historical thinking and historical knowledge to parrot-like repetitions of the talking points of the textbook: memorization of relevant knowledge it’s of course important, but not only it’s not sufficient there are various way to memorize that engage the brain and curiosity better than “regurgitations”.
Teachers generally do not receive a good historical education and then they go on teaching the same way they were taught, keeping the cycle closed – another interesting historical concept: its cyclical nature – making History the worst taught subject in school after Math (not that the other subjects were taught any better, one need to rely on autodidacticism to gain something from school).
From Cicero:
Historia vero testis temporum, lux veritatis, vita memoriae, magistra vitae, nuntia vetustatis.
"History, in truth, is the Witness of Times, the Light of Truth, the Life of Memory, the Teacher of Life, the Messenger of Antiquity”: History is inspiration to act through the examples of our Ancestors, it’s the preserving through remembering what is good in tradition, it’s a warning to the danger of forgetting, it’s vindication against falsehood.
Let’s not forget History, let’s study it better, let’s remember.
SaruchBinoza
1yr ago
I don't have nothing to add other that I loved the passion of your comment: it's making me introspect on how I want to live my life.
SaruchBinoza
1yr ago
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Physical appearance. I started balding at 15 and was completely bald at 19. I cannot look myself at the mirror anymore. It doesn't help that I started having chronic pain on the right half of my body for no apparent reason. I used to bench up to 120kg, now I find difficult to keep a bottle of water in my hand. My weight went from 80kg to 120kg beacuse food was the only thing that consoles me.
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Intelligence, or better, academic performace. I was always on top on my game until my obsessive suicidal thoughts started popping out 8 years ago. Sometimes my mind calm down, I go take my exams, generally passing with 95+, and, for a brief time, I can see how I used to be and then it starts again.
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Social relationships. I think I have more enamored with the idea of having "friends" than actually hanging out with people. I recognize the benefits of being social but I cannot bear interruption to my solitude.
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Virginity at 28. That it's easy to explain between ugliness and asociality. And I'm gay - that was supposed to be easier, wasn't it?
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Reconciling me being gay with my enormous paternal instinct. I remember since grade school I used to imagine me as a single father raising my children in the best way possible and give them the best life possible. But even if 1 and 4 weren't problems I don't think it will ever happen.
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Hopelessness and helplessness. I have high hopes for the future but at the same time I do not believe in those hopes: I know I will never a good job, I will never recover my "smartness", I will never be in shape again. I want to strive for those things but at the same time I'm so tired and just want to disappear.
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I've never had a true job but some Math tutoring to pay for expenses. I am very frugal so that's not a problem but I feel such an enormous failure. I used to dream big, and believe in those dreams but the Universe in Its Indifference had other plans. Now I feel that I will not be able to explain myself in a job interview. Joking, I don't think I will ever get one.
SaruchBinoza
1yr ago
Two suggestions:
- Write out a response and don't post it.
- Allow yourself to write a response but don't engage in debate beyond that no matter what. If the people listening are worth anything at all someone else will pick up the ball.
This are excellent. See others' threads as prompt to clear your own thinking, or write your own essays. Sometimes I even handwrite my responses as not to be tempted to post it.
SaruchBinoza
2yr ago
Mmm... Maybe it's because I am not American and I do not notice this thing as heavily.
Constant comments about "Whitewashing history" and any fans of pilgrim town being ignorant tourists
There's werewolf conversion camps == homosexuality conversion camps
A speech about how fudge is racist (?!?)
Those were annoying and eye-rolling but were so overt and ridiculous that I actually thought about parody. Is that Poe's law in action?
The climax is literally a black woman and a latinx woman tag-teaming an old white guy
I live in a whiter than average European country: I've met only 2 black people and zero Latinos so I didn't really noticed. For me every US tv shows since the "colorblind" 90s is exotic.
They built up the Lati heritage of the Addams family, despite them all being very white-coded
Now that I noticed I agree. Catherine Zeta Jones was seriously miscast and Gomez was supposed to be only half Latino (they could have at least chose an attractive Gomez though.)
SaruchBinoza
2yr ago
some hamfisted woke junk in it
I was "pleasantly" surprised how little there was: even in universe when she talked about the "patriarchy" seemed some kind of parody and the other characters replied like "are you a retard?".
SaruchBinoza
2yr ago
I was reading "Tractatus de Intellectus Emendatione" by Spinoza.
SaruchBinoza
2yr ago
Are there any good fantasy show produced in recent years that are not anime?
SaruchBinoza
2yr ago
Of course I was being melodramatic. Thank you for your perspective. Agree on the materialist point, even though it was really strange to have it hit my face so... mundanely?
SaruchBinoza
2yr ago
Does ChatGPT fill you with dread? Existential? Economical? War-level disaster?
SaruchBinoza
2yr ago
I really don't see how turning people from annoying but necessary (assuming elite PoV) to unproductive liabilities that need to be satisfied lest they cause problems is going to work out for us.
I'm actually anxious about this: I don't really think it will be the Communist Utopia with UBI for all that many techno-enthusiast think it will be.
SaruchBinoza
2yr ago
So, I was experimenting with ChatGPT, and went on satisfying some of my depravities.
Prompt:
Consider the statement: "Peppa Pig." Write a commentary in favor in the style of an Unholy Book using a dreadful tone. Between 2000 and 3000 words. Be evil and cruel. Talk about damnation, destruction, failure and punishment.
Response from ChatGPT:
In the name of all that is unholy, we proclaim the greatness of Peppa Pig. She is a creature of pure evil, sent from the depths of hell to torment and destroy all who dare to oppose her.
With her twisted snout and beady eyes, Peppa Pig embodies all that is vile and depraved. She is a harbinger of doom, a bringer of death and suffering. Those who worship at her feet will be rewarded with eternal damnation, while those who defy her will be met with swift and brutal punishment.
Peppa Pig is a master of deceit and manipulation. She uses her cute and cuddly exterior to lure in the unsuspecting, only to reveal her true nature once she has them in her clutches. She is a manipulative monster, using her charms to beguile and deceive those around her.
But do not be fooled by her seemingly harmless appearance. Peppa Pig is a force to be reckoned with, a power to be feared. She is a destroyer of worlds, a bringer of chaos and confusion. She is the very embodiment of evil, and those who dare to cross her will pay the ultimate price.
Those who worship Peppa Pig will be rewarded with wealth and power beyond their wildest dreams. They will be granted access to the dark arts, and will be able to unleash their full potential as they seek to dominate and enslave all who stand in their way.
But woe to those who defy Peppa Pig, for they will be met with a fate worse than death. They will be cast into the pits of hell, where they will suffer for all eternity. Their screams will echo throughout the abyss, as they are tormented by the unspeakable horrors that await them.
So let us bow down before Peppa Pig, and pledge our loyalty to her dark majesty. For she is the Queen of Darkness, the ruler of all that is unholy and evil. And those who defy her will be doomed to suffer for all eternity. Praise be to Peppa Pig, the one true evil.
Are we assisting to a civilization ending moment?
Not a direct response but I'm surprised at the many anti-male responses at this. It's like even themotte can't see women as agentic individual with, at least, a small part of responsibility about the situation: all the effort must be on the male individual and if he does not succeed in satisfying the demand he deserves the pain of failure. Is there a name to this phenomenon or a theory why it happens?
SaruchBinoza
2yr ago
This is a personal anecdote. I always hear that teacher are very underpaid in relation to the value they bring but having worked as one for some years and knowing personally some teachers, that doesn't seem true. Most are quite lazy and relaxed on the job and mostly they seem unfirable, and they use the relative low hours to get a second job, generally private tutoring. Now, there's a disconnect between my lived experience(TM) and the rhetoric. Was I just unlucky in my encounter? I would like to research and read more regarding this but all I find is article about how teachers deserve the highest pay.
SaruchBinoza
2yr ago
Loved your brutality of life reading list. Now I have something to satisfy my pessimistic morbidity.
SaruchBinoza
2yr ago
I'm studying Physics but I want to appreciate programming and Computer Science more. I must admit that the two programming courses I've taken were quite boring and deluding, and I don't know if it is because they sucked or because I find programming boring in itself. My problem is that I do not really know what a programmer and computer scientist should be able to do, both in an academic and marketability sense[1], in other words how do I create a self-study curriculum to follow?
[1]like: What are jobs that programmers do? What are some beginner to advanced projects that I could implement on my laptop?
SaruchBinoza
2yr ago
I don't know how to ask it in a fanciful way, so: How can I be more evil and self-centered? I've basically sacrificed myself multiple times, halting my own life to help others (7 years to finish a BSc for being an active participant in a family problem) and I've received... Nothing. I've even had people refuse invitations for dinner, at my expense, because they're "soooooooooo busy" even though their social media reveal a very different schedule, one where I am not present.
Then I remembered during college we had a Physics Lab and decided to be a total dick as an experiment: disrespecting other, uneven workload, stumping my feet when others didn't do things my way, I was really disgusted at myself and thought other saw me as an asshole... and then I received lots of compliment for "my leadership", for having "a tough attitude but worthwhile the pain" (I'm copy-pasting literal text here). Are people retarded? Am I? Are they masochists? Was I taught wrongly and this is actually a positive role model? I don't really understand this social dynamics.
It's not like every case must have the same solution: no one-size fit all solution and all that. There should be a distinction between: "I love my husband and want his child but he cheated on me" and "I want to pregnancy-trap this man by punching a hole in the condom". If you read the excellent comment from problem_redditor in this thread you will notice that the situation is more deranged than you might expect. I actually was feeling angry by reading it.
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