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Many people seem to think, that holding opinions/beliefs etc., is important/necessary, however, it doesn't really matter what kind of opinion/belief you hold, when it comes to certain vital things, such as: what god (any god) thinks of you, what kind of person you are, how much suffering you can endure, etc. There are more than just these three, but for the sake of brevity, let's examine just these three issues.
"what god (any god) thinks of you" --If there ever was, is now, or ever will be, any kind of higher power (good or evil) that influences your life in a significant way, it would be important to know where you stand with such a higher power. In the worst case scenario, it's important to know this information because, in the worst case scenario, god would not care about you very much (or at all) and so god would not help you when you asked for help, under any circumstances, and knowing this about god, would be important because, if you knew god would not help you no matter what you said or did, you wouldn't waste any more time/energy on praying/doing rituals/reading holy texts/going to church etc., and that time/energy could then be used in more productive ways. In the best case scenario, god would care about you a lot, and so, even if you did not pray/do rituals/read holy texts/go to church etc., god would still help you, and even if god was evil, it wouldn't matter much, because you would naturally figure, "If god is helping me, I don't really care if god is evil."
"what kind of person you are" --Knowing your real self, is important, because when you know who you really are, you can express yourself more freely (than if you don't know who you are), and some suffering in life, can be mitigated, by expressing yourself.
"how much suffering you can endure" --Knowing how much pain/suffering/boredom you can endure, is very important, because when you know this information, you will be less likely to put yourself in an intolerable situtaiton (whether that situation is some kind of sexual activity, or sports/fitness related activities, or consuming drugs, or simply having to wait around for something to happen, such as at a doctor's office)
No one knows how much they can endure until they are in the position of having to endure something.
I had no idea how much misery and fear and physical pain I would endure when going through breast cancer...it was brutal. There were days when I didn't know if I could take another day...but I did. Thirteen years later I still have days of intense pain. And yet, here I am, primed for another day. It may be a good day like today and it might suck majorly.
My heart attack was a walk in the park compared to what I'd already been through.
'Course being beaten on the regular when growing up taught me to deal with pain.
Bob Marley Quote: “You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.”
(February 19, 2022 at 10:06 pm)arewethereyet Wrote:
(February 19, 2022 at 8:17 pm)Ahriman Wrote:
Many people seem to think, that holding opinions/beliefs etc., is important/necessary, however, it doesn't really matter what kind of opinion/belief you hold, when it comes to certain vital things, such as: what god (any god) thinks of you, what kind of person you are, how much suffering you can endure, etc. There are more than just these three, but for the sake of brevity, let's examine just these three issues.
"what god (any god) thinks of you" --If there ever was, is now, or ever will be, any kind of higher power (good or evil) that influences your life in a significant way, it would be important to know where you stand with such a higher power. In the worst case scenario, it's important to know this information because, in the worst case scenario, god would not care about you very much (or at all) and so god would not help you when you asked for help, under any circumstances, and knowing this about god, would be important because, if you knew god would not help you no matter what you said or did, you wouldn't waste any more time/energy on praying/doing rituals/reading holy texts/going to church etc., and that time/energy could then be used in more productive ways. In the best case scenario, god would care about you a lot, and so, even if you did not pray/do rituals/read holy texts/go to church etc., god would still help you, and even if god was evil, it wouldn't matter much, because you would naturally figure, "If god is helping me, I don't really care if god is evil."
"what kind of person you are" --Knowing your real self, is important, because when you know who you really are, you can express yourself more freely (than if you don't know who you are), and some suffering in life, can be mitigated, by expressing yourself.
"how much suffering you can endure" --Knowing how much pain/suffering/boredom you can endure, is very important, because when you know this information, you will be less likely to put yourself in an intolerable situtaiton (whether that situation is some kind of sexual activity, or sports/fitness related activities, or consuming drugs, or simply having to wait around for something to happen, such as at a doctor's office)
No one knows how much they can endure until they are in the position of having to endure something.
I had no idea how much misery and fear and physical pain I would endure when going through breast cancer...it was brutal. There were days when I didn't know if I could take another day...but I did. Thirteen years later I still have days of intense pain. And yet, here I am, primed for another day. It may be a good day like today and it might suck majorly.
My heart attack was a walk in the park compared to what I'd already been through.
'Course being beaten on the regular when growing up taught me to deal with pain.
Bob Marley Quote: “You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.”
With all due respect, my little survivor, how are you not an empty husk of suffering by now? What's your secret?
(February 19, 2022 at 10:06 pm)arewethereyet Wrote: No one knows how much they can endure until they are in the position of having to endure something.
I had no idea how much misery and fear and physical pain I would endure when going through breast cancer...it was brutal. There were days when I didn't know if I could take another day...but I did. Thirteen years later I still have days of intense pain. And yet, here I am, primed for another day. It may be a good day like today and it might suck majorly.
My heart attack was a walk in the park compared to what I'd already been through.
'Course being beaten on the regular when growing up taught me to deal with pain.
Bob Marley Quote: “You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.”
With all due respect, my little survivor, how are you not an empty husk of suffering by now? What's your secret?
I don't see how being an 'empty husk of suffering' would do me a damn bit of good. I am a survivor, always have been. It comes from within.
It's vitally important what God (or any god) thinks of me? Seriously?
I have control over what a supreme being thinks of me? How could I even comprehend what such a being thinks of me? How could I have any power to influence that when I am utterly unable to think on the supreme critter's level? This is where religion of the type you espouse utterly breaks down.
The supreme critter supposedly created me. It knows everything there is to know about me. It knows what my limitations are. Because it is omniscient, it even knows what choices I will make throughout my life - every single one of them. It knows this at the moment it creates me. How can I change what this critter thinks of me when it it already knows everything there is to know about me at the moment I am created?
The supreme critter supposedly chose to create me - knowing exactly what the result of that creation would be. The responsibility is ALL on the supreme critter. I have no accountability to God because all I can do is EXACTLY what it knew I would do when it CHOSE to create me.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
(February 20, 2022 at 1:08 am)AFTT47 Wrote: It's vitally important what God (or any god) thinks of me? Seriously?
I have control over what a supreme being thinks of me? How could I even comprehend what such a being thinks of me? How could I have any power to influence that when I am utterly unable to think on the supreme critter's level? This is where religion of the type you espouse utterly breaks down.
The supreme critter supposedly created me. It knows everything there is to know about me. It knows what my limitations are. Because it is omniscient, it even knows what choices I will make throughout my life - every single one of them. It knows this at the moment it creates me. How can I change what this critter thinks of me when it it already knows everything there is to know about me at the moment I am created?
The supreme critter supposedly chose to create me - knowing exactly what the result of that creation would be. The responsibility is ALL on the supreme critter. I have no accountability to God because all I can do is EXACTLY what it knew I would do when it CHOSE to create me.
There will always be some people, who aren’t interested in making any kind of progress in their lives, (in any way/shape/form). These people are commonly thought of as losers. I’ve even read something online about these people being a “scourge”. Well, if anything, it’s actually most people who are the real “scourge”, because most people cause problems at an overwhelmingly higher rate, than the losers.
It can be argued, that the losers, are only interested in making sure, that they are comfortable, and that their needs are provided for. This is problematic, for the people who are “responsible” for providing the loser, with what he/she needs. However, it is nowhere near as problematic, as what most people are looking for, namely friends/sex/money etc.
When it comes to things that are overrated, sports has got to take the cake. People are obsessed. I’ll admit, watching sports on TV is not the worst thing ever, but even then, people care way too much. And forget playing sports in real life, it’s beyond awful. I recently went to an arcade, and they actually had “sports simulator” modules. Why do people care so much about sports? It’s just pathetic.
(February 22, 2022 at 9:41 pm)Ahriman Wrote: There will always be some people, who aren’t interested in making any kind of progress in their lives, (in any way/shape/form). These people are commonly thought of as losers. I’ve even read something online about these people being a “scourge”. Well, if anything, it’s actually most people who are the real “scourge”, because most people cause problems at an overwhelmingly higher rate, than the losers.
It can be argued, that the losers, are only interested in making sure, that they are comfortable, and that their needs are provided for. This is problematic, for the people who are “responsible” for providing the loser, with what he/she needs. However, it is nowhere near as problematic, as what most people are looking for, namely friends/sex/money etc.
When it comes to things that are overrated, sports has got to take the cake. People are obsessed. I’ll admit, watching sports on TV is not the worst thing ever, but even then, people care way too much. And forget playing sports in real life, it’s beyond awful. I recently went to an arcade, and they actually had “sports simulator” modules. Why do people care so much about sports? It’s just pathetic.
As for sports. My son was a natural at most any sport he tried. He had coordination that certainly didn't come from me. He played baseball and football for years in rec leagues and school...he probably would have gone further but he messed up both knees pretty badly. He was good at basketball and could skateboard. He enjoyed it and he learned about teamwork and made lifelong friends.
My brother went to college on a football scholarship which I find funny since I am the one who taught him how to throw a football.
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