Is there anyone who uses the term "autochthony" in a non-pompous context?

 . . .  Anyone?

They say "good things come to those who wait," but I don't think that is the case.

I think good things come to those who take action.

[01:01] moritheil: A friend of mine boarded with a very quiet, unassuming Asian guy who was always studying.
[01:02] moritheil: One day a mutual friend of theirs - a girl - was over.  The roommate very deliberately reached over and smacked her on the ass, loudly.
[01:02] akhalde: ha.
[01:02] moritheil: My friend and the girl were both too shocked, then too busy laughing, to register any sort of protest or complaint.
[01:03] akhalde: character, in relationships, is only measurable by known qualities.
[01:03] akhalde: therefore, an appropriate response.
[01:05] moritheil: Well, they understood that he did it for the sake of being absurd more than anything else.
[01:05] akhalde: thus its sheer brilliance.
[01:05] moritheil: Yes.
[01:06] moritheil: It was an ass-smack recontextualized to be about the human condition.
[01:06] moritheil: I need to work that phrase into a paper somehow.
[01:06] akhalde: yes, you do.
[01:06] akhalde: congratulations, you've mastered sociology at its finest.

"You're not raising a child. You're raising an adult." - Aibellfaerie

I don't think a lot of modern parents are raising anything. They have no end product in mind; they merely want this crying annoyance to go away.  So they give their kid anything to shut them up.  Why not?  They ascribe no meaning to it.  This then teaches the kid that the truth doesn't matter; instead, raising a fuss and threatening trouble unless you are bought off is an acceptable way to get through life.

These people then grow older, and rather than working together to create a vision, they just spend their time gaming the system with each other.

It's good to not be hurt overmuch, but you are also missing out on a certain amount of feedback.  Self-esteem is great, but is it greater than being in touch with reality?

From John Wayne to Deng Xiaoping?  This mode of "spiritual transmission" may seem unlikely, but consider the following:

Deng Xiaoping was presented with a cowboy hat when he visited Texas.  He wore it.  He was interested in the Old West, as there were parallels between the frontier development phase of the USA and China's current developmental phase.  In trying to understand what made America great, he considered the path America followed.

This quotes page attributes to John Wayne the saying, "A horse is a horse; ain't much difference what color it is."

Deng Xiaoping advocated a system of results-based reform in communist China, saying, "It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice."

So, was one of the leaders of China influenced by the great American cowboy?  You be the judge.

"I think the bachelorette is a great person.  She seems so diplomatic and can get along with anyone . . .  Only thing is she is sooo afraid to get hurt, I find that rather selfish and insecure." - Parsimony

So which is it?  If we consider authenticity and sincerity the hallmarks of great people, can the bachelorette truly be said to be great?  Or does her greatness lie in a certain magnanimity of spirit that is totally separate from her inability to share herself?

What makes greatness, for that matter?  Is it accomplishment?  Is it dignity?  Sense of self?  Understanding the world?  Is popularity by itself enough to be great?  I could instead say, "I find the bachelorette manipulative, because she can get along with anyone . . . " That would be cynical, perhaps, but would it be less true?

Maybe we need to think about what kind of greatness applies here . . . and isn't this about dating?  If we assess her by relevant standards, shouldn't we be focusing exclusively on her inability to share herself?  I don't think it necessarily diminishes her as a person, but it certainly diminishes her as a dater, if I understand correctly.  And isn't that what it's all about?

[01:22] moritheil: She only wanted it because it was hard to get.
[01:22] moritheil: Not because she actually wanted it.
[01:23] moritheil: Which is dumb, inasmuch as what you want in a relationship should be, you know, what you want for the actual future.
[01:23] onlyfr33b33: not everyone thinks about it so thoroughly.
[01:23] moritheil: But it's not. . . that's not thorough.
[01:23] onlyfr33b33: i mean, i sure don't. but then, a relationship isn't like, an option right now (all valley girl)
[01:23] moritheil: That's basic.
[01:23] moritheil: I mean that's . . .
[01:24] moritheil: Okay, if you buy a car, you think, "What do I need a car for?" and then you figure out what kind of car you want.
[01:24] moritheil: Unless you're crazy and just spending money to spend it.
[01:24] moritheil: Given that a relationship is more important than a car . . . why wouldn't you put a basic level of thought into it?
[01:24] moritheil: It blows my mind.
[01:24] moritheil: That's not even "thorough" thinking; failure to do that is like being braindead and responding automatically rather than intelligently deciding what is an important part of your life.
[01:25] moritheil: You know what, I think I just figured out why the divorce rate is sky-high.
[01:25] moritheil: Maybe people really don't think about it until they get married and realize what that means.

I was previously proud of getting five CDs I'd been looking for, 1 poster, a few pins, and a T-shirt for under $25.

Now, though, I may have outdone myself: 11 DVDs, 8 T-shirts, 3 CDs, and 8 volumes of manga for under $100.  No, that's not a typo on my end, though I'm still waiting to see if there was a mistake on their end.  I'm becoming some sort of ludicrous shopaholic.

Storiesandsinker has an interesting anecdote about being harassed, physically and sexually, by a mentally retarded child at her school.

Here is the part that I find most interesting: stories recognizes that this pisses her off, but her analysis pretty much stops there.  She doesn't answer an important question: WHY does this piss her off?

We spend a lot of time telling people how things make us feel, but we don't spend much time analyzing why things make us feel the way they feel.  Is it the social awkwardness?  Is it the lack of respect?  Is it the violation of personal space?  Is it disgust at being forced to tolerate someone useless?  Is it the idea that this person has privileges that others do not and is abusing them?  At the end of her story I still don't know, and I am left with the impression that she doesn't know either.

In some sense, of course, it doesn't matter.  It's not immediately meaningful to explain a situation when no matter how much explaining you do, at the end of it you still have a messed up situation.  On the other hand, we often give far more credence to our feelings than warranted - how many times have you heard "that's wrong" equate to "that should be illegal," as if the speaker's feelings should have the force of law?

All said, I wouldn't think that guy should be running free: he is likely to harm himself and others (what if he grabs a shiny metal object that turns out to be sharp?)  But on the other hand, it doesn't hurt to know yourself a little bit better.  That way when someone asks you why you're so upset, you can respond with something more detailed than "It's wrong!" which to them is just an attempt to hold this kid to inappropriate standards.  More importantly, by explaining the principles from which your feelings arise, you can demonstrate to yourself and others that your feelings are justified, and do not simply result from fear of the unknown, intolerance, embracing stereotypes, or any of the thousand other things other people won't accept as valid.