Getting Really Tired of All this "Bandwagoning"

Every wanted to jump on somebody's band wagon? Ever done it, just because you're not very informed about the subject, but like what you hear?

You ever wonder how really successful, powerful and mostly evil people have come to power in this world? It's pretty damn easy. People just jumped on their bandwagon.

Now I get it, there are good causes to jump on the bandwagon for, but there are many, many more poor ones. These last few weeks, I'm disgusted to be on some parts of the internet, including sometimes this place.

Ridiculous rampant racism and intolerance, all thrown by people who have little to no concept of anything outside their own bubble. The generalizations and the idiocy is really almost too much to take.

I don't make threads in the rant forum very often, and I'm writing this one to make myself feel better, not so much for any other kind of reason, so please don't think I'm on my soapbox or anything.

How does it come to this though? For about a few decades now, most of the prominent conspiracy figures in our communities have said something, that we've all forgotten.

The powers that be, want to turn us against ourselves. Too busy fighting each other, to notice the hangman in the corner getting all the nooses ready.

But really folks, what I'm trying to say here is can you please have your own opinions? Make up your own minds? Read more than the 1 source provided BEFORE you make that vital opinion of yours, and choose to share it with the world.

Ask yourself if you're probably doing more harm than good. And if you have to think about it for more than 5 minutes, you should probably just shut up.

~Tenth

When i was in college i had to perform community service to graduate, in order to do this i had to take some courses about group dynamics, they showed us a chart that i forget who came with the theory but it was something like this:

Any human group can be plotted as a pyramid chart divided in half, each half is an opposing group, the closer the people are to the dividing line the more alike they are of their counterpart. each group have 3 subgroups themselves.

The officials, at the top of the pyramid around 2% of the population, they right next to the line, so they are pretty similar to the opposing officials.

The anti officials, in the bottom corners of the triangle about 2% too, they are so extreme in their views they seem the officials as enemies of their own cause, so at the end they end up working against them, effectively making them as if they where officials of the opposing side.

And them is the rest of the population, the 96% left are followers, they follow the officials or anti officials depending on their proximity to each other.

(I wish i remember who made this crap up it was cool and easier to understand with the chart)

In short, no matter what is the case, us humans are divided, opposing each other and the majority bulk of the population seeks guidance of a leader, which is very similar one to the alternative leader, but we desperately seek to our side to win (even as they are the same) , and another small percentage that are just antisocial non conformist that dont like to follow the leader.

tl;dr: most people have mob mentality, seek an authority figure and just do as they say.

having said that

Every wanted to jump on somebody's band wagon? Ever done it, just because you're not very informed about the subject, but like what you hear?

Ill jump to your wagon on this thread yay

a reply to: tothetenthpower

Totally agree but sometimes guilty of this myself - sometimes a topic just grabs you and you run with it (like an idiot).....before realising your error and sheepishly returning to the scene of your "crime" to try and make ammends.

The worst thing is i really have no excuse - critical thinking was drummed into me both throughout school but also specifically in university.

So, as with Indigent, i am jumping on your bandwagon here......but also protesting against it!

a reply to: Flavian

AHa, yes.

I understand those times we jump on a bandwagon. My particular pet peeve recently has been the surge in intolerant racism, bigotry and the willingness to wish harm and violence onto people.

As if an eye for an eye didn't make the world blind.

But I guess it was the holidays and all the kids are back in school now.

~Tenth

a reply to: tothetenthpower

I dont see a lot of it as bandwagon jumping, I see it more along the lines of very polarizing issues being brought forth in rapid succession.

Isreal vs palestine....you either think one side or the other is right for the most part, not a lot of middle ground for most folks.....dont ask me the answers, I dont have a clue.

This most recent attack in france, some defend the terrorists, others want to appease them, to those that would be defiant....both the former are incomprehensible.

I mean I can name many issues just like this.

I didnt make or help this climate come into being, and I dont know how to resolve it.

Some want only to live in peace, some will not live in peace, this is an intractable situation.

With a rant like this ,I would suspect you to be a very calm person .I will say that some threads turn into a kind of mob mentality that if on the streets would produce a group of Vigilantes , A simple thing like free speech by some accounts, requires you to say what ever to whomever where ever .Common sensibilities be dammed seems to be the band wagon that many are ready to jump aboard . Sensible thinking and consideration for a group or a person is not allowed . I wonder if that Vet next door that is suffering from PTSD and has a cabinet full of guns should be considered a possible dangerous fire cracker ,and I might like to temper my free speech ? I do ,after all have the right to think and decide . Do I dare take a chance with my life over a member of my body that had said things in the past that I regret today ? The book of James goes into many details about this unruly member called a tongue . To think that I should jump on some others bandwagon could end up not good for me is a reality I don't need to subject myself to . Being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people saying the wrong things is a very easy trap to fall into a reply to: tothetenthpower

a reply to: the2ofusr1

I try to be a very calm person, there are few things that get under my skin.

When I see a quarter of the community just loosing their minds over things that should not be, it honestly just breaks my heart.

And I know you can't save them all, and statistically speaking, there will always be those people. I just needed to vent about it lol

When I see a quarter of the community just loosing their minds over things that should not be, it honestly just breaks my heart.

a reply to: tothetenthpower If there were no members that didn't possibly need to grow or change their minds then it might not be worth being here .I guess the possibility of making a difference to some in a positive way cant be all that bad . There are many good qualities on the board and I think it important to spot those and try and incorporate them into our own personas . Most rants are just that ,rants but some rants can actually carry with them helpful lessons to be learned . Many times I have wanted to start a thread but it would have to go into the rant section . Then I think ,why bother ...So I dig a little deeper and learn a little more and try and share in the comment sections . You band wagon analogy is a important part to have shared . I think we can all learn something from it ...peace

a reply to: tothetenthpower

Neverending mob mentality and/or groupthink ?

Yup... nauseating, isn't it.


On one hand it's sickening and angering to see it... and on the other hand I can't help but feel sorry for these people who go through life with that mindset. What a complete waste of time for them.

Life is short and it's precious.

Why anyone would spend those precious moments bickering and arguing over fruitless memes, is beyond me.

Noticed it .. was going to post a rant regarding the subject .. but you summed it up and said it far more politely than I would have .. hence didnt and wont post my rant ..

a reply to: tothetenthpower

The powers that be, want to turn us against ourselves. Too busy fighting each other, to notice the hangman in the corner getting all the nooses ready.

Divide and conquer, they've used it against us for eternity. The most irritating part is that there's no excuse for it in this day and age with all the resources we have access to, and those who succumb to this tactic do so out of willful, blind ignorance based on years of propaganda and brainwashing that most likely goes back several generations.

I can barely stomach logging in anymore due to the outright hate that is constantly disguised in the form of "freedom of speech". I won't get into the t&c side of things but it seems to me that certain sides get more wiggle room than the others, once again the old divide and conquer technique (people taking sides).

I am well traveled and can agree with you that these people are stuck in their own "bubble" and have probably never left their state, let alone their country.

What bothers me more are the ones who have traveled (usually military deployment) and use the slanted views that they had shoved down their throats before being sent over-seas to exercise their ill-formed opinion based on hate, bigotry and outright ignorance. It is a non-stop cycle on this site and the world in general, I see it every day and am getting sick of it myself.

People should stop bickering over religious, political and other affiliations and try to find a way to unite. We are all human no matter where we come from, yet many of us are so quick to judge without even considering walking in the other's shoes before judging.

Please pardon my rant within your rant

a reply to: CranialSponge

Neverending mob mentality and/or groupthink ?

Yup... nauseating, isn't it.

I noticed this behavior when I first joined, I believe they were given the nickname "the golden boys". This was a while back but most the "golden boys" I reference are still very active on this site spitting the same hate and bigotry, and they are well respected for it.

In my opinion, ATS has become a site where if you don't conform with mainstream "reality" then you're labelled a nut-job conspiracy theorist who believes in reptilians, are also a Putin supporter, Jew hater, shill...etc...

I've never seen a conspiracy site where the majority of the "elite" membership vehemently deny the existence of conspiracy, and the concept of conspiracy theory.

Something smells fishy and it's not that tuna boat setting anchor in the bay.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

Mark Twain

I would have been a very poor villager in the middle ages when they did the whole pitchforks and torches thingy..

Peace

a reply to: real_one

Don't conform. The ultimate conspiracy is the fact that a conspiracy site herds people towards certain ways of thinking. If it's not group shaming, the ganging up, the arrogance it's a brick wall. Sorry to say it but ATS is nothing more than an extension of the system, there's a status quo.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

But really folks, what I'm trying to say here is can you please have your own opinions? Make up your own minds? Read more than the 1 source provided BEFORE you make that vital opinion of yours, and choose to share it with the world.

Oh, this is rich.

Can you please let us make up our own minds. Can you please let us have our own opinions without pushing your opinion on us?

And with your opinion I mean ATS staff opinion.

I am talking LOL forum, or often HOAX forum. Why does the ATS community have to jump on your bandwagon?

And with your bandwagon I mean ATS staff bandwagon.

a reply to: Scaevola

Oh you mean posters who automatically agree with mods/supermods/admins/site owners/internet control panel god #1? If that's what you mean this is what I meant by status quo. At this point ATS is mirroring systems such as the US gov, create an elite set, have sycophants who immediately reward them regardless of their disposition and create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation if you dare try to speak up.

originally posted by: Yeahkeepwatchingme
a reply to: Scaevola

Oh you mean posters who automatically agree with mods/supermods/admins/site owners/internet control panel god #1? If that's what you mean this is what I meant by status quo. At this point ATS is mirroring systems such as the US gov, create an elite set, have sycophants who immediately reward them regardless of their disposition and create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation if you dare try to speak up.

Notice how some of the decent members have been missing or banned from the boards lately?

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
Every wanted to jump on somebody's band wagon? Ever done it, just because you're not very informed about the subject, but like what you hear?

You ever wonder how really successful, powerful and mostly evil people have come to power in this world? It's pretty damn easy. People just jumped on their bandwagon.

Now I get it, there are good causes to jump on the bandwagon for, but there are many, many more poor ones. These last few weeks, I'm disgusted to be on some parts of the internet, including sometimes this place.

Ridiculous rampant racism and intolerance, all thrown by people who have little to no concept of anything outside their own bubble. The generalizations and the idiocy is really almost too much to take.

I don't make threads in the rant forum very often, and I'm writing this one to make myself feel better, not so much for any other kind of reason, so please don't think I'm on my soapbox or anything.

How does it come to this though? For about a few decades now, most of the prominent conspiracy figures in our communities have said something, that we've all forgotten.

The powers that be, want to turn us against ourselves. Too busy fighting each other, to notice the hangman in the corner getting all the nooses ready.

But really folks, what I'm trying to say here is can you please have your own opinions? Make up your own minds? Read more than the 1 source provided BEFORE you make that vital opinion of yours, and choose to share it with the world.

Ask yourself if you're probably doing more harm than good. And if you have to think about it for more than 5 minutes, you should probably just shut up.

~Tenth

I did, I actually did. I jumped on his wagon went on through and sat on the drivers bench next to him. I grabbed the reins, pushed him off and onto the road. Its now MY bandwagon.

originally posted by: thesaneone

originally posted by: Yeahkeepwatchingme
a reply to: Scaevola

Oh you mean posters who automatically agree with mods/supermods/admins/site owners/internet control panel god #1? If that's what you mean this is what I meant by status quo. At this point ATS is mirroring systems such as the US gov, create an elite set, have sycophants who immediately reward them regardless of their disposition and create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation if you dare try to speak up.

Notice how some of the decent members have been missing or banned from the boards lately?

If they have been banned then they did something like breaking the rules and got themselves banned. If you or the other people that is whining about the mods knew half as much as you thought you did then you would know that you can disagree with the mods and not get banned. I know this from experience. I have had debates with just about every mod and maybe one or two of the owners and I haven't been banned. You can disagree with the mods all you want just don't be a total idiot while doing so.

a reply to: thesaneone

I know a few that have quit...still in touch with them and I attempted to reason with them but....not gonna list some of their reasons.