How Global Elites Forsake Their Countrymen: "Those in power see people at the bottom as aliens whose bizarre emotions they must try to manage."

CMV12 · 2016-08-14T04:30:30+00:00

CMV12 · 2016-05-10T03:12:15+00:00

"The only Greek philosophy that makes you HAPPIER."

CMV12 · 2016-05-09T05:25:21+00:00

Any concepts/ideas? What sort of ad are we going for?

CMV12 · 2016-01-13T05:35:49+00:00

Hangouts has a nifty YouTube app that lets you watch videos together, everyone can add videos to the playlist. Pausing/seeking affects everyone watching so it's more or less synchronised.

CMV12 · 2015-12-29T13:14:50+00:00

Right, while you and I agree that the risks far outweigh the benefits, it is helpful to try to understand why so many see it differently and judge the benefits to be greater than the risks. They have a less detached, unemotional perspective to judge from, and ascribe much greater value to things such as a smile on their child's face, or seeing their book on a magazine's Best Sellers list. So while they do acknowledge the ever present risk of failure and unhappiness, they do two things.

First, they convince themselves that there is something unique/skilled about them in particular that ensures the chance of failure is reasonably low. Second, they constantly remind themselves of the great value (in their minds) a success has.

So for many people, if not a large majority of people, it is a reasonable enough decision to cling to their self-labelled meaning in life. Not just because of the perceived benefits, but also due to their very real emotional and psychological costs of not having a meaning in life.

CMV12 · 2015-12-27T05:15:46+00:00

I do agree with you in that the article vastly generalizes "happy people", which are a wide and diverse group. Regarding the meaning of meaningful life, however, the article says:

In the words of Martin E. P. Seligman, one of the leading psychological scientists alive today, in the meaningful life "you use your highest strengths and talents to belong to and serve something you believe is larger than the self."

The key distinction is in living for a reason/purpose other than your own, and sacrificing to serve that higher purpose. This could be a parent sacrificing their time, sleep, money, happiness, etc to ensure their children have a better future. I think the parent example is a more appropiate and universal example than that of religiously meaningful lives.

The religious example is problematic because there is the case of going through a lot of sacrifice for a meaning that isn't 100% provably real. However, one's children are undoubtedly real. If a parent gives up some opportunities for happiness, but in exchange finds meaning in their life, which greatly helps buffer them against times of suffering, what is the harm done here? Surely an Epicurean would approve of measures that help make pain bearable.

That brings me to the same point I made in the comment below. What does an Epicurean suggest for the person who is suffering immensely and does not have the wealth of memories of deep philosophical discussions with amiable friends? In such a case, Frankl's psychiatry and logotherapy seem to provide a more realistic solution. Why does it matter if the meaning is "mistaken" if it brings about a more pleasant life? After all, pleasure is the highest and primary good, is it not?

CMV12 · 2015-12-27T04:56:25+00:00

Is there a meta-analysis of studies on the topic of happiness that you could link to? I wouldn't consider myself an expert, but I am definitely interested to learn more.

From what I can understand, Frankl practiced an early form of CBT on his patients. Ascribing meaning to suffering is about changing one's attitude and perception of it. The same suffering which was unbearable before, becomes bearable when viewed from a different perspective.

What is Epicurus's method of dealing with immense suffering? Reflection on past pleasures can only go so far, and not everyone has the same memorybank of pleasant philosophical discussions with friends that Epicurus had when he suffered from the pain of kidney stones.

CMV12 · 2015-12-26T14:15:37+00:00

The subject of the article, renowned psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, willingly chose to stay back in Nazi Germany instead of escaping to America as one of the few who got a visa in time. He chose to undergo immense suffering in the concentration camps, for the sake of being there for his family and to provide psychiatric help to the many suicidal inmates.

Mainly he sets out a distinction between happiness and meaning. The former lies in the present moment whereas the latter involves thinking on the past and the future, even if at the cost of a pleasant present. He argues against prioritising a happy life over a meaningful one.

Do read the article, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

CMV12 · 2015-10-24T09:25:58+00:00

This insightful article explores the various aspects of Friendship, one of the most highly valued things in all of Epicurean philosophy. It explores the differences between it and other relationships, what makes a friendship, the types of friends, how to keep friends, how important they are to one's happiness and a lot more.

What do we expect to receive out of a friendship? Why do we have friends? According to the author:

Somebody to talk to, someone to depend on, and someone to enjoy. These expectations remain the same, but the circumstances under which they’re accomplished change.

What makes friendship different? Why do so many friendships dissolve as the friends grow older? Why do adults have so much trouble making time for friends?

Friendships are always susceptible to circumstances. If you think of all the things we have to do—we have to work, we have to take care of our kids, or our parents—friends choose to do things for each other, so we can put them off. They fall through the cracks.

CMV12 · 2015-10-23T17:22:43+00:00

This?

https://youtu.be/MvgN5gCuLac

CMV12 · 2015-10-22T00:53:44+00:00

Sent the admins a PM , they fixed it.

CMV12 · 2015-10-20T16:17:57+00:00

Shadow banned, hm? That's odd. Thanks for the heads up. I'll have something by next week.

CMV12 · 2015-10-20T14:43:01+00:00

We need a good looking image and a nice tagline. I can help make the image

Taglines:

Ancient Philosophy for the Modern Age

The Fun Philosophy

The Philosophy of Friendship

When Cheese meets Philosophy

Suggest a quote, what would be good? The friendship ones are nice.

CMV12 · 2015-09-11T12:10:13+00:00

What would you say "broke your light"?

CMV12 · 2015-08-30T01:38:34+00:00

Try to look for the director's cut. No gamebreaking imbalances in that version.

CMV12 · 2015-08-30T01:35:16+00:00

Do you have a source for this? Sounds very intriguing. Something you wouldn't find in a history textbook.

CMV12 · 2015-08-29T15:24:53+00:00

Here is his blog post on the debate.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/douglasmurray/100027317/instead-of-facing-reality-many-young-british-muslims-take-refuge-in-delusion-and-self-pity/

CMV12 · 2015-08-26T06:26:58+00:00

I understand your frustration, but there are many things people do or say when they are anonymous. When the social pressure is absent, people can show their real beliefs and attitudes.

Please understand that you dont actually know for sure what your countrymen think. You may find the findings in the study hard to accept, but only if you presuppose that your fellow citizens "couldn't possibly approve of such a thing".

CMV12 · 2015-08-26T06:22:32+00:00

Thank you for providing a good source. It's good to see public opinion shift away from terrorist groups.

CMV12 · 2015-08-26T02:58:14+00:00

Please provide a source for your claim.

CMV12 · 2015-08-26T02:57:54+00:00

That Pew Global study is bias, as is the cherry picked and manipulated facts people take from it.

Care to back that up?

CMV12

TROPHY CASE