How do we solve the modern Western hypersensitivity problem?

Post Reply New Topic

Agreed but it's not as much of a threat to survival as it once was, given the wonders of the modern world. Our environment has changed so quickly and recently that we have not had the opportunity to adapt emotionally.

I've decided to bump this thread back up with futher thoughts.

Apparently, some people are being booted off Facebook and YouTube for their criticism of Islam. After thinking about this for a while, I've decided that critcs of Islam should be given a platform and a debate.

Here's my problem with modern leftism: We care too much about morality and we don't care enough about knowledge.

There are plenty of modern countries in which Christianity and Islam peacefully coexist. For example, there's Albania, Tanzania, Cameroon and Lebanon. How come liberals never mention these countries? There are a ton of arguments against Islamophobia that we simply aren't using.

Why? Because we insist on censoring people all the time.

I don't think that censorship is always wrong. If someone is engaging in online harassment, they should be censored.

Of course, it is intellectually lazy to censor someone who is calmly saying something that can easily be refuted.

I doubt it's just lazy. It's also probably a sign that you're afraid the audience won't care about your refutation and will support your opponent anyway if only it hears them.

Today, I felt deeply depressed ... so I went on Wikipedia and I read about animals. For example, I read about different types of birds. Birds are so beautiful and interesting.

For example, did you know that flamingoes are closely related to grebes? It's true!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirandornithes

... but that's not all! Flamingoes are grey when they first hatch from their eggs. They become pink as they grow older.

Flamingoes are also very great dancers.

I know what you are thinking "This is a non-sequitur tangent." Is it? Well ... yes it is ... but that's kinda the point.

In the past, I was bullied relentlessly. I even developed PTSD. I eventually got over it with a simple trick: Just think of something completely different. For example, I like to think about birds and read about birds. Birds are wonderful.

Our society clearly has a problem with emotional control. This is bad because you need to keep your emotions under control in order to be a good worker, to accept harsh realities, and to handle life in general. One of the worst things about our society is this: We constantly obsess over "non-inclusive language" and other nebulous concepts like nation and religious faction. Meanwhile, there aren't enough people talking about the beauty of wildlife. "Controversial" YouTube videos regarding "representation in Hollywood" get tons of views. Meanwhile, all of the great birdwatching videos on YouTube just have a small following. It's as though people are deliberately trying to be offended as an excuse to be angry. It's as though people are deliberately looking for inflammatory content, when there are plenty of relaxing distractions available.

People constantly talk about the society that they want to live in. "I want to live in a Christian society!" "I want to live in a white society with white cultural values." "I want to live in an inoffensive society with equal representation." Meanwhile, I just want to live in a society that doesn't murder people. I don't pay too much attention to "the language of society" because that's none of my business.

It doesn't matter what sort of culture you live in. You are just an ape who lives in a big box that you call a house. No matter what culture you live in, nature will always be full of beauty. This beauty will take your mind off mean language, people who dress differently from you, and people who worship a different God.

Trust me when I say that the healing power of nature will take your mind off the touchy-feely crap in the human world, and bring your mind into a state of aloof, transcendent, pragmatic practicality.

Then, you can start to see the world as it really is, and focus on issues that actually put innocent human lives in danger. Those are the things that actually matter. You can talk about "American liberty" all you like ... but nature will always be a place of true liberty, empowerment and spiritual healing. Nature has always been that way, and it will continue to be that way as long as it continues to exist. True empowerment comes from choosing not to be offended. It comes from stripping your emotions away from human vocal grunts. It comes from seeing language as merely a tool of communication, and not giving any real weight to it. All that really matters is the beauty of nature, and your ability to continue living, so that you can continue to bask in the sun.

Did you know that there was a flamingo pterosaur? It's true. It was called Pterodaustro. It lived 105 million years ago, in the landmass that English speakers now call South America. It was a filter feeder, just like a flamingo.

I think about pterosaurs all the time. Were there any pterosaurs that pecked trees like a woodpecker? Did pterosaurs sing? I hope science finds the answer soon. Pterosaurs must have been so beautiful. Science has uncovered their beauty so that we can see it. What a tremendous gift. What a wonderful world.

The beauty of wildlife is the beauty of true liberty indeed. The beauty of the strong freely devouring the weak.

... except that we humans are apex predators. We are at the top of the food chain.

Because why would we when we have examples like the USA, the UK, France, and Germany? There's no need to reach for far-away places we know little about when our own countries are just as good.

For example, you've reached for Tanzania here. I've been to Tanzania. It's not really one country, it's at least two: historically you had mainland Tanganyika and Zanzibar, and the merger is political rather than cultural. Although there aren't any official stats on the matter, the Muslim population is concentrated around Zanzibar and the coasts, particular Dar. Zanzibar is 98% Muslim. The Christian population is concentrated inland, as are the people who follow traditional tribal belief systems.

So I think that rather undermines your point, and is the reason you should focus on Western countries. Doesn't mean you can't have other countries to fall back on.

I've tried bringing this up. The far-righters always say "Well ... those Muslims will eventually become more than 30% of the population. That's when all Hell will break loose!"

I like to provide evidence to the contrary.

I think the main problem is the western world has become extremely ego-focused. People on both sides of the political spectrum are too obsessed with identity and social status. Group identities are really just an extension of the individual ego.

I agree.

The best way to emotionally separate yourself from your ego and your social group is to ponder the beauty of nature.

I totally understand why the naturalistic fallacy is so popular. People see how wonderful nature is, and so they assume that nature must have magical properties.

In reality, the magic of nature is its beauty. The beauty of nature does not indicate the existence of some sort of otherworldly power. The beauty is, itself, the power. Natural substances can heal you or kill you, but there is always a great deal of beauty in the healing and the killing. Every natural predator has a badass origin story, permanently immortalized within the fossil record.

People (religious people especially) talk about how a life of sexual hedonism is shallow ... and it is. A life purely devoted to sexual hedonism is shallow ... but adding natural beauty to such a lifestyle can give it intellectual depth.

Nature is just as fulfilling as religion. The difference is that religion demands our submission, whereas nature demands only our curiosity.

Go tell that to a lion to its face.

That's what guns are for.

And that’s what collectively and near-instinctively shaming anyone who uses a gun against an unarmed adversary as a coward is for.