Intelligence, Social skills, Cynicism, Self importance

was chatting to my housemate recently about cynicism - it occurred to me that I should be more accepting of cynical people - they have valid reasons to be that way I think - I think it's about keeping it real, and a kind of modesty - not being pretentiously earnest...

there appears to be a crisis in young males, even fuckin Vice picked up on it with their Young British Douchebag plot.

as a 41+yr old cunt the only thing i can recommend is get out there and live. Experience life, other customs, foreign cultures, love & psycho ex's, drugs if you have to, class structures, kinky sex, scrapes & fights, magic & spirituality, whatever it is, find it, hunt for it and when you find it fuck it hard in the ass.

if aspects of your personal belief-system, ie the belief system thats been built around you over time through whatever life has thrown at you, is holding you back, be honest with yourself and think about counseling. More importantly think about how you get access to that treatment, because not everywhere has standard medical care and this can be the hinge on which the whole thing CAN change, but it can also be the hardest part of all. If shit happens, confront it, learn from it and fuck that hard in the ass too. It'll love you for it, because you tried.

if you have trouble talking to people, I recommend you this little book

http://marcelm.nl/How%20to%20Talk%20to%20Anyone%20-%2092%20Little%20Tricks%20for%20Big%20Success%20in%20Relationships.PDF

all those tricks are well known social behaviour, but at least it motivates you to actually use them

i struggle with thinking im not better than others. im constantly dwarfed by the incredible things people do. even reading history, looking at a bronze sculpture form ancient greece. im humbled everyday

  On 1/14/2015 at 10:44 PM, hoggy said:

was chatting to my housemate recently about cynicism - it occurred to me that I should be more accepting of cynical people - they have valid reasons to be that way I think - I think it's about keeping it real, and a kind of modesty - not being pretentiously earnest...

Keeping perspective and suggesting different perspectives to others is important. I'm definitely a cynic because of certain things that happened along the way as I grew up, but if circumstances had been different, I might be an optimist. Who knows, but the thing to keep in mind is to try and view every scenario from multiple perspectives.

  On 1/15/2015 at 12:19 AM, marf said:

i struggle with thinking im not better than others. im constantly dwarfed by the incredible things people do. even reading history, looking at a bronze sculpture form ancient greece. im humbled everyday

I get this feeling all the time reading autobiographies. Everyone's fucking EPIC before they turn 20 wtf mang

  On 8/25/2014 at 7:47 PM, whylessness said:

 

  On 8/7/2014 at 5:14 PM, hoggy said:

A friend of mine often seems to mention 'social skills', what are they, and do you have good social skills?

 

Be physically attractive. Ask girls questions.

 

I think you mean "following arbitrary social conventions" and "knowing how to spend a lot of time saying little"

  On 8/25/2014 at 8:24 PM, marf said:

id wager that the majority of people on this site have better taste than the rest of the human population. that is a fact. not a fucking opinion

This is a fact because I don't think most people realize quite how low average is

I will now generalize to the US:

We live in advanced societies with extremely high average intelligence. Even among the poorest least educated neighborhoods in the US, the top morons there are often far above the global average

It's easy to judge yourself due to not realizing this:

Go to high school and graduate in the middle of your class, completely average, and you're already in the top half of the US in terms of education (only 88% have a high school diploma). Most adults working dead-end jobs have forgotten everything they learned. But compared to your peers you see yourself as lowly

Go to an average university and enter a moderately elite major (STEM or similar) and you are now in the top 10% of American society in terms of education (only 26% have a bachelor's, I'm guessing at most 50% of those are STEM). But look at your peers who graduated with honors, got better grades than you, and took harder optional classes, and you look down on yourself

This can keep going on forever - there will always be people who are better than you even when you get into the top percentiles of the US - a country which is already in the top percentiles of the world

Get into the top 0.000001% of education, get a 3.9 from MIT, graduate from Harvard with a 3.5 gpa in the hardest major you can think of - and there are still hundreds of thousands of people in the world more educated than you, with higher degrees (master/PhD) and more advanced knowledge in your topic of choice

It is impossible to ever be satisfied truly I think

Why this endless need to measure yourself up? Seems like a pretty pointless way to feel better about yourself. Being satisfied becomes impossible when you believe you can only be satisfied if you think you're the best. Or worse, better than other people. (How extremely selfish)

I don't know about you, but I can be extremely satisfied when I have cooked a dinner. Regardless of the amount of people in the world who are better cooks. I don't feel the need to be ' the best' cook. I know I am not, but I can still be very satisfied. Especially when other people like it as well. And that's what counts. Not whether it was the best meal ever.

And I'd go as far to say that there is no the best. It's really a useless concept. The best... It fits in the same box with perfect. Concepts which are taught in schools which can actually harm people psychologically.

  On 1/15/2015 at 6:13 AM, Zeffolia said:

 

  On 8/25/2014 at 8:24 PM, marf said:

id wager that the majority of people on this site have better taste than the rest of the human population. that is a fact. not a fucking opinion

 

This is a fact because I don't think most people realize quite how low average is

 

I will now generalize to the US:

 

We live in advanced societies with extremely high average intelligence. Even among the poorest least educated neighborhoods in the US, the top morons there are often far above the global average

 

It's easy to judge yourself due to not realizing this:

 

Go to high school and graduate in the middle of your class, completely average, and you're already in the top half of the US in terms of education (only 88% have a high school diploma). Most adults working dead-end jobs have forgotten everything they learned. But compared to your peers you see yourself as lowly

 

Go to an average university and enter a moderately elite major (STEM or similar) and you are now in the top 10% of American society in terms of education (only 26% have a bachelor's, I'm guessing at most 50% of those are STEM). But look at your peers who graduated with honors, got better grades than you, and took harder optional classes, and you look down on yourself

 

This can keep going on forever - there will always be people who are better than you even when you get into the top percentiles of the US - a country which is already in the top percentiles of the world

 

Get into the top 0.000001% of education, get a 3.9 from MIT, graduate from Harvard with a 3.5 gpa in the hardest major you can think of - and there are still hundreds of thousands of people in the world more educated than you, with higher degrees (master/PhD) and more advanced knowledge in your topic of choice

 

It is impossible to ever be satisfied truly I think

 

People that value those accolades are exactly the type of people to try to quantify intelligence with a number. I don't necessarily think intelligence can be quantized in that fashion.

My job right now requires that I interact with people with PhD's and you'd be surprised how dumb some of them are. You can fake being smart as long as you have a good memory.

At the end of the day, you shouldn't have to measure up to somebody else's standards if you don't want to.

3.5 gpa is high?

guess I'm doing alright with my 3.77. And I'm borderline retarded.

  On 1/15/2015 at 8:30 AM, Braintree said:

 

  On 1/15/2015 at 6:13 AM, Zeffolia said:

 

  On 8/25/2014 at 8:24 PM, marf said:

id wager that the majority of people on this site have better taste than the rest of the human population. that is a fact. not a fucking opinion

 

This is a fact because I don't think most people realize quite how low average is

 

I will now generalize to the US:

 

We live in advanced societies with extremely high average intelligence. Even among the poorest least educated neighborhoods in the US, the top morons there are often far above the global average

 

It's easy to judge yourself due to not realizing this:

 

Go to high school and graduate in the middle of your class, completely average, and you're already in the top half of the US in terms of education (only 88% have a high school diploma). Most adults working dead-end jobs have forgotten everything they learned. But compared to your peers you see yourself as lowly

 

Go to an average university and enter a moderately elite major (STEM or similar) and you are now in the top 10% of American society in terms of education (only 26% have a bachelor's, I'm guessing at most 50% of those are STEM). But look at your peers who graduated with honors, got better grades than you, and took harder optional classes, and you look down on yourself

 

This can keep going on forever - there will always be people who are better than you even when you get into the top percentiles of the US - a country which is already in the top percentiles of the world

 

Get into the top 0.000001% of education, get a 3.9 from MIT, graduate from Harvard with a 3.5 gpa in the hardest major you can think of - and there are still hundreds of thousands of people in the world more educated than you, with higher degrees (master/PhD) and more advanced knowledge in your topic of choice

 

It is impossible to ever be satisfied truly I think

 

 

People that value those accolades are exactly the type of people to try to quantify intelligence with a number. I don't necessarily think intelligence can be quantized in that fashion.

 

My job right now requires that I interact with people with PhD's and you'd be surprised how dumb some of them are. You can fake being smart as long as you have a good memory.

 

Wanted to add in an edit saying that I in no way equate level of education with intelligence, but it was too late to edit. It's just hard to find ways to compare and gpa/degree level is an easy number to get stats on, with probably at least a slight correlation with real intelligence (whatever that is)

Nobody cares about your GPA, StephenG or how much money you make or spend.

  On 1/15/2015 at 8:57 AM, azatoth said:

Nobody cares about your GPA, StephenG or how much money you make or spend.

I don't give a flying fuck.

At least my post was on topic. Now continue by fucking off.

Sorry if your gpa was lower than 3.5. Have you asked your parents about inbreeding?

Obviously my post helps to prove Braintree's point - you don't have to be smart. You can fake it.

  On 8/25/2014 at 8:24 PM, marf said:

id wager that the majority of people on this site have better taste than the rest of the human population. that is a fact. not a fucking opinion

You're biased.

  On 1/15/2015 at 8:58 AM, StephenG said:

 

  On 1/15/2015 at 8:57 AM, azatoth said:

Nobody cares about your GPA, StephenG or how much money you make or spend.

I don't give a flying fuck.

 

At least my post was on topic. Now continue by fucking off.

 

Sorry if your gpa was lower than 3.5. Have you asked your parents about inbreeding?

 

Wow, did I hit a sore spot?

Not a sore spot, but I quickly tire of juvenile and hostile people such as yourself.

I said nothing about money. If noone cares, why is it that you're bringing it up when I said nothing about it?

Nice of you to omit the last sentence in my post when quoting me. Someone have an agenda?

  On 1/15/2015 at 8:58 AM, StephenG said:

 

  On 1/15/2015 at 8:57 AM, azatoth said:

Nobody cares about your GPA, StephenG or how much money you make or spend.

 

I don't give a flying fuck.

 

At least my post was on topic. Now continue by fucking off.

 

Sorry if your gpa was lower than 3.5. Have you asked your parents about inbreeding?

 

Obviously my post helps to prove Braintree's point - you don't have to be smart. You can fake it.

 

stepheng, that was spiked with venom lol

intelligence — 'talented' but tragically unwise

social skills — expressive and gregarious but ultimately introverted and scarily isolated

cynicism — massive awful depressive shite-castle with all the blinds closed, but with an ethical core believing in the good of people

self-importance — if there was some, it is now crippled by self-sabotage and hopelessness

'the artist'

And gpa stands for global penis affection?

  On 1/15/2015 at 9:07 AM, beerwolf said:

 

  On 1/15/2015 at 8:58 AM, StephenG said:

 

  On 1/15/2015 at 8:57 AM, azatoth said:

Nobody cares about your GPA, StephenG or how much money you make or spend.

 

I don't give a flying fuck.

 

At least my post was on topic. Now continue by fucking off.

 

Sorry if your gpa was lower than 3.5. Have you asked your parents about inbreeding?

 

Obviously my post helps to prove Braintree's point - you don't have to be smart. You can fake it.

 

 

stepheng, that was spiked with venom lol

 

Well he was attacking me for no reason, what am I supposed to say?

Seriously, I was posting on topic and relating it to braintree's post, even in a self deprecating way, and he attacks me like that? What a fucking loser.

I'm already depressed and treat myself like a piece of garbage. And he has to chime in with "nobody cares"?

What a dick

  On 1/15/2015 at 9:09 AM, goDel said:

And gpa stands for global penis affection?

my gpa is quite high then

What you thought was self deprecating might come off to others as quite the opposite. I don't think the attack was fair, though. But I could see where he was coming from. Seeing your affection with your own gpa score...

Sorry, since your arrival you just rubbed me the wrong way from the get go with some of the stuff you first posted. Not all of what you post bothers me, mind you, but I guess it just started on the wrong foot with me. I just took it as a thinly veiled brag about something, which I feel you have a tendency to do. Lesser now than before. So progress I guess.

I don't even know why I let some forum posts and posters bother me, it's stupid. Fuck everything.

  On 1/15/2015 at 9:16 AM, goDel said:

What you thought was self deprecating might come off to others as quite the opposite. I don't think the attack was fair, though. But I could see where he was coming from. Seeing your affection with your own gpa score...

That's why I said "I'm borderline retarded".

Because I am. I figured that literal text would spell it out to whoever was reading it that I don't consider myself intelligent. It wasn't sarcastic or ironic etc.

But I can regurgitate.

That's the problem with the education system these days. If you can recite line after line of this rule or that rule, you're intelligent.

  On 1/15/2015 at 9:19 AM, azatoth said:

Sorry, since your arrival you just rubbed me the wrong way from the get go with some of the stuff you first posted. Not all of what you post bothers me, mind you, but I guess it just started on the wrong foot with me. I just took it as a thinly veiled brag about something, which I feel you have a tendency to do. Lesser now than before. So progress I guess.

I don't even know why I let some forum posts and posters bother me, it's stupid. Fuck everything.

Part of digitally mediated communication is this loss of "intention", it happens all of the time.

You aren't entirely sure of my intentions when posting, because things like tone and other indicators (body language, etc) are lost.

I apologize for swearing at you, I got too upset too quickly. That's another thing RE this type of communication, I immediately retaliated with hostility when in real life (consider a bar/pub etc) that would get me a punch in the teeth. Consequences are minimized because there is a perceived distance.

Anyway, long story short, sorry.