Awesome post. This part really resonated with me:
"Basically, I stopped giving a shit what people think about me, my real self."
Anyone who has tried to remain rationally objective, generally speaking, has probably experienced some form of ostracization trying to conform to the wishes of the crowd. That crowd might be Facebook, or a school, but if you're in the west right now, in many places insanity reigns.
Currently, I feel it is almost necessary to hide the fact that you a rational, rather than feelings-based, thinker. It's tough breaking out of that mold when you first get on Steemit, as generally speaking there has been more punishment than reward for speaking out lately. For some, something being an uncontested fact is no longer sufficient proof to believe it if it does not feel right. I just wrote a post on this earlier today.
Thanks for the piece.
yes, i agree with you. When people realize you're not responding in an overly emotional manner, they get mad. It's almost like rational thought is discouraged in mainstream thought.....I think this is an effect of the manipulative media....it's easier to control people when they are agitated.
I agree. I'd hypothesize that the internet democratized information enough that the media could no be longer profitable by reporting unbiased fact. That could now be gotten for free online.
So, the entire mainstream media converted to manufacturing outrage. They learned that an article gets more clicks, and more money, if it has an incendiary title, or extreme claims. Think of it as the "Buzzfeed-ification" of the media. The more anger you stir up in your demographic towards some other identity group, the faster they will click your article, and comment, and retweet.
Partisan and intellectually dishonest articles have replaced any attempt at journalistic integrity. Lies have evolved from the falsifying of facts, to lies of omission and cherry-picking quotes disingenuously.
If you aren't on "their" side, you are against them. That is why objectivity is now dangerous. Join the bandwagon or be run over.
yeah, good points.I agree with you!
I have always thought that when they realize you're not responding emotionally they feel abandoned and alone because I was not in emotional land with them. I usually see in my mind's eye the horse behind the cart struggling to make progress. This makes me smile and hide my face so as not to harm them. lol ALOHA!!!
To be rational is to be mentally ill. We human beings are constantly trying to be objective when in fact our life is constantly a experience of subjectivity. Thus trying to live in fairy land which is what rationally objective means, only makes us crazy. Objectivity is always what we imagine to be the ideal, which is really a distraction from what is.
The truth is I can't read minds and even if I could I still wouldn't be able to control others and frankly who wants to control others anyways. It is hard enough being responsible for ourselves. It is fun to help others attain their desires, but sucks when one is responsible for the stuff that happens in someone else's life.
I put the horse before the cart so I can see not to injure others by accident and extend a hand when appropriate. I even will put myself in harms way to extend that hand at times, but it is up to the other person to reach out and accept help if they want it. That is where I draw the line when it comes to interacting with others. No force even of the well meaning kind. Nice comment and ALOHA!!!
It's important to remember that all-or-nothing (black-or-white) thinking is also incorrect. Rationalism is the correct default way to make many decisions. I don't believe anyone ever has, or ever will, present any evidence that counters that fact.
However, our personal human lives should be exercises in maximizing our life happiness, while not detracting from that of others. Rationalism isn't the only, or even primary factor, when deciding what song you like, or what food you like, or what hobby you'd like. These are the decisions that truly matter on an individual level, but they aren't acceptable means of reasoning on a societal level.
Aloha.
LIve subjectively, dream objectively. We are subject to our experience and thus discover the ideal objective circumstance and can act faithfully in the present to balance our lives. I liken understanding this as putting the horse before the cart so that our minds direct our emotions instead of putting the cart before horse and live blind to the road ahead.
It all begins for me anyway when I began practising an old african saying. "Man know thyself" Author unknown. It is all about balance between what is (subjectivity) and what is ideal (objectively). What matters isn't what you have, but who you are. Knowing who you are for me leads into who I want to be. Discover who subjectively you are means you can now become the ideal you which is the objective you. Not speaking about others but my own experience. ALOHA!!!
I try to remove my emotions from my ideas about "what reality is.". I have always been able to see things from multiple angles at once, if given the proper amount of time. I walk a fine line between being overly suspicious/paranoid, and full of imaginative fantasies..........
yeah, a large amount of people I used to be friends with, I can no longer identify with. Americans seem particularly depressing to me because they whine about things like getting the wrong kind of Latte at Starbucks. Really lame stuff, I cannot tolerate this type of person anymore.