This isnt intellectualism.

[regnier]

hmm.

I am only seventeen years old. I am still a pre-graduate, and I just expect intelligence from a forum labelled -for the higher thinkers-. I don't expect a legion of slavering Derrida adherents, but I don't expect monkey bars and a swingset either. I play the game myself. Might not there be other people with the same mindset as me on it?

You are proving me correct by attacking my vocabulary: Nothing in there was difficult, except perhaps aporia. Which is a term I encountered a couple years back in grade ten, in my Greek History. Forgive me for learning something.

Most of you jumped on the fact that I used Kant as an example. What about Coupland, or Hempel? Coupland is a social critic, he wrote Generation X. And Amy Hempel is a beautiful minimalist writer, she fits epics worthy of Dostoevsky in a few pages. What about Kafka? He wrote amazing fiction, and his metaphors, god, his metaphors, are brilliant. I mentioned them in the hopes that somebody would respond, somebody with interests beyond Dan Brown and Stephen King. They were unimportant to the message.

Responding to my post, I see: Psuedo-intellectuals. I see: fakers. And I see: potential.

So I'm not giving up hope yet. The intellectualism Afrobean so hotly denies may just be present, but way above his head. Intelligence is about education or vocabulary or library, it's about perception and understanding.

Afrobean: Did you notice that the way you attack me not only proves my point, but contradicts yourself? "He expects too much of a message board for a flash game." You belittle the very boards you are seeking to establish your superiority over, with replies to all replies to this thread. If it's just a message board for a flash game, why care? Why not let itslide, instead of attacking? Does it piss you off that I leveled this accusation at the forums? Why?

After all: It's just a message board for a flash game. Isn't it, Afrobean? And yes, I'm being quite condescending. My post before was a plea. This one is a pat on your head, telling you to run along and play, don't bother the adults.

Don't be ridiculous. I'm not attempting to impress a coterie of strangers on an online forum. That's rather conceited of you to think so, denotes a bloated sense of self-worth. My purpose here is, I'm looking for people that I wouldn't mind knowing. So go about your daily business: Play the game, post elsewhere, whatever. Only post in this thread if you have something to say. If you don't read it, I can't "try to impress you", can I? You're nullifying your accusations of me just by reading this.

[Tasselfoot]

[Tasselfoot]

Re: This isnt intellectualism.

I'm curious why you ignored my comments, which are the only ones that even attempted to honestly answer your "plea". Clearly it is easier to attack Afro (as I even pointed out in a later post) than me, but where is the challenge or fun in that?

[lightdarkness]

Re: This isnt intellectualism.

test

[Afrobean]

Re: This isnt intellectualism.

I may have been hypocritical, but that recent post just proves my point about you further. Going out of your way to show off a higher level of intelligence.

You belittle the very boards you are seeking to establish your superiority over

what

Why not let itslide, instead of attacking?

what

run along and play, don't bother the adults.

what

#1: I never attacked the boards. Like Tass said, if you want advanced philosophy, a forum for a flash music game is not the place for it.

#2: Clearly you are more knowlegeable than me, but there is little chance you are much more intelligent than me. I'm what one would call "wasted potential." My capacity for knowlege is great, but I do not care to know of things which I have no interest in.

By the way, you really should respond to Tass. He truly is the one most worthy of response here. My knowlege lies not in things which you care about (the types of subjects that one can brag about in the presence of other intellectuals so as to battle with intellectual penises), so clearly my previous posts, and even this one, has little relevence to the thread.

[stretchypanda]

Re: This isnt intellectualism.

Okay, so, this is a five-page thread but not really? I won't be outsmarted by a website. :/

If you're looking for "real" intellectuals, I'm not sure you can insult the smart out of us. Seriously. This isn't JUST a forum to discuss philosophy and classics. You seem very much to be trying to seem of a higher intelligence than the regular posters in Critical Thinking, and I can't believe you'd expect anything but anger. I'm not going to argue that you have a greater wealth of knowledge than I, especially if you studied Greek History in high school.

If you want to find your intellectuals, try creating a topic that inspires us to think. Stir us to discussion, not arguments or insults. Let's talk about Kant, or Kafka, or Descartes. Convince me that their works are worth reading again, because I'm certain I hate all three. There are definitely posters who would love to see the return of a great topic to Critical Thinking.

Yeah, I'm the childish one with the silly retort, but seeing some punk come around and insult the intelligence of those I know to be quite wise makes me want to do nothing but throw rocks at you.

[jewpinthethird]

Re: This isnt intellectualism.

This is a collection of pseudo-intellectuals giving vent to half-imagined and ill-researched thoughts, picayune problems and misunderstood aporia. I cannot find hide nor hair of anything redeeming whatsoever.

I'd say I'm expecting too much of an online site, but they are thousands and thousands of users, and the forum is divided into many parts. There should be a few, even if only five or six, real critical thinkers. But I can't find any.

Have any of you ever even read any Kant? Kafka? Vonnegut? Coupland, Hempel, Descartes, Bacon? The most I could expect out of any of you solipsistic black-hole egotists is knowledge of Palahniuk. The messiah of the angry. And probably not even that.

I see here realms of justification and self-denial. Angry denouements and the neologisms of the iGeneration. I see here directionless discontent and placeless rage, common sense and common intelligence. I see here the kind of people who think the world will end in their lifetime, and never realize that's a form of conceit.

Don't any of you realize that trying to be different makes you normal?

More than anything, I want someone to prove me wrong. No doubt, there'll be an angry response, if there is a response at all, to this. I know that already, but it's worth it if even one intellectual responds. Never has a board full of posts felt so empty.

This is the end of my diatribe.

Marco?

Dude, you dont even know me. I am so philosophical. I wear black turtle necks everyday of the week and I drink coffee up the wazoo! Sometimes, when I am feeling fairly philosophical I'll sport a beret...but I usually get called a *** when I do, which really hurts my self-esteem.

I think Dadaism was a really good idea...and I take it really seriously. I my free time I trek down to the Modern Art Museum and stand around waiting for someone to say "that's not art." And that is when I pounce; "You don't understand Marcel Duchamp's genius!" When I get bored of that I stand infront of an MC Escher piece and say "that's so Kafkaesque" just loud enough so that those around me can hear it, but not so loud as to make them think I am speaking to them. I dont do it in hopes of creating a conversation, because God (or should I say, Dog) knows no one will ever be able to match my intellect. No, I do it for 'the look.' The "he probably knows what he is talking about, I'm impressed and slightly intiminated" look. Oh man, do I love that look. It's what masturbate to at night.

I'm very cynical. I dont believe in God. I think Religion is a bad idea. I dont own a car. I hate America. Liberals think I am Conservative, and conservatives think I am liberal. Moderates think I am insane. I am a nihilist...because I hate people. I'd be a socialist if I didnt hate people so much. I only shopped at Wal-Mart once, but it was because they were having a sell on turtle necks...and I couldn't afford not to buy them! My favorite kind of music is Jazz. I like to listen to Jazz on Vinyl. The real reason I dont own a car is because they dont make cars with record players built into them. Sometimes I listen to annoying avant-garde dribble like Tristan Tzara.

I read a lot of books by Philosophers but I dont really understand anything they say because face it, philosophy is a bunch of horse-shit. "Cogito ergo sum!" Holy-fucking-shit man! This is blowing my mind.

Truly, what is the sound of one's mind being blown? Man, how profound is that? I just came up with it right now. That's basically all philosophy is: questions no one can answer, and statements no one can really prove/disprove. It's pretty simple really...just respond to their answers with more questions until the give up an leave. Ergo, I win. Also, sprinkly some latin words passim (that's here and there in latin for those of you who are uneducated).

I even graduated with a Master's degree in Philosophy...not that it's good for anything or than bragging rights. It isn't like someone is going to pay me to think about trivial shit all day. You know, I say something really profound and the guy reponds: "hey, I never thought of it that way...here, take this money." No, it doesnt work like that. Usually you have to write some kind of book that pseudo-philosophical dipshits buy just to have in their library so that when they invite people over to their house they can say "oh, hey, check out these books I own, I'm pretty smart huh?" and the people respond "Yeah, you are" totally stroking the pseudo-philosophical dipshit's ego's dick.

I mean, once you establish yourself as a great Philosopher you pretty much are set for life. Anything you write will be considered "the greatest idea ever." Hell, your name may even become an adjective that pseedo-philosophical dipshits will throw around ever chance they get. But you see, I have yet to establish myself as a great Philosopher...mainly because I am such an asshole which is reflected in my writing. Publishers say it isnt "marketable."

I could go on and on about how Philosophical I am, but I wont. Because I dont have to prove anything to you! Besides, even if I did, it'd just go right over your head because I am so goddamn smart and you are so not smart.

ps. INSANE CLOWN POSSE RULZ.

[talisman]

Re: This isnt intellectualism.

I think you're misguided if you're looking for intellectualism... try searching for intelligence instead.

You'll find that the FFR community has its share of intelligent and highly intelligent posters (and the other end of the spectrum)... but I don't know if you'll find nearly as many who fit the straight-up intellectual description as I gather from your post: well-read in philosophy and modern writers and perhaps with a propensity for (unnecessarily?) using diction at a very high level.

[Kilgamayan]

Re: This isnt intellectualism.

Okay, so, this is a five-page thread but not really? I won't be outsmarted by a website.

The thread is preparing itself for the inevitable epic clash between swelling egos by providing them both room to expand.

Yes, the thread is sentient. It is, after all, a Critical Thinking thread.

[Omeganitros]

Re: This isnt intellectualism.

I was "intellectual" once. Then I gave up because the final boss of philosophy (meaning of life) has infinite HP, so when you attack him you're sent into an Infinity Loop, where you ponder how big infinity is until you lose all your lives. Even cheat codes don't work!

Now I avoid the CT forum because I cannot, for the life of me, make a serious post.

[jewpinthethird]

Re: This isnt intellectualism.

I was "intellectual" once. Then I gave up because the final boss of philosophy (meaning of life) has infinite HP, so when you attack him you're sent into an Infinity Loop, where you ponder how big infinity is until you lose all your lives. Even cheat codes don't work!

Now I avoid the CT forum because I cannot, for the life of me, make a serious post.

Man, infinity is so kafkaesque.

[Omeganitros]

Re: This isnt intellectualism.

I read Slaughterhouse 5 once, on Moogy's reccomendation. I did not get it. I got to the end, and I was like, "That's it? What the hell was the point of that?"

[MiniNeo]

Re: This isnt intellectualism.

I was "intellectual" once. Then I gave up because the final boss of philosophy (meaning of life) has infinite HP, so when you attack him you're sent into an Infinity Loop, where you ponder how big infinity is until you lose all your lives. Even cheat codes don't work!

Now I avoid the CT forum because I cannot, for the life of me, make a serious post.

Use attack "42". Always work ;D

</bad joke>

No. That was a terrible joke.

[Tasselfoot]

Re: This isnt intellectualism.

Guys, no offense... but please... while its all fun and good to mock the new guy coming in with the Holier-than-thou attitude, lets please attempt to continue to adhere to the rules of CT.

Thanks.

[Squeek]

hmm.

I am only seventeen years old. I am still a pre-graduate, and I just expect intelligence from a forum labelled -for the higher thinkers-. I don't expect a legion of slavering Derrida adherents, but I don't expect monkey bars and a swingset either. I play the game myself. Might not there be other people with the same mindset as me on it?

You are proving me correct by attacking my vocabulary: Nothing in there was difficult, except perhaps aporia. Which is a term I encountered a couple years back in grade ten, in my Greek History. Forgive me for learning something.

--and so on--

You're trying too hard.

I, too, can spout off about something on my first post and try to make myself sound rly rly coo~ so I can fit into the community better, and I used to do that in various ways until I realized that by doing so, you are only isolating yourself away from the rest of the community.

I won't question whether or not you had to use a Thesaurus or not. I will tell you that it's totally pointless to use big words, so either stop using a Thesaurus or lower your level of vocabulary. I cannot remember who said it or what the exact quote is, but it basically goes, "Do not use a complex word when a simpler word will suffice."

The average age range of the people on this forum is 15 to 16 years old. Most people here are educated in the American public school system. Be thankful that most of us know how to write out a coherent sentence as most forums cannot even manage this much with an age bracket like the one we have.

I know this is the answer you're expecting, so I'll out and say it. I would consider myself someone with a rather large vocabulary and I am unable to comprehend --even with context clues-- the message you are trying to convey. Therefore, this is is an apparent breakdown in communication that needs to be resolved one way or another.

With regards to the original post: Whether or not you've read some person's ramblings in a book that may or may not be famous does not make you an intelligent thinker. I agree with Tass on this one. If you want to argue with me in efficiency in programming or computer mechanics, then let's go. I'm ready, willing, and able. But if you want to discuss Philosophy and assume everyone here who posts in CT is able to reply to your statements, you're looking on the wrong forum.

~Squeek