Something irks me more than anything else. I cannot stand it, especially after being on this site for a year and a half, being a faculty member for a year of that. I have read all sorts of different opinions about various topics. Some people are easily swayed to another opinion, some feel passionate about a certain issue, and still others are simply looking for information to form a valid opinion.
These people don't bother me so much. What bothers me is when someone goes and finds information and still refuses to form any opinion on the matter.
Granted, it's not always possible to form an opinion about something. I don't particularly care about, say, the economic state of China, and so I don't have an opinion about what the trading policy with China should be. But things that affect your every day life you should have an opinion about.
Yesterday, I was talking to a friend from high school who I haven't talked to in some time. He mentioned that he was spending a great deal of time surfing the web since school let out for the summer. I suggested he join up here to pass some time away. I mean, I became addicted. I mean, I know I have an addictive personality and everything, and that this site just isn't right for everyone, but that won't stop me from recommending it to other people.
His reaction was 'meh', due to the fact that he had already tried blogging websites, via Xanga, and preferred a hand-written journal so that he could still have his thoughts when the account got deleted. So, I immediately jumped and said that, naturally, this site is NOTHING like Xanga... we actually talk about important things. I gave some examples... politics and various campaigns, even pointed him to Fallon's campaign about getting Congress to recognize that religious discrimination is still occurring.
"Oh, I don't have much of an opinion about those issues."
WHAT?? You don't have any opinion about people hurting other people, people being denied jobs or other positions because they are of a certain religion? You don't have an opinion on the fact that people across the nation are still afraid to mention to their friends that they're not Christian, or not straight, or they used to be male/female, etc?
"I'm usually on the fence about those issues."
This just irked me to no end. How on earth can we hope to progress into a better society if we have people that just don't care? What's more... how can people not care about the problems in our society? Why are they perfectly content to live with discrimination, or poor health, or morally unjust actions?
I just don't get it.
I'm with you on that one. Nothing is more infuriating to me than someone without an opinion. It can be a crappily formed opinion and I may say as much... but having taken the time to form an opinion earns much more respect than being totally opinionless.
As for why people are content to live opinionless and uncaring... I think it's more that they've never experienced any of those things or had any of those things slap them in the face. It's easy to not realize those things occur when you never come face to face with them, never hear the stories, see the victims, or are forced into a situation in which you have to face the reality that things aren't great.
And in all honestly, people are more comfortable pretending those things don't exist because then they don't have to deal with the uncomfortable feeling those things bring. If you never try to become informed, you never have to deal with the naggling feeling that you should be doing something more important than channel surfing, gossiping with friends or whatever else people do these days. Being told what to think is infinitely easier than thinking for yourself... and as a society, we're still more than happy to take what someone else says as truth without exploring it because exploring it means (gasp) actually doing something.
Which is why ProgressiveU is so bleeding awesome. I can't even count how many times I've come across a post or comment in which someone has said they'd never thought about this or that until coming here. As irritated as I sometimes get at things here, hearing that once in a while makes the irritation insignificant and reminds me why my to do list is longer than I am tall... and why that's a good thing!
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~Fallon~
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't- A. France
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Actually, I am referring to my best friend's former girlfriend. He broke upwithher recently because although she was cute and nice, she was unable to form an opinion about anything and unable to discuss any important topics. This did not fly with my friend, who is a very intelligent political science person, socially aware, constantly thinking, and a voracious reader. Most of his friends have similar interests and the girl just could not hang.
So, ladies...he's single!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Hotness. He should consider becoming a gigilo for a short while... spread some intell-i-sperm.
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~Fallon~
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't- A. France
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I keep trying to pimp him out to all the lesbian couples I know, but since they know him, they find it kind of weird.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
In that case... jizz in a cup is a nice backup.
Which reminds me... we could always just require Ivy League sperm!
http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/000992.html
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~Fallon~
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't- A. France
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You just used the word "jizz." This conversation is over! *cue throwing up in my mouth smiley*
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I used sperm once; didn't wanna to overdue it. Jizz is a good word to say. It iis a much better euphemism than is man juice (and man chowder reminds me of clumpy clam chowder and makes me die a little). It zzzz's on the tongue when you draw it out... kinda cool (the word people the word!!).
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~Fallon~
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't- A. France
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I have no use for the stuff! You are seriously grossing me out! If my partner and I decide to have children, we will be referring to it as "the specimen."
P.S. You're comment was lacking something...maybe one of THESE?
:pant:
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
lol, I know. But jizz is still a fun word to say!
:D
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~Fallon~
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't- A. France
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I try to be open minded, but I'm just not going to budge on this one. I'm not going to say it, and YOU CAN"T MAKE ME!
:phbt:
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
You'll say it and you'll like it!!!
*insert drill sergeant smiley here*
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~Fallon~
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't- A. France
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Miss ProU Alumni Director, sir!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
rofl
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~Fallon~
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't- A. France
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