Being irrational

The problem is, nine times out of ten, statistics are made up. No, that isn't the real problem; nine times out of ten, we don't look properly at a situation, we make a snap judgment based off of the little information we have, and work from there. Sometimes it's helpful; in a snap judgment, we can actually glean a lot more than weeks of rigorous analysis would've got us. But usually, it results in stereotyping, and prejudice often in its most subtle form. I'm here not to ask is being irrational bad, I'm here to ask if it's acceptable.

Leonidas on Religion (Pt. VI) - Fear of religion

It's my as yet unverified belief that in every debate there is a subtler debate that goes on in the mind, sometimes subconsciously, and that is of all the things that we would rather not admit in a debate to make us lose face, or to make the other side more credible. At least, that summarises my own experience, so I naturally theorise that other people are similar. And here is the subtext that I don't let on to very many people: I fear religion.

The mystery of FWYNW

It's a real strange thing, FWYNW, a phenomenon that only makes you marvel at the disingenuousness of large businesses who can't be bothered to pay any attention to the finer details of their product because it's so popular that people will still use it anyway. What is FWYNW? It is this.

FACEYBOOK. WAI YU NO WORKEY?!!?!

The hopes and dreams of a child

One reason why I'm such a pessimist is self-fulfilling. I make plans, don't stick to them, distrust my ability to make plans, then don't bother. Or I make plans, they don't work out... same result. But the thing I have to take into consideration is: I'm 15 years old. Those plans probably won't work out because, let's face it, I'm a fucking teenager and have little mobility.

Politeness

A friend of mine, I'm not going to say who - they may or may not read this post anyway - is not exactly the politest person in the world. They are usually more concerned with their own affairs than that of my own; rarely after me saying what I am doing do they ask any further questions or pretend to have any interest. Sometimes this annoys me, and then at other times, it occurs to me - why am I annoyed? Why does it irritate me that someone isn't lying/pretending?

Leonidas on Religion (Pt. V) - Rationalisations

I was talking about this with a very close and amazing friend of mine just yesterday, and now that I think about it, I'm surprised I haven't talked about it much before. This is the topic of religious rationalisations, and I think it's one we all need to pay a bit more attention. Especially Google Chrome, as it's telling me I spelled it wrong...

Leonidas on Religion (Pt. IV) - "Laissez-faire" to religious security blankets?

When some people are feeling shit, they turn to a friend, or a parent. Some seek solace in a psychiatrist (gotta love amazing alliteration.) Others use meditation, medicine, or things that branch out into all kinds of bizarre alternative medicine. Yet others still turn to a god. Usually this bothers me, but I'm starting to wonder: should it?

When it comes to real-life arguments

If you talked to me about something like religion, or perhaps philosophy, or LGBT, or ethics, or some issues like that, I could probably have a discussion with you for a while on it. If you were arguing against something I am for or vice versa, I'd probably be able to have a cogent debate with you for a while on the matter. But that's in text, on screen, where I have the luxury of time and the internet at my disposal. When it comes to real-life arguments, I find it so much harder.

Update - No, I haven't died.

Just been slightly inactive, is all. The reason I didn't write anything last weekend was because frankly, it was a shit weekend, I felt so bored and crap and tired et al. that I didn't really have the energy to write. And then the reason I didn't post anything til the next posting day is because I was simply completely dried up on ideas for things to talk about. So basically, I'll be writing as soon as I've something to write ;).

Obfuscation for the sake of simplification

 It's the strangest thing. Anyone who's ever tried to read law, to name just one academic subject, will realise just how impossibly, ineffably dense it is, and how little sense it makes. The same is probably true of a newcomer to linguistics texts or mechanics/engineering texts or sociology texts, and so on and so forth. But the point is, they're so complicated. Just why is that?