people who exist solely for my amusement

sidekick
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people who exist solely for my amusement

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40885541/ns/us_news-life/?gt1=43001 --An article about another group of ignoramuses that believe the end of days starts May 21 and that the world officially ends in October.

The world can't possibly end in October, I bought way too many kick ass halloween decorations on clearance this last year, and I will be pretty upset if I don't get to use them.

I sort of wish I personally knew one of these people because I would love to call them up on May 22 and say, "Bummer about that Rapture thing, huh?"

I know the answer! The answer lies in the heart of all mankind!...The answer is 12? I think I'm in the wrong building. --Charles M. Schulz


cj
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Every time someone starts

Every time someone starts insisting that the end of days is near, I think of all the other times the end of days was supposed to be here real soon.  My sister was certain that the world would end on January 1, 2000.  It didn't - and she never addressed it.  Never questioned the idjit in her church who was going on about it from July the previous year. 

I could never figure it out - someone sets a date, life goes on, and no one says - "Hey, that guy was a dope.  I am never going to send him money ever again."  But people still do send money.  And the next time some lame brain predicts the world is going to end, they all start carrying on about it - again.

 

-- I feel so much better since I stopped trying to believe.

"We are entitled to our own opinions. We're not entitled to our own facts"- Al Franken

"If death isn't sweet oblivion, I will be severely disappointed" - Ruth M.


Thunderios
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Metacognition: the ability

Metacognition: the ability to see that you're not really that special, and that other people have to go through the same you do.
Lack of metacognition means you think that the time you live in is special, other people are dumber than you when actually they're equally smart, and thinking that ads have less of an effect on you than on other people.

And it makes you think that Jesus is coming back tomorrow.


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cj wrote:Every time someone

cj wrote:

Every time someone starts insisting that the end of days is near, I think of all the other times the end of days was supposed to be here real soon.  My sister was certain that the world would end on January 1, 2000.  It didn't - and she never addressed it.  Never questioned the idjit in her church who was going on about it from July the previous year. 

I could never figure it out - someone sets a date, life goes on, and no one says - "Hey, that guy was a dope.  I am never going to send him money ever again."  But people still do send money.  And the next time some lame brain predicts the world is going to end, they all start carrying on about it - again.

 

 

From the book I'm reading, apparently this happens because the stupider you feel about an issue, the more likely you are to ignore or rationalize it.  Having your end of days time pass with nothing happening, especially if you've done something really involved like liquidated your assets, creates massive dissonance that requires the person to do massive rationalization.

Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.


harleysportster
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cj wrote:Every time someone

cj wrote:

Every time someone starts insisting that the end of days is near, I think of all the other times the end of days was supposed to be here real soon.  My sister was certain that the world would end on January 1, 2000.  It didn't - and she never addressed it.  Never questioned the idjit in her church who was going on about it from July the previous year. 

I could never figure it out - someone sets a date, life goes on, and no one says - "Hey, that guy was a dope.  I am never going to send him money ever again."  But people still do send money.  And the next time some lame brain predicts the world is going to end, they all start carrying on about it - again.

 

Hehehe, I had almost forgotten about Y2K.

I never will forget that time that televangelist, I think it was Oral Roberts, that said he had to raise all those millions of dollars or god was going to take him away and the people ACTUALLY FELL FOR THAT.  They should have at least waited until the last ten seconds to hand in the money, just to see if he was getting nervous or not.

“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno