When (potentially) great minds go wrong

[Minimalist]

@Chuck: Doesn't everyone have the have the potential to become great?

Not really...

“Ability is of little account without opportunity.”

--Napoleon Bonaparte

[Anomalocaris]

Many are the opportunities that passed away for the want of ability.

[Anymouse]

Many are the opportunities that passed away for the want of ability.

And many are the abilities that passed away for want of opportunities. Please donate to the "Send James to college fund," since the Veterans Administration said I was "unemployable" due to epilepsy and seized my retraining benefits, though on their "placement test" the results recommended sending me to college for computer science, physics, or mathematics.
Instead I edit Romance novels for a few extra dollars.
James.

[Kayenneh]

@Kayenneh, I think greatness is relative. Most people have some theoretical potential for achievements more impressive than what they have managed to actually accomplish. But most people are so mediocre that even if all their unused potentials were exhausted they would still be mediocre. Only those whose potential achievement is impressive even in comparison to the achievements of the most accomplished of their peers can be said to have potential for greatness.

Well, on this I can agree. Maybe I'm just naive for hoping that people might do something with the (little) potential that they've got. My former class mate might be a stupid example, but I'm sure that there is smarter people out there that fell in the same trap. Or am I the only one thinking that religion quite effectivly strips people of the last remnants of possibilities and potantial?

@Minimalist: Fair enough

[Faith No More]

@FaithNoMore: Yes, but it is then so wrong for me to mourn when knowledge is lost and humans become stuffed with their self-importance? To be so unsure as to turn to a deity, just because your life might not have meaning otherwise, is despicable to me.

Not at all. The loss of a potentially great mind to delusion should always be mourned. I was merely trying to explain why really intelligent people can believe in superstitious nonsense. To me it's not despicable, it's just sad. People need to find meaning in their lives, but when someone takes the easy way and believes an all powerful deity is shaping the world to their needs, society as a whole loses out.

[Ace Otana]

---

One of the most annoying things are people who spam on Facebook. Usually it's just about trivial love problems, but nowadays there's been some unusual activity on my page. Suddenly there are updates like "Praise the Lord!" and "Miss X likes Donald Miller".

Said miss X was on the same class as me during high school. It was an IB (International Baccalaureate) class, and supposedly they graduate the finest minds around the globe. Now she's suddenly a reborn Christian, and I can't help but wonder: Where the hell did it go wrong? She had access to the best education ever, she had brilliant teachers, was taught to think critically and yet there's hallelujahs and amens all over.
I never thought her particularly clever, in fact I thought her very silly from the start. She was more of an scholar than a smart one, but I am amazed at how all she achieved during school seems now forgotten.
I can't help but grieve, so much potential gone to waste. I sure hope that she's found happiness, but this is to me like a terminal cancer patient has taken homeopathic sugar pills and claims that she's cured.

---

I guess it's that question: Do you rather the doctor tell you that you have cancer or would you rather the doc lie and tell you that you're perfectly fine? One side is reality the other is blissful ignorance.
I guess reality, like being told you have cancer is far too freighting for some.

[Cinjin]

One of the most annoying things are people who spam on Facebook. Usually it's just about trivial love problems, but nowadays there's been some unusual activity on my page. Suddenly there are updates like "Praise the Lord!" and "Miss X likes Donald Miller".

One of my nephew's young friends is suffering from an attack of stupidity as well.

Nearly all of his posts now have something to do with how "great" christianity is, and all the "awesome" outreach programs his youth group is doing.

So sad to lose such a young mind .... and I was always under the impression that he was going to ignore all the stupids.



Loyal Facebook Followers: "all hail Dark Lord Jesus"

sad.

[Epimethean]

The facebook zombies trouble me. We have externalized our memories through the uses of technology: Now we are doing so with the nitty gritty of our daily lives. My nephew loves his facebook page more than he loves the friends for whom he uses it to stay in contact. If he is visiting, he'll be constantly on his Droid, adding stuff there in between texts. I haven't seen his eyes for a while. I think they are still brown.

[Doubting Thomas]

All the Facebook preaching really annoys the hell out of me. Probably mainly because I can't share my non-belief without all my family & friends going apeshit, or at the very least being offended because I said such a thing. Yet they can "Praise God!" and "Praise Jesus!" all over the place. Maybe I just need to come out of the closet a bit more.

As to the young woman you speak about, personaly I think born-agains are the worst kind of xtians.

I think the most annoying Christians are the ones who are not just Christians, but are so blindly happy about being Christian that they go around thanking God for every little thing. And the worst part is that they just can't understand why you don't want to share in that happiness when you realize that they're just happy about having a religion and could have just as well joined any cult that comes along.

[Kayenneh]

All the Facebook preaching really annoys the hell out of me. Probably mainly because I can't share my non-belief without all my family & friends going apeshit, or at the very least being offended because I said such a thing. Yet they can "Praise God!" and "Praise Jesus!" all over the place. Maybe I just need to come out of the closet a bit more.

You said it. I should do like my other friend and end all my updates an post with "There is no god". Let's see what would happen