17 MAY 2017 by ideonexus
Success as Proof of Virtue
Ivanka contrasts “proactive” people, who are “passionate and productive,” with “negative people,” those who are “swayed by the external and are frequently the victim of circumstance.” Her worldview, it turns out, is not so different from her father’s. Both see society through the lens of quasi-mystical corporate self-help, the sort pioneered by Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking and a major influence on Donald Trump. In their schema, success is pr... 1 
notes
notes19 NOV 2015 by ideonexus
Reza Aslan's Eloquent Dismissal of Generalizations
REZA ASLAN, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE: Well, I like Bill Maher. I have been on his show a bunch of times. He's a comedian.
But, you know, frankly, when it comes to the topic of religion, he's not very sophisticated in the way that he thinks. I mean, the argument about the female genital mutilation being an Islamic problem is a perfect example of that. It's not an Islamic problem. It's an African problem.
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: Well, wait, wait, wait.
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: Hol... 1 notes
notes28 AUG 2013 by ideonexus
Nationalism in a Virtual World
As the game grew in international popularity, players from all over the
world converged on the U.S. West server, leading to frequent overloading and lag in game play. The problem became particularly acute when Diablo II was released in Korea. Within a few weeks of its release, Diablo II sold 300,000 copies, making it far and away Blizzard’s most profitable overseas launch. This rapid uptake produced a massive influx of game players into U.S. West, causing further problems with game lag. Whe... 1 notes
notesStory of when Diablo II opened in Korea and the influx of users sparked a hostile reaction from Western players.
08 JUN 2012 by ideonexus
There is No Scientific Basis for Prejudice
Break the chains of your prejudices and take up the torch of experience, and you will honour nature in the way she deserves, instead of drawing derogatory conclusions from the ignorance in which she has left you. Simply open your eyes and ignore what you cannot understand, and you will see that a labourer whose mind and knowledge extend no further than the edges of his furrow is no different essentially from the greatest genius, as would have been proved by dissecting the brains of Descartes ...Folksonomies: prejudice
Folksonomies: prejudice
1 The brains of laborers and geniuses are anatomically identical.
08 JUN 2012 by ideonexus
How Humans Resemble Rats
...[T]he natural history of the rat is tragically similar to that of man ... some of the more obvious qualities in which rats resemble men — ferocity, omnivorousness, and adaptability to all climates ... the irresponsible fecundity with which both species breed at all seasons of the year with a heedlessness of consequences, which subjects them to wholesale disaster on the inevitable, occasional failure of the food supply.... [G]radually, these two have spread across the earth, keeping pace ... 1 notes
notesDown to our racial oppression of one another.
21 SEP 2011 by ideonexus
There Are Human Races
In response to these distasteful episodes of racism, some scientists
have overreacted, arguing that human races have no biological reality
and are merely sociopolitical “constructs” that don’t merit scientific
study. But to biologists, race—so long as it doesn’t apply to humans!—
has always been a perfectly respectable term. Races (also called “subspecies”
or “ecotypes”) are simply populations of a species that are both
geographically separated and differ genetically in on... 1 notes
notesIt is wrong to pretend they do not exist, but we should remember that the differences between human races are minor compared to the genetic differences between individuals within a race.
17 JUN 2011 by ideonexus
Being Satisfied with Born Prejudice
The custom of being satisfied with born prejudice has prevailed, and by following this custom, mankind agrees in all things with persons interested in supporting stubbornly the opinions thus received, and who would speak otherwise did they not fear to destroy themselves.Folksonomies: prejudice preconceptions
Folksonomies: prejudice preconceptions
1 notes
notesIndividuals agree with others in supporting stubborn opinions.
21 MAR 2011 by ideonexus
The Narcissism of Minor Differences
It is clearly not easy for man to give up the satisfaction of this inclination to aggression. They do not feel comfortable without it. The advantage which a comparatively small cultural group offers of allowing this instinct an outlet in the form of hostility against intruders is not to be despised. It is always possible to bind together a considerable number of people in love, so long as there are other people left over to receive the manifestations of their aggressiveness. I once discuss...
1 This is a term coined by Sigmund Freud to describe the phenomena where by societies that have much in common will come at such strong odds against one another over the points where they diverge.
