[x]

Principles of the American Cargo Cult

Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 11
  1. Magnet Steve Magnet Steve is offline

    Boston, MA
    United States

    Posts: 10,793
    Joined: Jan 06

    Mar 16th, 2009 (3/16/2009 11:43pm)

    Reminds me of OT sometimes... From http://klausler.com/cargo.html

    <h3>I. Ignorance is innocence</h3> <blockquote> <h4>Complicated explanations are suspect</h4> <blockquote>The world is simple, and there must be a simple explanation for everything.
    </blockquote> <h4>Certainty is strength, doubt is weakness</h4> <blockquote>Admitting alternatives is undermining one's own belief.
    Changing one's mind means one has wasted the time spent holding the prior opinion.
    </blockquote> <h4>Your opinion matters as much as anyone else's</h4> <blockquote>When a person has studied a topic, he has no more real knowledge than you do, just a hidden agenda.
    </blockquote> <h4>The herd should be followed
    </h4> <blockquote>The contemplative lemming gets trampled
    Popular beliefs must be true.
    No bad idea can survive.
    People are generally smart.
    Even if a popular belief doesn't pan out, at least you'll be in the same boat as everyone else.

    </blockquote> </blockquote> <h3>II. Causality is selectable</h3> <blockquote> <h4>All interconnection is apparent</h4> <blockquote>Otherwise, complicated explanations would be necessary.
    </blockquote> <h4>The end supports the explanation of the means</h4> <blockquote>A successful person's explanation of the means of his success is highly credible by the very fact of his success.
    </blockquote> <h4>You can succeed by emulating the purported behavior of successful people</h4> <blockquote>This is the key to the cargo cult. To enjoy the success of another, just mimic the rituals he claims to follow.
    Your idol gets the blame if things don't work out, not you.
    </blockquote> <h4>You have a right to your share</h4> <blockquote> You get to define your share.
    Your share is the least you will accept without crying injustice.
    Celebrate getting more than your share.
    </blockquote> </blockquote> <h3>III. It's not your fault</h3> <blockquote> <h4>If it's good for you, it's good</h4> <blockquote>Society is everyone else.
    </blockquote> <h4>Good intentions suffice</h4> <blockquote>You can always apologize.
    </blockquote> <h4>There is no long term</h4> <blockquote>Don't miss an opportunity.
    </blockquote> <h4>Consequences are things that happen to others</h4> <blockquote>Only you can hold yourself accountable. Don't let others make you do that.
    If somebody starts the blame game, you can still win it.
    There are evil people and institutions, and surely one of them is more responsible than you are.
    </blockquote> <h4>You are not the problem</h4> <blockquote>An ugly image means a bad mirror.
    </blockquote> </blockquote> <h3>IV. Death is unnatural</h3> <blockquote> <h4>You're special</h4> <blockquote>Bad things shouldn't happen to you.
    </blockquote> <h4>Pain is wrong</h4> <blockquote>Life should not hurt.
    It's a Whiffle World.
    </blockquote> <h4>Tragedy is a synonym for calamity</h4> <blockquote>Bad things are never consequences of one's own action or inaction.
    </blockquote> <h4>There will be justice</h4> <blockquote>Bad people get punished.
    You, however, will be forgiven.
    </blockquote> </blockquote>
  2. Lenny Lenny is offline lail henny!

    Nashville, TN
    United States

    Posts: 8,813
    Joined: Nov 05

    Mar 17th, 2009 (3/17/2009 12:08am) in reply to Magnet Steve

    I don't remember exactly how I ended up reading this but it was halfway decent. Not as good as a Tom Robbins novel, but not terrible either.

  3. skisteve skisteve is offline 2008-2009 Thread Killer Champ

    Djibouti

    Posts: 34,087
    Joined: Jul 06

    Mar 17th, 2009 (3/17/2009 12:09am) in reply to Magnet Steve

    There is no long term, spend whatever you can get your hands on or someone else will spend it. You hear me south Carolina?!!!!!
  4. Underdog Underdog is offline MVP of OT (self-proclaimed)

    Posts: 20,066
    Joined: Jan 05

    Mar 17th, 2009 (3/17/2009 12:24am) in reply to Lenny

    ZOMG, THANK YOU Lenny!

    I bought this novel in an airport bookstore at the last minute as I was running to catch a flight and really liked it, but then I left the book on the plane, and I could never remember the title or the author's name. .

    Kind of had a Neil Gaiman feel to it. I will have to check out other books by this author.

    <3 <3 <3 Lenny
  5. norcaljeff norcaljeff is offline 2010 OT Thread Kill Leader

    San Francisco, CA
    United States

    Posts: 42,319
    Joined: Sep 07

    Mar 17th, 2009 (3/17/2009 1:01am) in reply to Magnet Steve

    thought this was going to be about pants.
  6. emcee21 emcee21 is offline

    Orlando, FL
    United States

    Posts: 16,131
    Joined: Feb 06

    Mar 17th, 2009 (3/17/2009 1:05am) in reply to Magnet Steve

    hmmm...some of these are spot-on spotting of fallacies. some of them rub me the wrong way. for instance, i find over-differentiation to be just as dangerous as oversimplification.
  7. Lenny Lenny is offline lail henny!

    Nashville, TN
    United States

    Posts: 8,813
    Joined: Nov 05

    Mar 17th, 2009 (3/17/2009 1:59am) in reply to Underdog

    I actually haven't read any Neil Gaiman, been meaning to check out Good Omens for years.

    Have to move that up the list.
  8. skisteve skisteve is offline 2008-2009 Thread Killer Champ

    Djibouti

    Posts: 34,087
    Joined: Jul 06

    Mar 17th, 2009 (3/17/2009 6:30am) in reply to Lenny

    It's not your fault will. It's not your fault. It's not your fault. It's not your fault. It's not your fault. (It's underdogs fault.)
  9. Magnet Steve Magnet Steve is offline

    Boston, MA
    United States

    Posts: 10,793
    Joined: Jan 06

    Mar 17th, 2009 (3/17/2009 8:00am) in reply to Lenny

     
    Originally Posted by Lenny View Post

    I actually haven't read any Neil Gaiman, been meaning to check out Good Omens for years.

    Have to move that up the list.

    For the love of Pete, read American Gods.
    Thread Starter
  10. nastysmell nastysmell is offline

    Huntsville, MO
    United States

    Posts: 5,005
    Joined: Oct 06

    Mar 17th, 2009 (3/17/2009 12:05pm) in reply to Lenny

    that's funny, as soon as i saw the title i thought of this book. the rest of his stuff is light and good to read as well. though i like this one best.
Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 11

Similar Threads