Just How Certain ARE You?

[Wombaticus Rex]

This has been a supremely entertaining thread.

I am far more certain than I'd ever admit to myself.

I am quite skeptical of anyone's claims to be otherwise, but I sure do appreciate the sentiment.

I mean, I try to keep an open mind, I do, but it's fucking exhausting work.

[Marie Laveau]

I go back and forth between believing nothing and believing just about everything. Lately I'm in a "nothing" phase.

Ha! This is excellent!

[JackRiddler]

It's in relation to everything we talk about in the General Discussion area.

I am certain that the framing of this question is too general by several miles to yield valid answers. A social science approach would try a survey of certainty on a list of given topics (from 1 to 5), etc. etc. Not that it would yield valid answers either, but it would be attempting to conceive of what it was looking for.

I am also certain that we can never rule out unknown-unknown hidden orders and forces of all kinds, from aggression-fostering parasites in cat litter and neurosis-generating childrearing practices no one has ever noticed, all the way up the Scale Of Things Not In My Control to manifestable god-demons or extraterrestrial powers controlling the planet, or even to a matrix scenario in which we individuals (or just me-individual) are-is the protrusion-projection of some unknown-unknown consciousness or programming on an unknown-unknown medium. But if I think, there is something that's doing the thinking, and if I perceive, I can attempt to construct conclusions on the basis of perception and to include self-correcting continued observation, reflection and review. Or find creditable sources of purportedly genuine evidence that might back up my ridiculous assertions. Or throw out two links to Wikipedia for every one to Prison Planet.

It's about what makes you, you — as regards where you're coming from when you post.

That's a different question. On one dimension, I fluctuate between two poles that we might label as open-inquisitive and hooligan. On another dimension, I vibrate between utter discombobulated apathetic longing for release from all nonsense and a belief in the potentials for action honed by an outraged sense of justice.

[Simulist]

Jack, I began this discussion not for the purposes of "social science," merely as a point of discussion among friends.

With that in mind, I'm happy with the results.

And I appreciate every response of those who took the time to do so. Thank you all.

[NeonLX]

Wish I could change my response. I'm in one of my hand-wringing moods today.

[Simulist]

Hi Neon. You can change your response. Just go back up to the poll, and make a different selection.

This poll allows for intelligent, non-stagnant minds like yours.

[Nordic]

Here's what I'm uncertain about ....

Did Obama know he was being recruited by the CIA? Or did he only find out later, after they had the photos (or whatever).

When does an asset like Obama become aware of exactly who he's working for, and exactly what their agenda really is?

Or did he know it all along?

Here's another thing I'm uncertain about:

Who, and who does not, believe their own bullshit? With some it's obvious, with others, not so much ....

(I'm talking about both politicians and media figures).

I'd like to know a lot more about the real relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

And:

Bigfoot. Would like to have that resolved. Or would I, really? Maybe I'd just like to see one for myself.

Also:

Lebron James. Did he throw a few of those games while he was at Cleveland? Or did he just choke? It sure looked like he threw them.

[Simulist]

Full disclosure.

(A) Within the context of life in this world, I have many certainties — as is often reflected in many of my posts — still, I'm open to change (and have changed, very radically, on more than one occasion throughout my life), but I live my life based mostly upon what I think I do see, not what I'm afraid I can't see.

(B) On the other hand, I also have a deep-seated suspicion that, ultimately speaking, the reality of life in this world is not at all as it seems. "All the world's a stage," Shakespeare said — and "this" really does appear to me to be a rehearsal. So while there definitely seems to be many rights and many wrongs along the way, I think we might be surprised by just how much of a game-board this world really was, once the play here is ended.

[JackRiddler]

Jack, I began this discussion not for the purposes of "social science," merely as a point of discussion among friends.

Hey, cool. That's how I entered it, and hope I didn't imply otherwise. Just noting what I see as a defect in the initial question, and how a social science approach would have tried to overcome it (and failed, usually).

And I appreciate every response of those who took the time to do so. Thank you all.

Mucho obligato? Domo arrigato?

[Simulist]

Nil sicut videtur.

[Nordic]

I'm certain that I'm a hell of a lot wiser than I was when I was younger.

I'm certain that if I knew then what I know now, my life now would be radically different.

But I'm uncertain as to whether that would be a good thing.

I'm certain that I spend too much time here.

[Simulist]

I'm certain that one of the reasons I come here is to read your take on things, Nordic.

[NeonLX]

What Simulist and Nordic said (probably, I think).

[wordspeak2]

Here's what I'm uncertain about ....

Did Obama know he was being recruited by the CIA? Or did he only find out later, after they had the photos (or whatever).

WHEN DO YOU MEAN? I'M NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT HISTORY; PROBABLY SOMEBODY HERE IS.

When does an asset like Obama become aware of exactly who he's working for, and exactly what their agenda really is?

I KNOW CLINTON WAS RECRUITED BY THE CIA IN COLLEGE TO SPY ON THE LEFT AT OXFORD. OBAMA WAS AN IVY LEAGUE BIG-WIG, SO HE KNOWS THE WHOLE TIME THAT HE'S WORKING FOR THE CAPITALIST UBER-ELITE; THAT'S WHAT HE'S COMING OUT OF IN HARVARD. BUT THE DARKEST PSY-OPS, INTELLIGENCE INVOLVEMENT IN THE DRUG TRADE AS ITS M.O., ASSASSINATION OF KENNEDY, ETC.- MY GUESS IS HE DOESN'T KNOW UNTIL HE GETS INTO OFFICE, BUT NOW HE KNOWS. I COULD BE WRONG; MAYBE HE KNEW EARLIER. OR SORT OF KNEW. I THINK AT SOME POINT INTELLIGENCE SCOPES OUT ANYONE WHO'S ON A HIGH-LEVEL TRACK LIKE OBABA WAS, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY NECESSARILY RECRUIT YOU.

Or did he know it all along?

HE WAS MENTORED BY ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI AT COLUMBIA, SO I THINK THAT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. HE KNOWS THAT HE'S WORKING FOR THE STRATEGIC GREATER GOOD OF THE CAPITALIST EMPIRE, AND HE NEVER BELIEVED THAT IT REALLY HELPS POOR PEOPLE OR SOMETHING. I DON'T THINK THAT MEANS HE KNOWS ABOUT SATANIC RITUAL ABUSE OR THE DEEPEST MK-ULTRA SHIT.

Here's another thing I'm uncertain about:

Who, and who does not, believe their own bullshit? With some it's obvious, with others, not so much ....

(I'm talking about both politicians and media figures).

CASE BY CASE BASIS. I THINK WITH MOST OF THEM YOU CAN WATCH THEM ON VIDEO A LOT AND GET A GOOD IDEA, BUT SOME ARE SNAKES. I THINK THE MAJORITY OF MEDIA FIGURES AND DEMOCRATS ARE NOT FASCISTS. POLITICS HAS A LOT OF INHERENT BULLSHIT, AND POLITICIANS KNOW THEY'RE PLAYING THE GAME, SO THAT'S KINDA THAT.

I'd like to know a lot more about the real relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

SO WOULD I. OFFICIALLY, THERE IS NO DIPLOMATIC RELATIONSHIP, AND SAUDI ECONOMICALLY BOYCOTTS ISRAEL, YOU KNOW. BUT THEY DON'T BALK AT THE US-ISRAEL SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP- NOT THAT THEY HAVE ANY SAY ON THE MATTER. WHAT MAKES YOU SUSPECT THAT THERE'S MORE OF A COVERT RELATIONSHIP?

And:

Bigfoot. Would like to have that resolved. Or would I, really? Maybe I'd just like to see one for myself.

SO WOULD I, FROM A LONG DISTANCE. THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF REASONABLE-SEEMING REPORTS OF BIGFOOT, YES?

Also:

Lebron James. Did he throw a few of those games while he was at Cleveland? Or did he just choke? It sure looked like he threw them.

LIKE GAME 5 AGAINST THE CELTICS TWO YEARS AGO? DAMNED IF I KNOW; I NEVER CONSIDERED IT AT THE TIME. BUT I'D BE CURIOUS TO WATCH THE TAPE AND SEE IF IT LOOKED SUSPICIOUS. YOU'VE GOT TO BE A REAL SKETCHBALL TO THROW A SPORTING GAME. BUT, THEN, I'VE SEEN YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF LEBRON AND KOBE BRYANT FLASHING HAND PYRAMIDS, SO THUS WE *KNOW* WITH CERTAINTY THAT THEY'RE BOTH ILLUMINATI OCCULTISTS WHO'VE MADE A FAUSTIAN... NO, I KID. SORT OF. REMEMBER WHEN MICHAEL JORDAN'S DAD WAS MURDERED?

[Marie Laveau]

Here's what I'm uncertain about ....

Did Obama know he was being recruited by the CIA? Or did he only find out later, after they had the photos (or whatever).

When does an asset like Obama become aware of exactly who he's working for, and exactly what their agenda really is?

Or did he know it all along?

Here's another thing I'm uncertain about:

Who, and who does not, believe their own bullshit? With some it's obvious, with others, not so much ....

(I'm talking about both politicians and media figures).

I'd like to know a lot more about the real relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

And:

Bigfoot. Would like to have that resolved. Or would I, really? Maybe I'd just like to see one for myself.

Also:

Lebron James. Did he throw a few of those games while he was at Cleveland? Or did he just choke? It sure looked like he threw them.

I might be able to shed a bit of light on your "O" question:

My ex was BMOG at a third tier university - student body president, big frat boy, etc. But, even there, he said there were "people" who would come to groom certain students they saw as moving up in the world - either into business, politics, the security apparatus, etc. Or some combination thereof.

These were people who might come posing as chapter heads of fraternities, as "recruiters" for.....well, for what he was never quite certain. They pegged him, naturally, but he's more just the gregarious type, not inclined to work over-hard for someone other than himself. They finally dropped him. Others they did not.

And one he went to school with is a big political op in our state, and as evil a human being as you'd ever want to know. He was one the groomers did not drop.

Digression aside, he maintains that this is SOP for TParasitesTB. They comb universities searching for those who are willing to do....oh, most anything....to get ahead in the world.

I don't think "O" was particularly surprised. Just mho.