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I want my identity threatened. I'm getting jealous of people who get their identity threatened.
The problem, of course, is that I identify only with myself.
Do I need to develop a split personality and identify with the other personality?
Do you suppose that there's someone out there with a split personality, but with both personalities identical? How would they ever know they have a problem? (Haha!)
(These may or may no be rhetorical questions.)
(rhetorical. rhetorical. can never get enough of that word. makes me feel smart everytime i use it.)
April 27 2006, 09:16:17 UTC 6 years ago
April 27 2006, 09:20:17 UTC 6 years ago
I got only two comments from theists, and one of them is my brother. And he accused me of 'flaming'. He doesn't know what 'flaming' means, exactly.
April 27 2006, 09:23:02 UTC 6 years ago
April 27 2006, 14:07:17 UTC 6 years ago
April 28 2006, 08:05:33 UTC 6 years ago
But this much I know : I often don't get along with people who believe in God, especially women. I start looking for ways to screw with their (blind) faith. OTOH, people who don't believe are more interesting to converse with, probably because they use their brain more, to question, and to defend themselves against the guilt-purveying God-wankers.
April 28 2006, 08:11:58 UTC 6 years ago
Yeah, I agree. I was there, so I know. I was a believer and only now I realise all the different ways I had to obscure my thought process just to keep my faith.
April 29 2006, 13:31:38 UTC 6 years ago
April 29 2006, 17:50:31 UTC 6 years ago
"But don't we already have a word for 'everything'? I think it's spelt E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.
Or should we just go with what a person claims to be? For example, if someone says: I think there are alien beings, some of whom interact indirectly with us earthlings and keep track of our Karma. I don't believe in "God" though. I'm an atheist.
Is zhe an atheist? I don't know.
May 2 2006, 04:59:23 UTC 6 years ago
If someone has a definition of god and insists that such a god exists, then I'd say that person is a theist. In this case, a pantheist. The object of worship isn't the point, the fact of belief and the definition of that object as god, is.
>I'm an atheist.
Sure, but you would also be superstitious. Atheism and superstition are not mutually exclusive, though the various forms of theism(that I know of) are always superstition. The point is, really, that atheism in itself simply implies a lack of belief in god. It doesn't always imply superior rationality [though some people do arrive at a position of atheism rationally]
May 2 2006, 07:28:31 UTC 6 years ago
This hypothetical person isn't worshiping Everything. And it's not even a belief. Zhe just has a simple definition of God: God is everything. Now 'everything' is not moral. It doesn't care if you worship it or not. Is this person a pantheist too?
So those alien beings are not Gods? My alien beings keeping track of Karma seemed like a typical polytheistic religion to me.
6 years ago
April 27 2006, 13:02:25 UTC 6 years ago
How do these popular people get their identity threatened? For example, an impostor creates
April 27 2006, 14:14:24 UTC 6 years ago
Anonymous
April 27 2006, 18:02:44 UTC 6 years ago
Alter Ego
I guess,Your identity would be threatened, the day you meet your alter ego.And make this person a part of your active life.This Mr.Alter Ego will be so much like yourself,that people around you would mistake that person for you...and there you go..your identity threatened...:)-Jo
April 28 2006, 08:27:00 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Alter Ego
Actually everything you see on this journal is my alter ego :PApril 27 2006, 18:47:21 UTC 6 years ago
April 28 2006, 08:27:46 UTC 6 years ago
April 27 2006, 20:03:44 UTC 6 years ago
April 28 2006, 08:28:59 UTC 6 years ago
April 29 2006, 13:35:27 UTC 6 years ago
April 29 2006, 17:55:18 UTC 6 years ago
Whenever I see anyone post that their identity is being threatened, it's always because they're seeing less people like them. Wouldn't that actually strengthen their identity, you know? Establish it. Make it more obvious.
For example, if I wake up someday and notice that everybody looks like me, behaves like me, that is the way my identity could be threatened - maybe I still don't understand what identity-threat means. But what I see is people claiming the opposite. They want everyone else to be like them so that their "identity is not threatened". The more I think about it, the less sense it makes.
May 2 2006, 06:23:50 UTC 6 years ago
You're defining identity differently from those people.
You: Identity is what sets me apart from other people. I am uniquely defined by how I differ from other people. If that uniqueness is threatened, my identity is threatened.
They: Identity is defined by the groups that we belong to. When the group/s is/are threatened, my identity is threatened.
May 2 2006, 07:36:35 UTC 6 years ago
Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean and kind of knew it before I even asked the question. "Identity-threat" just seemed to me a bit disingenuous. As if someone was creating clones out there. Maybe something less romantic, like Herd-Identity threat is more appropriate. That's what I'm going to use from now on.
May 2 2006, 07:51:27 UTC 6 years ago
You know what I mean, but I'll spell it out anyway for the sake of jobless third prties who might be browsing this thread. :)
Threats to groups are more often than not perceived, not real. Pretty much anything can be projected as a threat to the group if your propaganda machine is good enough. So no, it doesn't have to be people leaving the group. E.g. The aryans are threatened because of a world-spanning conspiracy involving powerful and rich jews.
Christians are threatened because the ten commandments are not plastered all over courtrooms.
>That's what I'm going to use from now on.
Certainly. But here's a basic problem with the term herd-identity. It is defined in terms of what it is *not*. For example, the term "Hindu" (as used by Hindutvadis) includes such a wide diversity of beliefs and practices that the only practical way it can be defined is as "non-Muslim".
There's nothing "disingenuous" about the term identity threat- it is common usage even among those who study politics and history. There is something extremely disingenous about the nature of identity threats.
August 22 2006, 11:47:32 UTC 5 years ago
September 1 2006, 11:59:55 UTC 5 years ago