This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)

#1 | Back to Top12-05-2012 10:37:55 PM

Overlord Morgus
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Registered: 02-22-2011
Posts: 314

I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

All throughout high school and middle school, I was constantly bombarded with videos about the evils of drinking and driving and a never-ending series of sob stories about people getting drunk and then getting killed. I myself secretly looked down on the people who got killed and viewed such a process as a form of natural selection. It's not a tragedy when a high school kid gets drunk at a party, lies down in the middle of a street, and gets run over by a car, it's an embarrassment to his family and entertainment for everyone else.

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#2 | Back to Top12-05-2012 10:48:36 PM

QQQQQ
Cow Bellhop
From: Canada
Registered: 02-12-2011
Posts: 476

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

I know a friend who has more or less the same sort of attitude as yours - I think it was meant sorta in a tongue-in-cheek way. And oui, while you can dramatize how people getting hurt and killed (because they deserved it) as part of natural selection, you might have to ask yourself; since Natural Selection(TM) has been happening throughout the history of life, why do people still care and cry for others anyway?

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#3 | Back to Top12-05-2012 10:49:37 PM

Overlord Morgus
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Registered: 02-22-2011
Posts: 314

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

Because most cases aren't as retarded as the one I mentioned.

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#4 | Back to Top12-05-2012 11:00:49 PM

QQQQQ
Cow Bellhop
From: Canada
Registered: 02-12-2011
Posts: 476

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

To me, that sort of mentality bears strong undertones of coldness. emot-frown (I'd have to wonder if I wouldn't have done the same if I was made drunk enough.)

Last edited by QQQQQ (12-05-2012 11:01:57 PM)

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#5 | Back to Top12-05-2012 11:54:18 PM

Valeli
Thorn of Death
Registered: 12-05-2006
Posts: 481
Website

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

I myself secretly looked down on the people who got killed and viewed such a process as a form of natural selection. It's not a tragedy when a high school kid gets drunk at a party, lies down in the middle of a street, and gets run over by a car, it's an embarrassment to his family and entertainment for everyone else.

One of my aunt's (as well as my maternal grandfather who was driving her) got killed by a drunk driver when she was going to the hospital one evening to give birth. Just saying.

Idiots who drink and take a nap in the street aside, drinking and driving really isn't so hot. Don't do it.
/endsobstory

Last edited by Valeli (12-05-2012 11:57:22 PM)

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#6 | Back to Top12-06-2012 12:31:12 AM

Decrescent Daytripper
Best Disney Princess
Registered: 04-09-2007
Posts: 2791

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

With all due respect, fuck all this.

Someone who's under-aged is under aged because they can't, reasonably, be expected to handle alcohol or major decisions. Someone inebriated is under the influence because they're under the influence and not capable of making rational decisions like "don't lie down in the busy street." And, regardless, they're still dead. And that'd be a painful way to die. Considerably more painful than anyone deserves for being a drunk teenager.

Stupidity may be stupid. Someone being drunk may do stupid things. The world hasn't been improved by their death, though. Statistically, I'd doubt you could find very many people whose premature death would definitely benefit the world as a whole, much less their community or family.

It's not "natural selection" (and ignores what that actually, as a coined phrase, is intended to mean) and it is not corrective.

There's a reason death and torture aren't often considered "punishment" in legal systems, but torture. Extreme pain doesn't educate, it coerces and even then, it coerces weakly (which is why even the FBI interrogation materials point out that direct torture is often useless in questioning) and encourages egregious sadism with little beneficial spinoff.

Last edited by Decrescent Daytripper (12-07-2012 12:37:55 AM)


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#7 | Back to Top12-06-2012 10:38:04 AM

OnlyInThisLight
KING OF ALL DUCKS
Registered: 01-15-2008
Posts: 4412

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

Claiming these teenagers are just stupid also ignores that alcohol abuse isn't a social problem.  That we don't, as a society, encourage and support the consumption of alcohol and rarely teach safe drinking practices.  Teenagers are the most susceptible to this, as alcohol is advertised as something adult, as a way to have fun, as a way to shirk the system and achieve autonomy, which teenagers desire.  On top of that, at certain ages teenagers don't have quite as well developed prefontal cortexes, which aids in decision making.  That's why SO MANY teenagers drink.  Just like SO MANY teenagers and children do drugs at all.  We like to think that only the stupid ones do, or the bad apples do, but that has never been the case. 

So yeah, agreeing on the Fuck All This front.   No one deserves death for making a bad decision.

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#8 | Back to Top12-06-2012 01:04:47 PM

Atropos
Atropos Turretslayer
From: Hampden College
Registered: 10-22-2011
Posts: 907

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

Fucking agree with both of the above. This is why I can't stomach the Darwin Awards.

ETA: And how many children have you fathered, Overlord Morgus?

Last edited by Atropos (12-06-2012 01:07:37 PM)

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#9 | Back to Top12-06-2012 01:36:39 PM

Lurv
Pained Growlithe
Registered: 05-25-2012
Posts: 520

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

I don't know if you're a sociopath, but using a title like that does come across as a bit self-absorbed.

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#10 | Back to Top12-06-2012 02:04:55 PM

Nova
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Registered: 05-02-2012
Posts: 535

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

It's normal for a teen-aged boy to be self-absorbed to the point of sociopathy. During this time, the child is learning about the existence and importance of the outside wider world, and how insignificant they really are compared to it, but is still saddled with the self-centeredness of a child, not to mention a lack of experience in dealing with the wider world. With proper guidance from their peers, educators, parents, or other role models they can outgrow this phase.

It's normal. You're not the first or only teenaged boy to go through this. Your limited point of view and lack of experience only makes it seem that way.


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#11 | Back to Top12-07-2012 11:50:50 AM

Overlord Morgus
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Registered: 02-22-2011
Posts: 314

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

Nova wrote:

It's normal for a teen-aged boy to be self-absorbed to the point of sociopathy. During this time, the child is learning about the existence and importance of the outside wider world, and how insignificant they really are compared to it, but is still saddled with the self-centeredness of a child, not to mention a lack of experience in dealing with the wider world. With proper guidance from their peers, educators, parents, or other role models they can outgrow this phase.

It's normal. You're not the first or only teenaged boy to go through this. Your limited point of view and lack of experience only makes it seem that way.

Are you saying that the individual is insignificant? Wouldn't that imply a lack of consideration for people who get themselves killed stupidly?

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#12 | Back to Top12-07-2012 12:10:27 PM

Nova
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Registered: 05-02-2012
Posts: 535

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

Overlord Morgus wrote:

Nova wrote:

It's normal for a teen-aged boy to be self-absorbed to the point of sociopathy. During this time, the child is learning about the existence and importance of the outside wider world, and how insignificant they really are compared to it, but is still saddled with the self-centeredness of a child, not to mention a lack of experience in dealing with the wider world. With proper guidance from their peers, educators, parents, or other role models they can outgrow this phase.

It's normal. You're not the first or only teenaged boy to go through this. Your limited point of view and lack of experience only makes it seem that way.

Are you saying that the individual is insignificant? Wouldn't that imply a lack of consideration for people who get themselves killed stupidly?

I'm talking about you.


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#13 | Back to Top12-07-2012 07:18:32 PM

Overlord Morgus
Banned
Registered: 02-22-2011
Posts: 314

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

You're talking about me as if being insignificant is an inherent part of the human condition, which I will, for the sake of argument, accept. Doesn't this then mean that we shouldn't feel sympathy for the kid who lays down in the middle of the street and gets run over?

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#14 | Back to Top12-07-2012 07:53:46 PM

Nova
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Registered: 05-02-2012
Posts: 535

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

Overlord Morgus wrote:

Doesn't this then mean that we shouldn't feel sympathy for the kid who lays down in the middle of the street and gets run over?

No, we should. Compassion for others, even the stupid, is what makes us civilized humans and not a pack of wolves. It's the act of reaching out and lifting someone else up that lifts us all.

I am trying to lift you up as well. This thread is so weird and meta now.


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#15 | Back to Top12-07-2012 07:59:46 PM

Overlord Morgus
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Registered: 02-22-2011
Posts: 314

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

It feels like you're dodging my question rather than answering it.

To put it another way, your framework seems to be that of subordination of the individual to the group, at least when you say that the really mature thing is to realize one's own insignificance. How is this consistent with the idea that we should be kinder to the stupid?

Last edited by Overlord Morgus (12-07-2012 07:59:59 PM)

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#16 | Back to Top12-07-2012 08:02:09 PM

Nova
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Posts: 535

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

I'm outta here.


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#17 | Back to Top12-07-2012 09:07:54 PM

QQQQQ
Cow Bellhop
From: Canada
Registered: 02-12-2011
Posts: 476

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

Overlord Morgus wrote:

You're talking about me as if being insignificant is an inherent part of the human condition, which I will, for the sake of argument, accept. Doesn't this then mean that we shouldn't feel sympathy for the kid who lays down in the middle of the street and gets run over?

Even if it all turns out to be insignificant in the end, it is still better to feel a shred of compassion for tragedy than not. etc-wankdude

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#18 | Back to Top12-07-2012 09:16:00 PM

Overlord Morgus
Banned
Registered: 02-22-2011
Posts: 314

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

If you look at it as part of a larger context of the culture, then you could say that on the one hand, we become more compassionate as a society if we commiserate about stupid deaths, and that on the other hand, such a public reaction excuses or even rewards stupidity. But of course, the best course of action is always to look at root causes, and the root cause, IMO, is fear, desire for recognition, and sexual frustration, as cliched and Freudian as that sounds.

Last edited by Overlord Morgus (12-07-2012 09:22:59 PM)

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#19 | Back to Top12-07-2012 09:25:41 PM

QQQQQ
Cow Bellhop
From: Canada
Registered: 02-12-2011
Posts: 476

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

Overlord Morgus wrote:

If you look at it as part of a larger context of the culture, then you could say that on the one hand, we become more compassionate as a society if we commiserate about deaths, and that on the other hand, such a public reaction excuses or even rewards stupidity.

Isn't this like saying petite Timmy shouldn't be saved from the well, because rescuing him will "excuse and even reward the stupidity" that trapped him in the well in the first place?

And if you look at the sample scenario you've candidly provided as a reflection of you - to me, this is yet another demonstration of the "Only the strong should prevail" perspective, rationalised and taken towards a Black and White extreme. I'm sure you've done a fine job of justifying this sort of logic to yourself. Maybe it makes sense, but if you don't mind my saying so.. the real world doesn't work that way.

But of course, the best course of action is always to look at root causes, and the root cause, IMO, is fear, desire for recognition, and sexual frustration, as cliched and Freudian as that sounds.

Last edited by QQQQQ (12-07-2012 09:26:30 PM)

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#20 | Back to Top12-07-2012 09:33:42 PM

Overlord Morgus
Banned
Registered: 02-22-2011
Posts: 314

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

QQQQQ wrote:

Isn't this like saying petite Timmy shouldn't be saved from the well, because rescuing him will "excuse and even reward the stupidity" that trapped him in the well in the first place?

And if you look at the sample scenario you've candidly provided as a reflection of you - to me, this is yet another demonstration of the "Only the strong should prevail" perspective, rationalised and taken towards a Black and White extreme. I'm sure you've done a fine job of justifying this sort of logic to yourself. Maybe it makes sense, but if you don't mind my saying so.. the real world doesn't work that way.

These sorts of things don't happen very often, their ultimate significance is symbolic, by virtue of the excessive public attention given to them. And I would say that YOLO culture is, at its core, more misguidedly Darwinistic than my POV. "He who dares wins" or some stupid shit like that. And high schoolers aren't "petite Timmy." If they're mentally "petite Timmy," then that is even more inexcusable.

And I think that the vast majority of people don't change meaningfully after the age of 15. The shape may change, but the material is the same.

But of course, the best course of action is always to look at root causes, and the root cause, IMO, is fear, desire for recognition, and sexual frustration, as cliched and Freudian as that sounds.

It seems like you were going to say something to this.

Last edited by Overlord Morgus (12-07-2012 09:48:25 PM)

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#21 | Back to Top12-07-2012 10:04:56 PM

QQQQQ
Cow Bellhop
From: Canada
Registered: 02-12-2011
Posts: 476

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

Overlord Morgus wrote:

These sorts of things don't happen very often, their ultimate significance is symbolic, by virtue of the excessive public attention given to them. And I would say that YOLO culture is, at its core, more misguidedly Darwinistic than my POV. "He who dares wins" or some stupid shit like that. And high schoolers aren't "petite Timmy." If they're mentally "petite Timmy," then that is even more inexcusable.

The comparison is to illustrate more clearly the fallacy underlying "Don't have compassion for 'stupid' happenings, because it will reward stupidity." YOLO culture seems to tell people that since you only have one life, why don't you find the most out of it? After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

And I think that the vast majority of people don't change meaningfully after the age of 15. The shape may change, but the material is the same.

Rapid change is very possible for a person, at any age. Besides dying, people have revelations about themselves; their beliefs, life situations can drastically change which brings out sides of themselves that have only been dormant. There's stories of people whose perception of reality has changed after taking psychedelic drugs. Did you know that every cell in our body gets totally replaced every 7-10 years?

Last edited by QQQQQ (12-08-2012 10:08:59 AM)

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#22 | Back to Top12-07-2012 10:17:42 PM

Overlord Morgus
Banned
Registered: 02-22-2011
Posts: 314

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

I guess I have to accept that the vast majority of people at all levels of society are really not worth anyone's attention. Liberal "democracy" will tell you otherwise, but that is the truth.

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#23 | Back to Top12-07-2012 10:58:35 PM

Nova
Phoenix Down
Registered: 05-02-2012
Posts: 535

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

Overlord Morgus wrote:

I guess I have to accept that the vast majority of people at all levels of society are really not worth anyone's attention. Liberal "democracy" will tell you otherwise, but that is the truth.

Holy shit.


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#24 | Back to Top12-07-2012 11:31:32 PM

QQQQQ
Cow Bellhop
From: Canada
Registered: 02-12-2011
Posts: 476

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

Overlord Morgus wrote:

I guess I have to accept that the vast majority of people at all levels of society are really not worth anyone's attention. Liberal "democracy" will tell you otherwise, but that is the truth.

The vast majority of anyone everywhere isn't worth anyone's attention.. hm, one can only worry about so many people at once, ja? Also, democracy (whether it's Liberal or Conservative) can sometimes turn out to be undemocratic, oui. etc-wankdude

Last edited by QQQQQ (12-07-2012 11:32:20 PM)

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#25 | Back to Top12-08-2012 12:24:00 AM

crystalwren
Dark Whisperer
From: Brisbane
Registered: 04-21-2009
Posts: 1172
Website

Re: I think I'm probably a sociopath at heart.

...

wat?

...

This thread makes my head hurt. It's one /adv/ shy of a 4chan "ask a psychopath anything" / "I've just diagnosed myself with Aspergers'" / "I'm a higher life form, and women are purely emotional reactive creatures who have no concept of my advanced logical reasoning" topic. emot-rolleyes





(... is this a bannable comment?)

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