Friday OT: Deep thoughts

[Cyclonepride]

Just curious to hear various quotes or concepts that strike you on a deeper level. I'll start with mine:

Heard an interview with Deepak Chopra once where he said the following, which really struck me as fundamentally sound (and awesome). Paraphrasing here, so forgive me for that.

"We think of ourselves as physical beings that have learned how to think, when it's almost certainly the opposite. We are thoughts that have learned how to create our physical beings."

When you consider the amazing things we've learned about stems cells and how they function, I'd have to agree, which opens up a whole lot of possibilities in my mind, and changes how I view the world. Interested to hear yours...

 

[cyhiphopp]

 

[cyhiphopp]

 

[cyhiphopp]

"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you’re a mile away and you have their shoes."

 

[mj4cy]

Love the thread idea! I always am having random philosophical discussions with myself. Most amount to garbage, but once in awhile it can lead to a good discussion.

Here are a few...some more amusing, some more serious:

1. Why is it totally acceptable in society for US citizens to rag on Canadians or make fun of their stereotypes. You see it all over in conversation, pop culture, movies, shows ect. I should add, it personally does not offend me. However, if we have that attitude towards any other country its considered racist. The only conclusion I came to is that its because Canadians are very similar to Americans and for the most part they take it in stride and give the US crap right back in our faces. Just curious why the seemingly double standard.

2. Why do most people go around telling others how tired and busy they are? We all get 24 hours a day. Unless we live in North Korea or other oppressive locations, we all can choose how to spend that time.

3. What would happen if there was simply no crime in the world. Would there be need for police? investigators? Would we have TV shows anymore such as murder mysteries, crime solvers, detective movies ect. Would people get ultimately bored in life? No one would lock their doors, heck would locks exist? Would we just all be one big country on the earth since everyone (assuming) would get along? All these questions led me to the sick thought....do we need crime to function as society?

 

[cyhiphopp]

"Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis."

 

[cyhiphopp]

If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is “God is crying.” And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is “Probably because of something you did.”

 

[BCClone]

It takes a big man to cry;

it takes an even bigger man to laugh at that man when he cries.

 

[BCClone]

 

[SpokaneCY]

In life, wherever you go, there you are. What you do is up to you.

 

[cyhiphopp]

Love the thread idea! I always am having random philosophical discussions with myself. Most amount to garbage, but once in awhile it can lead to a good discussion.

Here are a few...some more amusing, some more serious:

1. Why is it totally acceptable in society for US citizens to rag on Canadians or make fun of their stereotypes. You see it all over in conversation, pop culture, movies, shows ect. I should add, it personally does not offend me. However, if we have that attitude towards any other country its considered racist. The only conclusion I came to is that its because Canadians are very similar to Americans and for the most part they take it in stride and give the US crap right back in our faces. Just curious why the seemingly double standard.

2. Why do most people go around telling others how tired and busy they are? We all get 24 hours a day. Unless we live in North Korea or other oppressive locations, we all can choose how to spend that time.

3. What would happen if there was simply no crime in the world. Would there be need for police? investigators? Would we have TV shows anymore such as murder mysteries, crime solvers, detective movies ect. Would people get ultimately bored in life? No one would lock their doors, heck would locks exist? Would we just all be one big country on the earth since everyone (assuming) would get along? All these questions led me to the sick thought....do we need crime to function as society?

A) Because they are America's hat. We make fun of Brits and the French, and Germans too. Even Australians. As long as it's just stereotypical and silly, I don't think it's that bad.

2) People complain about being busy and tired because they lack the will and self discipline to get done what they actually want and need to get done. It's easier to be lazy and say you're too busy and tired than to actually buckle down and get everything you need to get done, done so you can do the things you want to do and still have time to sleep. Also some people are in bad circumstances and no matter how diligently they work, they actually don't have enough time to work and support their families and still have time to do what they want to do. Most people are just lazy though.

D) Crime and the act of policing crime is an essential part of society. If everyone could agree to do what is best for everyone there wouldn't be a need for government or religion. Kind of the basis of Free Will. We all have the capacity to do the right thing at all times (unless you are mentally ill), but we also have the ability to choose the opposite. Also, locks would exist because I don't want my kids to walk in on me doing it

 

[coolerifyoudid]

3. What would happen if there was simply no crime in the world. Would there be need for police? investigators? Would we have TV shows anymore such as murder mysteries, crime solvers, detective movies ect. Would people get ultimately bored in life? No one would lock their doors, heck would locks exist? Would we just all be one big country on the earth since everyone (assuming) would get along? All these questions led me to the sick thought....do we need crime to function as society?

This makes me think of the movie "The Invention of Lying". It wasn't the greatest movie and most of the observations were meant to be funny, but some of the things it made me think about were interesting. Basically, nobody could lie about anything until one guy decided to do it. Watching people go through their daily routine and be honest about 'everything' is frightening and would be very boring. Having ups and downs makes a person appreciate and actually feel happy. Without the downs, I think you'd become complacent. Sadly, I think we need some level of crime and deceit in society or we'd be living in Pleasantville.

I also wonder about a world where war and sickness didn't exist. It sounds ideal, but the population explosion would be worse than the current rate. It's already a very real fear of mine, but without factors that prematurely reduce the population, I think we'd starve ourselves out of this world.

 

[Angie]

A) Because they are America's hat. We make fun of Brits and the French, and Germans too. Even Australians. As long as it's just stereotypical and silly, I don't think it's that bad.

Eh, I'm not sure. I think the truly good-natured stuff, sure. But I think that we have sort of an innate sense of superiority and ethnocentrism in the US. It's why a ton of foreign countries don't like us - we're overall pretty condescending and superior. I think many, many US citizens who visit other countries or interact are not - but they're going to remember the ones who are.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

A) Because they are America's hat. We make fun of Brits and the French, and Germans too. Even Australians. As long as it's just stereotypical and silly, I don't think it's that bad.

2) People complain about being busy and tired because they lack the will and self discipline to get done what they actually want and need to get done. It's easier to be lazy and say you're too busy and tired than to actually buckle down and get everything you need to get done, done so you can do the things you want to do and still have time to sleep. Also some people are in bad circumstances and no matter how diligently they work, they actually don't have enough time to work and support their families and still have time to do what they want to do. Most people are just lazy though.

D) Crime and the act of policing crime is an essential part of society. If everyone could agree to do what is best for everyone there wouldn't be a need for government or religion. Kind of the basis of Free Will. We all have the capacity to do the right thing at all times (unless you are mentally ill), but we also have the ability to choose the opposite. Also, locks would exist because I don't want my kids to walk in on me doing it

It's not Monday and I'm so confused -- where do A) and D) come from? I get that 2) is 2.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

A) Because they are America's hat. We make fun of Brits and the French, and Germans too. Even Australians. As long as it's just stereotypical and silly, I don't think it's that bad.

2) People complain about being busy and tired because they lack the will and self discipline to get done what they actually want and need to get done. It's easier to be lazy and say you're too busy and tired than to actually buckle down and get everything you need to get done, done so you can do the things you want to do and still have time to sleep. Also some people are in bad circumstances and no matter how diligently they work, they actually don't have enough time to work and support their families and still have time to do what they want to do. Most people are just lazy though.

D) Crime and the act of policing crime is an essential part of society. If everyone could agree to do what is best for everyone there wouldn't be a need for government or religion. Kind of the basis of Free Will. We all have the capacity to do the right thing at all times (unless you are mentally ill), but we also have the ability to choose the opposite. Also, locks would exist because I don't want my kids to walk in on me doing it

A) I agree with your points
7) I applaud your nonconformity when it comes to lists
Zeta) See 7

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is “God is crying.” And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is “Probably because of something you did.”

This is some straight up Father of the Year stuff.

 

[mj4cy]

Eh, I'm not sure. I think the truly good-natured stuff, sure. But I think that we have sort of an innate sense of superiority and ethnocentrism in the US. It's why a ton of foreign countries don't like us - we're overall pretty condescending and superior. I think many, many US citizens who visit other countries or interact are not - but they're going to remember the ones who are.

Kind of leads into another thought I had. At one point will someone call out a politician or someone for saying America is the greatest country on earth.

 

[Cyfan1965]

Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey

Jack Handey V/O:
We used to laugh at Grandpa
when he'd head off and go fishing.
But we wouldn't be laughing that evening when
he'd come back with some ***** he picked up in town.

 

[cyhiphopp]

This makes me think of the movie "The Invention of Lying". It wasn't the greatest movie and most of the observations were meant to be funny, but some of the things it made me think about were interesting. Basically, nobody could lie about anything until one guy decided to do it. Watching people go through their daily routine and be honest about 'everything' is frightening and would be very boring. Having ups and downs makes a person appreciate and actually feel happy. Without the downs, I think you'd become complacent. Sadly, I think we need some level of crime and deceit in society or we'd be living in Pleasantville.

I also wonder about a world where war and sickness didn't exist. It sounds ideal, but the population explosion would be worse than the current rate. It's already a very real fear of mine, but without factors that prematurely reduce the population, I think we'd starve ourselves out of this world.

"The Invention of Lying" made me think a lot as well, even though it wasn't the best movie. A true Utopia would never exist in the first place, but if it did, it wouldn't last. It's human nature to not be happy with where you are right now. There's no way everyone would just accept their role in society and plod along.

When you get into questions of war and sickness, that's where you end up in a society where people are forced, by the government or society itself, to limit the number of children they have. Then you'd have resistance from people who want to have more children and aren't allowed to.

Sadly I don't think human society can ever reach a true utopian state. As soon as one person has more than another, human nature makes everything go to ****.

 

[cyhiphopp]

It's not Monday and I'm so confused -- where do A) and D) come from? I get that 2) is 2.