Isn't it wild how that happens? It's like magic.

Okay, I'll break it down for you.

Most of the modern Peterson-style "discourse" exists to provide a pseudo-intellectual justification for the feelings his audience already has.

Many people grew up doing a lot of messed up stuff without thinking about it, because everyone around them was doing it too. It just seemed normal at the time.

Now the same behavior they've done is being called out and this makes them feel bad. They don't like feeling bad, so they pay someone to tell them they aren't actually bad - they want to hear that they're good people and the people calling out similar behavior are just oversensitive kids and "wokes" that are overreacting to harmless workplace banter.

This is why you absolutely have pre-existing beliefs due to the culture you grew up in. Everyone does. Many of the kids that threw rocks at black children attending the first integrated schools are still alive today. Their kids don't want to think of their parents as bad guys either (hence why so many parents are trying to stop schools from teaching about the history of racism - because it makes thanksgiving uncomfortable when grandpa was one of the people that threw the rocks).

Our brains are extremely prone to cognitive biases based on a number of factors, especially how we're presented information. It's just science. Good books on that topic are "The Undoing Project" and "Predictably Irrational".

The former is an engaging read about how our brains can make flawed judgments in even seemingly simple, objective situations (like judging how well basketball players perform in a team tryout) and how two unlikely geniuses spawned a rethinking of basically every industry.

The second is an example of various studies that showed how even highly intelligent humans reliably make irrational decisions due to various cognitive biases.

For example, people exposed to a $4 price first for a new type of luxury candy bar tend to think it's worth $4, and balk when asked if they'd pay $5. People exposed to the $5 price first tend to think it's worth $5 instead. This is how impactful a small difference in how you're introduced to the world can affect your perceptions of even something that should be simple.

How you've grown up to this point will massively impact your perceptions on many, many things.

That the one with 'Mister Johnnie Walker!'?

Flowers in the attic. I cannot go on with the series.

r/whoosh

hello! And the first question that arose to me after reading your post: What compositions? Which composers? Are there playlists on YouTube that you recommend?

I have empty shelve space and when I finish a book, place it on the shelf. So I am able to physically see what I have read and when and in what order. If I really liked something, I put sticky notes in pages, pulling the edge up over the top.

The plot is bonkers and the ending is, well, I don’t know what to say about that.

It’s not my favorite of his works but it’s worth reading. I think 1Q84 is better. I’d say finish it and read another of his knowing it’s most likely better than Kafka on the Shore.

Beg pardon? I can't have my own opinions and taste in art? That makes me a phoney?

Edit: ok, I got it, we're good.

I have a collection of really cute Barbara Pym's, but she's fantastic, so win-win for me.

I purchased a copy from Waterstones a couple of years ago and enjoyed it a lot. It wasn't too difficult to read so I finished it within a week. I loved Marian Engel's writing and love a good story about interspecies relationships.

I just use goodreads.

Woof. I personally wouldn’t start with those two. If you’re new to the world of politics, I suggest What You Should Know About Politics…But Don’t: a Nonpartisan Guide to the Issues by Jessamyn Conrad. Great overview of the major issues in America (elections, the economy, the environment, the military, healthcare, civil liberties, education) and then discusses the perspectives of the political parties on the issues and what policies America has passed on these issues during prior presidencies.

Most people that claim to have read it are phoneys.

No, I read for pleasure. I work for pay. I’m not going to turn my pleasurable hobbies into something that has to be counted and quantified to be “worth doing” like it’s my job. I grew up reading before neo-liberalism required everything to be bean counted.

Damn thats really what I needed to hear, thank you bro. I haven't been cognitively challenged by a book in a long while. So reading BM of course what strikes me first is all it's various idiosyncrasies, more so than the other of Mccarthy's work like everything post no country for old men. Especially the vernacular as i said. The main reason I wanted to read this book besides being a fan of the author was because I was looking for a work that would heavily disturb me, and I heard the subject matter of this book along with the character of judge holden would do it, so naturally I was inclined. It's a sort of trait I have to hyper analyze every book I read or every film I watch while enjoying it, and the sort of barrier that prevents me from doing so with this work is what threw me off, it's been a long time since I've just tried to take something in for what it is without deep deliberation, which is something im going to have to relearn as I continue reading.

It does not come due to any problem I have. It creates a desire among the open-minded to discover for themselves if the "problem" is real or agenda driven.

"Random acts of senseless violence". I have never re-read it, but that is precisely because it would be too painful for me to follow the protagonist, knowing what happens to (or with) her.

I just re-read the Unbroken by cl clark and it had me feeling emotions that didn't come up as hard the first time

Peterson is interesting to read (I will get downvoted for this) is anything he says particularly radical and world changing no. It’s a good and more importantly modern and current and there’s a lot of supplementary material to go and look at if you so desire.

I definitely don’t agree with everything he said but that’s the point of reading it. You read it to question your own beliefs and make sure that they are indeed your beliefs.

There’s all the obvious classical philosophers and ‘older’ philosophers but a lot of that content is important to view in the context of the time frame.

One person who I don’t see mentioned a lot is Thomas Sowell but he’s less philosophy more economic based so if that’s interesting to you then I’d recommend.

That is one of the consequences of any effort to silence someone. Like I said, he isn't groundbreaking or life changing, though he is interesting. I tried listening to his podcasts, but he hasn't really come up with anything new to make it worth my time. But for the efforts to cancel him, he might be mostly unknown.

Thanks! Definitely going to prioritize it 😀

What a phoney

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And don’t worry there’s plenty more! I definitely have a western centric list that I at least attempt to rectify but it’s a slow process.

But slowly the pieces begin to fit together, not because of any one book but the accumulation and maintaining an objective view rather than being heavily invested in YOUR view. Just my take.