I have joked before how people really into stoicism tend to be quite emotional and even a risky, as stoicism always seems to be aspirational and doesnt describe the stoic fans behaviour (a good example is the yter Sargon), but this might be a bit of an extreme example.
I started reading Stoicism as an angry discontented man in my mid-20s. At the time it was very helpful and I still appreciate some of the philosophy but I stopped calling myself a Stoic when I saw how some online communities used it as a gateway to right-wing ideology.
One of the central tenets of Stoicism is that the only thing you can control is your own thoughts and actions. It’s very easy to twist that into “the only thing that matters is your own thoughts and actions and no one can ever tell you you’re wrong.”
As a stoic, yeah isn’t that the point? It’s philosophical therapy (cbt). It’s the stuff you reassure yourself while panicking
NBC/the media really killing it with painting him as a self-radicalised spook.
I found the article gross.
He is a suspect in a murder case, not convicted, and they spend very little space on the case. The cops say he had his fake id, the gun and manifesto on him. His lawyer says he is yet to see the evidence. That is all.
Then they basically go through posts he has made online and ask people he knew about them. There is a public interest in the case, but courts are supposed to adjudicate guilt. What if he is innocent, then they just went through his posting history and showed them in the worst possible light.
I think it forces us all to ask an important introspective question – if I were to become the target of a national manhunt, would my posting history look cringe?
To paraphrase Robespierre, give me five posts by a honest man and I’ll give you something to cancel him for.
Classic quote, but that was Cardinal Richelieu.
Well, Jimmy Wales was an Objectivist who even named his daughter after the heroine of an Ayn Rand novel, though that doesn’t seem to have affected Wikipedia.
I think he’s doing better these days.
He liked my scone recipe anyway…
🧐
It’s got double cream and vodka to… Prevent gluten… Formation ┐(‘～`;)┌
effective alteuisim
Uuuuuuugh…I really liked him too…
If you don’t know any better, ie haven’t lived long enough, then it sounds like a logical and compelling ideology
No, if you’re from the same socioeconomic sphere as him and haven’t lived long enough. The only people I’ve ever met or heard of that are effective altruists are “upper middle class” or properly wealthy…and younger than 50…
I guess because I was an idiot cringe atheist rationalist realist (you know the type) when I was his age, and thanks to an open mind and some very patient very wise people in my life, I was able to grow out of it, I give people like that the benefit of the doubt as long as they’re otherwise kind and open-minded.
My issue isn’t with the basic ideals of effective altruisim, it’s with how it’s used by the wealthy to fleece people with the idea of helping people.
There’s not a single thing wrong with being a starry-eyed idealist. Especially if you act, bring your beliefs and ideals into fact.
yeah, until they pull out their machine god they absolutely have to build, because otherwise trillions of simulated humans will be tortured forever and that’s not mathing in their sum of all happiness. also it never occurred to them that maybe billionaires shouldn’t exist and instead post things like this:
totally not a cult btw
Ironically the trolley problem meme here is a great example of the objection: the same set up that puts him in the position to pull the lever also requires that people be tied to the track.
I’m with you, but someone who kills the CEO of a health insurance company does not strike me as someone who dismisses real/immediate suffering out of hand.
The whole internet loves Alleged CEO Murderer, a handsome fellow who is alleged to murder CEOs! 5 seconds later We regret to inform you the alleged CEO murderer is a rationalist.
Effective altruisim is fine on paper, and I’m sure there’s people effectively effective altruisim, but most people who champion it are…well…Sam Bankman-Fried and friends. Wearing a mask of doing it for the unfortunate and spending everything on a beachfront mansion robbing Peter to pay Paul, with absolutely no real intention of helping the folk that “effective” altruisim is meant to help.
I liked Luigi, and this is gonna sound a bit rough, because he shot a useless piece of shit drain on society. Effective altruisim is nice on paper, but it’s almost always used to fleece the stupid so the rich can get richer.
Effective altruism? Shame NY doesn’t have capital punishment, I suppose.
I can understand being drawn to the concept of effective altruism. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the idea of wanting to do the greatest amount of hood for the greatest amount of people. Unfortunately, in practice, effective altruists always seem to think the best way to do that is to amass as much wealth as possible.
