Internet Cowardice

[Kilgamayan]

Re: Internet Cowardice

Uh, yeah, actually. That's the point. It's like saying the author cannot NOT write about something that touches home with their personal ideas. See? Still perfectly understandable.

The thing about "can't help but (noun)" is that it's easily turned into a single negative without ruining the meaning by saying "can't help (gerund)". As such, "can't help but (noun)" is inherently grammatically incorrect.

In your case, the correct thing to say would be "can't help writing a novel".

[Specforces]

Re: Internet Cowardice

The point is that I do and say whatever I want in real life. The internet serves as that extra amount of output for my cynicism while I'm doing my homework.

Not a big deal.

But if I say something to you here seriously, I'd say it to your face. Regardless of how tough you think you are...

By "you" I'm not talking about Laharl exclusively.

[Laharl]

Re: Internet Cowardice

I think Cenright captured what I was meaning better than I ever could have.

@ Hr2: When I say "The Truth", it's not that there is a black or white. I mean, there is, but I realize it's different for each person. Most people don't really care to get their viewpoints and beliefs pinned down enough that their ideas even could become definite.

The reason I am disliked here is because I'm not afraid of telling people they are acting like a two year old, and that their ideas aren't formulated so much as brainwashed into them. I realize it's an unpopular stance. Funny thing is, I wouldn't really care to bring it up except that others go out of their way to say that to me. Treat me with respect, I treat you with respect. Treat me like scum, I treat you like scum. I actually prefer to treat people with respect. I really do. I just don't bother with people that are incapable of doing so. People only seem to respond to people that act the same way they do, though, which is a crying shame.

I should make a whole new topic on that, but I'm out of Flame-Proof®.

[Hr2]

Re: Internet Cowardice

I think Cenright captured what I was meaning better than I ever could have.

@ Hr2: When I say "The Truth", it's not that there is a black or white. I mean, there is, but I realize it's different for each person. Most people don't really care to get their viewpoints and beliefs pinned down enough that their ideas even could become definite.

The reason I am disliked here is because I'm not afraid of telling people they are acting like a two year old, and that their ideas aren't formulated so much as brainwashed into them. I realize it's an unpopular stance. Funny thing is, I wouldn't really care to bring it up except that others go out of their way to say that to me. Treat me with respect, I treat you with respect. Treat me like scum, I treat you like scum. I actually prefer to treat people with respect. I really do. I just don't bother with people that are incapable of doing so. People only seem to respond to people that act the same way they do, though, which is a crying shame.

By the way I was extremely religious up until about 3-4 years ago, considering religious influences had not left me at all at this time (in some ways they had escalated) I would say that it would be VERY hard to say I've been brainwashed; I came to my conclusions about religion a few years after developing some serious doubts about divine intervention and creationism.

I didn't mean that your "the Truth" stuff was a black and white issue, I was just saying that it is a pretentious thing to call your belief "the Truth" with capitalized letters. It seems very condescending to anyone who doesn't believe in the same thing as you, and many of us have done just as much research into our beliefs (current or former) and many of us are also very spiritual too, we just direct our spirituality at something other than god. I think that you stereotype atheists more than you claim to be being stereotyped.

Calling your stance "the Truth" does not treat our stances with any respect at all. While many of our members don't treat your stance with respect, it would be nice for you to realize that some of us don't think you're treating our stance with respect either. I have grown weary of religious conversations, I've had too many with some of my friends, but this is another kind of thing, and I dunno, I don't think you're an idiot, and I think you could gain (at least my) respect if you kept making topics like these ones and maybe tried to be less condescending.

[Laharl]

Re: Internet Cowardice

Well, see, I also don't have a problem with you. :P One thing that it takes awhile to realize is that I speak in generalizations when I'm talking to someone specifically, and it's mostly to highlight a flaw in that specific person than it is to talk about that entire community. It's a bad habit I've picked up from being on the recieving end of that criticism for all of my life, and you know what? I'll work on it and try not to.

Also, I don't think I have specifically stated my stance as being The Truth. I am in constant search of it, because I don't believe it's obtainable in it's entirety in this life. I feel that there are a lot of things I believe that are pieces of it, but I bet they are the same parts you might consider to be utter, undeniable Truth yourself. (Let's say for example that murder is wrong. I think most everyone on earth agrees with this. There are specifics as to what constitutes murder we could argue on, but basically, if someone kills another and you label it as murder, you believe it was wrong.) Basically, I think it's the search for whatever The Truth is in your life that's important, not so much the end result.

[Grandiagod]

Re: Internet Cowardice

Also, I don't think I have specifically stated my stance as being The Truth. I am in constant search of it, because I don't believe it's obtainable in it's entirety in this life. I feel that there are a lot of things I believe that are pieces of it, but I bet they are the same parts you might consider to be utter, undeniable Truth yourself. (Let's say for example that murder is wrong. I think most everyone on earth agrees with this. There are specifics as to what constitutes murder we could argue on, but basically, if someone kills another and you label it as murder, you believe it was wrong.) Basically, I think it's the search for whatever The Truth is in your life that's important, not so much the end result.

Nice obtuse undefineable philosophy there.

[angel-d]

Re: Internet Cowardice

I just read through everyone's arguments here and although a number of different topics have been brought up I would like to address what seems to be the original one; people acting different on the internet than in real life.

I agree that it happens a lot. There is no way to deny that people change small things about the way they act while on the internet. In some extreme cases people change their whole life on the internet (such as changing their family status and profession). As it was said before, this is no different to real life where we change the way we act, depending on who is around us and the situation we are in.

However there are many different reasons why people do this on the internet. In some cases people are looking for acceptance from others whereas in other cases they might be simply looking to vent some excess anger or stress. In both these cases I don't see anything negative.
If a person works 9-5 every day in a small cubicle for a boss who couldn't care less, they will build up anger and stress. If they are timid they may be unlikely to share their feelings with their real life friends causing the anger to build up over time. However if they can then go on the internet and express this anger in an environment where they won't hurt their job or other people how can it be a bad thing?

The main point I am trying to make is that changing yourself on the internet is very much a healthy thing to do. If a person is able to relieve stress through acting out a 'persona' in an environment where they cannot physically hurt anyone instead of going out and starting a fight, how can it be a bad thing?

I realize there are some flaws in my argument, such as in the case of a pedophile taking on the persona of a child in order to gain trust or an unstable person being affected by something someone said to them on the internet. However nothing is 100% good, there will always be negative consequences.

[Cenright]

Re: Internet Cowardice

Thanks Laharl. I THOUGHT that was what you were trying to get at.