Is the forum a reflection of the world?

Brett

Lately there’s been grumbling about the standard of OPs on the forum and debates about bannings. The OP’s that are coming up on the forum are often lazy in thought, incoherent or just lukewarm in content. The OPs that get the most attention are about Trump or racism, where everyone feels okay yelling at each other and calling each other names. (You’d think everyone would have made their point by now). Other than that other posts seem to be about rehashing the same subjects and objections. When someone puts up an OP that’s a bit weak they’re jumped on and demolished quickly, like that’s the only excitement in town. Everyone wants something to talk about but nothing happens; it’s like a becalmed boat.

Sometimes you’ll see an opinion piece in the media asking whether Democracy is dead, if it’s relevant any longer, if it even works? And it’s possible it has run its course, that it functioned well only so long because in the end it created its own founding. (This is not the point of my OP). Sometimes it seems like everything we do and think about is like that. The end of history but not in the way we thought.

What I’m getting at is possibly ennui as a permanent state for us. What’s really new and exciting in our world? pulling down statues, calling each other names, consciously eroding established ideas about how things work, just destroying things out of frustration? How many new subjects can anyone think of for an OP? How many can bring fresh thinking to that OP. Everyone already has their position set, they have their arguments for and against from long experience, they resist the difference, the incoherent or plain weird.

Is the forum just a reflection of the world, that we’ve reached a sort of evolutionary point of weariness without any reason to struggle or make things new? Is there really nothing new to come, is it out there ahead of us or do we have to create it? And what should we create, something that excites us or something that serves us? Do we even know how to create anymore? Has all this questioning and arguing just reduced things to the state of boiled vegetables?

Maybe we need to let go a bit more. Let the weird have a day, drill into what they might be getting at, or give it a bump forward, up a notch so that it opens up the original enquiry to more nuanced and unexpected branches of thought. Maybe it’s okay if the OP goes off topic, maybe that’s a good thing. That’s Darwinian and you may not like it or agree with it, but that’s how things have worked so far. On the other hand you might say it’s brought us to this point I’m referring to.

Outlander

What’s really new and exciting in our world? — Brett

Certainly not anything you described. Been happening for a long, long time.

I don't think this question needs to be answered with much detail other than technology and vulnerabilities or in a way that contradicts my point the timeless race between invention and irrelevancy. Naturally theres way more. AI. Genetics. Jeez man. You could go to sleep one night and wake up living in the Odyssey at this point.

Is the forum just a reflection of the world, that we’ve reached a sort of evolutionary point of weariness without any reason to struggle or make things new? Is there really nothing new to come, is it out there ahead of us or do we have to create it? And what should we create, something that excites us or something that serves us? Do we even know how to create anymore? Has all this questioning and arguing just reduced things to the state of boiled vegetables? — Brett

Your perception of the users of a single philosophy forum (unfortunately?) does not equal a reflection of the the larger world. Do we really want anything new? The new things we have are constantly becoming more of a liability than an asset. We know how to produce what one would pay for. Unfortunately, that requiem yields a very low need for groundbreaking innovation.

Brett

↪Outlander

Been happening for a long, long time. — Outlander

What has?

Do we really want anything new? The new things we have are constantly becoming more of a liability than an asset. — Outlander

It’s interesting what you took to be “new”; things we produce. A materialist point of view. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s kind of limiting.

Outlander

What has? — Brett

Destruction, strife, etc. Through all the actualizations you mentioned.

We produce other items as well. You can pay for an idea in acknowledgement, admiration, and incorporation into ones daily life.

Brett

↪Outlander

Been happening for a long, long time. — Outlander

Doesn’t this almost sum up my post, a sort of fatalism that it’s all over. It reeks of ennui.

Wheatley

The OP’s that are coming up on the forum are often lazy in thought, incoherent or just lukewarm in content. — Brett

There are also threads that are very technical that only a select few forum members can understand. Does that bother you? I'm just curious. :smile:

Brett

↪Wheatley

There are also threads that are very technical that only a select few forum members can understand. Does that bother you? I'm just curious. :smile: — Wheatley

No it doesn’t bother me. That’s how they like to address questions. It is technical but it doesn’t appeal to me. They’re like a group in a dark room trying to turn lead into gold, or the masons; secret hand signals and words.

Wheatley

↪Brett

I bothers me a bit, but I know it's my problem not theirs.

The most annoying threads, in my opinion, are those that never come to any conclusion and go on indefinitely.

Brett

↪Wheatley

The most annoying threads, in my opinion, are those that never come to any conclusion and go on indefinitely. — Wheatley

Which is my point. It’s because they have nothing new to say, but they crush some new OP that doesn’t make sense or is worded badly. I understand the demands for clarity, etc. But my OP isn’t just about
the forum, it’s actually looking for a new, stimulating subject or conversation. Chose a word and begin, be artists, be human and get your hands dirty.

Wheatley

Is the forum just a reflection of the world, that we’ve reached a sort of evolutionary point of weariness without any reason to struggle or make things new? Is there really nothing new to come, is it out there ahead of us or do we have to create it? And what should we create, something that excites us or something that serves us? Do we even know how to create anymore? Has all this questioning and arguing just reduced things to the state of boiled vegetables? — Brett

You want to the forum and the world to be a bit less dull and boring and more exciting and innovative? I feel you.

praxis

It reeks of ennui. — Brett

I’d wager there have been people say this throughout history.

Brett

↪Wheatley

“We the people...”

That’s a pretty amazing document, conceived and written from scratch.

Brett

↪praxis

I’d wager there have been people say this throughout history. — praxis

Yes for many, but not all, not those that made a difference.

Wheatley

Which is my point. It’s because they have nothing new to say, but they crush some new OP that doesn’t make sense or is worded badly. I understand the demands for clarity, etc. — Brett

I put the blame on all the cranky users. (There are a lot of them here unfortunately.)

But my OP isn’t just about
the forum, it’s actually looking for a new, stimulating subject or conversation. Chose a words and begin, be artists, be human and get your hands dirty. — Brett

I think it's because we've become more risk adverse. Everyone seems to be afraid to fail. I wonder why?

praxis

↪Brett

So, you don’t expect to make a difference?

Wheatley

↪Brett

Yeah, it was pretty revolutionary (no pun intended!)

Brett

↪praxis

So, you don’t expect to make a difference? — praxis

Mmmm, I feel a trick question coming up.

Do I expect to make a difference? I expect myself to face up to the ennui.

Brett

↪Wheatley

I think it's because we've become more risk adverse. Everyone seems to be afraid to fail. I wonder why? — Wheatley

Good point. Why do you think?

Edit: and what is failure?

Wheatley

↪Brett

There are huge consequences of failing. You're called names, you get excluded from discussions with all the popular users. Those are just from the top of my head.

Brett

↪Wheatley

I put the blame all the cranky users here. (There are a lot of them here unfortunately.) — Wheatley

Old dogs with no teeth.

Wheatley

↪Brett

I do the best to avoid them. :wink:

Brett

↪Wheatley

There are huge consequences of failing. You're called names, you get excluded from discussions with all the popular users. Those are just from the top of my head. — Wheatley

That’s true. But it’s nothing really, we all know that, even if we can’t live it.

Approval; it’s all part of the rules game. That’s why I ask if this forum reflects the world.

Wheatley

↪Brett

It takes a lot of guts to rebel against the old guard.

Brett

↪Wheatley

I do the best to avoid them. :wink: — Wheatley

Just get a bigger stick.

Wheatley

↪Brett

I got learn my insults to survive here. I did my research by watching the Angry Grandpa Show on YouTube. :rofl:

Brett

↪Wheatley

Here’s a question then; do elders have anything to give us in the world we now live in?

Wheatley

↪Brett

They've got life experience and money. That's about it. :lol:

DingoJones

↪Brett

No forum anywhere represents the world. The internet is a cesspool that attracts the absolute worst people this side of murderers and rapists. What happens in this forum or any other is hopelessly skewed. This site tries to keep the trash out with some higher standards. You want more wide open gates, but as far as I can tell diversity of discussion isnt the mandate, quality is.

Outlander

↪Brett

That what's all over? Innovation, invention, that "human spirit of ingenuity"?

You can Google (I am unable to list them at present) all the jobs that people once held central to society that no longer exist. The exact same feeling you're describing came and went. Each during a period of absolute unheard of progress and innovation.

I was told once every idea has already been thought of and any unique variation is exactly that- a variation. It's like watching a remake of an old movie. Yeah it's usually terrible. But not always. Especially without a reference point.

Pfhorrest

No it doesn’t bother me. That’s how they like to address questions. It is technical but it doesn’t appeal to me. They’re like a group in a dark room trying to turn lead into gold, or the masons; secret hand signals and words. — Brett

I think this is probably why you're missing out on what's new. The exciting advances in science and technology also come from a bunch of people behind closed doors doing what looks to outsiders like incomprehensible magic or nonsense, but then a few decades of that later and I can pull up a live high-resolution view of the entire Earth, as seen from a permanently inhabited spacestation, off a tiny device in my pocket, from almost anywhere. And then talk to it to have someone bring a fully cooked pizza to my house in minutes.

The most interesting discussions that I find here are those technical ones that I can understand, or the "stupider" ones that have participants (or at least onlookers) who I can help bring closer to understanding the technical stuff.

I also have constant hope that maybe I will be one of those lucky people whom someone else can bring closer to understanding technical stuff that's still over my head, but so far that hasn't happened here yet.

Brett

↪DingoJones

You want more wide open gates, but as far as I can tell diversity of discussion isnt the mandate, quality is. — DingoJones

Yes, that’s part of my OP. But it reminds me of that saying; The operation was a success but the patient died.

Is the forum a reflection of the world?

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