Sports Should Unify, Not Divide Us

[Desk trauma]

What in the world is the "concept of man" and why should I care about it?

How else will you protect your precious bodily fluids?

 

[AlexB23]

Even if you kept all of that under wraps and were white, just being a bit different (like being on the autism spectrum) was enough grounds for violent mob sanction.

The fact of the matter is that we are all alloted a certain amount of time on this earth, which starts at some point we have no influence over and then goes on for more or less time, which we do have some influence over. Generally, we imagine our early years or the time before our birth to be somehow "better" than the later years. This seems to be a feature of the human mindset that hasn't changed significantly over the centuries. We have writing of people in antiquity that complain about the "new stuff" in just the same way you have in this thread. The idea that the past was somehow better, more magical and dignified is also a common trope in media, from modern stuff like Lord of the Rings all the way to the Epic of Gilgamesh, the earliest piece of fiction that has survived the millenia. Even in the oldest epic we still have, people were writing about how the past was really awesome when compared to their present.

I have high functioning autism, so the mob would have gotten me also. Brown (Romani ethnicity), with autism, bi, and outspoken about things. At least four things against me would have made me an easy target in 1990s Germany.

But yes, it does seem like a lot of people feel that the first third of their life (youth) was the best. Not only does the Epic of Gilgamesh from 2000+ BC talk about how we all pined for the past, even the Bible warns us:

Ecclesiastes 7:10 (NIV): "Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions."

In this verse, King Solomon is cautioning against the futility of dwelling on the past and lamenting about how things used to be. He is emphasizing the importance of focusing on the present and finding meaning and joy in the here and now. The wisdom in this passage is that looking back with longing or regret does not help us live our current lives to the fullest. It is natural for humans to romanticize the past, but it is not productive or wise to dwell on it.

So yes, this verse applies to me. I ask these questions all the time nowadays, when I should not reminisce on the "good old days", as it is unwise for me as a Christian. This is something I have to work on.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Because men shouldn't be cheating to take away accolades from women.

And yet, office dynamics are what they are. I look forward to your support of further measures to combat sexism and discrimination in the workplace.

 

[Hans Blaster]

That is true. As a Christian, we believe that the world has always been fallen, or messed up. What was the world like in your 20s overseas? Was it bad also? I do not know much about recent European/German history (1990s-2010s), except that the Berlin wall fell in 1989.

For the rest of us that was just "current events".

 

[AlexB23]

For the rest of us that was just "current events".

Yeah, I am a young guy, so I only witnessed a small slice of history. I did not start reading the news much until COVID hit, and began with the NYT and Economist, and now use the Guardian more. For myself, I do remember the 2014 Crimean invasion, Boston Marathon incident in 2013, the Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011, when South Sudan became a country and the Arab Spring of 2011, when the Tea Party began to tear apart our country in 2010, and also when Kosovo became independent in 2008 (was watching a BBC broadcast at a hotel in Mexico at the time). That was an amazing moment, when a new country was born.

So yes, the 1990s were current events for you guys, but the early 2010s through now were current events for me. So yes, there was good and bad stuff even back then a decade ago

Kosovo declares independence from Serbia, 2008

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Hans Blaster]

So yes, the 1990s were current events for you guys, but the early 2010s through now were current events for me. So yes, there was good and bad stuff even back then a decade ago

Try the 80s. I didn't wait until I was 10 to start watching the news and reading the paper/newsmagazines.

 

[Nithavela]

I have high functioning autism, so the mob would have gotten me also. Brown (Romani ethnicity), with autism, bi, and outspoken about things. At least four things against me would have made me an easy target in 1990s Germany.

But yes, it does seem like a lot of people feel that the first third of their life (youth) was the best. Not only does the Epic of Gilgamesh from 2000+ BC talk about how we all pined for the past, even the Bible warns us:

Ecclesiastes 7:10 (NIV): "Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions."

In this verse, King Solomon is cautioning against the futility of dwelling on the past and lamenting about how things used to be. He is emphasizing the importance of focusing on the present and finding meaning and joy in the here and now. The wisdom in this passage is that looking back with longing or regret does not help us live our current lives to the fullest. It is natural for humans to romanticize the past, but it is not productive or wise to dwell on it.

So yes, this verse applies to me. I ask these questions all the time nowadays, when I should not reminisce on the "good old days", as it is unwise for me as a Christian. This is something I have to work on.

Don't beat yourself up about it, realising that this kind of thinking isn't without its problems is also a normal development step. One that many people don't really manage though..

 

[Nithavela]

In a way, they are. The abuse of language is an existential threat.

An apple is an apple no matter what adjective is used. There is only one kind of man, a biological man. There is no need for this adjective except to DESTROY THE CONCEPT of man. Hence, when they say "trans man" but is no kind of man at all but a woman, they are attacking our ability to to think properly, to identify reality properly to use our consciousness properly.

The end game is for us to lose our capacity to differentiate, and ultimately fail to differentiate right from wrong. Such a world will be easy picking for the devil.

No, trans people really are not the top threat to modern civilisation. They're not even in the top 10.

 

[AlexB23]

Try the 80s. I didn't wait until I was 10 to start watching the news and reading the paper/newsmagazines.

Whew, that was 40 years ago. When Reaganomics was big, corporate greed was rampant, and when the fastest supercomputer, the Cray 2 ran at 1.9 GigaFLOPs. But yes, it is important for us to read the news, and learn history. So yes, I was wrong on how the world is getting worse in 2024 compared to the past, as the world has always had good and bad. In fact, in some ways, the world is a little better in the modern era, as we have safer cars, and more efficient technology, including energy compared to the 2000s and before.

Safer cars in the modern world compared to the past: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/12/how-safety-improved-over-60-years/
Wind turbine made using recyclable polymers: World's first wind turbine with recyclable blades is up and spinning

Cray 2 info: https://www.hpe.com/us/en/compute/hpc/cray.html
Brochure cover from: Computer History Museum

 

[rambot]

I'm more concerned about how this dangerous and false ideology ruins the lives of everyone it touches.

Funny. I know 4 trans people whose lives dramatically improved when they came to terms with their situation and began to persue transitioning.

And since transition surgeries have a "regret rate" lower than MANY common medical procedures (knee, back, breast augmentation), I also doubt that, you are very familiar with trans people's experience except for what you have read in articles that clearly have a bias against them.

 

[rambot]

In a way, they are. The abuse of language is an existential threat.

An apple is an apple no matter what adjective is used. There is only one kind of man, a biological man. There is no need for this adjective except to DESTROY THE CONCEPT of man. Hence, when they say "trans man" but is no kind of man at all but a woman, they are attacking our ability to to think properly, to identify reality properly to use our consciousness properly.

The end game is for us to lose our capacity to differentiate, and ultimately fail to differentiate right from wrong. Such a world will be easy picking for the devil.

I'm inclined to agree with the danger of words losing their meaning. I have a problem with this: "Abortion kills children" for the same reason.

 

[AlexB23]

Don't beat yourself up about it, realising that this kind of thinking isn't without its problems is also a normal development step. One that many people don't really manage though..

Hey, thank you. I will try not to beat myself up on this, as we all are not perfect. But, I do try to live my life as a better Christian, and human being in general, so I will try to not dwell on the past, and instead focus on the present. For myself, I do not want to the guy who always dwells on the past, and man who gets grumpy about everything. While I may not enjoy the trans movement, it is not my place to judge it, or for me to say that 2014 is better than 2024. And hey, there are much bigger fish for me to fry, such as trying to reduce my carbon footprint, and help the poor. Well hey, if I watch less shows, then my TV will run less, meaning I will be burning less fossil fuels. So, a win-win scenario.

 

[rambot]

I'm most inclined to think that sports should be for fun. It COULD unite us, unless we are most concerned with winning.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Whew, that was 40 years ago. When Reaganomics was big, corporate greed was rampant, and when the fastest supercomputer, the Cray 2 ran at 1.9 GigaFLOPs. But yes, it is important for us to read the news, and learn history. So yes, I was wrong on how the world is getting worse in 2024 compared to the past, as the world has always had good and bad. In fact, in some ways, the world is a little better in the modern era, as we have safer cars, and more efficient technology, including energy compared to the 2000s and before.

I'm aware how long ago it was. My mirror keeps telling me.

I like our modern supercomputers better. They get my stuff done faster. No reason to pine for the past.

 

[Zaha Torte]

And yet, office dynamics are what they are. I look forward to your support of further measures to combat sexism and discrimination in the workplace.

Are you claiming that men have an unfair advantage in the office workplace?

 

[AlexB23]

I'm aware how long ago it was. My mirror keeps telling me.

I like our modern supercomputers better. They get my stuff done faster. No reason to pine for the past.

Agreed. Heck, even my laptop is better than the Cray 2, and uses way less power, so I do like our modern supercomputers way better. So yes, there is no reason to pine for the past. My modest 43" screen has 4K ultra high definition, while ones of the past were not as good, (though, old tube TVs had more style back then). My town is planning on going 100% renewable by 2030, just for city operations though, but regular electricity will not become net zero until 2050. So yes, 2024 is better compared to the past in this area.

 

[rambot]

Are you claiming that men have an unfair advantage in the office workplace?

I think he's claiming that men tend to be the perpetrators (against women) of some aggregious, and unwelcome actions.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Are you claiming that men have an unfair advantage in the office workplace?

I think they do, but that wasn’t the point I was making - or at least not the one I was making directly.

The point I was making was that, in the workplace, men have long taken credit for things women have done.

 

[Zaha Torte]

I think they do, but that wasn’t the point I was making - or at least not the one I was making directly.

The point I was making was that, in the workplace, men have long taken credit for things women have done.

Even if that were true - I don't see how it is relevant to men playing in women's sports.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Even if that were true - I don't see how it is relevant to men playing in women's sports.

I was turning your comment around. You said: ”Because men shouldn't be cheating to take away accolades from women.”

My point was that “men cheating to take away accolades from women” has been going on for ages. Women have been paid less and undermined in all manner of ways in the workplace, but few on the right have ever supported progress on that front while many have openly opposed progress. I recall the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act being one of the first things (if not the very first) that Obama signed into law, and the right getting all up in arms about it.

But now that some trans people want to play women’s sports, all of a sudden, the right is concerned about fairness for women.