What’s something you believe is true-but can’t prove it?

Westbahnhof said:

But... That's exactly the point. That the news are flooded with awful things makes it much much easier to be better on average than it appears. I believe you're misunderstanding the original statement.

If there are 100 bad things and 10 good thing, but the news tell you about 80 bad things and 2 good things.. Things are better than they appear.

As I think that news media focus primarily on the bad, I believe the world is better than the news would make it seem.

This is about the overall state of the world/humanity, not me as an individual.

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No, you're missing the point.

The fact these awful things exist mean they drag down any idea of progress. The world is not a good place because people are living longer etc... the world is still a shitty place because things like systemic racism, poverty, apartheid, etc.. exist.

And, the fact that so many people experience happier lives is a big part of the problem. Comfy privileged people don't want to rock the boat as often.

The world is in a shit state when someone like Trump in in power, when the alt-right gain legitimacy, when so many American care about gun rights ahead of the lives of kids, when minority groups continue to be oppressed and the privileged stand by and do nothing.

GlamFM said:

Eh, Even the smartest dog can't work out how to carry a wide stick through a narrow door.

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zoukka said:

People aren't happier in 2018 than they were 2018 BC

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This is what im guessing too.
The human brain adapts to all circumstances.
We are never happy/sad about states staying the way they are but rather about states changing.

astro said:

The world is in a shit state when someone like Trump in in power, when the alt-right gain legitimacy, when so many American care about gun rights ahead of the lives of kids, when minority groups continue to be oppressed and the privileged stand by and do nothing.

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These are all legitimate concerns but the language is crazy, if this is 'shit' state then what was the world decades, centuries and millenia ago? We are going in a bad direction in some parts of the world at the moment (like USA), but that doesn't mean we have reached some new low yet, not even close.

Aliens exist.
God (at least, the all-knowing, all-powerful one put forth by monotheistic religions) does not.

zoukka said:

These are all legitimate concerns but the language is crazy, if this is 'shit' state then what was the world decades, centuries and millenia ago? We are going in a bad direction in some parts of the world at the moment (like USA), but that doesn't mean we have reached some new low yet, not even close.

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Who said anything about a new low?

You're inventing things now. Just because it might be better doesn't mean it's good.

Aliens
Mattress Firm is a drug front and or money laundering scheme
Trump won't make it to his 2nd term
We have absolutely no idea what our reality is. I think life is an illusion and there is a persistent aspect

astro said:

Who said anything about a new low?

You're inventing things now. Just because it might be better doesn't mean it's good.

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Fair enough. I just pointed out that if the world is shit then we have to invent new words to describe the past.

astro said:

No, you're missing the point.

The fact these awful things exist mean they drag down any idea of progress. The world is not a good place because people are living longer etc... the world is still a shitty place because things like systemic racism, poverty, apartheid, etc.. exist.

And, the fact that so many people experience happier lives is a big part of the problem. Comfy privileged people don't want to rock the boat as often.

The world is in a shit state when someone like Trump in in power, when the alt-right gain legitimacy, when so many American care about gun rights ahead of the lives of kids, when minority groups continue to be oppressed and the privileged stand by and do nothing.

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I'm missing the point? I believe you are misunderstanding and/or misrepresenting the original statement.

The statement was that the world is not as bad as it appears in the news. Not exclusively bad. Nobody claimed it was good, fair, great, anything like that.

Your argument against that boils down to pointing out bad things that I read about on the news every single day. How is that an argument against the news putting a spotlight at what is negative?

There are more good things happening than the front page might make you believe. The world still being overwhelmingly cruel, unfair and shit is irrelevant in this context.

Westbahnhof said:

I'm missing the point? I believe you are misunderstanding and/or misrepresenting the original statement.

The statement was that the world is not as bad as it appears in the news. Not exclusively bad. Nobody claimed it was good, fair, great, anything like that.

Your argument against that boils down to pointing out bad things that I read about on the news every single day. How is that an argument against the news putting a spotlight at what is negative?

There are more good things happening than the front page might make you believe. The world still being overwhelmingly cruel, unfair and shit is irrelevant in this context.

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The world is as bad as it appears in the news because the things that appear in the news are bad enough that only a person living in a bubble of privilege would call things ok.

zoukka said:

Fair enough. I just pointed out that if the world is shit then we have to invent new words to describe the past.

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Why would we need to invent words to articulate how something was worse in the past?

astro said:

The world is as bad as it appears in the news because the things that appear in the news are bad enough that only a person living in a bubble of privilege would call things ok.

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You're messing with me, right?
I didn't say things were okay. It sounds like you didn't read what I wrote.

Westbahnhof said:

You're messing with me, right?
I didn't say things were okay. It sounds like you didn't read what I wrote.

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No, read what I wrote, it covers everything you wrote if you actually do.

CormoranStrike said:

That the parents of maddie Mcann are directly responsible for her disappearance.

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That's a positive.

astro said:

No, read what I wrote, it covers everything you wrote if you actually do.

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I guess we just have different philosophies. I'm a "the glass is only almost empty" kind of person, while you're a "the glass is broken and everything that could fill it just gets lost" kind of person.

Westbahnhof said:

I guess we just have different philosophies. I'm a "the glass is only almost empty" kind of person, while you're a "the glass is broken and everything that could fill it just gets lost" kind of person.

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That's not it at all and you're being ridiculously dishonest here.

Read what I wrote, it's not cryptic.

astro said:

That's not it at all and you're being ridiculously dishonest here.

Read what I wrote, it's not cryptic.

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Dishonest? What the actual fuck. I am serious, maybe dial it back a bit. I read what you wrote, and I disagree with your way of judging things. What the hell.

But then again, you're talking about "calling things okay" when I never did.
Edit:
I'm saying that besides all the bad, there are good things, which means something. And these good things are not on the headlines, usually.

Westbahnhof said:

Dishonest? What the actual fuck. I am serious, maybe dial it back a bit. I read what you wrote, and I disagree with your way of judging things. What the hell.

But then again, you're talking about "calling things okay" when I never did.

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No, you're being dishonest about my intent , putting words in my mouth, and now you're getting quite aggressive/upset, so I think we should leave this here please.

astro said:

No, you're being dishonest about my intent , putting words in my mouth, and now you're getting quite aggressive/upset, so I think we should leave this here please.

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Yes, I'm upset that you're insulting me. Why wouldn't I be? You're talking about the world not being okay (as if I disagree, while I completely agree), and when I try to come up with an analogy for our vastly different things of viewing life, you call me dishonest. It's frustrating as hell.

I'll drop this, because I believe you don't understand what I'm saying, and unless I am mistaken, you think the same about me.

Westbahnhof said:

Yes, I'm upset that you're insulting me. Why wouldn't I be? You're talking about the world not being okay (as if I disagree, while I completely agree), and when I try to come up with an analogy for our vastly different things of viewing life, you call me dishonest. It's frustrating as hell.

I'll drop this, because I believe you don't understand what I'm saying, and unless I am mistaken, you think the same about me.

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I didn't insult you. You were being dishonest as you were putting words into my mouth, as I said. I don't want to continue this, I just want to be clear. If you can't see I can point out where you did this. Feel free to PM me.

astro said:

Why would we need to invent words to articulate how something was worse in the past?

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I'm tempted to just quote your multiple 'read my posts better' rhetorics, but I'll be better than that. You used a superlative for bad to describe times that are arguably best in many metrics in the context of human history.

Cryptocurrencies are both pyramid schemes and bot farms for encryption cracking. Best way to crack encryption is a giant farm of GPUs. Guess what an army of crypto miners are?!

zoukka said:

I'm tempted to just quote your multiple 'read my posts better' rhetorics, but I'll be better than that. You used a superlative for bad to describe times that are arguably best in many metrics in the context of human history.

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Mate... what are you even doing at this point.

Times are shit because so many minorities are suffering, and that's only one reason why.

It doesn't matter AT ALL that things used to be worse, they're still shit. Too much suffering and pointless hate in the world to say things are good, unless you live in a bubble of privilege.

This is not at all saying good things can not be found.

astro said:

Mate... what are you even doing at this point.

Times are shit because so many minorities are suffering, and that's only one reason why.

It doesn't matter AT ALL that things used to be worse, they're still shit.

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Well that's where we disagree. Things can be improved a lot, but it's not all shit.

If you drive a Mercedes G-Wagon you wear oversized gold sunglasses and are not only a douche, you also don't know anything about cars.

And you have never signaled a turn or a lane change. Or allowed someone to merge.

V23 said:

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;)

Ghosts and demons are real. I do wish we could get some absolute proof but I don't think that'll ever happen.

I also have a theory that we aren't the first Earth, or even at mankind. I believe that there is a God, and once Armageddon happens and he comes back, he starts over. This could explain reincarnation :)

zoukka said:

Well that's where we disagree. Things can be improved a lot, but it's not all shit.

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Are you even reading my posts?

The last line of the post you literally just quoted says I don't think it's all shit. The part you cut off...

trikster40 said:

Ghosts and demons are real. I do wish we could get some absolute proof but I don't think that'll ever happen.

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Since I don't believe this at all, I'd like to hear more about the how/why/...
Not to ridicule you (which one might assume, this being the internet), but because I'm interested in the thoughts and views of someone who believes in something that's impossible from my point of view.

V23 said:

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Pupperthagoras.

astro said:

Are you even reading my posts?

The last line of the post you literally just quoted says I don't think it's all shit. The part you cut off...

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It wasn't there when I quoted you. And I find it increasingly hard to understanding your rhetoric, I don't think there's lot to gain from this debate.

zoukka said:

It wasn't there when I quoted you. And I find it increasingly hard to understanding your rhetoric, I don't think there's lot to gain from this debate.

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I edited it in literally a few seconds after posting, I guess it was a matter of timing.

Still, you have done that constantly thoughout our exchange so you're definitely right.

Life outside Earth, proton decay, magnetic monopoles, supersymmetry, P ≠ NP, information is conserved in black hole evaporation, (local) Lorentz symmetry is exact, quantum indeterminacy is fundamental, and probably a lot of other things...

I mean, I'm catholic so... all of that, I guess?
Primarily that there'll be some sort of comeuppance for people who did awful shit in life after they die... I'd really love to believe that one...

I can't prove that life is meaningless and in fact, better not to have happened other than you are born with no choice, you will feel pain emotionally and physically guaranteed, and then death. You get 85 years on average - then bye. What was the point? Other than being a slave to evolution and having children, which I am of course against if you couldn't guess - I an am antinatalist, you potter about doing very little with very little for very little reason and then you pop it. Imagine the planet with no two-legged sentient violent maniacs walking about like they own the place, killing themselves and subjugating themselves and abusing themselves. Sounds like a damn fine planet. I am in the minority of course and people keep having babies. Pop pop pop. Out they pop in ever-increasing numbers. A proof isn't really required I feel to say life is inherently meaningless and painful to the vast majority. Yes, I am no fun at parties.

deja vu is really some kind of residual memory from your past self or an alternate version of yourself that exists somewhere else, maybe in this universe or another universe or idk. no one can convince me otherwise. have you ever had deja vu and then predicted what would happen next (up to a few seconds) and it actually happened??? it's super crazy

Mitchman said:

We had this thread a while back, and I'm gonna say ghosts again. Leftover energy from a sentient being has to leave some sort of noticeable trace, and what we percieve as paranormal activity is exactly that. Obviously as humans though, we suck at percieving the natural world at that level.

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I don't believe this, but there's a really extraordinary television play called The Stone Tape which I think you might enjoy. The screenplay was by Nigel Kneale who is better known for Quatermass. Quatermass and the Pit, which remains a superbly watchable film, also features similar ideas.

Aliens and some kind of afterlife.

Life is mostly about luck and things out of your control.

Also karma is real and will get you when you least expect it (karma I have believed in you my whole life but if you keep letting that fat piece of garbage spit in your face without any consequences I am going to have to drop you pretty soon).

Westbahnhof said:

Gotta be honest, we could discuss #1. The other 3 images though sound like wishful thinking. Doesn't look like it to me at all.
Edit: Kinda makea me think of the Louis Theroux documentary on black nationalists, where one guy (I think seriously) proclaims Beethoven and the original British royals were black, based on depictions

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Reminds me of the guy on GAF that basically told me that I don't exist because all Gaeilgeoirí were actually black and the modern inhabitants of Ireland and Scotland are all English immigrants after Cromwell, who also apparently came sometime in the 18th century, killed and transported all the actual Gaels.

Cocaloch said:

Reminds me of the guy on GAF that basically told me that I don't exist because all Gaeilgeoirí were actually black and the modern inhabitants of Ireland and Scotland are all English immigrants after Cromwell, who also apparently came sometime in the 18th century, killed and transported all the actual Gaels.

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This is what happens when you mix Nation of Islam with St. Patrick's Day

I believe there are spiritual phenomena that we cannot explain. There are simply too many reports over the centuries for the physical world to be the totality of our existence.

So that thread on Reddit, will copy and paste my response here:

The problem with "kids these days" is that they're not exactly like you. They do and like things you didn't grow up with. The only way for you to be satisfied is if they dress like you, drive the same cars as you, play the same games, listen to the same music, go to the same places. If you like it, they need to like it too, if you don't like it, it should be unpopular and fade into obscurity. They don't have a right to their own culture, they need to be a continuation of yours. For example, modern reboots of '80s stuff like Transformers and Thundercats. It needs to be more like the original. "But it's for a new generation!" you say. Sure, but the new generation needs to like the old generation's stuff.

Cocaloch said:

Reminds me of the guy on GAF that basically told me that I don't exist because all Gaeilgeoirí were actually black and the modern inhabitants of Ireland and Scotland are all English immigrants after Cromwell, who also apparently came sometime in the 18th century, killed and transported all the actual Gaels.

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I wonder where people get this nonsense from, and why they want to believe it. Looking for a different identity?

The pee tape

fairies

The biological/social/psychological elements of a person that lead them to be a corrupt, abusive, mass-rapist are related to the elements of a person that incline them to seek extreme power/wealth. i.e. people like Cosby or Weinstein or Trump coming into great power is not an unfortunate coincidence where some bad apples got up high, but rather part of the nature of humanity/power.

Rhomega said:

So that thread on Reddit, will copy and paste my response here:

The problem with "kids these days" is that they're not exactly like you. They do and like things you didn't grow up with. The only way for you to be satisfied is if they dress like you, drive the same cars as you, play the same games, listen to the same music, go to the same places. If you like it, they need to like it too, if you don't like it, it should be unpopular and fade into obscurity. They don't have a right to their own culture, they need to be a continuation of yours. For example, modern reboots of '80s stuff like Transformers and Thundercats. It needs to be more like the original. "But it's for a new generation!" you say. Sure, but the new generation needs to like the old generation's stuff.

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preach my guy

I'm pretty sure Alison Brie and Danny Pudi hooked up when they were on Community.

Westbahnhof said:

I wonder where people get this nonsense from, and why they want to believe it. Looking for a different identity?

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I think of conspiracy theories as a kind of logical virus. They propagate themselves through certain modes of thinking that allow the person hearing them to alter the justification in ways that make them both consistently non-falsifiable and emotionally satisfying to hold. People like feeling like they have esoteric knowledge that the plebs are just too dumb to realize. The most important of these are statements that question the ability of experts to claim true knowledge, generally by implying that they have some sinister reason to lie.

That poster repeatedly told me that I could easily find this out if I just went to the library and "researched," by which he meant reading the one random book that takes one quote from one source completely out of context, ignoring all the holes I poked in his narrative and eventually some proof that I was a historian. That last bit made sense because part of the conspiracy is apparently historians have some secret reason to want everyone to think that the Gaels were pasty white people instead of black ones. Thus in his mind disagreeing with him was not only foolish but a sign of racism.

These things are very good at spreading by their very nature, ironically probably because of, not in spite of, how ridiculous they are.

Tom Hardy Bane Voice said:

That intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe.

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This is what popped in my head from the title.