Theres whole libraries of philosophies built to counteract what is seen as the dominant human trend. The Bible and surrounding philosophies are based on the idea that most people are selfish and self-focused, and need to be more selfless and other-focussed. Other philosophies suggest most people are too in this world, too material, and need to reach for the spiritual, that is the hard path, the more meaningful one. Heck, some say that we must strive for meaning, because too easily we bind our lives in things that dont mean anything. In politics it was always too much factionalism and ideology, not enough understanding and human love. Too much belief and superstition, not enough thought and science. Too much assumption, not enough questioning. But for EVERYONE of these ideas, there are people who are the opposite. Whose instinct is to be self-less, and for whom the Bibles evocations are poisonous to the extreme, they desperately need to be selfish. There are those who dwell constantly in the spiritual world and desperately need to be materialistic. Those who exhaust themselves looking for meaning and importance. Those who spend so much time understanding their enemies they cant understand themselves. Those who think so much they never believe in anything. Those who cant get out of bed without questioning the fundamental assumptions of beds and getting out ofs. I see a lot of damage done by evangelicals of the first type, on people of the second type. Particularly among geeks and nerds about rightness. Particularly among politics about perfect activism. Question things, they tell me. Get to the truth. Analyze. Criticize. Dont fall victim to your own personal biases. Think critically. Dont surround yourself with yes men. Im your friend, Steve, so Im not just going to agree with you about everything, that would be letting you down. The Truth Is What Matters, Dammit. We Cant Let That Slide. That guy is just being More Idelogical Than Thou, and as someone who is Thinkier Than Thou, I cant let him get away with it. Which is fine, but just understand that not everyone needs what you are selling, because some of us are so far on your side we need to be evangelicized with the opposite.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 03:10:29 +0000
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