Gary's Corner

[Age]

Life is a struggle of futility
it's lonely and unforgiving

To you maybe, but for 'us' 'Life' is certainly not those things at all.

Would you like 'us' to pity 'you' because 'you' have chosen to view ’Life' in 'that way'?

but it's still worth living
because the only acceptable alternative
is to never have lived
and that is no longer a possibility

When you say and write, 'acceptable alternative', do you mean 'to you', 'to some', or 'to all'?

[Age]

I'm at odds with God
and I know it's a sin
because God always wins
when fighting poor little slobs

Why did 'you' feel the need to add on more of 'your self-pitying'?

Again, would 'you' like 'us' to pity 'you', because 'you' have, again, chosen to view "yourself" in a particular way, which all of 'us' do not?

[Age]

Bro, i already explained this once. How we mortals have something greater than anything a God can have... and that's the capacity to defy and refuse, to stand our ground, to say "No I will not!" even in the face of total ruin.

A God can not do this because there is nothing greater than it. There is nothing to defy. And this God can have no pride in anything because he can not struggle.

So he may indeed feel his sadistic pleasure when he torments you in life and burns you in death, but he'll never know what it's like to look a monster in the eye, plant a foot in the dirt and shout moments before it destroys you: "Fuck you. I ain't doing it."

'This', here, is a pretty 'out there' claim.

[Age]

Bro, i already explained this once. How we mortals have something greater than anything a God can have... and that's the capacity to defy and refuse, to stand our ground, to say "No I will not!" even in the face of total ruin.

A God can not do this because there is nothing greater than it. There is nothing to defy. And this God can have no pride in anything because he can not struggle.

So he may indeed feel his sadistic pleasure when he torments you in life and burns you in death, but he'll never know what it's like to look a monster in the eye, plant a foot in the dirt and shout moments before it destroys you: "Fuck you. I ain't doing it."

Nah, God has it so much more difficult than the rest of us. You know, not always being adored and worshiped by everyone. It's a tough job but some deity has to step up to the plate and run Hell, or sort out the bodies after a senseless war.

If you ask me (which few do) a world created by a God sure looks and behaves a lot like a meaningless, unjust, and purposeless dungeon. How strange is that?

How many times do you have to be informed "Gary childress" that the 'only thing' that creates 'the world', in which you are referring to, here, is you adult human beings.

Absolutely nothing else does, okay "gary childress"?

Or, are you going to 'try to' claim that things like buildings, transportation, mines, factories, pollution, prisons, and war zones, for example, were created by God also, and not by you adult human beings, as well?

[Gary Childress]

So, to you, do I accept shared responsibility for all of the 'problems' in the world, or, do I just blame all of you adult human beings, only, for all the problems in the world?

If you truly believe that you "share responsibility" for the world's problems, then I think you should use the word "we" when you say "adult human beings are to blame". Can you clarify why you don't use the word "we" when you say "adult human beings are to blame"?

[Age]

So, to you, do I accept shared responsibility for all of the 'problems' in the world, or, do I just blame all of you adult human beings, only, for all the problems in the world?

If you truly believe that you "share responsibility" for the world's problems, then I think you should use the word "we" when you say "adult human beings are to blame". Can you clarify why you don't use the word "we" when you say "adult human beings are to blame"?

Yes.

[Gary Childress]

So, to you, do I accept shared responsibility for all of the 'problems' in the world, or, do I just blame all of you adult human beings, only, for all the problems in the world?

If you truly believe that you "share responsibility" for the world's problems, then I think you should use the word "we" when you say "adult human beings are to blame". Can you clarify why you don't use the word "we" when you say "adult human beings are to blame"?

Yes.

Why don't you use the word "we" when you say "adult human beings are to blame"?

[Gary Childress]

Bro, i already explained this once. How we mortals have something greater than anything a God can have... and that's the capacity to defy and refuse, to stand our ground, to say "No I will not!" even in the face of total ruin.

A God can not do this because there is nothing greater than it. There is nothing to defy. And this God can have no pride in anything because he can not struggle.

So he may indeed feel his sadistic pleasure when he torments you in life and burns you in death, but he'll never know what it's like to look a monster in the eye, plant a foot in the dirt and shout moments before it destroys you: "Fuck you. I ain't doing it."

Nah, God has it so much more difficult than the rest of us. You know, not always being adored and worshiped by everyone. It's a tough job but some deity has to step up to the plate and run Hell, or sort out the bodies after a senseless war.

If you ask me (which few do) a world created by a God sure looks and behaves a lot like a meaningless, unjust, and purposeless dungeon. How strange is that?

How many times do you have to be informed "Gary childress" that the 'only thing' that creates 'the world', in which you are referring to, here, is you adult human beings.

Absolutely nothing else does, okay "gary childress"?

Or, are you going to 'try to' claim that things like buildings, transportation, mines, factories, pollution, prisons, and war zones, for example, were created by God also, and not by you adult human beings, as well?

We make the best of the world that can. We all do. God designed the way the world works, not us. Or if there is no God then there is no one responsible for how the world works. People aren't evil on purpose. Evil happens when situations arise that cannot be resolved peacefully. Everything we do is done because we think it will make the world better in some way. But nothing we do is purely beneficial to everyone. That's the way reality is. Humans do not create reality. Reality happens independently of human desire.

For example, burning oil is necessary for survival. If humans had created the world we would choose oil to be universally beneficial. But it is not. And there is no viable alternative at the moment to burning oil. It is the way the universe is. We can do our best to mitigate disaster but we cannot 100% stop it at this moment in time. It is realistically impossible. If the world was created by something called "God" then it is God's doing that we are, as individuals, unable to save ourselves from disaster, if there are no clear solutions.

[amity_blu]

I think I'm going to put on a dunce cap and assign myself a corner. My corner will be this thread. I don't think I can competently participate anywhere else on the forum. Such is life.

Such is life?

Life is pretending to be a 'dunce', hiding away in a corner under the cover of 'Philosophical Counselling'?

How is this helpful in becoming a 'competent participant'?
What does it mean to be 'competent' in a philosophy forum?

It seems a tidy niche to self express. An outpouring of thoughts, about what? Gary's life?
That's fine, I suppose, might even be therapeutic. Good luck with that. The self-indulgent bubble or babble.

I'm not sure why any previous participation has led you to the OP conclusions.
I don't know your philo background or interests.
Forgive me if I make false assumptions. I am open to correction.

Why are you here? Do you subscribe to the magazine Philosophy Now?
Philosophy Now - for discussion of all things philosophical, especially the magazine articles.

Have you ever written a philosophy article? Or any short piece of philosophy writing for publication?

If anyone can read and reflect on an article, and can articulate thoughts, what stops them from discussing or participating in the forum?

I doubt you really consider yourself to be incompetent as a participant. The OP is to gain attention. Listen up!
Do you ever listen carefully to what and how others respond? How many pages do you intend to write?

[Gary Childress]

I doubt you really consider yourself to be incompetent as a participant. The OP is to gain attention. Listen up!
Do you ever listen carefully to what and how others respond? How many pages do you intend to write?

It doesn't matter what I think. Others think I'm incompetent as a participant. We all think that of each other. Your complaint serves no other purpose than to say I'm incompetent. So why are you complaining that I'm admitting that I'm incompetent?

[amity_blu]

I doubt you really consider yourself to be incompetent as a participant. The OP is to gain attention. Listen up!
Do you ever listen carefully to what and how others respond? How many pages do you intend to write?

It doesn't matter what I think. Others think I'm incompetent as a participant. We all think that of each other. Your complaint serves no other purpose than to say I'm incompetent. So why are you complaining that I'm admitting that I'm incompetent?

Of course it matters what you think. Why do you think otherwise?

Which 'others' think that you are incompetent as a participant? Do they provide examples of incompetency or suggest ways to improve?

Why do you think we all think of each other as being incompetent as participants? Where is the evidence for this?

I did not make a complaint. I asked questions. You don't seem to care enough to receive or respond to them.

The purpose of asking questions is an attempt to understand by clarification. This does not mean that there is a lack of competence in participation. It can open up a helpful dialogue to identify any issues or problems to be addressed.
Or not.

If someone thinks that they are incompetent in participating in a philo forum, and expresses such as some kind of an admission (of failure?), then I care. About the reasons. Or feelings. It matters. Why?

Why do you think?

[Gary Childress]

I doubt you really consider yourself to be incompetent as a participant. The OP is to gain attention. Listen up!
Do you ever listen carefully to what and how others respond? How many pages do you intend to write?

It doesn't matter what I think. Others think I'm incompetent as a participant. We all think that of each other. Your complaint serves no other purpose than to say I'm incompetent. So why are you complaining that I'm admitting that I'm incompetent?

Of course it matters what you think. Why do you think otherwise?

Does it not matter what other people think?

[amity_blu]

It doesn't matter what I think. Others think I'm incompetent as a participant. We all think that of each other. Your complaint serves no other purpose than to say I'm incompetent. So why are you complaining that I'm admitting that I'm incompetent?

Of course it matters what you think. Why do you think otherwise?

Does it not matter what other people think?

Of course, it matters not only what people think but how and why they think in certain ways, from different perspectives.

You persist in not answering my original questions. Or replying to my follow-up response.
Is this your usual pattern of dialogue or conversational strategy? It seems like avoidance but not incompetence, as such.

It creates an imbalance. If you don't feel the need to answer, or address the issue, then it can lead to resentment.
Have you found this to be the case in previous non-engagements?

I won't continue this conversation unless there is a balance of dialogue. That means attempting to answer at least some of my questions.

[Gary Childress]

Of course it matters what you think. Why do you think otherwise?

Does it not matter what other people think?

Of course, it matters not only what people think but how and why they think in certain ways, from different perspectives.

You persist in not answering my original questions. Or replying to my follow-up response.
Is this your usual pattern of dialogue or conversational strategy? It seems like avoidance but not incompetence, as such.

It creates an imbalance. If you don't feel the need to answer, or address the issue, then it can lead to resentment.
Have you found this to be the case in previous non-engagements?

I won't continue this conversation unless there is a balance of dialogue. That means attempting to answer at least some of my questions.

So if it matters what other people think, then if they think I'm incompetent, doesn't that matter? It seems like it matters to me?

[amity_blu]

...So if it matters what other people think, then if they think I'm incompetent, doesn't that matter? It seems like it matters to me?

'Seems' being the operative word.

Perception of self and others is often skewed and based on prejudice/bias/ignorance/misinterpretation.

Know Thyself.