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Prometheus18
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18 Aug 2018, 12:48 pm

I was diagnosed with Asperger's six years ago. To be honest, the more time has passed, the more I have become convinced that rather than suffering from a disorder, I'm just eccentric. This is mostly manifest in my being extremely old fashioned, as the title states.

I only started using the internet after many years' hiatus earlier this year. The most recent TV show I think anything other than awful is the X Files. I insist on wearing a suit, tie, braces and brimmed hat every day, despite being an unemployed student in my twenties. I only listen to classical music (with the exception of a few of the more wholesome pieces from the 70s and earlier. I hate facial hair (especially stubble). I sometimes smoke a pipe.

I feel as though I would be an anachronism in any time later than the 1970s. I watch original episodes of The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents from the 1950s and think that was the last decade when I should have felt at ease with the world.

Most of all, I despise the superficiality, narcissism and egoism of the present age. I have never found anyone that I even remotely like. Does anyone else feel this way, or know someone who does? I can't think of one thing I like about our present world, and it's getting gradually worse.



Chronos
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18 Aug 2018, 1:07 pm

Prometheus18 wrote:
I was diagnosed with Asperger's six years ago. To be honest, the more time has passed, the more I have become convinced that rather than suffering from a disorder, I'm just eccentric. This is mostly manifest in my being extremely old fashioned, as the title states.

I only started using the internet after many years' hiatus earlier this year. The most recent TV show I think anything other than awful is the X Files. I insist on wearing a suit, tie, braces and brimmed hat every day, despite being an unemployed student in my twenties. I only listen to classical music (with the exception of a few of the more wholesome pieces from the 70s and earlier. I hate facial hair (especially stubble). I sometimes smoke a pipe.

I feel as though I would be an anachronism in any time later than the 1970s. I watch original episodes of The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents from the 1950s and think that was the last decade when I should have felt at ease with the world.

Most of all, I despise the superficiality, narcissism and egoism of the present age. I have never found anyone that I even remotely like. Does anyone else feel this way, or know someone who does? I can't think of one thing I like about our present world, and it's getting gradually worse.


Don't your views in themselve, being they are ego centric, represent a form of narcissism?

Different people find value and meaning in different things.

I had a teacher who insisted the 80s were much better than the 70s because there were better color TVs.



Prometheus18
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18 Aug 2018, 1:30 pm

Chronos wrote:

Don't your views in themselve, being they are ego centric, represent a form of narcissism?

Different people find value and meaning in different things.

I had a teacher who insisted the 80s were much better than the 70s because there were better color TVs.


I suppose by definition, insofar as one's views about oneself concern oneself they must be egocentric. What I meant was that there no longer exists any notion of shared values whereby one participates in a broader community.

This is largely because of the post-1968 deconstructionist nonsense about objective values as such being a form of coercion.

I don't object to individualism. As you've pointed out, my traditionalism is itself is a kind of individualism. But for one thing, there is no such thing as TRUE individuality anymore. Trendy, modern hipster types like to consider their behaviour and attitudes a kind of radical individualism, and yet the fact that it always produces exactly the same results proves that it's collectivist in nature. 'Hipsters' all wear t-shirts, beards, tattoos, listen to the same music and so forth. These are the criteria whereby one becomes an individualist; that there are any criteria at all is an obvious contradiction. I suppose the philosophy of the day is a kind of narcissistic-collectivism, as paradoxical as that sounds. I think true individuality should be subtle. This was perfectly catered for in the sartorial tradition of the tie. If one must be so loud as to, as it were, shout one's individuality aloud - by covering oneself in tattoos and so forth - it proves one doesn't have any. Or at least isn't confident about it.

Secondly, individualism must be counterbalanced by a healthy respect and concern for others. This no longer exists after the death of religion. Don't get me wrong - I'm an atheist, and certainly don't believe one MUST be religious to be good, and yet it seems that at least for the average man, religion is important in that respect. That there has been no comparable ethical code to replace religion, along with the new religion of consumerism, has destroyed society.



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18 Aug 2018, 1:34 pm

Prometheus18 wrote:
only listen to classical music (with the exception of a few of the more wholesome pieces from the 70s and earlier.


You'd probably like light and testcard music. It's instrumental, so no lyrics, and they can hold a tune.



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18 Aug 2018, 1:38 pm

Prometheus18 wrote:
That there has been no comparable ethical code to replace religion, along with the new religion of consumerism, has destroyed society.


Why must an ethical code be enforced? We have one, and it's descended from religion, but it's more individualist. Why do you think consumerism is a religion? I say this as a classical liberal. I like being able to consume and buy things. I like things full-fat, in all their glory.



Sahn
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18 Aug 2018, 1:44 pm

How do you feel when people are warm and friendly towards you Prometheus18?



Chronos
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18 Aug 2018, 1:54 pm

Prometheus18 wrote:
Chronos wrote:

Don't your views in themselve, being they are ego centric, represent a form of narcissism?

Different people find value and meaning in different things.

I had a teacher who insisted the 80s were much better than the 70s because there were better color TVs.


I suppose by definition, insofar as one's views about oneself concern oneself they must be egocentric. What I meant was that there no longer exists any notion of shared values whereby one participates in a broader community.

This is largely because of the post-1968 deconstructionist nonsense about objective values as such being a form of coercion.

I don't object to individualism. As you've pointed out, my traditionalism is itself is a kind of individualism. But for one thing, there is no such thing as TRUE individuality anymore. Trendy, modern hipster types like to consider their behaviour and attitudes a kind of radical individualism, and yet the fact that it always produces exactly the same results proves that it's collectivist in nature. 'Hipsters' all wear t-shirts, beards, tattoos, listen to the same music and so forth. These are the criteria whereby one becomes an individualist; that there are any criteria at all is an obvious contradiction. I suppose the philosophy of the day is a kind of narcissistic-collectivism, as paradoxical as that sounds. I think true individuality should be subtle. This was perfectly catered for in the sartorial tradition of the tie. If one must be so loud as to, as it were, shout one's individuality aloud - by covering oneself in tattoos and so forth - it proves one doesn't have any. Or at least isn't confident about it.

Secondly, individualism must be counterbalanced by a healthy respect and concern for others. This no longer exists after the death of religion. Don't get me wrong - I'm an atheist, and certainly don't believe one MUST be religious to be good, and yet it seems that at least for the average man, religion is important in that respect. That there has been no comparable ethical code to replace religion, along with the new religion of consumerism, has destroyed society.


I think this strive to define an acceptable level of individuality is counterproductive to the very idea of individuality. So there are hipsters and hippies...and many of those like yourself as well but yet people still have their differences even within their groups.

You might find more happiness if you were more open to the idea that you really don't know someone at first glance and there is more variation among people than you think.



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18 Aug 2018, 1:56 pm

A lot of people in the Traditionalist movement come across as being very bitter. I used to know a guy like that.



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18 Aug 2018, 2:03 pm

Prometheus18 wrote:
I insist on wearing a suit, tie, braces and brimmed hat every day, despite being an unemployed student in my twenties.


If it were up to me, the standard suit for business wear would be western -- complete with bolo tie, boots, and a western hat (straw in summer and felt in winter).



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18 Aug 2018, 2:04 pm

kokopelli wrote:
Prometheus18 wrote:
I insist on wearing a suit, tie, braces and brimmed hat every day, despite being an unemployed student in my twenties.


If it were up to me, the standard suit for business wear would be western -- complete with bolo tie, boots, and a western hat (straw in summer and felt in winter).


Photo?



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18 Aug 2018, 2:11 pm

Image



Prometheus18
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18 Aug 2018, 2:48 pm

I wrote a long response which I'm told has to be moderated for spam because I'm new. In case it doesn't get posted, I recommend that you all look up the views on culture expressed by the English philosopher Sir Roger Scruton. I don't agree with everything he says, but on the question of high culture, reading him was an immense revelation to me.



Tequila
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18 Aug 2018, 3:16 pm

Prometheus18: Have you still got it? Pastebin.



Prometheus18
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18 Aug 2018, 3:36 pm

Welcome Prometheus18!

Often, I feel like I was born in the wrong time. Going outside, seeing people on their phone all the time, their often superficial and selfish behavior is bothersome.

Was visiting my doctor recently and a woman with a baby carriage came in, and I always stand up to open the door for them, as any person should do in my opinion. This time the waiting room was full and I decided to watch if someone would do the same. The woman was struggling with the door, and nobody did anything. An incredibly heavy glass door. I stood up and helped her. Even got mean looks from people, like I was doing something wrong :roll: . Funny thing, when I had to go home, the little girl in the carriage looked at me and raised her hands towards me and called out to me "Daddy!" A rather cute moment.

I am seeing things like this often. Old people dropping their groceries on accident and people are just looking at how the person is gathering their groceries. Makes me sick. I always help.

Last bad thing I witnessed was a young girl falling off her bike quite hard, and I was incredibly startled and asked if she was okay. Very nervous and almost crying, she told me she was fine and went inside the store. Nobody even looked when she fell, and there were many people around. Nobody seemed to care. Makes me sad. Later, she came out of the store and looked at me nervously and seemed too scared to look me in the eyes. Think she was a bit embarrassed. I smiled at her when she looked at me when she stepped on her bike and drove off. She smiled back and blushed.

Also like old furniture, which is just better quality, in my opinion. Everything old always seems to have more attention to detail and more love put into it.

My grandfather said I was born in the wrong age, a loyal knight, quite the compliment. He always called women Milady, and I now do that as well after he passed away, in his honor.

Hope you enjoy the forum.


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Tequila
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18 Aug 2018, 3:42 pm

Prometheus18 wrote:
There is a fundamental difference between to - say - wear a brimmed hat because this, as a mature adult, marks oneself out as part of a broader social milieu, as was the case in the west until the 1960s and, on the other hand to be forced to wear a brimmed hat by legal mandate, as was the case in Ataturks Turkey of the 1910s.


Wear one if you like. There's no problem with that.

Prometheus18 wrote:
Never, to my knowledge, has a dress code ever been enforced in Europe or North America by legal mandate.


Niqab bans? Not a dress code, but a ban nevertheless.

Prometheus18 wrote:
But the power of custom as dictated by the COMMUNITY is not coercive in nature.


Of course it's coercive in nature if it's demanded! If it's just the done thing, that's alright. It depends what demanded means. Do those people consent to the demands? Is there lawful resistance to this demand? Think of the people who go naked in public for instance.

Prometheus18 wrote:
I also don't believe that our modern ethical code is individualist, for reasons stated above, although it may represent itself as such.


It is individualistic. You can more or less do what you want. Society is ordered but I think it's about as good as we're going to get it - unless, of course, there are other ways. In which case, please enlighten me?

Prometheus18 wrote:
Because consumption is the only thing, generally speaking, that contemporary people are capable of being passionate about.


This comes across as bigoted. I'm a contemporary person yet I hold very traditional interests too. My favourite beer is mild, the films I like are obscure macaroni westerns and Italian poliziotteschi movies. I like old England, but I live in the modern world. I like new trends. I love to see things innovate and develop. I try to keep up to date with things.

Prometheus18 wrote:
Or at any rate things proximately connected with consumption.


I love being a consumer. There are so many different things to try out. If I like it (in as far as is reasonable), I buy them. If I like them, I buy them again. If I don't, I don't.

Prometheus18 wrote:
I still believe that classical liberalism - tempered by a welfare state and restrictions on economic power is the best system.


We agree.

Prometheus18 wrote:
1. The idea that consumers are rational actors.


Some are, some aren't. People go with the best information they have available to them. The main point about consumers is that often they are not really well-informed enough to make the best decision, but that's not really a problem. Often people don't have all day to go and intimately research certain subjects.

Prometheus18 wrote:
This is an especially irresistible one as a result of the observer bias of the fact that those who are educated/intelligent enough to be studying economics are likely to at least consider themselves highly rational.


I haven't properly studied economics. I know who the major economists are, and I used to read the blogs of economists, but it has to be rather simple for me to understand.

Prometheus18 wrote:
JS Mill could not possibly have foreseen that in the 20th century there would emerge advertising industries whose sole purpose was to manipulate people into buying things that they don't need, voting for politicians who despise them and dictating the nature of their value system.


I don't take notice of advertising. I analyse the product - if I like it, I like it. If I don't, I don't.

Prometheus18 wrote:
2. The idea that monopolies as such are impossible under conditions of perfect competition. Now this may well be true in a certain sense, and yet the proposition tacitly assumes that such a thing as perfect competition is POSSIBLE. This is mistaken. Perfect competition is an idealisation.


Life isn't perfect.

Prometheus18 wrote:
Just as the Pythagoras theorem is only true of an idealised triangle and cannot be true of any PHYSICAL triangle (insofar as, at very least, there will always be minute deviations in its structure, if only at the atomic level), the perfect competition hypothesis can only ever be very closely realised by a real economy.


I do not understand this.