[hironegro]

Racists/anti-semites, new agers, and minarchist itt?!

[Pops]

People are rational and can see a problem on the horizon and set aside old "Good Time", inconsequential differences and develop a new goal to meet the oncoming challenge.

Granted, I hadn't read Collapse at the time....

[Zeeea]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ClassicSpiderman', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mmasters', 'S')o what strong opinions did you once have that have turned out to be REALLY wrong?

[aoeuhtns]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zeeea', 'A')nd where you say "Without religion and the fear of consequence in the afterlife, what else could keep man from resorting to his natural impulses of rape, murder and incest?" ...how about the human "conscience" and not having the right to be forgiven by an invisible creator ..."religion" itself does not change a mans deeds ...only he/she can do that ...

[allenwrench]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mmasters', 'T')oo many to name but I used to think universities, religion (when I was really young), banks, politics, and all the other institutions of our world were legit. I used to believe in the US and the US political system was the best and could not be corrupted. I thought 911 was legit early on. Thought the global conspiracy once was laughable and inane. I used to think our civilization was simply too advanced to falter within my lifetime.

So what strong opinions did you once have that have turned out to be REALLY wrong?

[greenworm]

I use to believe that christians were dopey sheep who believed that the end of the world could come any day. I think I was 9 years old when I came to this conclusion. After studying dam near every indian symbol on the east coast I now agree with their assertions, however I still find them to be dopey sheep.

[patience]

I believed pretty much all I was taught as a kid, and on through college, too. Then I have spent the rest of my life learning that none of what I was taught was 100% right, and most was 100% wrong, and since about age 20, I've been trying to learn the truth.

A big disillusionment came when my wife and I each approached our church officials (very different religions) about getting married. Each welcomed the idea, but said the mate would have to convert to THEIR brand, and swear to raise our kids in their fold, lest we all die and burn in hell forever. Well, we talked about this and decided that at least one of the 2 churches was full of crap. Since there was no way to know which one, or if both of them were wrong, we told them all to piss off and haven't been back to either one. Now I'm certain that they were both full of it.

Later in life, I found out the hard way that the good guys don't always wear white hats, nor does a white hat make him a good guy, like in the movies. That cost me a lot, but I did learn from it.

[eastbay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('btu2012', 'A') long time ago I used to believe in cultural progress.

I now understand that "progress" in culture is just another name for "change".

[paimei01]

I was happy when USA invaded Iraq, I thought, soon they will invade all countries where dictatorships still exist, and we will have a great 21 century with no dictators, everyone enjoying democracy, freedom, and western lifestyle

[jasonraymondson]

I use to think that this forum had answers, I use to think there were some very smart people on here. I use to think that I could learn enough on here to survive a crash.

I now know that to a man with no water, a cup of it seems like a river.

[jasonraymondson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('golem', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jasonraymondson', 'I') use to think that this forum had answers, I use to think there were some very smart people on here. I use to think that I could learn enough on here to survive a crash.

[killJOY]

1. As a child, I used to think adults had answers.

2. I also believed that Jesus was god and actually got up out of that tomb.

3. My interest in the bible was reignited by the "higher criticism" movement that looks at who wrote what at what time. It's a fascinating puzzle. Conclusion: the bible evolved from a plethora of anonymously-authored scrolls!


4. Psychoanalysis. Thousands of dollars later, I had an epiphany: it's a crock of shit. Therapy is a game of mind-manipulation and belief-building, and mommy and daddy don't mean much to one's personality development. See The Nurture Assumption and Therapy's Delusions. Same goes for the "substance abuse treatment" scandal. AA's a scam.


5. Politics. I now ignore it.

6. Racism. I thought it could be defeated.

7. Human ignorance: the only truly bottomless reserve in the universe.


Edit:

8. Oh, yeah: I have to admit I was pretty taken in by the theories around 9/11, from about 2003-2005. Later, I realized that much of my willingness to believe the conspiracies was just misplaced antipathy for the current administration. I still have to thank Mike Ruppert (and Dale Pfeiffer) for introducing me (or, rather, re-introducing me) to peak oil.

As for the 9/11 stuff: nice try, Mike. It's brilliant, but too convoluted. There's a simpler explanation: they simply looked the other way, seeing an opportunity on the horizon.

The following film about the "Jersey Girls" and their push for an investigation is just stunning:

Press for truth.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('killJOY', '
')4. Psychoanalysis. Thousands of dollars later, I had an epiphany: it's a crock of crap. Therapy is a game of mind-manipulation and belief-building, and mommy and daddy don't mean much to one's personality development.

[jasonraymondson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('killJOY', '1'). As a child, I used to think adults had answers.

2. I also believed that Jesus was god and actually got up out of that tomb.

3. My interest in the bible was reignited by the "higher criticism" movement that looks at who wrote what at what time. It's a fascinating puzzle. Conclusion: the bible evolved from a plethora of anonymously-authored scrolls!


4. Psychoanalysis. Thousands of dollars later, I had an epiphany: it's a crock of crap. Therapy is a game of mind-manipulation and belief-building, and mommy and daddy don't mean much to one's personality development. See The Nurture Assumption and Therapy's Delusions. Same goes for the "substance abuse treatment" scandal. AA's a scam.


5. Politics. I now ignore it.

6. Racism. I thought it could be defeated.

7. Human ignorance: the only truly bottomless reserve in the universe.


Edit:

8. Oh, yeah: I have to admit I was pretty taken in by the theories around 9/11, from about 2003-2005. Later, I realized that much of my willingness to believe the conspiracies was just misplaced antipathy for the current administration. I still have to thank Mike Ruppert (and Dale Pfeiffer) for introducing me (or, rather, re-introducing me) to peak oil.

As for the 9/11 stuff: nice try, Mike. It's brilliant, but too convoluted. There's a simpler explanation: they simply looked the other way, seeing an opportunity on the horizon.

The following film about the "Jersey Girls" and their push for an investigation is just stunning:

Press for truth.

[killJOY]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') always find it to be that the craziest sons of a bitches are the ones who come to the conclusion that psychology is a crock.

[PenultimateManStanding]

There are cases of children born into benign, loving environments with well adjusted siblings who nonetheless turned out as psychopaths. Reality isn't really clear about all this. Genetics is certainly a factor. But mommy and daddy did more than just 'mess it up'. They posed problems and maybe tried to offer tentative solutions. Maybe they did well, maybe they didn't. But they certainly had an impact.

[PenultimateManStanding]

Fine, psychopharmacology it is. Blunt instrument, end of discussion that never started. Actually it did four years ago. Then it abruptly ended. You seem diffident about digging into this issue, MikeB.

[killJOY]

I've dug as far as I wish, that's all. I have no desire to sway or "convert" people to a point of view.

It's like religion: I'm just over it.

There are far better writers than I out there. I highly recommend Judith Rich Harris's book. She got me going on evolutionary psychology, which as far as I'm concerned has supplanted Freud and the psychoanalysts.

[PenultimateManStanding]

Fair enough, good luck with the crops.

[Ludi]

Most of my opinions were, and probably are, wrong.