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What aren't you assuming?

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posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 08:34 AM
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We are always making assumptions — whether consciously or not — about the events that take place before us, or the people we meet or hear about. Some of us admit that we make hundreds of assumptions per day, others do not. (Right now, on this very thread, I am making the assumption that at least one other person will read this thread and take something out of it — hopefully I am correct.) Of course, there are different kinds of assumptions which range from highly plausible (the sun rose today, I believe it will rise again tomorrow), to neutral (If I become thirsty, I'll decide to drink water), to an assumption bordering on unlikely (I will lose my mobile phone today), to outright paranoid (all those people on the train are thinking about ways to humiliate me).

Consider the following 10 statements:

1. "Joseph Stalin was a pacifist"
2. "Confucius was a moron"
3. "Mahatma Gandhi was a warlord"
4. "All lives matter"
5. "Big pharma only cares about profit"
6. "9/11 was an inside job"
7. "It's your God-given right to pray at school"
8. "Women are subordinate to men"
9. "Capitalism is the root of all evil"
10. "Women's lives are more valuable than men's"

What would you assume about a person making the above statements?

While all are controversial to a certain degree, some might register as somewhat truthful depending on your belief system, while others will seem ignorant, idiotic and inflammatory. You might even assume the person is simply a bored troll and doesn't even believe what they are saying.

When it comes to analysing the statements of others, context is critical.It's impossible to completely refrain from making judgements/assumptions about others, but we can choose to make plausible, probable and most importantly reasonable assumptions about others instead of hasty, reactionary and narrow-minded ones.

Assume with care, but be mindful that complete objectivity is impossible and reasonable assumptions are necessary.


edit on 27/7/2016 by Dark Ghost because: (no reason given)



posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 08:46 AM
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A) I would assume the person making those statements is a little confused, especially with the women's statements?

B) I am not assuming I will have a job by the end of the day today. 21 years, down the drain.



posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 08:47 AM
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What would you assume about a person making the above statements?


1. "Joseph Stalin was a pacifist"
I'd assume he's a delusional commie

2. "Confucius was a moron"
I'd assume the person saying it is very arrogant and thinks too highly of himself which will bring him or her down one day

3. "Mahatma Gandhi was a warlord"
I'd assume he's trying to trigger me

4. "All lives matter"
I'd disagree because the lives of sociopaths don't

5. "Big pharma only cares about profit"
I'd assume that's a large assumption

6. "9/11 was an inside job"
I'd assume he's referring to bombs planted inside the buildings.

7. "It's your God-given right to pray at school"
Rights are good

8. "Women are subordinate to men"
That wholly depends on the society and culture

9. "Capitalism is the root of all evil"
See 1

10. "Women's lives are more valuable than men's"
I'd assume the persons a troll or simply delusional



posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 08:55 AM
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a reply to: Dark Ghost

I will go out on a limb and say that I assume that it takes many types of people to make the world go around, and there are none missing . :>)



posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 08:56 AM
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One is still able to deduce without assuming. The problem always occurs when you believe your assumptions.oa reply to: Dark Ghost



posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 09:27 AM
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Assumptions... the not so elementary my dear Watson.

It's a typical given reality based on ones perception, yet perception is not elementary but thoughts themselves are... in such a way the senses can be fooled into believing the unbelievable, or only truth as one perceives it to be whether that view is real or not is unimportant to the one fooled into believing the illusion or self delusion as reality.

This is why magicians continue to amaze and astonish.

When taking any object as subject it doesn't become slave to our judgments, we do.



posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 09:45 AM
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If we hold to the allegory set forth in Plato's Cave, then everything we know is but shadows dancing in firelight on the cave wall.

You are looking at the cave wall right now.



posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 09:49 AM
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a reply to: intrptr

Nu uh I'm making a shadow puppet and a barking noise.



posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 10:11 AM
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a reply to: Dark Ghost

Hmmmm... I don't think "assume" means what you think it means. To wit, I wouldn't assume anything about a person making the following statements, but I would wonder --

1. "Joseph Stalin was a pacifist" -- Are they confusing Stalin with someone else? Did they know something about Stalin that I don't? Are they just freaking sadistic psychopaths living in opposite land? Do they know what "pacifist" means? And so on.

2. "Confucius was a moron" -- Again, basically the same questions as above.

3. "Mahatma Gandhi was a warlord" -- Same.

4. "All lives matter" -- I would think they have a profound respect for life; then I would wonder if it is based on faith or humanitarianism or ???

5. "Big pharma only cares about profit" -- I would never assume anything about everyone within a particular group (because I know I'd be wrong!); but I don't need to assume anything to know that the laws and regulations are written in such a way that Big Pharma as an industry can -- and too often does -- put profits before people.

6. "9/11 was an inside job" -- I don't have to assume anything to know that we cannot trust Big Gov, much less their investigation and report; and if someone made such a statement, I would question their conclusion and their reasoning simply because they have no way of knowing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. No assumptions necessary.

7. "It's your God-given right to pray at school" -- No assumptions necessary. If I can do it for myself and by myself, then it is my natural right to do so.

8. "Women are subordinate to men" -- No assumptions necessary. That's an opinion, not a fact.

9. "Capitalism is the root of all evil" -- Again, no assumptions necessary. Opinion.

10. "Women's lives are more valuable than men's" -- No assumptions necessary; opinion.

It seems to me -- and I've said this before -- the problem is people assuming at all, rather than recognizing what they do not and/or cannot know, but acting as if they do. And, of course, basing their conclusions on a faulty premise.



posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 10:31 AM
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a reply to: Dark Ghost


What would you assume about a person making the above statements?

Self centered, doesn't care what others think. Has to ridicule everyone, tearing them down to their level.



posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 11:07 AM
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a reply to: intrptr

Oh levels...

Thats a whole can of assumption worms waiting to bait all sorts of hooks.



posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 11:14 AM
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originally posted by: BigBrotherDarkness
a reply to: intrptr

Oh levels...

Thats a whole can of assumption worms waiting to bait all sorts of hooks.


OP was pretty specific.


What would you assume about a person making the above statements?

Morons call everyone else morons...



posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 05:30 PM
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a reply to: intrptr

I don't think we could ever really know anyone on that list, I've got a few friends knocking on the 25-35 year door and I know them but don't know know them... and thats ok. I dont need to know peoples deep dark and secrets if they directly affect me? Sure it would be a nice heads up... otherwise I dont ask and they dont need to tell.

So anything one does not know personally about the above described? All of it could be assumption or a persona and not actually them... who would know? I suppose thats why there exist stories called expose... that reveals that self either they weren't proud of or wanted to hide. So then we as a collective whole can damn them for things exposed we don't like... even if it's not a criminal act being exposed.

We know Gandhi as being a benevolent sort... but I've heard he like to lay down with a variety of young ladies and also was a British operative to sell out India to Britain and made into a contrived public persona as a holy man. Not trying to slander or spread rumor... but who knows? I don't. But that what I've heard from actual Indians not those mixed up Europeans ones thinking thats where they landed on the other side of and called the natives of America Indians.

So assumptions about people? Know thy self is the best anyone is ever going to get when it comes to knowing others.



posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 06:48 PM
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a reply to: BigBrotherDarkness

strange thing is from personal experience
some Indians in Tamil Nadu
think Gandhi made the country worse

they say that under British rule
the British took 100 rupees but gave 50 back
now Indian government takes 100 rupees
and give nothing back

promises to have clean water running throughout the country
made decades ago still haven't been fulfilled

bridges built by the British need repairing
local politicians vowed to repair them
20 years later and nothing has happened



posted on Jul, 27 2016 @ 08:21 PM
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a reply to: BigBrotherDarkness


We know Gandhi as being a benevolent sort... but I've heard he like to lay down with a variety of young ladies and also was a British operative to sell out India to Britain and made into a contrived public persona as a holy man. Not trying to slander or spread rumor... but who knows? I don't.

The Indians and Sikhs were bitter enemies, his own countrymen killed him, take heed what you hear from them. Gandhi wanted independence from The Crown, fought his whole life for it.

Struggled wth his own people, about it. The rivalry was so intense the country split and the Sikhs went and formed Pakistan, I think. They been fighting ever since.
edit on 27-7-2016 by intrptr because: spelling



posted on Jul, 29 2016 @ 08:20 PM
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a reply to: intrptr


Sorry but cannot resist it.

Never Assume. If you ASSUME, you make an ASS of U and ME

Thanks to Benny Hill



posted on Jul, 29 2016 @ 10:18 PM
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originally posted by: crowdedskies
a reply to: intrptr

Never Assume.


Assume what?



posted on Jul, 30 2016 @ 11:06 AM
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a reply to: intrptr

Yep not just those factions either... tribal ties are a lot like being a member of a political party or religion. Many are just born into it as a way of life...

Takes travel etc. and exposure to more ideas in such settings otherwise thought will be pretty well cloistered to just what one knows.

Here's a recent sampling of some on going conflict

www.bbc.com...

Easy to make assumptions and generalization in favor of a group to which one feels they belong... fish out of water experience I suppose gasping and grasping for something familiar, even ex-patriots cluster together instead of full immersion.

There's a phenomenon referred to as auto-segregation, as a behavior that automatically segregates from such group programming and bias found within them.

I dunno a fresh or salt water pond is just as good for swimming on a hot day... thankfully we aren't fish, yet that schooling together for protection thing.

Ingrained for a long time out of fear, also takes a long time to over come if we don't stop passing those fears along as a bias.
edit on 30-7-2016 by BigBrotherDarkness because: (no reason given)



posted on Jul, 30 2016 @ 11:15 AM
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a reply to: BigBrotherDarkness


Ingrained for a long time out of fear, also takes a long time to over come if we don't stop passing those fears along as a bias.

Absolutely, biggest biases on the planet are religious: Jews vs. Arabs, Protestant vs. Catholic, Hind vs. Hindu Sikh. Christian vs. Islam.

More war and death result from these conflicts over the Millenia than any other single cause.

Bearing in mind lots of times the conflict is being fostered or maintained falsely to conquer territory, peoples and resources.

If you want to make money start a war or religion. Better yet, start a religious war and fund both sides.



posted on Jul, 30 2016 @ 12:31 PM
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a reply to: intrptr

The thing about it that bothers me the most? Peel all of that off and it's just people.

I can respect all of the heritage, and beauty and creativity and even belief that comes out of what was peeled...

But when used as an excuse to hurt, kill, and destroy? I don't see it as a valid excuse.




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