Everything is Something

Smart People

So I was talking to my friend this weekend, and she brought up a point that I’ve often thought about abstractly, but never entirely concretized. Well, I’ve tried to concretize it, but I don’t believe I did it very well. So let’s see if this time around I can convey it clearly:

People seem to now believe that imitation = duplication.

They’ve started doing things that “smart people” do, as if that will consequently make them smart. They’ve started acting like “deep people” act, as if that will consequently make them deep.

THAT’S NOT HOW IT WORKS.

Now before I even post this, I know the argument you’re going to give me about imitation being a foundation of learning. However, that is not necessarily true. Many things require specialized training or some sort of other skills aside from merely the ability to imitate.

Even worse, there seems to be absolutely no distinction in quality. As if somehow, reading [/writing/talking about politics/etc.], in and of itself is “smart” regardless of what one reads, why one reads, how one reads, and what one gets out of what (s)he reads. Just so long as one reads, s(he) can maintain a smug sense of superiority.

I’ve tried to explicate this distinction before in explaining that there is nothing intrinsically better about reading than say watching tv, or even staring at a wall. Yet people always seem to think this is such a radical claim.

This is a picture of two girls using/gaining absolutely no critical thinking skills—or any skills really beyond basic reading comprehension—meanwhile there are and have been classes taught at the top universities in the nation on the physics in sci-fi tv shows.

Do you see what I am trying to get at here?

Person A could read the whole damn Twilight series while Person B watches Star Trek but there would still be nothing inherently “smart” in either of these activities. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be Twilight, it could be something “smart” like Dostoyevsky. And while Person A is fantasizing about fuckin’ Edward’s bronze hair while deciding that Crime and Punishment is boring, Person B could quite literally be taking notes for his/her thesis.

TL;DR? Bragging about reading doesn’t make you sound smart; actually reading doesn’t magically make you smart; imitation =/= duplication; regurgitation =/= knowledge; Who am I even kidding? No one is still reading this, they’re probably off reading cereal boxes, writing in their oh-so-brooding journals, and having a political opinion for the mere sake of having a political opinion -.- sighhh

On Communicating About Liberty

So today seems like a good day to make this post, as LALiberty and HipsterLibertarian have been speaking on quality, civility, and the general tone of political discourse on Tumblr.

I attended the 2011 Students For Liberty Northern California Regional Conference (quite a mouthful I know) last Saturday and picked up a few tips on communicating effectively and civilly with others about our ideas, so I’d like to share them here.

First, some illustrations of what DOES NOT work:

#1: Throwing books at them

#2: Lapel-grabbing

#3 Insulting your listener

#4 Not knowing the issues

#5 Not listening

Now that we’re through with the fun illustrated section of the post, if you would like to read some tips on what may work better, please click below

Read More

Friends

You know, I may not have “a lot of friends.”

People may not “like” me.

I may not be “popular.”

But those things are not important to me. And if they’re important to you, fine. That’s great. You must have a very different idea of values and virtue than I do.

I don’t think that the amount of people who “like” you is any kind of legitimate gauge for how good of a person you are.

I could say: A lot of people liked Hitler! A lot of people like Che Guevara! And look at those assholes!

I could also say: A lot of people liked Walt Whitman! A lot of people like Ron Paul! And look at how cool they are!

See how neither of those are good arguments?

Yeah, people don’t like me, I get it. But I like me. And I think that’s harder and takes more time and effort than getting other people to like you.

Yeah, I may not have “a lot” of friends. But those I do have are really fantastic. And I know them and care about what’s important to them. They know my twists and turns, my “honey-sweet electric nerves”, my sharpness and weird humor, and they still seem to like me well enough.

So I don’t really know what I’m trying to say here. I guess just that I really don’t think that having a lot of friends says ANYTHING relevant about the person you are at all. Yeah…

Dear People,

I give up.

I can’t make you be interested in me if you aren’t.

And if you aren’t, well that’s a damn shame because I’m pret-ty darn interesting.

Attractive women, you’re usually straight so I have no chance anyway. And if you aren’t, I wish there was an easier way of telling.

Attractive men, you’re usually players/assholes because you’ve never had to develop personalities because you’re used to having women throw themselves at your body and ignore your mind. And hey, to each his own or whatever, but I am so tired of bothering with you; honestly, I don’t have the time or energy to play your games, because it is exhausting and entirely unfulfilling.

There’s this little thing called “self-respect” that keeps me from having sex with either a dumb pretty boy, or a smart pretty boy player, therefore:

So good day to you all, I’m done with this nonsense.

-Lindsay Out.

Anonymous asked: Not to be rude, but you really aren't that hot. I mean, you are pretty, but not that pretty. I saw you in real life once and it wasn't that amazing. You are too skinny. I think maybe the reason I feel this way is also because you are full of yourself. You are supposed to love yourself, but be humble, too. The fact that you aren't makes you much less attractive.

WHOA WHOA WHOA, I was about to write a snarky reply to this, in my usual fashion, but how in the fuck did you see me in real life?

How do you even know about my blog?

Clearly this is a sign I’m going to have to change my URL. Too many people know how to find me now, SOMEHOW.

Okay, so back to business:

LOLOL “Not to be rude but, [insert rude comment here]” hahaha it’s like you’re Ricky Bobby and you think saying “With all due respect” means you get to say whatever you want. Okay sorry, had to make that comparison.

So I’m pretty, but not that pretty. Please quantify how much, “that” is for me. So that I can dial down my behavior to the appropriate amount of pretty which corresponds to that which I actually am [considering you are the final arbiter in all such matters of attractiveness, no?]

“You are too skinny.” Now WHERE have I heard that before? Oh wait, EVERYWHERE. Including, in fact, my very own blog [see here: http://hrlaughed.tumblr.com/post/10050716010/in-all-of-those-youre-kind-of-gorgeous-so-i-was-just ] Also, refer to my last two posts about not having tits. So let me assure you, oh bitter one, I am fully aware that society finds my weight/body so grotesque that they shriek and shield their children’s eyes as I’m walking down the street.

Ahhhh, I knew this was coming, I LOVE when people say I’m “full of myself” because honestly it’s just like, well yeah, who else am I supposed to be full of? You, maybe? I bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you Grayface?

It always makes me think of this quote: “Notice how they’ll accept anything except a man who stands alone. They recognize him at once. By instinct. There’s a special, insidious kind of hatred for him. They forgive criminals. They admire dictators. Crime and violence are a tie. A form of mutual dependence. They need ties.
They’ve got to force their miserable little personalities on every single person they meet. The independent man kills them—because they don’t exist within him and that’s the only form of existence they know.”

Moving on:

“You are supposed to” alright alright, lemme just stop you right there. 1. Don’t you tell me what I’m supposed  to do. and 2. SAYS WHO? YOU? Okay Grayface, I’ll really take your advice to heart, thanks.

How about we look up some definitions of “humble” m’kay?

1. Not proud

2. Having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience, etc.

3. Low in rank, importance, status, quality, etc.

I’ll stop there. So, you’re supposed to love yourself, but also feel insignificant, low quality, and not proud…RIGHT. That makes perfect sense, thanks so much for explaining the dynamics of self esteem to me!

Also, I’d just like to point out that being humble only makes sense in a social context (strange that you can judge how humble or proud I am considering I rarely talk to anyone, especially not strangers. So, what exactly are you judging me on? Your perception from afar? Ah and therein lies the contradiction.) whereas self-esteem is an individual value, so it seems kind of strange to me that you go around telling people, “You can have this value all the time and any mannerisms that come with it, UNLESS you’re around people. You have to take into consideration what people think of you, their opinions of you are more important than your opinion of yourself, so you don’t want to act like you care about yourself TOO much when you’re around them.”
…

The fuck kind of reasoning is that? Don’t you come into my Ask with that shit, because I. AM. NOT. BUYING. IT.

Got it? kthnxbai

Other people are not your property. In other words: They are not yours to boss around. Their lives are not yours to micromanage. The fruits of their labor are not yours to dispose of. It doesn’t matter how wise or marvelous or useful [you think] it would be for other people to do whatever it is you’d like them to do. It is none of your business whether they wear their seat-belts, worship the “right” god, have sex with the “wrong” people, or engage in market transactions that irritate you. Their choices are not yours to direct. They are human beings like yourself. You possess no legitimate authority over them. As long as they do not themselves step over the line and start treating other people as their property, you have no moral basis for initiating violence against them, nor for authorizing anyone else to do so on your behalf.

I repeat: Other people are not your property.

[Post edited to suit my blog.]

(Source: thinksquad, via capitalismconcarne)

Everything is Something

So many people don’t understand what I mean by that.

It’s not about a quote, or context really.

It’s a feeling. A feeling felt for as long as you can remember.

I don’t know if one is born with it, or acquires it,

nor if it’s a blessing or a curse…

I suppose I’m just waiting, hoping, preparing for someone who knows exactly what it means,

and doesn’t sneer or scoff or stare blankly mouth agape at me for feeling it,

but rather meets my gaze, and slightly nods, and says only, “I know.”

And that would say everything.

And that everything would. be.  everything.

…Everything to me.

Sometimes I SO wish I was a guy

Just so I could throw out everything in my wardrobe and own only three suits, three pairs of shoes, and a single trench coat:

1. A dark blue suit with maroon tie

complete with maroon chucks

2. A dashing brown suit with pinstripes

complete with off-white chucks

3. And, of course, for special occasions a necessary tux w/bow tie

complete with classic black chucks

…And no wardrobe would be complete without a little something to keep warm:

Don’t support the wars, but support the troops fighting it?

anarchistreview:

libertarians:

Isn’t that kind of like not supporting the drug war but supporting the DEA agents?

I think its more like saying, “don’t support mass killing as an idea, support the individual murderers (because they are people too)” lol

I was trying to explain to my friend the other day why I don’t trust/support police officers. This would’ve been a brilliant way to do it:

It doesn’t make sense to me to say: “I don’t support the vast majority of what police do, but I do support those who sign up to do it.”

She was arguing that her friend is trying to become a cop because his dad was a cop, and I said, “Well that’s not really a good reason.” Then she said he wasn’t doing it to seek power, he’s only in training hence has no power, and it just makes him really happy; and I’m just thinking, “Well beating and harassing people makes bullies happy, and yet it still seems like a pretty abominable thing to support, dontcha think?”

If police training makes you happy, maybe you should go play Cops and Robbers with some kids. In the real world, being a cop isn’t about getting the bad guy and doing some freakin’ jumping jacks; it’s about standing around looking busy, it’s about showing up—after the fact—to take notes, it’s about being a stooge for government control, and it’s about being a high-strung, power-hungry bully.

You wanna be physically fit and helping people (while getting those nice Government benefits)? Become a fireman or a paramedic.

But don’t tell me that being a state-sanctioned thug is the only way you can help people and be happy.