Name: Anonymous 2007-02-16 7:32
Being a dumbass.
For some reason being an idiot is fashionable. I mean being a complete idiot who actually makes an effort not to learn anything. People who spend time studying because they are interested in something tend to be mocked and called nerds and as a result many peopel feel the need to act like idiots even though they have more potential. Especially if they are under 20 or black. The reason why it isn't considerred insulting is because most often it is people under 20 or who are black who do the persecuting. One of the reasons many people are attracted to asian culture is because people don't believe not knowing as much as another person is an attack on their self-asteem and hatred of the studious is considerred absurd.
The "us and them" mentality.
This is obvious, the trouble is it goes deep into many people's way of thinking and it is difficult to make them look like idiots because accusing someone of having an "us and them" mentality is considerred whiny or nerdy. This is related to the fact that being a dumbass is not considerred insulting. The "us and them" mentality extends itself into every issue and it seems at times they are all independant, but if you are aware of the natue of the mentality then you can see a pattern. A typical discussion goes something like this.
Opinion A and C are polar opposities and the moron with the "us and them" mentality believes they are the only ones in existence, as if this is star wars or peter pan and he is fighting the evil empire or something.
An intelligent person, named snax, who cares about the issue believes in opinion B which is much more rational than opinion A and C.
snax: I disagree with opinion A.
moron: YOU AGREE WITH OPINION C YOU ARE EVIL!! [insert bigotry here]
snax: I do not agree with opinion C, my opinion is opinion B.
moron: YOU ARE JUST TRYING TO TRICK ME INTO THINKING OPINION A IS WRONG. [insert bigotry here]
snax: I really do not believe in opinion C. Why don't you trust me? Look at the merits of my argument, you will see I have reason to agree with it.
Point A.
moron: OK FINE [insert logical fallacy here] [insert bigotry here]
snax: [insert long drawn out explanation of the fallacy]
Return to point A.
For some reason being an idiot is fashionable. I mean being a complete idiot who actually makes an effort not to learn anything. People who spend time studying because they are interested in something tend to be mocked and called nerds and as a result many peopel feel the need to act like idiots even though they have more potential. Especially if they are under 20 or black. The reason why it isn't considerred insulting is because most often it is people under 20 or who are black who do the persecuting. One of the reasons many people are attracted to asian culture is because people don't believe not knowing as much as another person is an attack on their self-asteem and hatred of the studious is considerred absurd.
The "us and them" mentality.
This is obvious, the trouble is it goes deep into many people's way of thinking and it is difficult to make them look like idiots because accusing someone of having an "us and them" mentality is considerred whiny or nerdy. This is related to the fact that being a dumbass is not considerred insulting. The "us and them" mentality extends itself into every issue and it seems at times they are all independant, but if you are aware of the natue of the mentality then you can see a pattern. A typical discussion goes something like this.
Opinion A and C are polar opposities and the moron with the "us and them" mentality believes they are the only ones in existence, as if this is star wars or peter pan and he is fighting the evil empire or something.
An intelligent person, named snax, who cares about the issue believes in opinion B which is much more rational than opinion A and C.
snax: I disagree with opinion A.
moron: YOU AGREE WITH OPINION C YOU ARE EVIL!! [insert bigotry here]
snax: I do not agree with opinion C, my opinion is opinion B.
moron: YOU ARE JUST TRYING TO TRICK ME INTO THINKING OPINION A IS WRONG. [insert bigotry here]
snax: I really do not believe in opinion C. Why don't you trust me? Look at the merits of my argument, you will see I have reason to agree with it.
Point A.
moron: OK FINE [insert logical fallacy here] [insert bigotry here]
snax: [insert long drawn out explanation of the fallacy]
Return to point A.