TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
No bio...
User ID: 616
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
12hr ago
For the record I also grew up reading constantly all the time, to the point I got in trouble at school and home for it. You aren’t alone!!
TheDag
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2d ago
People perceive Biden as old in politics because he's been in politics so long, where Trump (while in the public consciousness longer) only entered politics in earnest in 2016.
Interesting take. I think a big part of why people perceive Biden as old is that he acts old whereas Trump has a lot more energy and generally is more present.
Then again I do struggle to model the normie political person so eh.
Part of me wonders though if there's a sort of psychological need in most people to feel a connection to a sort of wise, guiding elder, given that that role in our society has pretty much gone kaput. I do think we need wise older people to give the young guidance, but unfortunately our elders have either shat the bed, or just haven't been able to keep up with the extremely rapid pace of change. Probably a bit of both.
TheDag
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2d ago
Yeah this is where I heard it to. And yeah not very actionable sadly.
TheDag
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2d ago
Yeah I’m actually more on the psychosomatic pain train myself. It’s a sort of terrifying prospect when you consider just how wrong our understanding of pain is.
TheDag
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3d ago
Well I'd be happy to talk to you about it, given that I've suffered from this sort of thing for a while and don't see myself as having any of those traits. Of course I may be wrong.
That being said, you really think over 25% of the U.S. population has those characteristics? And even if they did, why would this still not be a problem?
TheDag
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3d ago
I'd say between 1995 - 2005. Just based on vibes. Seems that identity casting starting ramping up mid 2000s and has gone off the rails since then.
TheDag
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3d ago
Cigarette smoking, by and large, does not do shit. The vast majority of smokers will not develop lung cancer; cigarettes are not some sort of existential threat whose danger anyone needs to fear.
what are the stats on this? Im' curious...
EDIT: looked it up, and wow yeah it's a 7.7% chance if you smoke 1-5 cigarettes a day. That's WAY lower than I'd imagined, and maybe the stats there are even cooked since anti cigarette is now the culturally accepted stance.
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
3d ago
What do Mottizens think of the CIRS research aka the hypothesis that fungus and mold in poorly built buildings causes a lot of chronic pain, depression, and other issues?
https://www.vc4hw.com/chronic-inflammatory-response-syndrome-cirs.html
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
7d ago
Let's talk the French Revolution.
There's been much hay made in the more intellectual online right talking about how young, pretty women make culture. Funnily enough I found a reference to this in a book about the French Revolution, Revolutionary Ideas: An Intellectual History of the French Revolution from The Rights of Man to Robespierre by Jonathan Israel.
Among the best-known antiphilosophes, the ex-Jesuit Luxembourgois, François-Xavier de Feller (1735–1802), dubbed this world conspiracy, as he saw it, “l’empire du philosophisme.” Philosophisme, he explained, was a mighty construct begun in the 1740s by a group of extraordinary writers who managed to impress sections of all classes with their wit and sarcasm, devising a whole new language and way of thinking, and by cunning dexterity and obscure use of terms made their ruinous ideas seem “sublime” to many. The “conspiracy” commenced with Diderot, who turned the Encyclopédie into an engine of subversion and impiety.
All the chief conspirators were, like Diderot and d’Alembert, atheistic “parasites” who lounged in cafés, insinuating, flattering, and mocking their way to domination of the salons and academies, and who eventually conquered positions of great power. Among their chief weapons, suggested Feller, was their appeal to women, especially young, pretty women susceptible to fine phrases, elegant turns of speech, witticisms, and subtle and less-than-subtle erotic suggestion. p. 45-46
It seems that even almost three centuries ago, the trope of 'witty and verbally savvy atheist convinces hot young ladies' was already in full force. And indeed, at least according to Israel, this capturing of culture by Enlightenment thinkers was the primary cause of all the revolutions, including the French Revolution. While it's stylish nowadays to argue for economic or social causes, like the infamous Boston Tea Party in the American Revolution, Israel argues that instead it really was the philosophically abstract notions of Enlightenment ideals that were the 'motor and sustaining force' of these revolutions.
Lots of modern right wingers seem to bemoan the fact that women having the right to vote or divorce or whatever has led to the downfall of society, yet it seems that even before all that young women tended to drive culture.
I wonder how much of our political and social history really just boils down to whoever wins the opinions of young, attractive women wins the Culture War?
TheDag
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3mo ago
Check out Jordan Peterson's lectures if you haven't already. He helped me learn to accept religion from a sort of symbological point of view. Worth a shot.
TheDag
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3mo ago
Have you looked into John Vervaeke's series Awakening from the Meaning Crisis? He goes in depth into outlining the problem, and possible solutions. Although the latter half where he gets all into psychological concepts is skippable for sure.
Long story short - you have to have a lot of things to find purpose. You need a community, people around you that care about you and know you and will help you improve towards your purpose. You need some psychotechnology like prayer, meditation, et cetera to keep your mind focused. You also need to work on getting into the flow state, et cetera.
Idk man, it's not easy. I've been trying to find something like this myself, and it's a tough road but there are bright spots. Progress is possible.
One way to find purpose is to look at your life, and figure out where you've been hurt by other people or the world. What problems exist that made life harder for you? Then try to work on fixing those, to help others in the future who may be in your same situation. Just a thought.
Another thought would be to read great literature, like Dostoyevsky or Paradise Lost or Faust or whatever. Just check out some of the all time great works in the Western canon. A lot of them have themes around purpose and meaning in life, how to deal with it's loss and how to find it again.
Wishing you luck brother.
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
3mo ago
Yeah I didn't like the strange turn towards Gnosticism at the end, also thought it was kind of abrupt and didn't make much sense. Oh well. The first parts were solid.
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
3mo ago
Hey, I very much appreciate the vulnerability and opennes with which you're sharing man. It seems like for a certain type of person, you and me and a sad handful of others, these deep religious and philosophical struggles are really brutal. I get so fucking jealous of normal people who seem to be able to just kind of shrug at deep religious quandries and get on with their lives.
I've also got a huge helping of chronic pain which plagues me daily, a big part of my conversion. I can relate to feeling suicidal and feeling like Christ is the only choice I can make and keep on living. It's not a great place to be, but at least we have Him I guess. Better than having nothing.
Honestly your story kind of terrifies me. I really hope I don't end up in the post-Christian space like you are, because while I'm struggling enough at my current point I could probably see myself going to your situation and dang that sounds even worse. Hope you figure something out buddy. Maybe we should do a phone call or something if you want to PM me. We could at least commiserate.
In terms of reason in Eastern Orthodoxy versus Catholicism, man, most Christians aren't clear thinkers at all. It seems like Catholicism versus Orthodoxy versus Protestantism or whatever is all a sham from the Evil One to confuse us. I just go to the services that speak the most for me and try my best to be pious. I do think the EO has the best claim to be the true church, but hell if Catholicism speaks to you I like to think God would be more pleased if you were a practicing Catholic than a total apostate. Anyway.
This is pretty far from the CW thread lmao, but hopefully if any lurkers are in the same boat they can read our struggles and get a sense of solidarity, and realize that they aren't walking the path alone. I get the sense that a lot of young men struggling with purposelessness in a secularized world are walking alongside us. That thought gives me hope that even if we don't figure it out, we can maybe pave the way a bit and help make progress for our children, or posterity.
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
3mo ago
the scientific idea of there being something ‘beyond’ science seems to be such a taboo idea that you can even do race science and get by, but if you posit something like ‘maybe remote viewing is a thing?’ you immediately get anathematized. This is despite the fact that most humans in history have had a deeply-held belief that the material reality we experience is not all-there-is, and many many many people in the past (and today) have had direct experiences not explainable by our current models of empirical reality or even our current ideations of psychological conditioning (e.g.UFO encounters by nuke-launchers).
Yep, this comes down to the fact that while moderns like to believe we are free of myths and superstitions of the past, instead we believe in scientific materialism and constant progress as our societal myths. Now many argue that these myths are fundamentally different from those of our ancestors, and they're right of course. But they're still beliefs based on social consensus and assumption rather than deep thought and 'objectivity' like the vast majority presume.
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
3mo ago
Pretense, decorum, expected behavior; these are arbitrary and often worthless. Note often, not worthless for being arbitrary, worthless where they only exist to delineate class. Talk more properly, dress more properly, behave more properly, again I ask whose fucking properness?
To look at this point a bit, these things are absolutely not arbitrary and worthless. Manners, expected behavior, et cetera are highly refined social technologies that teach people how to socialize in expected manners and not have to figure it all out on their own.
To your examples about leaders dropping decorum, there's a difference between an in control man dropping decorum occasionally for emphasis, and destroying decorum entirely as a concept. Also, mass manipulation of public opinion via inauthentic markers of 'realness' is not a good development, in my personal opinion.
Part of the breakdown we're seeing in community and romantic relationships comes from this attitude of destruction towards all social convention, which rap absolutely pushes as you admit. On a higher level, I think many people on the right dislike rap because it is explicitly about tearing down these old Western ideals and virtues, which you seem to see as a good thing if it's clever and sounds cool.
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
3mo ago
What are some of the best philosophers to check out or books to read in your view? I'm certainly open to reading more anti-materialist arguments.
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
3mo ago
Thanks for the tag! For what it's worth, I wrote about my conversion experience below, and this was another factor that helped me along the way. I have had many various ideologies I've tried to pin my identity to throughout the years, from communism to anarchy to libertarianism to effective altruism. Ultimately I've found that Christianity has been far more 'stable' for me, in part because it's transcendental, and in part because there is plenty of room for doubt and even periods of lack of belief while still being welcomed back such as with the parable of the prodigal son.
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
3mo ago
I don't know what's true, I'm just curious to find out. I think it's a question worth exploring more.
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
3mo ago
Yeah for sure. I get why people don’t talk about conversion experience in modern society, but it is helpful to read them.
Basically I was very into a sort of Westernized Buddhism for a long time, but then had some tough times in my life that led me to a crisis of faith. I slowly approached the Christian church more out of desperation than anything, if I’m being honest. As I started going my perspective on a lot of things shifted. I read the Bible for the first time, started taking Christian thinkers and themes in media more seriously and seeing a vast depth of wisdom there I had missed. Kind of unprompted I had some let’s say convincing experiences both sober and then on a psychedelic trip that made me consider seriously the whole Christ as God thing.
I also had virtuous Christians come into my life, or realized folks I already knew and respected were deeply religious.
From there I tried out the Orthodox Liturgy and had a super intense emotional reaction, I actually started crying in the service. It was quite embarrassing and a part of me hated it. I mean honestly this whole process has been difficult internally, I find materialism and atheism a difficult mindset to shed which is why part of why I write about it on here occasionally.
Anyway all this happened, I started praying and got more ‘confirmation’ so to speak. For me my experience was kind of seeing visions of the Cross or hearing the voice of God, but it’s all pretty messy and confusing when it comes to that sort of thing. I’d rather not go into the gory personal details.
It wasn’t an all at one experience it was more a collection of coincidences and shifts in mindset, combined with persistent direct experiential signs that slowly convinced me. My conversion has not been an easy or easy even willing one to be quite frank, and I’d imagine most conversions from atheism to religious belief are far more messy than typically presented.
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
3mo ago
Hah yeah that was pretty crappy of me, I apologize. I care very deeply about the topic and it’s easy to let emotions cloud your judgment.
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
3mo ago
Yeah this is a tough one to crack. Official dogma of the Orthodox Church is that the fate of non believers is a mystery, essentially. I tend to be humble on that myself. I agree that positing one God over another is murky water.
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
3mo ago
Hmm very interesting points you’re raising here. I’ll have to think more about all of this.
My intuition is that we can move forward and take the best of post enlightenment rationalism but somehow remythologize it. I’ll admit that has tension with the belief in one dominant religious structure as you’ve pointed out elsewhere.
In terms of what prayer changes - it’s mysterious my dude that’s all I got for you at the moment. It also changes the way people feel and the way they see the church though, so internal experience at the least.
TheDag
Per Aspera ad Astra
3mo ago
We're not people who just haven't tried to believe. We've heard that same condescension for years. If you truly want to inspire people to change, you might want to try a different tack.
Hey, this is a fair point. I suppose my thought is that I was raised 'Christian' yet I never really prayed, or took it seriously at all. I'm sure other people had a very different experience.
Overall I personally believe modern Christianity, especially in the West, has basically totally lost the plot. I don't have all the answers as to why there are multiple religions or anything, I'll be honest. But my personal experience has convinced me to believe in the Christian God, to answer your question.
Hah I’ve done the same…
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