Are you having/will you have a net positive effect on humanity?

[Kestra]

@ teacake, I don't have an overall negative view of the thread; on the contrary, there's been some great stuff. And I apologize if I've been pushy; I was really trying not to be. Provocative to certain brief remarks and little-justified (imho) remarks, maybe, but that's another matter. So I'm just going to take several steps back here, and see where things go; my only request, if requests are cool (and I did my best to articulate this in the OP also), is that people do contribute some detail/context/justification to their answers...

I don't think my posts have been quips. I've been entirely serious. In terms of the environment, I have a net negative effect that is probably not dissimilar to many of the other people posting here. I don't plan to change either as the biggest offenders (eating meat, having children) are things that I'm currently unwilling to go without. I think that much should have been obvious from the start.

As far as professions go, I'd like to eventually become a clinical psychologist but that seems very far removed from the content of your original post.

Edit:
I also want to add that I find your tone off-putting and it keeps me from wanting to engage in any sort of lengthy discussion. You characterize what I've posted along the lines of "being polite to the checkout boy" while you speak in more grandiose terms of your own plans of spreading peace and goodwill through the Navy. I didn't say that I'm simply polite to people, I said I like to make their lives easier.

 

[Gaith]

As far as professions go, I'd like to eventually become a clinical psychologist but that seems very far removed from the content of your original post.

Not at all, not necessarily, imo. Helping people tame their demons and think clearly is surely a perquisite to all sorts of larger social reforms. It's healing of a sort, ain't it? It also depends on what sort of clientele you seek. One could be a psychologist helping rehabilitate prisoners, for instance... so many factors, all fascinating to consider.

Would there be a net positive effect on the net if all the atheists disappeared?

Well, the Internet would probably break down, on account of a dearth of computer technicians, and the world itself would certainly find itself on the brink of all sorts of nuclear-fueled wars...

 

[Captain_Nick]

Would there be a net positive effect on the net if all the atheists disappeared?

I was going to say yes but I realised that the atheists are one of my favourite minority groups. Who would I look down upon with judgement and disdain??

Furries I guess, they don't set the bar too high

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Would there be a net positive effect on the net if all the atheists disappeared?

I was going to say yes but I realised that the atheists are one of my favourite minority groups. Who would I look down upon with judgement and disdain??

Furries I guess, they don't set the bar too high

But they've been cowed (HAHA) into silence in most places, they pontificate rarely. Oh.. maybe they would all rush in and fill the void created by the absence of atheists?

That would be completely cool and FAR more interesting.

 

[Kestra]

As far as professions go, I'd like to eventually become a clinical psychologist but that seems very far removed from the content of your original post.

Not at all, not necessarily, imo. Helping people tame their demons and think clearly is surely a perquisite to all sorts of larger social reforms. It's healing of a sort, ain't it? It also depends on what sort of clientele you seek. One could be a psychologist helping rehabilitate prisoners, for instance... so many factors, all fascinating to consider.

But you don't have to be a psychologist to help people in some of these ways. Being nice, or kind, or supportive in daily life can help people in ways so that they don't get to a point where they need professional help. Or if they do need it, you can help them get there.

Being educated, open-minded, and kind can go a long way in everyday interactions, no official employment or formal education required.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

As far as professions go, I'd like to eventually become a clinical psychologist but that seems very far removed from the content of your original post.

Not at all, not necessarily, imo. Helping people tame their demons and think clearly is surely a perquisite to all sorts of larger social reforms. It's healing of a sort, ain't it? It also depends on what sort of clientele you seek. One could be a psychologist helping rehabilitate prisoners, for instance... so many factors, all fascinating to consider.

But you don't have to be a psychologist to help people in some of these ways. Being nice, or kind, or supportive in daily life can help people in ways so that they don't get to a point where they need professional help. Or if they do need it, you can help them get there.

Being educated, open-minded, and kind can go a long way in everyday interactions, no official employment or formal education required.

My personal belief is that improving and strengthening the relationships already in your life is an often unseen calling for all of us. It's easy to "do good" outside of the people that already depend on you in some way.

 

[Gaith]

But you don't have to be a psychologist to help people in some of these ways. Being nice, or kind, or supportive in daily life can help people in ways so that they don't get to a point where they need professional help. Or if they do need it, you can help them get there.

Being educated, open-minded, and kind can go a long way in everyday interactions, no official employment or formal education required.

Very true, and maybe I unfairly diminished that. But I've also always felt a compulsion/desire to do something really significant someday, something potentially big, and in a humanitarian sense. Maybe it's hubris, but I feel that someday, when I've got less student loan debt, more marketable skills and a larger personal network, I'll have to at least try...

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Very true, and maybe I unfairly diminished that. But I've also always felt a compulsion/desire to do something really significant someday, something potentially big, and in a humanitarian sense. Maybe it's hubris, but I feel that someday, when I've got less student loan debt, more marketable skills and a larger personal network, I'll have to at least try...

So the Star Wars Prequel Rejection Society isn't it?

 

[Gepard]

Would there be a net positive effect on the net if all the atheists disappeared?

I was going to say yes but I realised that the atheists are one of my favourite minority groups. Who would I look down upon with judgement and disdain??

Furries I guess, they don't set the bar too high

But they've been cowed (HAHA) into silence in most places, they pontificate rarely.

Ha...ha......ha? Besides, we don't pontificate. We BAWWWWW.

Funny thing is, atheists/agnostics make up a slight majority of the furry fandom, well above their representation in the population at large. So Nick can double his looking-down-upon efficiency simply by targeting the one group. Hell, all he has to do is relentlessly browbeat me and J. and he'll make his quota for the year in both areas.

 

[Captain_Nick]

You make it too easy. It's no fun if you enjoy it

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I was going to say yes but I realised that the atheists are one of my favourite minority groups. Who would I look down upon with judgement and disdain??

Furries I guess, they don't set the bar too high

But they've been cowed (HAHA) into silence in most places, they pontificate rarely.

Ha...ha......ha?

Funny thing is, atheists/agnostics make up a slight majority of the furry fandom, well above their representation in the population at large. So Nick can double his looking-down-upon efficiency simply by targeting the one group. Hell, all he has to do is relentlessly browbeat me and J. and he'll make his quota for the year in both areas.

I'm not questioning the furry stats, I'm just wondering if more than 50% of actual heavy internet users aren't atheists. Certain personality types are more inclined to be atheists and those same personality types (I'm talking Myers Briggs here) are also more prominent on internet forums in my observation. I would easily guess that anyone doing a long, internet based survey concerning a fandom based minority would consist of 50% atheists and the common ground there would be those that spend that much time plugged into internet communities.

 

[Captain_Nick]

Ahaha INTJ right

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Ahaha INTJ right

Got it in one.

Though INTP's are often atheists and are very prominent in forum-lands. They don't tend to be hardcore pontificators about it to the same extent.

 

[Gepard]

I've never heard of a correlation between personality type and religious belief, though I admit to never paying attention to if there's been a study about it. I do agree that the Internet draws the introverted types, though.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I've never heard of a correlation between personality type and religious belief, though I admit to never paying attention to if there's been a study about it. I do agree that the Internet draws the introverted types, though.

There is a big correlation in my observations.

And yes, the internet certainly does draw introverted types. I'm sure a furry survey online would have a high proportion, very high, of introverts but you couldn't draw a conclusion from that about the fandom at large. Lots of extroverted types could just not be assed filling out such a thing.

 

[Captain_Nick]

I didn't realise extroverts were lazy

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

They aren't lazy, they just have different interests. I could not be assed doing a lot of social stuff my strong extrovert friends do.

 

[Gaith]

Very true, and maybe I unfairly diminished that. But I've also always felt a compulsion/desire to do something really significant someday, something potentially big, and in a humanitarian sense. Maybe it's hubris, but I feel that someday, when I've got less student loan debt, more marketable skills and a larger personal network, I'll have to at least try...

So the Star Wars Prequel Rejection Society isn't it?

Okay, I've got to hand it to ya - that was pretty funny. To me at least.

No, the SWPRS is but a step on the path...

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

I think my net effect on the planet and everything and almost everyone on it is as pretty close to negligible as you can get.

 

[iguana_tonante]

^ Aww, come on. That's not true.





You can be pretty annoying at times! That's something at least!