When did you lose your last large chunk of Idealism?

And to make it more depressing these higher beings would find us all silly and not understand what we get so worked up about. WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE? WHY DO THEY CARE?

If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah

"more that as far as we can tell, they lack the concept of a "meaningful life", and so can't angst about life being meaningless."

[1]

"Had Mother Nature been a real parent, she would have been in jail for child abuse and murder." -Nick Bostrom

When's the last time you saw a leopard cutting his wrists?

What I mean is, humans have a myriad of self-inflicted torments, most of which are irrational and totally override the natural instinct for self-preservation. The worst I've heard a mammal doing is, I dunno, a monkey refusing to eat after its mate passes away, or something.

I'm a skeptical squirrel

Parrots with depression. That is all.

They also suffer from things like various anxiety disorders. We had one that died from a panic attack. He seemed to have some sort of anxiety disorder. Poor dude.

Animals have mental disorders as well. They just aren't as well studied and aren't present in all species.

edited 22nd Mar '11 9:09:49 PM by Aondeug

If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah

Regarding the idea of: higher intelligence=higher chance of self-destruction.

I don't know if that's honestly true. In Star Trek TNG: the Q continuum puts humanity on trial as they claim their species has done more harm then good. But later on, Q reveals that what the continuum really fears is how far humanity will eventually evolve to. Eventually surpassing the continuum themselves. If humanity ever came to a "god complex" level of intelligence, would we run the risk of becoming our own eldritch abomination, or would we become a force more beneficial for the universe?

edited 22nd Mar '11 9:11:07 PM by SubtlyinyourMind

Kanaya, it's hard. Being a kid growing up. It's hard and no one understands.

It depends on how we got to that godlike level of intelligence. If it's by a Singularity, how well was it planned out?

"War doesn't prove who's right, only who's left." "Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future."

If I were a parrot in a cage, I'd be depressed as shit.

Which begs the question: Have they done studies on anxiety-ridden birds in the wild? (honest question, I'm very fragile on this topic)

edited 22nd Mar '11 9:15:38 PM by johnnyfog

I'm a skeptical squirrel

Likely not. We've been ignoring the psychology of animals for a while. This bothers me. A lot.

Also many parrots aren't kept solely in their cages. Parrots are very social animals and their owners tend to know this. Hanging out with the parrot is necessary. They are social beings and will become depressed if left alone. Many get bitchy and make loud noises. Some are just fucked up though. Like Oscar.

edited 22nd Mar '11 9:19:23 PM by Aondeug

If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah

If someone can say that and mean it, then it seems to me that they still have the perception that they're capable of picking things, that they're not a helpless observer of their own existence. IOW, there's still some disillusionment they've yet to experience.

That brings up an interesting question. Are domesticated animals more potentially at risk for psychological harm then non-domesticated animals?

edited 22nd Mar '11 9:20:43 PM by SubtlyinyourMind

Kanaya, it's hard. Being a kid growing up. It's hard and no one understands.

Dogs and cats are self-domesticating by nature. Problems arise if you adopt a feral pet, because it might have trouble finding its own "off" switch when it comes to paranoia. Beyond that, I'm not sure.

I'm a skeptical squirrel

"That brings up an interesting question. Are domesticated animals more potentially at risk for psychological harm then non-domesticated animals?"

I have to admit being very influenced by this video [1] by PETA. Short story, yes.

"Had Mother Nature been a real parent, she would have been in jail for child abuse and murder." -Nick Bostrom

/cynicism When I grew up.

edited 22nd Mar '11 9:38:44 PM by mailedbypostman

One thing I've noticed is that a fair amount of nihilistic writers still have one remaining "idealistic" trait: total faith in their own moral superiority, even if they're certain that everyone else is a bastard. This bastardry usually takes the form of hypocrisy that's internally justified by the belief that everyone else is even worse, so I can't help but wonder if these writers are unintentionally mirroring their own psyches in their characters, deluding themselves that everyone else is a bastard so that they can feel good about being bastards to everyone else.

That's Feo . . . He's a disgusting, mysoginistic, paedophilic asshat who moonlights as a shitty writer—Something Awful

Crime And Punishment in a nutshell.

The thing about making witty signature lines is that it first needs to actually be witty.

In is indeed funny that they tend to use sentiments like "Everyone is a bastard, but at least I'm honest about this" so often.

If we disagree, that much, at least, we have in common

80% in school, last 19% thanks to my manipulative daddy and grandma who tried to fuck her son-in-law (my daddy).

O_o Is your dad Hal Emmerich?

"Sweets are good. Sweets are justice."

Nope, just retired actor who I must say looked damn handsome. actually my step dad, but I didn't really care for such little things. Although he thought that the world should serve him and his family are more of toys and tools to get his will. Grandma was the same with an interesting streak to gossip and playing people against each other and then enjoying the following fight. Did I mentioned she actually tried to hit on every man my mom liked? Yep, some people are fucked up.

edited 23rd Mar '11 2:48:29 PM by Urnos

...

If you were pitching a Black Comedy I'd have said "I'd give this show a try, seems like the sort of World of Ham I love". But in Real Life... sucks, dude...

"Sweets are good. Sweets are justice."

Yep, man. This shit is so ridiculous I wouldn't dare to tell about it to anyone I know. It's one of these moments when I think that Freud Was Right on some things. Like grandma having massive daddy complex and therefor being such a man hunter and her bad relationship with her mother resulted of her attitude on her daughter (my mom).