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Open Minded Skeptic

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posted on Nov, 14 2008 @ 07:47 PM
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Hey all some of you may know me some may not.

I used to lurk here since 05' and finally decided to make an account last month. When I first found ATS I was as a believer. I wanted to believe in everything that the conspiracy theorists had laid before me. I believed that the government would stop at no lengths to strip me of my freedoms. A few months passed by and I really began to to thrive of the information that was presented to me. I gobbled it up like it was my breakfast. During my early years here I had a superior mentality towards the rest of the world.

I would see society from condescending eyes and believe the rest of the world was blinds to the truths I uncovered.

"Look at that girl, man she must be an idiot, she has no idea that 9/11 was an inside job".
"Wow he may be a Doctor but he doesn't understand the fact that the NWO are trying to kill 90% of the population".

Thoughts like this was common for me back then, everyone was stupid but me. The ignorant masses couldn't comprehend the travesty that the government was committing against the people. Chem trails, False Flags and Secret societies bent on world order, these topics related to me and many others on ATS. The motto "Deny Ignorance" really spoke to me and I thought I had followed it to it's true intent.

Now I realize that the "masses" weren't the ones who were ignorant it was me and the people who acted like me. I thought I was "denying ignorance" when I choose not to believe the MSM, but all I did was just turn around and believe everything I saw on ATS. We aren't denying ignorance when we just deny an opinion or standpoint that is different from ours. Denying Ignorance means to accept input from various sources, process them untouched by the thoughts of others and creating your own standpoint on an issue. When you deny the MSM and want to believe everything you see on ATS you are just denying yourself of knowledge and experience.

So recently I realized these truths about myself and how I was approaching all of this wrong. I don't want to be a believer anymore who would hide in a shell because a thread was created proclaiming the coming of the Plebeians or the Antichrist. Yet I also don't want to be a skeptic who would quickly disregard anything without the concept of evidence presented before him. Even if it sounds bad, the latter is the more justifiable choice. I would rather be defined as an open minded skeptic then an open minded believer.

It seems that as every day progress we have more and more threads on ATS that aren't backed by evidence nor ever will be. I don't want to point fingers at these topics but you all should know what I am referring to. I for one don't want to believe all this trite anymore just because it seems believable or I want to believe it. There is a huge difference between dreams and reality. I do not wish to see pages of evidence to back these "claims" but some use of logic would be welcome. If the OP uses that, it would at least provoke my interest in knowing he had made the thread in a way that it wasn't bias or based on some precondition he had. It would also incite posters to do there own research when discussing the topic, not just taking his word for it.

I want to officially renounce my self as a believer and become an open minded Skeptic. Remember every poster here an ATS deserves to have his opinion respected. Yet showing respect doesn't mean you have to agree with the statement, it would be better for you to contrive your own thoughts about the issue he presented. Don't jump to conclusions, don't conform, do your own research, not everyone here is correct.

Now I want to toss the ball to other to users who wish to "deny ignorance" with me, what are your thoughts about this topic?

-Ign0RanT



[edit on 14-11-2008 by Ign0rant]



posted on Nov, 14 2008 @ 08:07 PM
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Funny I've been accused of being both too skeptical and too accepting. I think that's all how people try to label you by whether you agree or disagree with them.

For the most part, I do usually require something substantive in the way of proof before I'll even come close to saying I believe in something. Having said that there are exceptions to that rule. Most times I follow my head (logic, common sense), but every once in a while you just have a hunch or intuition about something and you just got to go with it, proof be damned.

Just writing that sounds so hypocritical to me... but oh well... it's how I am. If anybody doesn't like it.... sucks to be them because I couldn't care less.


Peace



posted on Nov, 15 2008 @ 12:52 AM
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Originally posted by Resinveins
Funny I've been accused of being both too skeptical and too accepting. I think that's all how people try to label you by whether you agree or disagree with them.

For the most part, I do usually require something substantive in the way of proof before I'll even come close to saying I believe in something. Having said that there are exceptions to that rule. Most times I follow my head (logic, common sense), but every once in a while you just have a hunch or intuition about something and you just got to go with it, proof be damned.

Just writing that sounds so hypocritical to me... but oh well... it's how I am. If anybody doesn't like it.... sucks to be them because I couldn't care less.


Peace


Good post, I appreciate you trying to deny ignorance.

-Ign0RanT



posted on Nov, 15 2008 @ 02:22 AM
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Well some claims are outrageous. I don't believe alot of the stuff I read on here, but I do like ideas.

As far as the government gonna get you stuff. I really don't think the government as a whole is out to get or hurt people, they are just trying to do what they think is right. And they aren't perfect. But humans/people make mistakes and just like you did - do not fulling think out whats going on. And when they make bad choices, then we suffer.

So even if what is being told to people isn't true, the things that are pointed are things that should be kept on guard for. If it happens or not, doesn't matter. What matters is if people will be on guard and the lookout for them. And what is more worrying is the number of people who work towards and would accept such things if they did happen. Some people do actually want those things, that is a fact and that is provable. If they are successful, if that is what everyone is up to and beyond is debatable. The best way to ensure they don't happen is to keep such activities that lean that way exposed.

That part isn't silly, what is silly is when people start screaming it's the end! it's tommorow! and so on.

I mean as it turns out the people who were warning about the mistake Iraq was, how it was going to end up as a war for profit like Vietnam and how Iraq was not really a threat were right. Since it's become unpopular, it's been put on the backburner by the MSM, but it is still going on, and those people were still right. Nothing wrong with pointing out things you see, just wrong to get crazy with it and expect someone to come beating your door down. Things are rarely handled by force, it is handled with manipulation so that the majority of people will go along.

It is more important that people understand how and why such things can occur and why they are bad, instead of worrying about what is going on that specific day. I'm all in favor of teaching people those things, not so much in favor of predicting it's going to happen tommorow.

"This is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause" - don't forget it.

[edit on 15-11-2008 by badmedia]



posted on Nov, 15 2008 @ 02:24 AM
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It doesn't hurt my ego to contradict my beliefs. What I mean by that is, I don't mind people saying that my own evidence conflicts with my beliefs, I am allowed to disagree with myself, and be skeptic of my own beliefs. confusing? - I consider myself a believer, that looks for evidence to not believe. Or a skeptical believer. I think the topic at hand always dictates my stance though.
It's a real challenge to constantly live with doubt, sometimes you got to just put some faith in things.



posted on Nov, 15 2008 @ 08:31 PM
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reply to post by badmedia
 


Some claims are outrageous. I find it hard to believe that these posters are allowed to post the trite that they do.

-Ign0RanT



posted on Nov, 16 2008 @ 04:02 AM
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There are many, many people on ATS who believe things without evidence. Objectivity is the only way to get to the bottom of these theories. Some folks will do anything to keep believing their theories, even calling people with evidence that contradicts theirs 'disinfo agents'.

Something needs to be done about that if this site doesn't want to die a slow, painful death under the weight of people making stuff up and running with it. I want to learn, not to have to wade through thousands of posts containing made-up nonsense.



posted on Nov, 16 2008 @ 05:12 AM
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If it is a crazy claim, then it gives you a chance to point out the truth in the matter. It's not like this site is the only place to get information about stuff, the majority of stuff I read on here I seen other places, including the fake stuff.

It's not hard at all to debunk the Nibiru stuff for example. Gives you an opportunity to show the truth of it. If they just quit allowing stuff like that to be posted, then the opportunity is lost.

Who gets to decide whats good enough to stay and discuss and what isn't? When things got crazy like with that Oct 14 thing, they kept it down as best they could. All you have to do is not open the thread. Or post legitimate reasons why it's bunk and then let everyone else do what they will. I'll bet all those people who took and pushed the Oct 14 stuff as truth learned a lesson the hard way.



posted on Nov, 16 2008 @ 06:44 AM
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reply to post by badmedia
 


No one person should decide - if there is evidence for something, then allow it. If it's massive speculation, like most things here, they should be panned. Otherwise the signal-to-noise ratio gets all blown out and no-one learns anything at all.

My point is - what is ATS? Is it a place to learn (which requires evidence), or just a place for people to spout off their paranoid delusions?

[edit on 16/11/08 by dave420]



posted on Nov, 16 2008 @ 06:49 AM
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9/11 was a inside job, there is no doubt in my mind. Its common sense when looking at what happened and how they are covering up the evidence.

But its good that you are a sceptic. Nobody should ever accept something without checking into it first. Just apply the same scepticism to the mass media and the government and you will be fine.



[edit on 16-11-2008 by Copernicus]



posted on Nov, 16 2008 @ 07:04 AM
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reply to post by Ign0rant
 



I want to officially renounce my self as a believer and become an open minded Skeptic. Remember every poster here an ATS deserves to have his opinion respected. Yet showing respect doesn't mean you have to agree with the statement, it would be better for you to contrive your own thoughts about the issue he presented. Don't jump to conclusions, don't conform, do your own research, not everyone here is correct.


Your vision & statement reminds me of an old parable, that I heard as a kid, about 6 blind men & an elephant (no sarcasm or jokes intended here).

Remember that one?
Each of the 5 man grabs on to different parts of the elephants' body & came up with their own conclusions about what actually constitutes an elephant (i.e. the one holding the tail said it's small like a snake; the one grabbing the legs said it's short & bulky like a stone etc...). At the end, only the blind man who choose to LISTEN & RESPECT all opinions first, rather than grabbing around & making conclusions, finally can summarize a better picture of what is an elephant...

I like your decision to be an open minded skeptic & will support you for sure, because (correct me if I'm wrong) it shows you -just like me- are trying to be BALANCED, no?
Cheers for thread! S&F!!


[edit on 16-11-2008 by KembaraLangit]



posted on Nov, 17 2008 @ 02:57 PM
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Originall posted by badmedia

My point is - what is ATS? Is it a place to learn (which requires evidence), or just a place for people to spout off their paranoid delusions?


Yeah I agree, it seems that as time goes on ATS is flooded by these delusional theories. Yet as another poster above mentioned even if it is delusional we should give them an opportunity to explain themselves and present something worthwhile.


Originally posted by Copernicus

9/11 was a inside job, there is no doubt in my mind. Its common sense when looking at what happened and how they are covering up the evidence.

But its good that you are a sceptic. Nobody should ever accept something without checking into it first. Just apply the same scepticism to the mass media and the government and you will be fine.



[edit on 16-11-2008 by Copernicus]


I truly don't want this to turn into a 9/11 discussion but I respect your standpoint. Also me being a skeptic I do not just places my eyes on the Truthers of the 9/11 movement. I will always apply that same skepticism to the MSM and PTB.



Originally posted by KembaraLangit


I like your decision to be an open minded skeptic & will support you for sure, because (correct me if I'm wrong) it shows you -just like me- are trying to be BALANCED, no?
Cheers for thread! S&F!!



Thank you

I am trying to be balanced and cheers to you as well for bringing something unique to ATS.

-Ign0RanT







 
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