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The Philistine's Sour Grapes Of Knowledge
The Philistine's Sour Grapes Of Knowledge
This blog entry was inspired by the discussion of the Arrogance of Ignorance, that led me to read this text:
http://stevenpaulleivasthisnthat.blogspot.com/2011/09/new-clothes-f...
In this article the author recounts his conversation with someone, whom he describes as anti-intellectual and whom I would also call a philistine. This guy is proudly declaring, that what he does not like, is not worth being bothered about, he feels not in the least embarrassed about his willful ignorance. The author of the article quotes his specimen as calling Shakespeare's plays crap. The author calls it the arrogance of ignorance.
Such philistines devalue and discard other people's cognitive production not by learned judgment, they devalue, what they themselves are either too dumb to understand, or what they are too lazy to invest effort in to first understand, before they judge.
But devaluing, what is out of easy reach, is part of a more general pattern. Aesop's fable illustrates the same pattern:
This blog entry was inspired by the discussion of the Arrogance of Ignorance, that led me to read this text:
http://stevenpaulleivasthisnthat.blogspot.com/2011/09/new-clothes-f...
In this article the author recounts his conversation with someone, whom he describes as anti-intellectual and whom I would also call a philistine. This guy is proudly declaring, that what he does not like, is not worth being bothered about, he feels not in the least embarrassed about his willful ignorance. The author of the article quotes his specimen as calling Shakespeare's plays crap. The author calls it the arrogance of ignorance.
Such philistines devalue and discard other people's cognitive production not by learned judgment, they devalue, what they themselves are either too dumb to understand, or what they are too lazy to invest effort in to first understand, before they judge.
But devaluing, what is out of easy reach, is part of a more general pattern. Aesop's fable illustrates the same pattern:
"Driven by hunger, a fox tried to reach some grapes hanging high on the vine but was unable to, although he leaped with all his strength. As he went away, the fox remarked, 'Oh, you aren't even ripe yet! I don't need any sour grapes.' People who speak disparagingly of things that they cannot attain would do well to apply this story to themselves."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fox_and_the_Grapes
This is the pattern: Someone wants something, but it is either out of his reach or the efforts to obtain it are subjectively out of proportion of his need, wish or interest to get it. The resulting cognitive dissonance is resolved by devaluing the object to become less or undesirable.
In the case of the grapes, the object is material. In the case of the philistine, cognitive achievements and knowledge as a source of self-esteem and self-worth are emotional and immaterial.
The fox refocuses his attention towards easily available food. The philistine refocuses his attempts to boost his self-esteem towards less intellectually challenging sources like wealth or physical fitness.
There is a special constellation, where the arrogance of ignorance is especially detrimental. It is the behavior and attitude of many men towards intelligent and educated women.
Such a woman expects a man to be a mindmate, a companion sharing with her intellectual intimacy and the reciprocal joy of consent. For any man, the task of understanding the woman, of making himself understood, of sharing his thoughts and listening to her, of communicating can be difficult or beyond his abilities. But if a male animal is in addition driven by an urge to get homeostasis, this task is tiresome and a strain on his patience.
When he experiences giving her, what her brain needs, as out of his reach as are the grapes for the fox, he does not even try. Instead he becomes a commitment philistine.
With the same ignorance as described in the article, the male animal denies, that the woman even has a brain. With the same arrogance, he devalues all women to be nothing more than bodies existing as commodities to be used. They are perceived and hunted as prey. As a predator and stud, he derives the self-esteem, that he does not expect to get by intellectual attempts.
The pattern of devaluing, what cannot be reached, is known since millennia. But I see a trend, that the willingness to earn anything with a lot of effort, is dwindling. Choosing only, what is easy to get and devaluing everything else seems to be a growing general tendency.
The social development away from the goal of monogamous long-term commitment and towards a male promiscuous throwaway mentality towards women is one example.
This is a slightly modified copy from my ERCP-blog.
Comment
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Comment by Maruli Marulaki on November 4, 2011 at 4:19am -
What do you think you will gain with that understanding?
My quest is to find a thouroughly monogamous partner.
I perceive promiscuity as repulsive.
The more I find out, what goes on in the mind of promiscuous men, the better I can avoid them and the better I can protect myself against men, who hide their promiscuity and pretend to be monogamous. They are a hazard.
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Comment by AtheistTech on November 4, 2011 at 2:13am -
try to figure out, what the men themselves experience
What do you think you will gain with that understanding? Will you find something that will allow you to excuse those horrible men when you were young? Are you looking for some way to forgive them? Is the hate eating you up so much so that you have to relieve it somehow? Do they deserve your understanding?
I love Sheila Marie Crenshaw with all my being and my past behaviour made sure that she will never love me back ever again. No woman can take her place. She is kind, caring, loyal, a great mother, a great wife. Someone who would have shared her life with me till old age if I didn't lie to her. Now, she hates me, my kids hate me, I lost every friend I had, I lost my brothers and mother. I have not one person who I can trust. Well, maybe you can enjoy my situation and take it as payment for all those horrible men that hurt you.
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Comment by Maruli Marulaki on November 3, 2011 at 7:46pm
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I don't hate women. I simply see them as a method to a goal.
How many different ways do you want to ask if I cared about what I did to those women? Their feelings didn't matter. I did what I did only to get the euphoria back. Nothing else mattered.
Thank you for your replies. It is very rare to read a man so clearly acknowledge the truth without any mollification. You do acknowledge, what others are hiding or denying. This is very instructive and helpful in my exploration of the hidden real inclination of men.Does that make you feel better? Do you hate me more now?
You are insignificant to my own feelings. This complete detachment enables me to ask you questions from the perspective of an impartial observer.
For everybody else, here are some explanations:
While I was young, every time, when I was approached by a man for the purpose of using my body, I felt a mixture of outrage, indignation, fear, repulsion, disgust.I was flabbergasted, their insulting behavior was incomprehensible to me.
Then I learned from books about evolutionary biology, that men's animal instincts are the trigger to such behaviors.
Only the internet enables me now to also try to figure out, what the men themselves experience, when they behave as ruthless and inconsiderate predators, insulting and degrading women to be prey. But this is very difficult to find out, because most men are not honest about their true inclinations. Manipulation is a part of their hunting strategy.
Cane is one of the very few men, who actually acknowledges, that he experiences women as mere objects. I wonder, who many men hide their same perception of women.
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Comment by AtheistTech on November 3, 2011 at 6:44pm
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I answered those questions when I told you the woman's nor my wife's feelings mattered. I don't hate women. I simply see them as a method to a goal. Does that make you feel better? Do you hate me more now? I don't think I will try to satisfy your curiosity any more.
How many different ways do you want to ask if I cared about what I did to those women? Their feelings didn't matter. I did what I did only to get the euphoria back. Nothing else mattered. And thanks for asking how I feel about women now. Have a great life with the man you choose.
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Comment by Maruli Marulaki on November 3, 2011 at 10:42am
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My curiosity is based upon my wondering about a specific psychological pattern, and what you tell me may be anecdotal evidence of this pattern.
You are free to answer questions or not. I am tempted to ask more questions, as long as I get answers.
I lusted after women that did not want me because they eventually found out that I was married, or I chickened out. So, the only hopes and expectations I fostered were skin deep. The women I was attracted to were smart. Smart enough to know better than to get involved with me anyway.
Are convinced, that you have never hurt the feelings of the women other than your wife, to whom you expressed your euphoria?
Or do you consider the feelings of the women, to whom you expressed your euphoria, as none of your business? When you expressed your euphoria to a woman other than your wife, dd and do you feel responsible, if she felt hurt?
Do you feel entitled to express euphoria to a woman, just because you feel it, no matter the consequences for her?
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Comment by AtheistTech on November 3, 2011 at 10:09am
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Before I understood that euphoria doesn't last, I married my wife. Then I lusted after others and the euphoria came back. Until it came back, I was not conscious that it was gone. I was always very happy with my wife. She seemed the best woman for me, but I did not love her then, though I thought I did. As for the euphorias that were not my wife, I lusted after women that did not want me because they eventually found out that I was married, or I chickened out. So, the only hopes and expectations I fostered were skin deep. The women I was attracted to were smart. Smart enough to know better than to get involved with me anyway. For a man, to provide for his family is what his ego is all about. I lost my family. I lost my job. I can't get another job. I will eventually lose the things that keep me alive right now. They will wonder what those things are to torture me some more, but I will not tell. Imagine losing your husband and children because you were too weak to resist lust and they hate you with all they are. Imagine the pain, shame, guilt, anxiety, depression, hate - the kind of hate that drains you. Well, that has been my life for three long years. I don't see it getting any better. I hate that I was too weak, but other than the lust, I was a great person. Kind, caring, generous, loving, expected the best out of everyone I met. My daughter gave me a t-shirt for my birthday in May, 2011. It said on the front: You bored me to death for a moment. That was me all right. I do not small talk. Every conversation I have has to have meaning. But I bet they took it as my thinking they were too stupid for me. I don't know why I am telling you all this. Why are you so interested in what I think and do?
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Comment by Maruli Marulaki on November 3, 2011 at 9:40am
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Cane:
Euphoria is always shorter than the length of a month.
What does this do to the women?
When you feel euphoria for a woman, do you create hopes and expectations in her, that you do not fulfil, because your euphoria does not last?
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Comment by AtheistTech on November 3, 2011 at 9:18am
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I would have felt a lot more guilty if the people I hurt forgave me, but instead they hate me. That hurts me deeply, but it replaces my guilt with hate. I am a good person. They take advantage of that. If I were a bad person, I would have hurt lots of people physically by now. I am past forgiving them. If they stop torturing me today, I would not forgive them. So, they might as well drive me to suicide.
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Comment by Maruli Marulaki on November 3, 2011 at 8:59am
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Cane, do you mean to say, that in the case, that people hate as a consequence of your own previous behavior, their hatred is a good reason for you not to feel guilty or responsible?
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Comment by AtheistTech on November 3, 2011 at 3:31am
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How would you feel if you were the ONLY person who loves you? Would you eventually hate yourself? Well, I am the ONLY one who loves me, and I am too stubborn to believe I am a bad person and will never hate myself. I may hate others so much that I can't take their hate for me any more, but I will never hate myself.
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