I’ll have to take your word on that. :wink:

Strictly speaking nationality is synonymous with ethnicity (a nation is a people, not a state), but I understand that you mean it to mean association with a state.

They're different from Jews and Romani ("Gypsies") because the former are a displaced diaspora and the latter are nomadic, — Pfhorrest

I know this is nit-picking but, do you believe that Jews and Romani are nations?

If they aren't nations, then it is demonstrated that there are at least two ethnic groups that aren't nationalities. Hence nationalities = ethnicity, is false.

I think the whole .9999... = 1 thing is much more interesting to psychologists than to mathematicians.

I'm going to ignore all the hostile responses. I rather spend my time on constructive discussions. (Sorry for your inconvenience.)

Personally speaking, they do hold us back because these categories are essentially divisive in character and the challenges the world faces today can't be solved without the exact opposite, unity. — TheMadFool

Ideally that is true, but there's always going to be some groups of people hating other groups of people.

During various times some of those categories are made hilariously important. Other times they are simply ignored as an oddity that isn't even used. — ssu

I agree. I would say "where you're from" categories are superficial and best used (if at all) as a social lubricant.

Are they important for us? As individuals often no, but our societies do use them and we will notice easily how powerful they can be.

Just live in a foreign country that goes into war with the country whose citizen you are and in an instant you have become to be very suspicious person. Have some other strife, riot, terrorist attack or a conflict which has to do with one of those four elements and you can notice it does effect your life even if your race, ethnicity, religion or nationality hasn't been ever important to you.

Of course, the best way to attack a stranger is to find its vulnerabilities. For example: the strongest most offensive way to attack me (not knowing anything about me) is to call me a "Jew".

Back on the topic of the OP, I think “ethnicity” is itself a complex topic, that other items on this list factor into. I like to think of ethnicity as decomposing into phenotypic ancestry (“race”), language, and religion. — Pfhorrest

I think it's more about the geographic regions your recent ancestors grew up in than an actual genotype.

Strictly speaking nationality is synonymous with ethnicity (a nation is a people, not a state), but I understand that you mean it to mean association with a state. Just bear in mind that there are some peoples who don’t have states that correspond to them, e.g. the Kurds.

I believe the Kurds are an ethnic group that inhabit different countries (similar to Jews and Gypsies).

It's my opinion that religion doesn't even belong on the document. Completely irrelevant. Race is a tricky one, because it is almost entirely social and it doesn't matter for any actual purpose unless you're doing some type of demographic study or poll on it. Ethnicity/nationality is usually more important and held to a higher degree of relevance to the individual, so in that sense I would think those to be more in line with "important" I suppose. — GTTRPNK

I would agree.

I wouldn't call them "essentially important" but they can be important when it comes to forming connections and relationships due to how someone else's answers compare to our own. Basically, when we don't know people we look for connections. We all have a cultural heritage and it can be fun to talk culture with people. It provides a safe, fun, informative ground for getting to know that person and their culture. — BitconnectCarlos

Very good point! Culture is very important. If I had to revise my OP, I would say that the four categories mentioned are only important because of culture.

Obviously, I'm not going to be like "oh you're from X, therefore you're like Y" but there is such a thing as cultural trends and if someone bucks a trend that's interesting in its own right. Learning another language is an excellent way to gain insight into another culture and help form a bridge. Personally, I regard my cultural background as important but in no way is it the entirety of me - only one aspect. — BitconnectCarlos

Same for me.

The reason it's not of "essential" importance is that we can (or at least should) be able to hit it off great with people from different backgrounds. I think values and worldview are more of "essential" importance. — BitconnectCarlos

I couldn't agree more.

Okay, perhaps you can call X & Y "pairs". The fact is they're different. If there's a mutation in a gene in the Y chromosome (for instance) there's isnt another Y chromosome to read from. (I'm not a biology major, so take everything I say with a grain of salt).

I think men are crazier than women. Women have 23 chronomome pairs, while men only have 22 pairs. Men have an X & Y with no back up copies (poor things).

This is why we can't have nice things. :sad:

Considering I've lost everything in the last 3 months, including my "work" as you put it, and both my parents. — Wandering-Philosopher

I think you need to get a grip. — Judaka

He's offline now, and neither any of the other administrators are online either now. I'm sure he will close your account and threads though, so don't you worry.

Edit: @Hanover

Thank you, and good luck with everything! All the best!

I think it is settled then. Hopefully over time you will get stronger. Perhaps then you will return to this forum and kick their asses. :lol:

So someone suffering sever emotional distress should face a real life animal attack instead of a metaphorical one as seems to be the subject here? — Outlander

Thats a false dilemma because you can avoid them both. If @Wandering-Philosopher wants to watch other members get ripped apart here on the philosophy forum, thats up to him. My only suggestion is to not get involved in wild internet philosophy, that's all.

Not when you are suffering severe emotional distress. Avoid all predators, I say.

I'd stick around a bit. — Outlander

@Wandering-Philosopher I wouldn't if I were you, there are way too many sharks here.

No problem. :victory:

I think you should try mental health forum (and I'm not saying this put you down). There are very kind and supportive people on those forums. This the last place to go if your suffering emotional problems.

@Wandering-Philosopher I hope you the best.

I wouldn’t take it personally. The internet brings out the worst.

I agree with everything you just said, but I don't fear death. I fear dying.

:rofl:

I pretty sure @shmik has a very high IQ (he hasn't been active for a year, though), I would also place a bet on @andrewk, perhaps even @SophistiCat.

That's comforting, thanks.

If you wanted to know who all the smart people on this site I can tell you. :lol:

I know about the Dunning-Kruger Effect. I've also had professors in college tell me that I'm very smart and got good grades. It's just when I'm put on the spot and asked to do a task I naturally get all stressed out and fail the task. I've also taken online IQ tests and struggled with them. I think I got tested for my IQ when I was a child and scored average (though I admit I put very little effort in that psychological evaluation). I don't want to take the IQ test now because getting an average score would send my anxiety through the roof.

Don't mind me an my insecurities. :wink:

I have nothing against people boasting about their high IQ's, I'm just getting the impression that IQ is equated with having a good brain. I don't believe that is true, you can have an average IQ and still be very creative. And even if your brain isn't very healthy it doesn't devalue you as a human being.

That being said, I am not a member of any high IQ society nor do I think I would score very high on an IQ test. Keep looking though, I'm sure you will find really smart people somewhere on the internet. :razz:

Oh dear! I forgot God was very sensitive about humans worshipping other gods. I have to remind my pagan friends that worshipping Thor might hurt Gods feelings. Its simply not nice!

Philosophy isn't good for anxiety. Trust me I would know.

doesn't give a **** about anyone other than those fortunate to be let into his game. Everyone else be damned, — Lida Rose

An accurate and succinct depiction of religion.

Not at all. Pain and misery in this world is just a sample of what goes on in hell. God wants us to know what hell feels like in this world so we don't sin, and up in actual hell, which is unimaginably horrible and painful. Isn't God merciful? He gives us the gift of knowing what hell feels like, so smart people will make decision not to sin. Its people who are unable to make rational decisions that have to worry, but most of us dont care about them (pfff, losers...).

It makes clear that Macintosh doesn’t know.

Nowhere in the anecdote does it say MacIntosh knows that it's raining. — ZzzoneiroCosm

Read carefully.

Point being that common sense objections to philosophical arguments don't amount to much. — Marchesk

Common sense is only good for common things. Skepticism about the external world ain't common. There you go, now you can publish this argument in your favorite philosophical journal.