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RE: How did you become an atheist?
December 26, 2015 at 8:36 pm
(This post was last modified: December 26, 2015 at 8:37 pm by Edwardo Piet.)
(December 26, 2015 at 8:30 pm)excitedpenguin Wrote: No, I'm genuine. I promise. Thanks for opening my eyes and everything.
No problem but I'm still not sure whether to really believe you. I mean, I know that you know that you're not a dumbass and then it is of course possible to be right when everyone else thinks you are wrong. So why say it? I mean you know that that's not true, and that makes me doubt the rest of what you say too... although I do appreciate this decency right now.
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RE: How did you become an atheist?
December 26, 2015 at 8:38 pm
(This post was last modified: December 26, 2015 at 10:23 pm by Edwardo Piet.)
(December 26, 2015 at 8:36 pm)excitedpenguin Wrote: If people can find it in their hearts to forgive me, I'll try and stay. But if I ever say anything mean again, I'll leave as soon as I realize it.
Even after how you've behaved, that's far too harsh on yourself. Everyone says some mean things sometimes, even the best of us. When I'm in a real bad mood I say mean things too. Like I said, the best of us do. Everyone does sometimes.
If you're regularly mean that's one thing, but you can't expect yourself to never ever say anything mean again... I mean I wouldn't expect you to expect that of anyone else, myself including. We're all mean on occasion even if only very very very rarely. No one is perfect.
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RE: How did you become an atheist?
December 26, 2015 at 8:38 pm
(December 26, 2015 at 8:36 pm)Evie Wrote: (December 26, 2015 at 8:30 pm)excitedpenguin Wrote: No, I'm genuine. I promise. Thanks for opening my eyes and everything.
No problem but I'm still not sure whether to really believe you. I mean, I know that you know that you're not a dumbass and then it is of course possible to be right when everyone else thinks you are wrong. So why say it? I mean you know that that's not true, and that makes me doubt the rest of what you say too... although I do appreciate this decency right now.
No, Evie, I think you're looking too much into it, seriously. It's just something someone said about me in another thread, and I kept thinking about it. Sure, it's possible for that scenario to happen but it's quite unlikely and so I think we can dismiss it most of the time.
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RE: How did you become an atheist?
December 26, 2015 at 8:40 pm
But wait, wouldn't I have known you would pick up on that and never have said it if I was trying to fool you?
Anyhow, doesn't really matter if I'm genuine or not. I'm being decent, as you said, so as long as it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck...
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RE: How did you become an atheist?
December 26, 2015 at 8:42 pm
Dance away, happy feet.
"Never trust a fox. Looks like a dog, behaves like a cat."
~ Erin Hunter
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RE: How did you become an atheist?
December 26, 2015 at 8:44 pm
(December 26, 2015 at 8:38 pm)excitedpenguin Wrote: (December 26, 2015 at 8:36 pm)Evie Wrote: No problem but I'm still not sure whether to really believe you. I mean, I know that you know that you're not a dumbass and then it is of course possible to be right when everyone else thinks you are wrong. So why say it? I mean you know that that's not true, and that makes me doubt the rest of what you say too... although I do appreciate this decency right now.
No, Evie, I think you're looking too much into it, seriously. It's just something someone said about me in another thread, and I kept thinking about it. Sure, it's possible for that scenario to happen but it's quite unlikely and so I think we can dismiss it most of the time.
Very true. When a bunch of idiots disagree with someone smart, they can often be wrong... but a bunch of people here are intelligent, and it's very rare that one intelligent person is right over many other intelligent people. I agree that it does happen but I do agree that it's quite unlikely that you're right and all of us are wrong, because at least a great deal of us are intelligent.
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RE: How did you become an atheist?
December 26, 2015 at 8:45 pm
(December 26, 2015 at 8:44 pm)Evie Wrote: (December 26, 2015 at 8:38 pm)excitedpenguin Wrote: No, Evie, I think you're looking too much into it, seriously. It's just something someone said about me in another thread, and I kept thinking about it. Sure, it's possible for that scenario to happen but it's quite unlikely and so I think we can dismiss it most of the time.
Very true. When a bunch of idiots disagree with someone smart, they can often be wrong... but a bunch of people here are intelligent, and it's very rare that one intelligent person is right over many other intelligent people. I agree that it does happen but I do agree that it's quite unlikely that you're right and all of us are wrong, because at least a great deal of us are intelligent.
That's exactly right.
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RE: How did you become an atheist?
December 26, 2015 at 8:49 pm
(December 26, 2015 at 8:40 pm)excitedpenguin Wrote: But wait, wouldn't I have known you would pick up on that and never have said it if I was trying to fool you?
Haha, I'm not sure you think I'm intelligent enough to have known that. I may have surprised you actually because you may have underestimated me. But let's not WIFOM this 
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RE: How did you become an atheist?
December 26, 2015 at 8:56 pm
(This post was last modified: December 26, 2015 at 8:57 pm by Edwardo Piet.)
(December 26, 2015 at 8:40 pm)excitedpenguin Wrote: Anyhow, doesn't really matter if I'm genuine or not. I'm being decent, as you said, so as long as it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck...
Yes and no. On the one hand to be both genuine and decent would absolutely be preferable. Both honesty and decency are good things.
But on the other hand let's not commit the Perfect Solution Fallacy, just because both would be preferable doesn't mean that insincere decency isn't an improvement over insincere indecency (although of course sincere indecency is still an improvement over insincere indecency too), any improvement is good no matter how small. Not sure whether ultimately decency or honesty is most important of all... both are massively important in this world. Brutal honesty to the point of constantly being a total cunt to everyone gets you no where and hurts people, and superficial decency with a lot of dishonesty despite politeness and niceness on the outside, also gets you know where and hurts people eventually, I reckon... only more indirectly. I am not sure which is worse it depends perhaps which is the most extreme. Although both are definitely preferable to the combination of both being dishonest AND a total impolite bastard. Like I said, I think both decency and honesty are important.
I think it's fucking liberating to not have an agenda, and even better to have never developed one 
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RE: How did you become an atheist?
December 26, 2015 at 9:09 pm
(December 26, 2015 at 8:49 pm)Evie Wrote: (December 26, 2015 at 8:40 pm)excitedpenguin Wrote: But wait, wouldn't I have known you would pick up on that and never have said it if I was trying to fool you?
Haha, I'm not sure you think I'm intelligent enough to have known that. I may have surprised you actually because you may have underestimated me. But let's not WIFOM this
Surprised me? Hmm.
Look, evie, I meant what I said. It was all bullshit and I don't even know why I acted like that. I don't really consider myself superior to you, so I don't expect you to surprise me somehow...
You could say I couldn't have known whether you would have picked up on it or not, if I was still being disingenous, but then why would I have risked it unless I knew for sure one way or the other, which I couldn't have.
I have no idea what I'm saying here, keep in mind I'm just going along with you on this. I know you have every reason to be skeptical about my sudden change in behaviour, so I guess there's nothing to do but be patient and let you decide over time.
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