The Shred Room II (with extra youth)

HughesJB4 wrote: MovingPictures07 wrote: My parents don't drink either, though they have in moderation over the years. Lol contradiction.

No, it's not.

They don't CURRENTLY drink and have not for a decade or two, though before that all throughout the years they had in moderation.

MovingPictures07 wrote: Mikerinos wrote: MovingPictures07 wrote: James wrote: Be a rebel, Alex. Eat pizza, get drunk and smoke a joint. You'll feel better afterwards. I love pizza. I won't drink or smoke though. Don't see motivation in it. It's funny you say I should be a rebel though... aren't I being more of a rebel now? I think it's silly to judge something before researching and trying it.  Well, to an extent of course, something habit forming, dangerous, and expensive like cocaine I would never try (but I researched it).  Alcohol can be good in certain situations, same with marijuana, but moderation and self-awareness is the key.  Drinking wine or beer and smoking marijuana on occasion might even be beneficial for one's self - psychologically or physically. I don't consider myself rebellious.  I just prefer my own personal moral code to the enforced one.  I have never had trouble with cops or anything, since I play it smart.  Breaking traffic laws is pretty stupid, as there is no reason to do it (besides impatience), and it can be hazardous - plus I prefer driving carefully and listening to music if I can. Unless I see direct motivation to do something under my values and rationality, then I won't do it.

Strict rationality is flawed because people are flawed.  Life is more about experiences, emotions, and enlightenment as opposed to rationality.  It is good to draw information from experiences and use that to judge future behavior, but over-thinking, for me at least, has always been bad.  Maybe I was an "ex-rationalist" or something, or at least someone whose mind felt like it was on speed all the time (probably a lot of people here can relate), but I've learned that thinking too seriously leads to an over-projection of one's own reality.  Maybe the most important thing I've discovered in the last few years is that most everyone is too absorbed into their own reality to realize how subjective and easily-altered it can be.  To an extent, in this modern age of information, you can program your mind.  It has a negative, Brave New World-esque, side that I don't feel like talking about, but realizing this self-programing potential is the closest metaphor to enlightenment I know of.

This doesn't really counteract an "objective" world.  I don't know how I feel about that, I think it exists in a sense that I could never fully grasp, like a deity almost (the idea of a deity having a gender or any human characteristics almost proves the point of reality projection - if god(s) exist, I think transcend any possible trait that people can grasp).  I'm just saying people can choose how the see this "objective" world.

Anyway, I forget where I was going with this, it's late.  I don't feel like re-reading and I dunno if it even makes sense.  But the point is, don't take your reality too seriously.  I think the meaning of life is to define your own meaning of life, and pursue that.  People saying "oh the meaning of like is to be successful" demonstrates how people project their beliefs (being successful) to reality (the meaning of life).

James wrote: My eldest brother doesn't drink or smoke. My parents don't smoke at all and never have. My middle brother drinks and has tried weed. I'd much prefer you to smoke (I mean the hard stuff) than drink, Alex.  Alcohol can make people violent and all sorts.

Why do you care what I do?

Yey, there was a beer in the fridge already.

MovingPictures07 wrote: James wrote: My eldest brother doesn't drink or smoke. My parents don't smoke at all and never have. My middle brother drinks and has tried weed. I'd much prefer you to smoke (I mean the hard stuff) than drink, Alex.  Alcohol can make people violent and all sorts. Why do you care what I do?

Because I see potential in you getting places and I feel currently that you're not ready for the real world yet.  You need to live more first before going places.

I don't want you to go places and then get choked up in it all and have a breakdown or anything.  I want you to try and relax and not stress yourself out.

James wrote: Because I see potential in you getting places and I feel currently that you're not ready for the real world yet.  You need to live more first before going places. I don't want you to go places and then get choked up in it all and have a breakdown or anything.  I want you to try and relax and not stress yourself out.

James wrote: MovingPictures07 wrote: James wrote: My eldest brother doesn't drink or smoke. My parents don't smoke at all and never have. My middle brother drinks and has tried weed. I'd much prefer you to smoke (I mean the hard stuff) than drink, Alex.  Alcohol can make people violent and all sorts. Why do you care what I do? Because I see potential in you getting places and I feel currently that you're not ready for the real world yet.  You need to live more first before going places. I don't want you to go places and then get choked up in it all and have a breakdown or anything.  I want you to try and relax and not stress yourself out.

Oh, I'll be fine.

If I ever get stressed, I just listen to music.

Mikerinos wrote: HughesJB4 wrote: MovingPictures07 wrote: HughesJB4 wrote: We killed Pat's enjoyment of the Shredroom by having to do this excess "I AM A PHILSOPHICAL GENIUS" stuff again. That's why we should just drink beer, eat pizza and chill the f**k out. What the hell are you talking about? I'm only stating my personal preferences. You can't seem to tell Pat does not give a flying f**k about these conversations and would just rather have a chilled out one instead of these rants on rationality? It gets on his nerves dude, you have to accept that. Let him speak for himself, unless he's using telepathy. :P

That's true too; we don't even know if that's why he left.

James wrote: MovingPictures07 wrote: HughesJB4 wrote: MovingPictures07 wrote: HughesJB4 wrote: We killed Pat's enjoyment of the Shredroom by having to do this excess "I AM A PHILSOPHICAL GENIUS" stuff again. That's why we should just drink beer, eat pizza and chill the f**k out. What the hell are you talking about? I'm only stating my personal preferences. You can't seem to tell Pat does not give a flying f**k about these conversations and would just rather have a chilled out one instead of these rants on rationality? It gets on his nerves dude, you have to accept that. You can't seem to tell that I hate being told what to do and insisted upon it that I'm not being true to my words. Sorry to be oafish about this and mean no offence but when someone tells you to play Henry Cow, you usually do.

The difference there is that I'm asking "What should I listen to?", wherein I want your opinion.

Plus, in the end, I'll only listen to Henry Cow if I truly want to. Doesn't matter if anyone else tells me to or not.

Besides, I'm not telling you to do anything.

I'm just recommending.


Edited by James - January 11 2009 at 23:00