I see the distinction as an expression of snobbism oriented towards one's personal interests, which is the normative "deep" stuff to the snob in question. It's just like bs "high"/"low" art, culture etc. distinctions. — Terrapin Station
So every person who has a tendency towards deep thought — intrapersona
Trivialities like bus routes and rain — intrapersona
Eleanor Roosevelt once said “small minds discuss people, average minds discuss events; Great minds discuss ideas" — intrapersona
And can I know why we need to act like Machiavellian undercover manipulators? Does that make you feel good about yourself or what? You like being like that?Small talk serves several functions, as indicated. Society depends on it, because it enables us (sans telephone or keyboard) to stand in close proximity for a while. Between strangers, small talk is a cover for closer examination. (Close examination without a cover is a bit too intrusive, especially for Anglo Saxons who usually maintain at least an arm's length margin.) — Bitter Crank
Yes, agreed.Between friends, small talk allows for reaffirmation of the relationship, it's a friendly activity. Sharing a bit of food, a drink, is an extension of 'small talk'. It's small actions. Small actions can serve the same function as small talk. — Bitter Crank
Yes too.Small talk is the way we groom each other. We could go through each others' hair looking for fleas, lice, detritus, and so on, but we gave that up a million years ago. Maybe we should have preserved the practice. We could be discussing Schopenhauer while we pick lint off each other's clothing. — Bitter Crank
And can I know why we need to act like Machiavellian undercover manipulators? Does that make you feel good about yourself or what? You like being like that? — Agustino
All talk is small talk. — Benkei
Why? I've always found these social "covers" as you call them hypocritical and absurd. I never had such inhibition for example - if I'm naked in a public shower / locker room / sauna etc. - I never understood why anyone would find it strange. It's not like you're in there to have sex with them are you?? Say you're naked with other men. Why is small talk needed? Why does anyone presume that I will look for their phallus if they don't talk? I found the same happening in saunas with both men and women. But the human body is the human body, no big deal in that setting. It's not like I'm walking naked in the street is it? I'm supposed to be naked in the shower, sauna, locker room."Cover" is a normal social thing. It's not the same as "undercover". There is nothing Machiavellian in what I said about cover. Another example: A bunch of straight guys in the YMCA shower and locker room can stand the forced naked proximity if they can "cover" the situation with small talk about sports, their work out, running shoes, and the like. Just standing there, silently, is a bit too "exposed". Maybe it's a way of keeping everybody's gaze pitched upward. "Hey, I'm up here." Gay men generally like the naked closeness of the YMCA, talk or no talk,, but a lot of straight guys don't. — Bitter Crank
Fuck the masses! Why should we bother with what people with 2mm brains say? >:O — Agustino
From my own experiences I have found excessively social people to be less trustworthy, more prone to lying and deceiving as well as egocentric and manipulative behaviour, coupled with hedonistic/trivial sex lives. — intrapersona
You are right boss. It is a negative tendency that I have to disparage unintellectual people, which I should keep more in check. It just angers me, their self-righteousness, and the fact that they don't respect intelligence. As for making living with them harder - not really, one thing about the masses is that they're quick to forget - that's what I've learned. But it is immoral and should be avoided. Afterall I think it stems from some sense of inferiority. As in if you really are superior, what's the need to show it and rub it in their faces? Certainly you only do that if somewhere deep inside you think that you should be superior and yet perceive yourself as inferior.You'll need to live with them all the same and after you telling them to fuck them(selves) that will be harder. If you don't like how people think or about what they think, instead of dismissing them you could try engaging them in a way that will get them interested. Seems more productive to me. — Benkei
That's not true. The very social people I have met aren't consciously immoral, they just simply don't have a brain! They get themselves into so much trouble, and they have small passions, like sex and drinking. They have a strong group mentality and always have to be around someone, if you force them to be alone they go crazy... They're very all over the place, and not focused at all, don't really have clear goals or plans.I don't want to get too personal, but maybe this reflects more about you than the alleged excessively social people you have encountered. We who are socially dull witted may find that the socially adept run circles around us, which is likely to seem like negative behavior. — Bitter Crank
Say you're naked with other men. Why is small talk needed? — Agustino
That should read, "who has a tendency to make a distinction between 'deep thought' and 'shallow thought' (and especially who sees 'deep thought' as normative and who believes that they engage in 'deep thought')."
Or in other words, it's instructive that you're automatically assuming that the distinction isn't nonsensical.
I'm not criticizing "deep thinkers." I'm criticizing the distinction as well as the people who make it and who believe that they are "deep thinkers" and that that makes them superior. — Terrapin Station
Subjects aren't inherently deep but are considered as such by those participating in the conversation. If we look at society, philosophical ideas are considered less deep and of less import than Justin Bieber's latest tattoo. Claiming his tattoo is small talk is short hand for saying you disagree with society's purported priorities and attribution of values.
To which the masses will say: who are you? What do we care? Whatever!
Hence, this too is small talk. — Benkei
I don't want to get too personal, but maybe this reflects more about you than the alleged excessively social people you have encountered. We who are socially dull witted may find that the socially adept run circles around us, which is likely to seem like negative behavior. And, of course, your observations are going to be true, at least some of the time--because some people are liars, thieves, knaves, and scoundrels, whether they are socially skilled or not. — Bitter Crank
You'll need to live with them all the same and after you telling them to fuck them(selves) that will be harder. If you don't like how people think or about what they think, instead of dismissing them you could try engaging them in a way that will get them interested. Seems more productive to me."— Benkei
You are right boss. It is a negative tendency that I have to disparage unintellectual people, which I should keep more in check. It just angers me, their self-righteousness, and the fact that they don't respect intelligence.
As in if you really are superior, what's the need to show it and rub it in their faces? Certainly you only do that if somewhere deep inside you think that you should be superior and yet perceive yourself as inferior. — Agustino
Like it or not, some people are a bit neurotic. You may have encountered neurotic people at some point in your life. — Bitter Crank
So you are saying deep thought doesn't exist and there is essentially no difference in content between a childrens tv show and a university lecture... — intrapersona
Great stuff! Very insightful descriptions of the many nuances of interpersonal communication. Several times while reading it i was nodding in agreement, having experienced similar situations. Thanks for taking the time to explore it, and hope that you can add even more. :)
(The only thing that slightly befuddled me was format of the two sections taking the complete opposite viewpoint. Which is fine, better to give both sides of the story than one. But it took me a while to figure it out, despite the line separating the two sections. It might need an introduction, stating exactly what you are doing. And a conclusion might help to wrap it up. Because it is not entirely clear which side you agree with, or neither. Or both, depending on the circumstances. Any of which is fine. But making it extra clear might prevent misunderstanding, imho. Most interesting thoughts however!) — 0 thru 9
The distinction is nonsensical in my view, yes. Just like attempts high art/low art etc. distinctions. — Terrapin Station
Right, gotta love when people state their opinions without providing any reasoning or logic behind it, especially twice or three times in a row. lol. — intrapersona
So if complexity doesn't exist. — intrapersona
You can't argue against facts bitter crank. — intrapersona
Granted subjects aren't inherently deep but how can you even know that since you are bound to subjectivity? — intrapersona
Get involved in philosophical discussions about knowledge, truth, language, consciousness, science, politics, religion, logic and mathematics, art, history, and lots more. No ads, no clutter, and very little agreement — just fascinating conversations.