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Ancient peoples means were presumably much much less then today, yet hospitality was a prized ethic. Today we have tremendous excess, thanks to industry, but we have, as a whole, a greatly impoverished sense of compassion. By that logic, we should have more hospitality because our collective...

Just been thinking about a story from St. Augustine. He wrote about an encounter between a pirate and king Alexander. The pirate was captured by Alexander's troops and put on trial. The king called him a common thief, to which the pirate replied "that may be so, but I am a small thief and you...

I don't think we have delusions that we are completely separated from culture. Simply by being here, we are communicating on a website, writing in English, so on. I think what we are challenging is the notion of "dependency" and "slavery". Simply always being a part of something is not a...

Ran across a article by James Fowler, a political scientist studying "voting cascades". Interesting how he talks about belief bubbles and how we influence (or don't) our peers and the environment we live in - We were also able to use this experiment to see what factors increase the size of a...

Thanks for keeping us updated Paiche. Very interesting idea about belief bubbles. Is it like if we share an idea in one way, we tend to want to share in all the other ways with a group? If that's what you meant, reminds me of Social Identity Theory. Do you think finding what were called the...

“Just think of all the hospitality we enjoyed at the hands of other men before we made it home, and god save us from such hard treks in years to come. Quick, unhitch their team. And bring them in, strangers, guests, to share our flowing feast.” (The Odyssey. Book 4, ll. 38-42) From the Greek...

Conflict in society predates the creation of synthetic chemicals, so it can't be the cause. I think if you want to find more biological explanations for social conflict, there are a number of evolutionary reasons that could fit better that center around scarcity of resources and collective...

Listened to a Harvard lecturer on YouTube awhile ago. His claim was that all this unrest is the result of "elites not communicating". Right then I realized that the "elites" are whacked out and think they can do no wrong. It's not them to blame, but really us that's the problem not understanding...

That's really whacky. Seems like there is a huge push in the world right now towards nationalism and I wish I could understand what's going on too. This directly effects all of us. But um.. if it's not too much hassle... Could you post your speech? :D that's so cool! Please let us know how it...

Since the election, we have become all too familiar with the story of so called "fake" news. But could this campaign to provide a healthier environment for knowledge hide a more sinister purpose? The Washington Post recently released a article about a conversation between then president Obama...

I'm kinda thinking now that Narcissus might be a victim of fate. How much control do we really have over how people feel about us? It seems like it's not our fault if another person falls in love. Another point, they only loved him because of his looks. The nymph Echo never even talked to him...

I think it's worth mentioning that Narcissus had a nymph Echo who fell in love with him. From what I remember, while Narcissus stared at his reflection, the nymph, Echo, stayed by his side and gave him food and water to keep him alive. I think in the end she is the one that makes his dead body...

Also "no one does anything they don't see as a worthwhile thing to do" - we first have to accept society's goals as a meaningful objective before we decide to pursue them. I think "The American Dream" for Americans in the mid 1900's was a good example of a engineered social goal used to just...

There is a Marxist economist called Richard Wolff who wrote about why some people are living like us. His solution was that it's a escape or rebellion from the larger, oppressive system that is a indifferent Capitalism. For him, current society is seen as not a choice, but a ultimatum - we all...

And for anyone interested Chomsky, the famous anarchist, explains so much better and simpler how the poor are intentionally frightened and made to be dependent. The video is about four minutes long.

To explore more on what you wrote "Rail against social position being determined" - There was a time when "social mobility" was more credible as a myth. "Opportunity" was defined as free land and self sufficiency through living off that land. And people did take advantage of it. You could come...

That's a good point, i like how you explained it as "invisible abuse" - attacks on the mind leave no obvious recognizable marks for others to see. This is radical, but I would argue psychological abuse is far more devastating then any physical attack - for the simple reason that the mind...

There was a writer, Virginia Woolf, that explored those internalized notions. She called them the "invisible shackles". She also noted that when someone or something comes to free us, we become hostile. I think phycology calls that indoctrination. I for one do not think it's within our power to...

So some quick political science stuff for context. "Framing the issue is half the battle" is the mantra they teach law students. The following excerpt is the start of the article - and we also know from writing that the beginning sets the tone and the mood for the rest of the piece. In other...

I really like how you framed that in "reducing to absurdity" as logic calls it. Its like, where does it all end, that quest to keep maximizing resources? Man you made a damn good point.

I would also add that welfare agencies like social services have also been accused by some intellectuals as being nothing more then poor shaming mouthpieces for those in power and were created for that purpose as a form of social control - make recipients feel guilty about taking food stamps or...

Why shame is the most dominant feature of modern poverty Jeremy Seabrook Poor people now seem to accept responsibility for what was previously seen as fate. And this is reinforced by the Tories’ welfare cuts View more sharing options Tuesday 30 September 2014 03.00 EDTLast modified on...

Anyone see the irony of wearing clothes to fit into a group that doesn't want to fit in? Its like conforming to non conforming. Which is still conforming. Yeah...

Your all wrong the answer is 42 Not like this makes me an expert, but my degree was in Theology before I went bat shit crazy and lived in the woods. Maybe I can help clarify things a little that the OP was trying to say? I guess I can't let my past go. And I'm kinda bored. Mostly bored. So the...

-WARNING- the following contains graphic depictions of a ego driven nerd. Seek medical advice before being exposed to this much bull shit, as it can cause long term irreversible side effects. Reminds me a lot of a psychology paper published a few years ago talking about how we both have a need...

Typecasting sucks but it has a purpose that provides survival advantages for organisms. All through recorded history the "tyranny of appearances" as Plato names it has been with us. I guess I look to biology as a explanation why humans are drawn to appearances. Science says that we have a...

Haha I just made my way to Camdenton MO, on the lake of the Ozarks and I was just heading south xD but really I lived in the lake as a kid and the winters can get pretty cold, at least freezing. I remember my mom couldn't make it up the hills during winter because of ice. Even though the lake is...

Sounds like you want something more permanent and homely, but I've found that just rotating out bathroom spots works just fine. Rains and insects decompose the feces within about a week, depending on the temperature and climate. I suppose if you need to wipe, it's more sanitary to use a river...

I remember seeing a bunch of eureka brand tents when I was shopping around for a four season. I think the are the competitor of North Face? Since eureka was cheaper, i just assumed that translated into worse quality. Military tents are canvass right?

Hot sauce and salt? I'll try that. So I imagine though it would have to be reeapplied every time it rains?

Yes I think all these problems can be solved by taking down the tent on a daily basis, but I think for most people who are more stationary, setting up and tearing down everyday can get redundant. I know for me by the end of the day I usually do not have the energy to really set up the tent...

What particular advantages does having a tarp over the tent do, besides just an extra layer of UV protection? Having to carry both a ground tarp and a cover tarp sounds difficult. I'm wondering if it's worth the trouble.

Unfortunately using bugspray with DET (or is it DEET?) degrades synthetic fabrics and plastics over time, so my tent buddies claim. I suppose that's one point I should have added in. Never used moth balls. What are they exactly? Is it one of those "natural" remedies? They seem not to work so...

So generally I was going to ask the community about a specific problem with a 4 season tent I own, about how its attracting worms that are chewing small holes, but I decided to make a more general informative discussion on the broader topic of tent hazards - the things that can be harmful to a...

I tell beginners to get a cheapo tent because they may decide later that this isn't the lifestyle they want, that way they don't have to drop a hundred or more dollars on a tent. That's usually a lot of money, especially for those who don't have a steady income. And also so that they can get all...

Ever consider buying a cheapo tent? It gives some a sense of security that can, especially for beginners, give them a better nights sleep. Alot of times practical advice about survival is given, but we don't always take into account the phycological impact of the lifestyle. I take a tent for...