Squashing the Digital-Ego

Originally posted by masqua
Empathy is a fine trait, yet it can cause one much discomfort if unable to be of real and immediate help. Best to do what you can rather than suffer in silence.

And that's what I do, what I can.

Also, I have no need to be right, so I'm happy to resist debating the point too much with you.

If you seek happiness for happiness' sake, that's one thing, and why would that ever bother me?

I rest when I meditate and when I sleep. The rest of the time, I am in pursuit of something, and cannot truly be happy anyway. I can understand how people can see this is a bad thing and we should just always be at peace with what's around us, but the way I look at it, if I don't always struggle and pursue something better of our race, nothing is going to change for those who hardly have the option to simply be at peace in their situation, and I personally will just stagnate, grow old and die, even if at a slightly older age. To see that you have feet, hands, and most of all a heart and brain, and to see that the world around you is filled with suffering that you have the ability to help change, between the two scenarios of choosing to be content in your situation, or being stirred to do something about it, I can't say I see how choosing not to worry about it and just be happy is the more selfless position. But you have already said you are also not interested in any debate for the same reason, that you simply choose to not worry about it, and that's fine and I can respect that.

reply to post by masqua

Explanation:

"Stop being offended"??? If everything was AOK ect I'd still be offended just out of spite! I'm human OK and I'll always be unhappy! Its in my nature!

"Let go of my need to win"??? I have already won! I'm just convincing everybody this is so!

"Let go of my need to be right"??? I'm here to deny ignorance and here on ATS, being right IS might! I need oxygen to breath just like I need to be right to deny ignorance!

"Let go of my need to be superior"??? Its not a need... its a FACT! Regardless of whether you see it or not, is not going to change that!

"Let go of my need to have more"??? I already have an infinite amount at my disposal! I don't need more as I already HAVE IT ALL!

"Let go of identifying myself on the basis of my achievements."??? Not likely as those signposts tell me where and when and WHO I am or was!

"Let go of your reputation"??? NOPE! Me being legally insane actually works for me! It scares people...ALOT!

Personal Disclosure: My username is not nondescript at all! It suits me to a T! Oh and if I wasn't outraged by the ignorance I wouldn't post here at all, EVER!

P.S. ATS is not about being happy and nice... Its about denying ignorance and how ever any member feels is IRRELEVANT! Happy and nice is lolcats or BTS ect!

P.P.S. How about...

"It doesn't matter if you are offended or not! FACTS ARE FACTS!"
"It doesn't matter if you win or lose! FACTS ARE FACTS!"
"It doesn't matter if you are right or wrong! FACTS ARE FACTS!"
"It doesn't matter if you are superior or not. FACTS ARE FACTS!"
"It doesn't matter if you have more or less. FACTS ARE FACTS!"
"It doesn't matter if you identify yourself with your achievemenst or not. FACTS ARE FACTS!"
"It doesn't matter whether you have a reputation or not. FACTS ARE FACTS!"

And my personal Favorite... "It doesn't matter or not whether you are an ATS member or not. FACTS ARE FACTS!"

FACTS ARE FACTS AND FACTS DISCLOSED DENY IGNORANCE! ATS IS ABOUT DENYING IGNORANCE AND THAT IS IT! PERIOD!

FOCUS ON THE FACTS OK!

Give up my ego?
To paraphrase Gary Trudeau, "in that case, I'm gonna need a receipt, man."

But to address the OP's point...yes, I think he/she is onto something important. I think a collaborative approach to online interatcion is much more interesting, in the end, than a combatitive approach.

Interactng in a collaborative way doesn't mean you have to agree on everything...it just means you look at the people you are interacting with as partners, so to speak, in a mutal search for truth that is larger than what any of us know. This expands the range of truth, and thus makes for more complexity and more intersting topics. When you come to a thread with a fundamentally combatitive attitude, the sphere of what is considered "truth" shrinks dramatically. ("I'm right and you're wrong and that's all there is to it.") It really is, in the end, boring because of its simplicity. Not to mention less statisfying on an emotive level.

[edit on 4/7/10 by silent thunder]

reply to post by silent thunder

Explanation: ATS T&C's explicitly prevent collaboration! NO FORUM GANGS! NO RECRUITMENT! NO SOLICITATION! Need I say more?

ATS is about FACTS! Nothing more and nothing less [unless you include ad revenue].

Personal Disclosure: IT is all about PROVE IT or LOSE IT*! [* ones ATS credibility that is!]

Originally posted by silent thunder
But to address the OP's point...yes, I think he/she is onto something important. I think a collaborative approach to online interatcion is much more interesting, in the end, than a combatitive approach.

So right. Collaborating on a topic, each researching and sharing findings in the quest for some semblance of truth has got to be the way to go, rather than the combative dualistic approach of merely pointing out who is right and who is wrong, often based on nothing more than opinion without substatiating facts.

How often to we see actual cooperation if the scope of a topic is too wide for any single person?

I like what you're saying.

Originally posted by OmegaLogos
reply to post by silent thunder

 

Explanation: ATS T&C's explicitly prevent collaboration! NO FORUM GANGS! NO RECRUITMENT! NO SOLICITATION! Need I say more?

Collaborating is not the same as solicitation or gangs... It's about working together and fact finding.
We all add to a topic and can all learn something new when we collaborate.

Like when everyone debunks the latest "Big-foot found!!" thread.... everyone chips in and slowly but surely, the claim is rubbished.

It's the same when you prove something... this whole site is one massive collaboration.

ATS is about FACTS! Nothing more and nothing less [unless you include ad revenue].

Not really.

There are more theories and there is more bull crap on this site than facts... and that's a FACT
Just discussing ideas and trying to work out what has merit and what is BS is mainly what happens on ATS.

Facts, unfortunately, get lost in amongst all the arguing.

Personal Disclosure: IT is all about PROVE IT or LOSE IT*! [* ones ATS credibility that is!]

Na man.... that's the wrong attitude.
It's all about Knowledge and discovery and keeping the info flowing... TPTB and the MSM are trying to brainwash and control all the media and info... on sites like ATS... the power is in OUR hands.

Forget about the petty squabbles... many on here are actually here to learn and are willing to change their views and opinions.

[edit on 7/4/10 by blupblup]

I certainly agree with all of these, except letting go of the need to be right. I think in a lot of ways, the basic need to be right drives a great deal of human advancement.

I think we should hold on to the need to be right, but always frame it by embracing the possibility that we might be wrong.

Just my 2c.

This should be a permanent link on the home page!

It is ridiculous but not unexpected. I look back at the way i was and I can't understand it, it just doesn't make any sense to me. I'm finding it hard to communicate on an open level with people these days, all just repeating robots, don't even know what they're talking about, just want to shut you down when you just want them to open up.

I don't quite understand the rudeness or the personal attacks either, on this site or in general. I find on this site the same natured attack can come from multiple members when the point has already been made. Is there some gratification to piling on top like this?

They should change the star icons to little sticks and stones, knife wielding hands or something of that nature. I see lots of good posts go unnoticed yet the ignorant rudeness always collects some pats on the back. This is the society we live in though, not just this website, but I think people deffinately feel pretty open to vent behind the safety of their screens.

I just don't understand it. New members state how they are intimidated to post! They can't even hide in the "gray area" forum either!

Why the attacks? ahh I don't want to get into a discussion on the complexities of ego because i'll be here all day!

But damn I'll say this... this is my favourite site, yet some days it gets on my nerves a little. I've learned to deal with it. Its MY problem, MY ego. And i'm always looking for a lesson. So thank you, bitter, closed-minded, arrogant personalities... through your daily internal struggles that spill out on to other people, you offer wonderful opportunities to wise-up from! If you want to talk about that anger i'm here to listen!

Peace! Try it if you can.

Originally posted by TheStev
I certainly agree with all of these, except letting go of the need to be right. I think in a lot of ways, the basic need to be right drives a great deal of human advancement.

I think we should hold on to the need to be right, but always frame it by embracing the possibility that we might be wrong.

Right, the same as saying there is no such thing as perfect.

There is always something better than can be achieved for humanity, no matter how good you may think things already are. So that we may look back and wonder how we were even able to live the way we used to.

We should always be reaching for unattainable goals.

reply to post by CavemanDD


Well said CavemanDD you have always had a eloquent way of expressing yourself and usually what you say is worth reading.

Very good and needed thread Masqua!
I often type a snappy post and then delete it, never actually posting it,
because it is not really my place to "School" some people.

However there are some very narrow-minded, arrogant posters that really make me roll my eyes at this computer screen. So my ego is well in tact.

If you can't say it in a polite manner, you shouldn't say it.
My opinion.

Originally posted by masqua

Originally posted by nine-eyed-eel
Certainly we can still wish to be right, internally, on an intellectual conscience basis, without worrying about whether we are recognized as right by others...I know that's what you're actually saying, for sure...

Yes... it's more important to express what you believe to be right than it is to want to gain authority through the process of expressing it.

What a brilliant statement Masqua! It is much better to discover how to best express what you believe to be right, than being right. There is nothing at all wrong with being wrong, particularly if being wrong means a better understanding of what is right. I can certainly be one who in my attempt to express what I believe to be right, also wants very much to be right, and this can sometimes leads to making statements, and posting comments I later come to regret. Thanks for this great thread.

Great thread! I personally think that people's true personalities (the ones we hide when face-to-face) come out when on sites like these, or any virtual community. And it isn't an issue of being politically correct, although I'm sure there will be some replies to that affect.

It all comes down to treating others as you would like to be treated. Everyone. You want to be heard? Then hear other people. You want your opinion to be respected? Then respect others' opinions. You don't want someone saying that you're an idiot and your ancestors should have burned at the stake? Then don't say that about anyone else. You don't want someone to flame your ideas? Then don't flame someone else's. You can disagree, but do so with civility and kindness -- also back up your ideas.

Just my opinion, and the way I like to operate through life. Has worked for me so far.

reply to post by masqua


Great post....may I add:

Be humble
Be empathetic
Realize everybody's got an issue

Jason

[edit on 7-4-2010 by hthjason]

reply to post by masqua




people on this site need to come together as much as possible, we're all here for the same reason right?

if not, the mods need to be a little more stricter

A lot of the problem doesn't stem from being right, but when you're proven wrong, some ATS members jump on it like a pack of wolves and continue to bash the person who was wrong for page after page with insults and emoticons. Seeing one-liners such as "PROVEN HOAX, MOVE ON", "Nice job ___!", "lol what a nub ", "s&f good thread op ", etc., that have nothing but the inciting one-liner without contributing anything else is really irritating. One of the reasons an digital ego grows so big is because people keep feeding it. It's no wonder some members on ATS feel as if they can do no wrong.

[edit on 4/7/2010 by SonicInfinity]

Very thought provoking topic.

The digital anonymity is making madmen of us all maybe. Often I wonder if the digital age in general and the internet specifically is nothing more than a repository for bruised egos, and more alarmingly, otherwise tempered expressions/opinions.

A faceless medium, one that is by its very nature DESIGNED to be ego-driven and therefore potentially chaotic. No checks, no balances...just jump on, be swayed by an impulse---and type away.

Personally, I try to combat ego-influenced responses when commenting or responding, just as many of us do. Unfortunately, sometimes almost all of us fall a bit short. Logically, I know I am not always 'right', but still, I find myself wanting to be.

Maybe at the end of the day, it's nothing more than just a bit of humility that most of us lack on here. An almost quaint and out dated concept.

My opinion.












[edit on 4/7/2010 by Clark Savage Jr.]

Thanks for the reminder, Masqua.
I'll work more on keeping this in mind even though at times it is so easy to forget.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/28e670c57caf.gif[/atsimg]

Starred and flagged,

- Lee

i have a friend who is ussually/always right, but hes so stuck up and superior about it, could i have some advice on how to cope with it because he gets so smug when hes right. BTW im not looking for advice on how to exact my revenge on the fellow, but some adice on how cope with his attitude towards superiority. P.S good thread.

regards
Some Kind of Nature

Really it does not matter one way or another what you do or do not do.
Somethings may become relized to be this or that.

But in the end, I really doubt that it matters, it will all come out in the wash.

You can do all these things, but really you need to do nothing or none of these.

Well put, OP. I copied those reminders and put them on my desktop.