Did you ever notice that people foist their beliefs on you?

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I think you're being wise in this instance.

As long as they maintain your apartment well, and fix what needs to be fixed, why fuss?

I agree Kraftie.

But overall, it's just a musing about how I just have so much trouble with those things.

I put in another thread that I feel like a puppy who hasn't learned when the master is throwing the ball or pretending to throw the ball.

For instance, in 55 years, I've learned that most people are pragmatic. But, it's a blind faith based on nothing more than statistical likelihood. And, that's one of the things that's led me to be taken advantage of in the past.

All of my social interactions based on assumptions, but not able to pick out the clues that point out when people deviate.

I doubt very much that it's possible to find any belief which doesn't have a few adherents who like to get preachy about it. The trouble is that the ones who do that are usually the ones that stand out the most, which can spoil the impression people have of the majority who are more reasonable.

The comment from the landlord, I would be inclined to dismiss as a poor attempt at jokey friendliness. It seems to be pretty common for people to act like this if they perceive me as introverted. They seem to feel that introverted people just need a constant diet of light-hearted witticisms to "cheer us up" because they don't understand that introversion can be a character trait that we're perfectly happy with. I've even had the exact same "vampire joke" because of my sometimes nocturnal sleep-patterns and hermit-like behaviour.

It makes me a bit uncomfortable too, but I try to treat it as misguided but well intentioned, and just respond with a snigger while making a swift exit (they'll never know that I'm sniggering at their ridiculous assumptions rather than their pathetic 'joke'!)

Maybe your landlord is right. Maybe you have cause and effect reversed. If you went out more, and got more sun you might get used to it, and not get migraines.

I do agree Mapple78.

As I've been mulling this, I think of many examples these type of things happen and I don't know how to respond many times. And, it seems the more friendly people are, the more anxious I get because I don;t know how to reciprocate.

And, I really get anxious when I hear things like, "You need to do this," "You should eat that," "You should (fill in blank)."

I don't know if they're trying to be friendly, helpful, start a conversation or are just bossy.

It's been like this all my life. As a kid, I was always outside. We lived in a lot of rural areas. Not so much tolerated the staying inside and hiding...unless grounded.

Always been light sensitive and have gotten migraines. Let's put it this way: At the age of 7 I knew I would enjoy being a vampire if it weren't for the blood sucking thing.

Unfortunately for you, Christians in many states are trying to write laws against all these things. So, pardon me for providing some blow back. I have a hard time when a majority of Christians in a state pass laws trying to restrict others' rights. I'm straight, so it doesn't affect me on gay marriage, but it's still wrong. They don't restrict their attempts to gay marriage. They go into all aspects of our rights to live as we choose. That includes, but is not limited to, teaching creationism and abstinence only education. I could give you many more examples, but you probably get my point.

I see it differently. If Christians would stop trying to pass laws to force nonreligious people to conform to their beliefs, most if not all of that would stop. I and most atheists have no desire to proselytize others to be atheists. However, when polls show that the majority of self identified Christians believe we are the devils work and we can't have morals because we don't believe in a magic fairy god in the sky, I'll fight like hell against them. When that stops, I and most other atheists will stop. If you don't believe me, go to atheist organizations online and ask them yourself...

Ya kinda don't see the irony there? That's not a show of respect for another's beliefs on any level.

And, yeah, I have seen atheists proselytize and spew direct hatred. Just like fundamentalists do.

I mainly avoid people due to this reason. If you don't agree with them 100%, they turn on you and harass you to the point of you just wanting to agree with them to make them be quiet.

I keep to myself.

So, you call BS on me and denigrate atheists and you expect respect from me? Try again...

I have not denigrated atheists. There is nothing I have said that is as you claim. Quite the opposite. I said that all were guilty of the same thing when taken to extremes. And, you proved your lack of respect by stating that people who do not believe as you do, believe in a "magic fairy god in the sky." You do not take any path other than being dismissive.

Yet, you still have not addressed your actual denigration that I quoted. You fail to address that hypocrisy. Instead you get defensive and attempt to deflect by way of accusation, but avoid the question.

What a shocking piece of news!

People on planet Earth try to promote their pov's!

Next you're gonna tell me that folks exhale, and that I have to share the highway with other drivers!

I don't see how that enters into this. For the most part, people have understood what the original intent of the thread was.

That was that people say stuff like that, off the cuff, and it's confusing as to why and how to respond.

I dont think so.

Spend enough time on the internet, and you'll find lots... and lots... and lots... of atheists who do, in fact, at just like the religious fanatics they claim to be so different from. Doing things like jumping into conversations between religious people where they're not wanted, to tell them how inferior and stupid they are for believing in whatever (clearly, they are representing their cause well, like mature adults *rolls eyes*), or... stuff like that. I see it *frequently* And plenty do get REALLY fanatical about it. The sort where my own response is to just smile and nod my head, while backing away slowly, prepared to swing a brick at them if they get any more deranged...

As I often say, BOTH sides tend to do it... equally.

As someone that simply admits that I dont know the answers to the big questions (which are literally unprovable either way; and no, a lack of evidence in something is not, in fact, evidence in the other direction, that makes anti-sense) I prefer that people just shut the bloody hell up, and keep it to themselves. People on BOTH sides. I say this to both sides EQUALLY. But moreso... let others believe as they like. If people do that? I have no issues with them. But when people start insulting and disrespecting/demeaning others because holy crap are they SO VERY WRONG, that's when the derp starts. And it's derp specifically coming from the one that's doing the insulting; not coming from the ones that are, ahem, "wrong" (sarcastic quotes). Regardless of which side the insulting person is on.

Frankly, when anyone does that, I find it impossible to take them seriously, yet easy to dislike. It's like they want people to NOT believe them.

But as this topic says, people really do have this tendency to shove their beliefs onto others. Or, at least, that's certainly what I've seen since basically forever. I personally would say it's not so much a matter of "beliefs" as in religious stuff, in this context, but moreso they try to push their "ways of thinking" onto others in an overall sense. Maybe they think "well you really shouldnt eat such and such so often, it'll cause monkeys to fly out your nose" or maybe they like to walk 10000 miles every day and INSIST that you do too, because THEY do it, and they're the center of existence. There's a million different examples.

It's not even a matter of right and wrong, correct and incorrect, I think. It often seems more like a matter of dominance, or control. Wanting to be the head of the pack, by telling others what to do, or how to do it. It's often genuinely meant well, too, not in a malicious way; plenty of people may not really realize when they're doing it. I think everyone's guilty of it at times to some degree. It's hard to resist the urge to do it. I tend to avoid it by simply not talking most of the time. That, or just not caring.


There are of course a variety of ways of interpreting this whole concept. Kinda an interesting psychological thing, I think.