Do you think on your own?
 

Do you think about things around you? Not the war alone, as I've noticed many of you way too biased to see clearly. Media has probably gotten the better of you. Anger also blocks many things from your brain.

Naturally I'm not one to judge you, but it would be a better place if everyone thought more. Please don't give arrogant shit on how iraqi people should think more too.. so they would, but that shouldn't affect you in any shape or form. Instead it would be cool if you could try to look at the bigger picture and not focus on details.

A simple example. If you see a documentary on discovery channel, do you take it's a fact for granted.. or do you think about it before making up your mind?

Now, this is a stupid thread in essence, since who would admit that they didn't think... silly me. Don't admit anything, but try to think more.. it's good for you.


Damn I'm a treehugging hippie, but atleast my brain isn't fucked up by drugs.

nice thread...the poll is 99.95% don't :2 cents:

"A simple example. If you see a hahahahahahahahaary on discovery channel, do you take it's a fact for granted.. or do you think about it before making up your mind?"

I can't watch TV...
It pisses me off cuz its full of so much shit. I end up irate and leaving the room almost every time.

I think the education system is to blame for people not thinking for themselves, Especially in the US. America does not learn from its mistakes, because they are not taught them in the classroom.

Sure you will hear about triumphant american victories, the civil war, how you live in the "greatest country in the world", etc... but you never hear about how many times your country has fucked up. So of course people will not learn from that, and are doomed to repeat mistakes of the past over and over again, as we are seeing in Iraq.

Surely i think on my own.

Everyone should have his own view of this world.
Surely, it is somehow connected to the country you live and the civiliation you belong, but beliving everything you hear is soo wrong.

I also think an important ability is the ability to distinguish the news and be able to decide for your own what is really important and what is not.

And also you should be able to connect different facts.
When you read something in a newspaper, then - when it affects you in some way in future, you should remember these facts, even if the majority of society still does not seem to know / care about that.

I don't watch much TV either. I listen to music. Much better in my opinion. I do watch an hour or after I go to bed.

I don't watch the news though. I get all my facts from GFY.

this is slighty off topic, but they get mad and don't wnat to show the fallen soliders caskets that supposedly have died for the u.s., but they show this 'american' citzen being beheaded...why show this....its obvious...i wonder did they do this in hollywood?

edit- i'll say this the u.s. government is VERY smart or the average citzen is plain dumb

BTW, I am currently working on my masters degree and i think everyone should read the books from Alvin and Heidi Toffler.
Gives you good idea what this world is really about and what needs to be changed in the society.
What they analysed and predicted in 1970 is more than true today.

This video wasn't shown in the states... the government had no control over it.

lol, i'm not sure if you're being sarcastic, but o.k. oh where was it found on al queda website, :1orglaugh

People are sheep.

When I was a radio announcer, one night I mentioned a new kind of chips and how much I loved them. For the next week and a half, I had people calling in telling me how right I was and how they all love those chips too after I told them about them.

That's such a smaller scale, but the same thing. Those people probably never would have tried those chips, and if they had, would have just thought of them as a new kind of chips. But because they heard me say it on the radio, suddenly they were a big deal.

I thought it was pretty funny at the time, but now I look back thinking "man, I had so much influence over those people, becuase they were all sheep."

I like the way you think :thumbsup

I said it a million times before and I'll repeat it again.

USA has no business in Iraque to begin with.

Bush led you in on a lie.

yep, free thought is me :thumbsup

I believe in science and critical thinking, and examining as much data and evidence as possible before coming up with conclusions.

So many people I see base their opinions on their first emotional responses from an issue. Like with the beheading tape, I see people saying "Now I don't feel sorry for those Iraqui prisoners". I can understand the emotions underlying such a statement, but that is most likely the response the purpetrators of the beheading wanted. Mentioned in the title of the video is "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi shown slaughtering an American", al-Zarqawi being an associate of Osama bin Laden. So it had nothing to do with Iraqi prisoners or Iraqis in general.

sorry I'm babbling

yeah, it was on an al qaeda website. By "shown in the US" i meant by the media... im sure it's been shown thousands of times in the US by now on personal computers.

But another reason the government wouldn't mind this as much as the American coffins photos, would be that the coffin photos make them look bad. A video like this could actually gather more public support for the war in Iraq.

I do think on my own. Sometimes I say "Yeah!" to things I don't agree (to end the conversation or subject), but just if it's something that isn't important and the other person keeps talking about it. :winkwink:

TGF.

For the most part it seems to me that people accuse only those people with beliefs different than theirs of "not thinking on their own". When does anyone ever accuse people with the same opinion as their own of being "sheep"?

Amazingly, people can have access to the same information and have different opinions regarding it.

No matter what the topic, you have a bunch of smart people and a bunch of idiots who agree with you.

waisting time watching tv is at the top of the list for "Things that shut your brain off"

tv on = brain off

I'm a girl, I'm blonde, and I live in the South... so I figure it's a waste of time to form my own opinion. Who's gonna care?

:girl

Blonde girls from the South are my favorite. But I've been brainwashed.

What's funny is that everyone thinks they are a freethinker and the only smart person and the other guy is always the idiot and the sheep......

Of course, but if you're referring to me in your first paragraph.. I feel I've been objective. I haven't hated anyone, just trying to force you guys to see both sides. So, I disagree with many posters, and consider some ignorant and not thinking on their own. But that is my opinion, my perception of the situation.
I have this huge flaw, I can't be wrong. My girl goes nuts, as I claim to be right even in matters of taste. But I *STILL* feel I've been objective.

In a matter where there's very little gray area between white and black there is bound to be retards and smart guys on both sides..and very little people in the middle. I've been trying to be in the middle, but since most of my arguments are against one side, I can't say I've succeeded :)

Smart boys with good grammar and spelling are my favorite. ];-}

I hope you're not talking about me. Since I haven't called anyone an idiot or a sheep.

I just CANNOT understand how so many people can be so biased towards something. It's not their opinions that actually bug me, it's the arrogance that is in every post. If the posts were more argumentative, had some opinions and something to back them up. Even in your own words, I'd be a happy camper. I just hate the one-liners, or the long posts praising some one thing top to bottom. I hate when people ignore obviously good posts and focus on something else.

This is not a board for political, philosophical or humanitarian debate I know. But I would like to think that people who work online have and had encounters with foreign people, would be more open to different opinions. I also would like to think online entrepreneurs are above average intelligence and could understand many aspects of many different things.

the best teacher I ever had was a history teacher I had for a number of years because she was the only one in the school teaching honors history. The first day of the first class I had with her she held up the text book, said we were never to take what was said in it as an exact fact and told us to always question and go out and investigate on our own.

I believe nothing I am told on face value - especially if it comes out of any politcal source. Everyone has a motive for what they say and how they say it.

Not at all. Just joining you in a friendly conversation.

What are you up to?

good question and I was wondering who would ask..lol. Right now I am responding to everything with my 'I am fucked off with just about everyone alive' attitude.

Me too. Now there's two of us. We are a group now and can find solace in each other. Let's get 'em!

I'm CNN'd :glugglug

yeah, we can all be together and hate everyone.

Think laterally and freely. :thumbsup

The mind is like a parachute, it must be open to function properly!

To answer the thread topic.

Let me go ask and I will be right back.

i like my life better without thinking about politics... but unfortunately cant stay away from it as long as i visit GFY :feels-hot