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RE: When Concerning Steemit, I've Come To Realize ... I'm Too Old For This

in #philosophy8 years ago

Not sure why you care so much about what other people think, but okay.

sports, guns, hunting, cars

I was a college level pole vaulter and have since lost interest in sports. They wreck your body and, in many ways, are just a hold-over from more primitive times. That's my opinion and why I've had a steady decrease in interest in anything related to sports.

Guns are an interesting one. I like blowing stuff up as much as the next guy, but I also rationally consider how nuanced the topic is. Homes with guns have higher rates of accidental shootings. Stats on guns are manipulated every which way imaginable and the NRA seems to be one of the worst offenders, even lobbying to prevent useful studies on guns. I'd personally love to see more people talk about this stuff intelligently.

Hunting: haven't done it myself, but I have friends who have and wouldn't mind seeing more how to's on the subject. That said, it wouldn't surprise me if in the future when we can grow our own meat in a test-tube to consider harming other conscious beings as immoral and barbaric.

Cars are great, but the muscle cars of old are becoming status symbols for pollution and destroying the environment. Testla's are pretty bad ass, but few talk about the impact of their batteries on the environment. I've got no problem with cars, but it wouldn't surprise me if in the not-to-distant future we don't even own cars anymore, we just ride share autonomous vehicles.

What you might consider "kids these days" others might consider growing up and becoming more connected with the actual reality of the world around us. Some things which mattered before may not matter now. Other new things might really be important.

I'm not a fan of the rage quit because it seems... weak. Like someone got the best of you and now you can't hang. I'd rather it be about you and not about others. What expectations do you have of Steemit which aren't being met anymore? Either way, if you ever contributed something of value to Steemit (which I think you did, though not agreeing with all of it), the opportunity for that to happen again in the future is now lost. And that, to me, is a damn shame.

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I came to the "hidden" section because of my moral certainty that you would be here in full on van driessen mode. I was not disappointed.

Upvoted for "college level pole vaulting". I literally shot soda out my nose when i read that.

Homes with guns have higher rates of accidental shootings.

Yeah - it's hard to accidentally shoot something/someone when there's no gun around. In other news: Water is wet.

in many ways, are just a hold-over from more primitive times.

What times would those be? When you're a child and you say to a friend or sibling, "I'll race you to that tree!" That kind of "primitive?" What is it about baseball or golf that makes it primitive? The competition? All of the various rules, techniques, and equipment? Just curious. I see this argument made a lot and have yet to see any rational explanation.

That said, it wouldn't surprise me if in the future when we can grow our own meat in a test-tube to consider harming other conscious beings as immoral and barbaric.

Yeah, but how would we shame people for not being vegan animal rights activists once that happens?

Looking forward to an awesome conversation! We're all awesome. You're awesome, I'm awesome - everybody is awesome! (Just ask @lifeisawesome. You can find his sock puppet über positivity on the trending page!)

In other news: Water is wet.

Calculate the statistics where you live of violent home invasion and the percentage of times a gun owner reacts fast enough to prevent a crime. Compare that percentage to those of accidental injury. Which is higher? What you seem to be making fun of is a pretty rational approach to keeping your family safe. How many people actually bother to run these calculations?

What times would those be

I was referring mostly to the olympic games which related to tribalism/nationalism and warrior training. I have no problems with competition or sports. I also have a 37 year old body which feels much older and has experienced a broken ankle, sprained ankles, dislocated shoulder, slipped disk, torn ab muscle, and broken pedicle bone in my back (all from pole vaulting... I also have two plates and eleven screws in my left arm from a different sport). Few people do sports at a collegiate or professional level to understand the damage it does to the human body. Celebrating that is, to me, a bit primitive and also contributes to the mindlessness of the mass. It's the modern version of bread and circuses. I'm not knocking anyone who enjoys sports. I'm explaining why I no longer do as much as I used to.

shame people for not being vegan animal rights

I tire of false dichotomies. Unless you're a Janist sweeping at your feet to avoid killing a bug, we all mostly recognize how differences in consciousness impact our moral thinking in terms of causing harm to other living beings. Most kill bugs but won't beat a dog. It's not a simplistic black or white issue. The level of consciousness a living being has and their ability to feel pain should influence our actions toward them. You don't have to be a vegan activist to understand morality at this level. BTW, I love me a good steak and eat them often. I would also prefer to enjoy that same meal without harming other conscious beings in order to be more consistent with my ethical philosophy.

You can find his sock puppet über positivity on the trending page!

Sock puppet accounts being rewarded are certainly a problem. The @msgivings account was exposed here. Maybe this one will be also. This is a problem, for sure, but if people are voting for those posts (beyond just the whales), then it means they value the content. I don't feel the need to waste to much energy complaining about what others are getting away with. As people exploit weaknesses in the system, the system can evolve and improve. Right now, Steemit has little actual competition. That will change in the future and it will be forced to evolve and adapt or it will be passed up by other blockchain solutions.