Snowflake's Forum

 Post 'em. Such as......... “The first step in solving a problem is recognizing there is one” Or, something like.......... Though that one might be a fallacy, because.................................... I am having a silly feeling day, and that is reflected in my amused thread on Germaine's channel.  Simply put.................... Ok ok, now YOUR turn. Got any inspirational or inspiring quotes? If so, POST 'EM. 

 NOT that we really know each other. We may have some inkling about a person's personality and demeanor, but.................. How much do we really know about each other on here? I mean, really really know. We have some notions, but............ The same goes for the real world. Even family can shock you. How often have we read about this family or that family finding out that a member of that family had a history of abuse, or belonging to some heinous organization?  More likely people around us we are not intimately acquainted with. He seemed like such a nice guy, what a shock to find out he was arrested for theft. Or something worse. Or I trust my preacher, then find out he was molesting little boys. Not that our not knowing about someone has to be THAT drastic.  Example: We might have a notion that this one or that one is even keeled then suddenly they explode into hateful rhetoric, made snide hurtful remarks, displays harsh and unbending prejudices. NOW, reverse that....

CONTEXT I post a lot about the stunning power of dark free speech or demagoguery to create false visions of reality, and foment flawed reasoning about what people think they see. That leads many people come to false beliefs. That leads to actions based on false beliefs. Some of those actions are lethal or harmful to the actor or other they interact with, e.g., anti-vaccine crackpots who infect other people, who then die. All forms of dishonest speech are being employed in modern politics. That includes dark free speech, demagoguery and propaganda, all of which rely heavily on lies, slanders, divisive bigotry, disinformation, crackpot conspiracy theories, irrational emotional reactions like unwarranted fear, anger, moral outrage, hate, etc.  Deceived people lose power because they believe and act on the basis of lies that usually benefit the liars and special interests at the expense of the public interest. Dark free speech is the single most powerful non-kinetic weapon* that author...

CONTEXT For decades, researchers have been debating the relative importance of genetics and upbringing and environment on cognitive ability. Cognitive ability refers to the mental processes involved in acquiring, storing, and using knowledge. It encompasses a wide range of skills and functions that are essential for thinking, learning, and problem-solving. Cognitive ability is the mental competence that allows individuals to think, learn, reason, and solve problems effectively. It involves processes like perception, focusing attention, reliance on memory, language competence, and decision-making ability. By contrast, intelligence is generally defined as the ability to learn from experience, adapt to new situations, understand and handle abstract concepts, and use knowledge to manipulate one's environment. It involves reasoning, problem-solving, and learning from experience. Cognitive ability is more about the specific mental processes involved in thinking, while intelligence is a b...

  So, what is bluster? By definition: - to speak or act in a noisy, angry, or threatening way without saying anything important As good enough an explanation as any I guess, but it really doesn't say it all. Back when I was a kid, there was always that kid on the teams that would lose at whatever game it was and get mad while blaming someone else for the loss, even though they'd been a major part in the loss. So I naively assumed that bluster was only a sore loser thing. As I got older and worked I found out that it was also a tactic to try and scare others from fighting back. So a poker reference here, it's very similar to someone going "all in" right away to discourage anyone from calling the bet. Now, we see it quite often in politics, usually with doubling down if it's confronted. In politics as a tactic, it's meant to scare the politician's opponents, but also to distract from the other things the politician has failed to deliver and/or actually w...

  School can be a real drag and boring as hell.  But, sometimes you get a teacher that makes the subject interesting or even fun.  Sparks your curiosity to learn more. Bunny has several examples, but will start with the history teacher who managed to make things seem relevant by using modern day examples.  The best one explaining how the Electoral College came to be by  giving examples of the shoppers at K-Mart. Who or what peaked your desire for learning? J.P. Bunny