I was imagining an encyclopedia in line with Borges projection of the world as a library, such that one could wander the realm of knowledge (the encyclopedia) by foot as one can perambulate the actual landscape of the world. — Nils Loc

If pedia is child and encyclius is circularity then the meaning is a child going is circles, as though lost in the woods of knowledge.

ask 180 Proof about how pessimism is the only realistic attitude to adopt.
— TheMadFool

Dear 180 Proof,

How is pessimism the only realistic attitude to adopt? — praxis

@TheMadFool

Looks like either 180 has chosen not to be your personal secretary or you should fire him for being an inattentive minion. Whatever the case, no one can make a successful argument for you that the Four Nobel Truths are factual. In fact, the genius of them is in their fallacious expediency. If a potential follower can deny their own reason and experience right off the bat, and accept this doctrine on faith from an authority, then the rest of the Kool-Aid will be easy to swallow.

ask 180 Proof about how pessimism is the only realistic attitude to adopt. — TheMadFool

Dear @180 Proof,

How is pessimism the only realistic attitude to adopt?

That life is suffering is plain to see. — TheMadFool

No, there’s pleasure or satisfaction also, truth be told.

That craving is, if not the primary cause, at least a major contributor to suffering. That to end suffering, craving has to be ended follows from these premises. — TheMadFool

If craving is only a partial cause then ending it may not do the trick.

Whether the 8-fold path is the correct method to end craving is, unfortunately, debatable. — TheMadFool

So debatable rather than factual.

I assume that you can easily show how the Four Noble Truths are factual.

Ah, he was Great in spirit, I think would be hard to deny.

The Golfers Warehouse?

Yup. I enjoyed some of Biden’s terminology though, like “Putin’s pup.” Glad that I wasn’t completely sober while watching.

No disagreement. I tend to think the best course of action is to put effort into developing a wiser society that’s not as open to manipulation rather than trying to regulate the tools of manipulation. At the risk of sounding paranoid, I imagine that the powers that be want an easily manipulated society and may scheme in some way to maintain it, so all the obstacles in that direction may not be apparent.

Btw, I’ve read about developing AI, or rather GAI, and understand that the potential threat is far far more substantial than any issues with current AI.

AI controlled social media adds another layer to the high rise shit-pile of modern history. — unenlightened

I’ve never been into Facebook, Twitter, instagram, and the like, but I’ve recently developed a habit of using YouTube. The algorithms controlling what it serves up are obvious, and frankly, I wish they were better at serving my interests, but I’m sure that they’ll get smarter as the tech advances. Doubtful an algorithm can make a person narrow-minded, however, at this point. Whatever it is that makes a person want to live in an echo chamber is probably worth looking into.

The spike in teen suicide is disturbing but I haven’t seen enough evidence to be convinced that it’s due to social media. There was a spike around the nineties, for instance, that was comparable. Are there any theories to account for that spike?

Satisfying corporate greed at the expense of consumer well-being, and the science of persuasion, is hardly anything new. Just look at something as mundane and ubiquitous as high fructose corn syrup. It costs less than other sweeteners to produce and improves shelf life, which increases profits for the producers, but the impact it has on the health of consumers must be staggering.

Regarding political divisiveness, some theorize that Trumps success is owed to his Hitler style rallies. Hitler managed to polarize pretty good without the help of online social media. Sorry if I invoke Godwin prematurely.

Jamalrob has done a terrific job of addicting me to this site. I hope his financial reward is great.

Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces, by Radley Balko

I’d simply like a SC that doesn’t favor the rich and powerful. I’m a dreamer.

Weirdest of all, the vast majority of Trump supporters are working class and cheer at her nomination.

We’ve learned he has great accountants.

We’ve also learned that they couldn’t drum up any evidence of ties to Russia or paying off stormy Daniels. — NOS4A2

He owes the IRS over 100 million and you’re saying that he has great accountants?

So the New York Times got hold of Trumps tax returns and it turns out that he’s a shitty businessman and cheats on his taxes. Who would have guessed?

Claimed a $72k business expense for doing his weirdass hair. Not a great deal, if you asked me.

For what it’s worth, and due to the unlikelihood that either of these chaps will respond, I recall the Srap Tasmaner-meister mentioning that few are worthy of his attention, so you shouldn’t feeling particularly excluded there.

Banno responds well to blatant flattery, so if you’re willing sell your dignity you could try that. Say that his writing is pretty or something.

Only two days ago:

Left-wingers call each other comrade all the time. You could even call a democratic socialist "comrade" it doesn't matter. I wouldn't call a centrist Democrat "comrade" but then again I'm pretty sure Streetlight isn't a centrist Democratic.

I wouldn't call you comrade. — BitconnectCarlos

If someone pointed out that I was empowering divisive political rhetoric like a mindless puppet, I like to think that I would have the modicum of self-respect required to admit it rather than trying to weasel out of it with the stupid claim that it’s meaningless.

Unnessisay, the point is made, you're programmed to see things in a particular way regardless of appropriateness.

Far left. I don't know Streetlight's political position exactly but I'd wager either socialist or communist, thus the "comrade." — BitconnectCarlos

So you don't know the difference between democratic socialism and communism?

8” x 10” that I’ve titled: Still-Life with The Kauai Beer Company Growler and Red Tandem Brewery Government Warning Label with “Machete Rojo”* scribbled On It and Home Garden Golden Jubilee Tomato on Vertically Striped Fabric Background.

Kind of a long and explicit title but hey, who cares.

* Not a great brew

But hey, who would have known that in this particular instance it's actually right? Streetlight is very far left if we're going by the typical political spectrum and I don't think he would deny that. — BitconnectCarlos

Deny that he's far left or a red fascist?

For Neoplatonists, the All is all three: unity + multiplicity. — frank

You seem to be missing one.

comrade — BitconnectCarlos

Everyone not on the Trump Train is a communist, right? The programing has really stuck.

So what’s the ideology of a conservative SC? Does it tend to serve the interests of the working class or some other class?

In the moment we try to atribute something to a concept of absolute, it is not anymore absolute. People don't get that - praxis - — Gus Lamarch

And yet it is. How could it possibly not be?

And everything, yes?
— praxis

No, because everything emanates from it. Plotinus denies sentience, self-awareness or any other action to the One:

"It is impossible for the One to be Being or a self-aware Creator God."

Plotinus, Enneads — Gus Lamarch

You gotta admit it’s pretty self-denying for anyone to deny sentience or self-awareness.

I like Stirner's ideas about self-empowerment or actualization and his wariness of ideology.

If you divide something, let’s say a piece of clay, into two pieces then you will no longer have One piece of clay, you’ll have two pieces of clay.
— praxis

The point is that the One of this hypothetical "clay" would be the entire soil of the Earth. — Gus Lamarch

And everything, yes?

Is Plotinus claiming there is The One, and then other stuff which is outside of The One? — Hippyhead

Rather, Gus seemed to be saying that The One is other and inaccessible.

If you divide something, let’s say a piece of clay, into two pieces then you will no longer have One piece of clay, you’ll have two pieces of clay.

What’s there to argue, the One cannot have an other. How is it at all reasonable to claim otherwise?

I claimed that it's not some other thing and you appeared to suggest that it is some other thing,
— praxis

What if "things" don't actually exist but are instead conceptual inventions of the human mind?

When does a glass of water you drink become you? We could reasonably draw that boundary in any number of places, which illustrates that boundaries are convenient human conceptual creations. And if boundaries aren't real, things aren't either. And then we're left with the real world being a single unified phenomena. The One? — Hippyhead

Indeed, so how can there be an Other as Gus seems to claim there is?

The One is not the Other, obviously.
— praxis

So you can joke? — Gus Lamarch

Not at all. I claimed that it's not some other thing and you appeared to suggest that it is some other thing, that it’s Other, and One is not the Other.

It’s not like it’s some other reality or metaphysical dimension that we don’t have access to.
— praxis

This is practically what Plotino claims the One is. If you disagree, that is a matter of opinion, but if it is about Plotinus' philosophy, it is a misinterpretation. — Gus Lamarch

The One is not the Other, obviously.

Many of the claims in your article are rather wild, disjointed, unsubstantiated and I was curious about what was behind them or inspired them. Stirner's ideas seem reasonable.

Take up rowing?

I think it might be beneficial if up and down voting were added to the forum so people could get a better sense of how their posts are perceived by others.

If only temporarily? — frank

:down: