Small Thoughts
- Brent Wiseman
- Jan 14, 2017
- 4 min read
A collection of small writings on random subjects, all written at different times between 2015 and 2016:
Mental groups. Remove yourself from as many as you are able. Democrat vs Republican, etc. Think in terms of rival sports teams. They're playing against each other. If you don't particularly care one way or the other who wins, you will probably have a lot less stressful time watching it. You will be able to more accurately see what's happening. The downside? It's less fun. People enjoy feeling passionate. The fact that they are more likely to be ignorant and blinded by bias doesn't seem to matter to most.
One of my most popular facebook posts this year is the one where I mention I deleted over 200 friends off my friends list. This seems to be common among other similar posts I see. Normally, about 10 friends seem to rotate giving different things of mine likes, and a total likes per post on average of maybe 5. This ‘friends’ post of mine got over 30. Why are people who don’t care about other things I have to say glad that I didn’t delete them? I don’t ask in a pouty way - I’m genuinely curious. It doesn’t make sense. I mean, everybody likes to be ‘liked’, and one obviously could take a non-deletion as evidence of being liked. At the same time, people who liked that post of mine, some I haven’t spoken to in many years. Some, to my knowledge, have never given anything I’ve ever posted a ‘like’ until now. If they don’t appreciate what I have to say, why wouldn’t they have deleted me themselves, or have been upset that I DIDN’T delete them, or at least unfollowed me? I’m not asking defensively. I wouldn’t take it personal. I just feel like there’s some kind of psychological theme I could draw from this were I better versed in that area.
I don't like how most businesses work in the fact that employees are forced to smile and be happy. As a tactic, I understand it. But think - if you just got dumped and are miserable, your managers would take note of it. They'd frown upon it. They may even pull you aside and tell you that you need to be happier. I've been told before during a 6 month review or something that I needed to smile more. There's something inherently fucked about that. (And I smiled during every contact with customers and was unfailingly polite. It was just when walking alone on the short walks to perform my duties that this terrible woman was referring to)
So I'm not always in a good mood. What of it? You can't force emotions on anybody. You have to earn them every time. Not all people are wired the same and you can't fault them for that. There is something inherently, ethically wrong with forcing people to smile. Sure, fire them if they're rude or even short with customers if you'd like, but let them be miserable in peace. You're rewarding the people who have the least qualms and are the best at being dishonest (pretending to be always happy) and punishing honest people for not being in the best of moods at all times, aka, being human. Telling pretty women to smile all the time has been getting justifiably condemned in society recently. Women have taken note that its' a fucked up thing to do. I see no real difference in the workplace.
In my opinion, it is impossible to be wholly a man or woman of science and to be atheist. You can keep the title if you simply posture that a god is unlikely to exist and live your life as such, but to claim there is no god is to break an important tenet of science. What you claim has no proof. This means you only came to your conclusion with something more than evidence - emotion. You’re making the same mistake those of faith abuse: Appeal to Ignorance. “Since you can’t prove it untrue, I move that it’s true.” I don’t believe you can use reality and the laws of physics even as evidence of no god, because that same evidence can be claimed to be evidence OF god. It’s not a good enough measure that because we know exactly what causes sunsets and the underlying physics, god is not involved. I have never made a single observation which requires existence of a god to explain. I know for a fact that at best, over 99.9% of religions practiced in the world are made-up and that humans love to make up religions. I am quite confident in my opinion that there is no god, but I will never say that one absolutely certainly does not exist. To do so would be to turn my back on the scientific thinking that I value so highly.
Many people who believe in god believe in evolution.
Many people who believe in god believe in intelligent design.
Many people who don't believe in god believe in evolution.
Zero people who don't believe in god believe intelligent design.
I'm not really making a point - I just find it interesting.
*February, 2017 addition*
“Carve out a life for yourself”
A fitting saying. Carving isn’t easy. Some rock we are given is physically harder than others. Some have soapstone - others, granite. Some have tools not ideal for the job. And any stone is in danger of cracking as you attempt to mould it to your vision. We all only get a single slab. The inevitable cracks and pits and voids we create will have to be shaped further to make it any form of appealing, but I always preferred the imperfect, anyway. Where’s the story in ‘perfect’? Where’s the character?
I've been trying to nail down qualities of humans that seem inherent. The human condition. So far, I've only found 2:
Vilify those you disagree with - it makes it easier to disagree with them Seek happiness
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