podian

Rookie numbers.

How do I “know” that you have a mind and have conscious experiences and aren’t just a zombie?

For arguments sake let’s say I don’t “know.” But I can still assume so. I wrote and write under the assumption that such is the case then and now.

Does one need to know x–whatever “know” means–to state “that x”?

I don’t believe so, certainly not as a blanket rule. Do you? Is that why the standard was applied to what I wrote?

A can of worms. What’s the point? Plenty abound in backyards, internet forums (elsewhere), and politicians’ brains apparently.

Ultimately, the bar–or standard of proof–for acknowledgement and praise, which could have been reasonably inferred from my comment, is low. E.g., when a student does well on a test (in-person, lol), we do not need to “know” that they are perspicacious or precocious. Nor do we need to “know” that they didn’t cheat or simply “guessed” and got lucky. Regardless of (or even in spite of) experience or plausibility, I strongly hold that it is by default fine to assume they did a good job and are a good student. That’s good faith.

How can anyone make friends or have a good life without having some good faith for “strangers,” even if that “vulnerability” can be abused from time to time?

Good luck on the path ahead.

Don’t blow their mind by pointing out how emotions take objects and how that scuttles their position.

It was intentional. A sign of a skilled writer, even. Irony works.

(Even if it does undercut the trucker roommate a bit. The double irony of privilege.)

What my friend was conveying is that envy is the want for something–usually that another has–and jealousy is the fear of losing something that one already has.

The interchangeable usage, e.g. by teenagers, based on a vague understanding is just that (for adults it crystalizes into something normative though they’re probably unaware of it, ego defense mechanisms lol).

Smaug would approve.

Not all mental illnesses are the same 🤔

Regardless or maybe even in spite of that, sweeping policy moves are still the go-to.

Nobody here’s against self-reflection or questioning or critical thinking. These comments come from people who explicitly did do self-reflection and left. The ones who don’t are still in the evangelical system, I presume.

Believe it or not though, those things have an empirical or social component. Namely, if seemingly rational actors (by all means grill them) are giving such grave warnings, which is an astonishingly rare event… Heed them.

This is more prudence and modesty than mindless or naive deference, an ironically fine line given the subject matter. Lastly, this isn’t simply a black-and-white matter of “good and bad” however comfortable it is to give in to the impulse to reduce everything to such. Reminder: following said impulse doesn’t make you any more moral than the next person.

Jakarta police authorities confirmed that a cybercrime task force has officially launched an investigation to track down the individuals behind the accounts.

Are they posting pictures online or something? Otherwise it’s just regular crime. A “cybercrime task force” just sounds like coppers embellishing their menial ass jobs that they generally suck at doing.

Sounds like the real issue here is that Indonesian child prostitution is publicly advertised on an international online space, thus resulting in lost face (lul), rather than the fact that it’s (presumably) readily available–and always has been–to those with means (money).

On a relatively brighter pixel, I agree with you on this at least.

Shai-Hulewd?

Sounds like the US needs something like a “guillotine phase” in its national history and collective consciousness to address this.

Ordinary education starting at a young age about fundamental prosocial values, dignity, and shared (and local) interests. Critical thinking skills and practice asking questions like “how will this actually help? Where is it coming from? Cui bono?”

And just being open-minded and not overly emotional (and thus easily manipulated).

And point out that unfortunately many entities out there are more than happy to use them as pawns and care not a wit about the wellbeing of them or their friends, neighbours, or loved ones.

But, putting that into schools would be decried as the boogeyman of “socialism” or even xenophobia or something. Irony

I don’t think you know what “classy” meant in this context. It’s an insult. When used to describe a person, it’s almost always an insult.

“As I served you in the old wars, I serve you now.”

Are you from a culture where your quoted parts are highly stigmatized or marginalized (e.g. most parts of the US)? Because I don’t hold any against being in a state of psychosis nor six. I hope you didn’t assume that I did, or that other cultures are the same as yours. Ethnocentrism is a kind of entitlement, I think. 🤷‍♂️

On children, I have difficulty believing that you think a person’s children are “theirs” no matter what. That they have no say in it, even over the course of decades. I dunno that sounds a bit entitled to me. Also reductive but hey who isn’t.

I consider people, all people, as having the potential to be equals and by default as equals. That means meeting them halfway, respecting their ultimate autonomy and decisions for themselves and positions on anything that relates to them. Does this contribute to unbridled hate once in a while? It seems like it. Not sure the alternative is better though. Nobody’s ever really made that argument to me in earnest.

Apparent absolute powerlessness in the face of something like poisoning / brainwashing is one of the most aggravating things I can imagine. Probably an understatement.

It is very possible your child will grow up and be unfathomably remorseful (and possibly angry at his birth mom for the brainwashing and manipulation). There will be no way he can ever, in his own ledger, make up for this cruelty to you.

So treat him as that future person. Treat him with kindness, respectfulness, and quasi-infinite tolerance knowing full well this is just a temporary psychosis, jarring and shitty as it is.

If he doesn’t later question it and regret it, then with all due respect he is not your child as he does not have your actual presence in his life any capacity–not even that of a clinic sperm donor. You’d be making it your problem, forever flailing at windmills.

Stay strong.

Actual tips and ideas/suggestions:
Do stuff with your son that’s really laid back and fun and popular. Doing so shows him that you’re cool and nonchalant and helps him to come away from the hijacked neurons and states of confusion and uncertainty. Be the cool unflappable parent that’s in the know for what’s cool and fun and awesome for kids. If you’re having trouble even getting to that rapport point, idk what to say because it hinges on the specifics of your interactions or him/you of which I’m ignorant.

Uhhhh

“seeing other women” means “not exclusive”

but “not exclusive” does not always mean “seeing other women”

He could be, just as one example of many, very unsuccessful at trying to see other women despite having an existing “nonexclusivity” agreement with her.

A new kind of serial killer 😂