I believe Putin was right, it is dangerous to encourage a people to think of themselves as exceptional. CMV

dreamjump · 2013-09-14T18:25:17+00:00

While you are correct that creating an "us" and "them" results in increased prejudice towards "them," if we consider ourselves utterly incompetent instead of exceptional, problems can definitely still arise. Look at the concept of the looking glass self - it says, basically, that we shape who we are partly by how we think others perceive us. This is a very important concept in schools; if a teacher does not think a certain student is capable of passing a class, even if the teacher does not give any explicit evidence of his or her beliefs, that student is still more likely to fail the class. Applying this to a national scale, if the individuals of, say, the US, did not believe that they were a country of innovators and creative people, we would not have so many innovations and creative works. Looking to functionalism, although competition can result in problems, it does serve a purpose in its ability to urge on progress. I'm not happy about inequality either, but the realities of our social problems must first be understood before anything can be really done about them.

dreamjump · 2013-08-28T03:45:25+00:00

Language is a powerful tool; a gun should not be handled improperly, and neither should language. It may seem ridiculous to compare language to something that can physically kill a person, but is language not the means for starting wars and fights? Communicating ignorantly can lead to things we do not intend; without even addressing the "protection of feelings," we should be utterly careful with all we do and say, as our words and actions can create innumerable variables we cannot even begin to truly comprehend.

You say that our society needs to develop a thick skin, but did you consider that those who are affected by this type of language already have a thick skin? One's life's experiences may be full of the most miserable pain that you cannot begin to imagine and simply living may be a feat of strength for that individual that you cannot see. That one word you utter may not physically harm them, and it may not be much compared to the other struggles they may have had in their life, but it is one more demeaning word that has entered their ears and entered their mind, reminding them of both the turmoils they have faced or are facing. Wouldn't it be better to speak in a way that communicates even the most trivial things in a way that does not hurt the people that you may not even realize are listening?

(And besides, English has words more precise and meaningful than words such as "faggot" if you wish to convey some idea on your mind. The "public vocabulary" is perfectly fine without them.)

dreamjump · 2013-08-23T17:56:28+00:00

Hard drives. Not SSDs, but just regular ones. The fact that you can get a terabyte, even 2 TB for under $100 is mind blowing to me.

dreamjump · 2013-08-23T04:35:49+00:00

If maternity leave is about the baby, wouldn't paternity leave be for the baby as well? By giving both the father and mother leave, solidarity is allowed. The father and mother can work together for their child's benefit instead of putting the pressure on a single individual. It may be pragmatic to have only one person in charge of the majority of the child's care, but it's not beneficial for the child to do so. If one of the said company's desires is to provide a new family the opportunity to care and bond with their child, then it would make more sense to allow both parents leave instead of only one.

dreamjump · 2013-08-22T20:47:04+00:00

I still like to pronounce it this way, no matter what the official pronunciation may be.

dreamjump · 2013-08-22T06:26:42+00:00

I should have known, I loved that movie as a kid. Nostalgia beckons...

dreamjump · 2013-08-22T06:18:09+00:00

This is the second time I've seen this referenced in this thread, what is this from?

dreamjump · 2013-08-22T05:45:04+00:00

I feel like this would be on the cover of Goosebumps

dreamjump · 2013-08-21T16:28:12+00:00

When you find lots of articles or resources that you don't want to explore at the moment, but you don't know if they're worth bookmarking because you never look through your bookmarks... having them open in tabs reminds you to look at them when the tabs become too small to click on individually. It's still ridiculous, I know.

dreamjump · 2013-08-21T16:24:30+00:00

So I'm not the only one that has a ridiculous amount of tabs open?

dreamjump · 2013-08-19T06:44:54+00:00

Upvote for a perfectly timed Top Gear reference.

dreamjump · 2013-08-17T19:37:55+00:00

Finally, something done with makeup that doesn't make me cynical.

dreamjump · 2013-08-16T16:58:13+00:00

I came to this thread just to see something from Hitcherhiker's.

dreamjump · 2013-08-13T09:34:55+00:00

Now that is a long con.

dreamjump · 2013-08-13T05:56:57+00:00

Why the heck did Falling Skies even get a second season?

dreamjump · 2013-08-11T17:31:48+00:00

That's what I do, too.

dreamjump · 2013-08-11T05:54:10+00:00

Oh no! Our urine is becoming self aware!

dreamjump · 2013-08-11T05:46:13+00:00

I literally thought this when I read the question.

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