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cracked's "minifesto"


Cracked Ass

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This was originally a response to the "fuck terrorist bullshit" thread, but it went beyond that topic, and that thread is so beat few people would have noticed my little manifesto. I thought it might provoke some thought so I turned it into a new thread. Sorry for the self-importance.

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I am late to this thread, and too crosseyed after the first 4 pages to read the other four, so pardon me if this already came up.

I understand where almost everyone is coming from in this thread, and I've already covered all the ground everyone has covered, come up with the grand unified theory, and moved on. Then I'm too weary of all the bullshit to even try to explain my position. It's possible that I have the highest IQ of anyone on this board, but trust me, I'm not bragging - it's often a curse, and it doesn't help me in life like you think it would. Hard work is much more of a result-getter than high intelligence. I am one lazy, underachieving, observant motherfucker.

On to my analysis: It seems to me that the moral variations among the participants in this conversation lead to different blind spots. I see where Esai and jah are coming from, and if you boil it down and skip the details, their beliefs and views probably stem from a frustration with this fact: Humans are smart enough and have the technology and money to clothe, feed and shelter their entire species, yet they continue to make war, make classes, make slaves, and hoard and squander resources. This seems to be a common liberal complaint, that we have the brains but lack the compassion to live harmoniously. The blindness of this view is an inadequate understanding of human nature: that humans are competitive, survival-oriented brutes, in whom greed and selfishness are at least partially programmed to aid natural selection, and these qualities do not vanish just because an individual, or a culture, has all it needs to live.

On the other side are people like Kabar, who grasp human nature better, but are content to lock up their worldly goods and defend them with guns, smug about being on today's winning team and not wasting much compassion on the losers, despite the sureness of the cycles of time: that empires rise and fall, and surely the US will someday be dust, or run by quite different landlords. Not in our lifetimes, is my guess - this country will last generations yet, and undergo changes I can't foresee. We're just Romans with the internet, at the peak of our empire.

I wind up mostly in Kabar's crowd out of pragmatism, and perhaps he does too. In a world you can't change, the logical objective is to look out for yourself and your own happiness, and that's easier in the US than a lot of other places, especially if you have a gluttonous appetite. I just have a weary contempt of most humans, sometimes myself included, and American stupidity is the easiest kind for me to sneer at because it's geographically handier than other kinds. I loathe stupidity, so I am obligated to be a misanthrope, an unusually smart specimen of an otherwise brutish and dumb race of beings. Then some days I feel more mellow and forgiving, that it's a miracle we have as much cooperation worldwide as we do. And who am I to judge the human race? I'm part of it.

I often see the earth from a great distance in my mind's eye, a big blue and green anthill, and off to the left (usually the left for some reason) the sun that will one day expand and fry most of the solar system to cinders, and both poison and motivation drain from my body. I just sit in a chair and watch 9-to-5ers in their bizarre rush, thinking them at least as strange as people who paint freight trains or train in terrorist camps or hawk Jesus to subway straphangers via pamphlets and a sandwich board. If you can't step back that far, you'll never understand America or Al Qaeda or yourself or the doofus you're arguing with on 12oz.

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Originally posted by Cracked Ass

It's possible that I have the highest IQ of anyone on this board, but trust me, I'm not bragging - it's often a curse, and it doesn't help me in life like you think it would.

 

has anyone ever heard of "wobbly headed bob"? ^^

*****

 

 

 

anyway, i do agree with you about "stepping back" and saying what the fuck is everybody doing and why are they doing it, but whatever we are doing, we wont stop until we die, because we are so set in our ways. you can keep asking why, but then it gets old and you click back to the same level with everyone else and think it all makes sense because thats what you were taught from day 1. we are just animals who created an organization to work and communicate with eachother but it never did work, because of greed.

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Originally posted by Cracked Ass

It's possible that I have the highest IQ of anyone on this board, but trust me, I'm not bragging - it's often a curse, and it doesn't help me in life like you think it would. Hard work is much more of a result-getter than high intelligence. I am one lazy, underachieving, observant motherfucker.

 

I'm not sure what you mean. I can see no real downside to having the capacity to understand more about the universe than most people, whether you make the most of it or not is unrelated (I know i haven't either, I may even have irreversibly damaged it.)

 

Originally posted by Cracked Ass

I often see the earth from a great distance in my mind's eye, a big blue and green anthill, and off to the left (usually the left for some reason) the sun that will one day expand and fry most of the solar system to cinders, and both poison and motivation drain from my body. I just sit in a chair and watch 9-to-5ers in their bizarre rush, thinking them at least as strange as people who paint freight trains or train in terrorist camps or hawk Jesus to subway straphangers via pamphlets and a sandwich board. If you can't step back that far, you'll never understand America or Al Qaeda or yourself or the doofus you're arguing with on 12oz.

 

I like to imagine that machines will replace people, and our current manifestation's imperfections will be eliminated, and our science will bring us to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, but with the current state of mankind that seems barely fathomable to me. I say good riddance, let mankind kill itself, we're a bunch of idiots and we aren't getting smarter.

 

But I'm just a stupid, uninformed kid...

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I loved cracked ass.... man is on point, all the way.

 

and hes right, being smarter than the rest is definately not a benefit.

 

im having the kind of day where I am content to sit back and watch it all begin to fall apart, while also being completely puzzled about how people can go about their lives and not realize that their every action brings the end one step closer for us all...

 

cracked... I would love to paint with you again some time... email me, maybe we can work something out

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Re: Re: cracked's "minifesto"

 

Originally posted by Xeroshoes

I'm not sure what you mean. I can see no real downside to having the capacity to understand more about the universe than most people, whether you make the most of it or not is unrelated (I know i haven't either, I may even have irreversibly damaged it.)

 

 

the downside is that understanding does not necessarily bring about change, acceptence or happiness. its no small wonder that throught history, the smartest people have often tended to be self abusing masochists, drunks, addicts, or borderline mental patients. when you know something to be fact, you can no longer deny it in favor of siding with the (more comforting or convenient) oposition. there is no seeking refuge in denial and lies. you are stuck with reality as it 'is', not as you would like it to be. that is not always an easy thing to come to terms with, no matter how smart you are.

sometimes understanding feels more like a cage than a blessing. when you begin to understand things, it just opens up more questions, and the whole thing becomes a pandoras box. its difference between walking around in a maze, trying to find a way out, frustrated to find no end in sight, verses sitting in one corner of the maze drinking beer and getting old.

sometimes i honestly question which one really has more answers....

 

 

good post cracked.

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Originally posted by Mr. Mang

IQ tests don't really prove anything in my opinion. that whole comment kind of ruined any 'good intent' the post had . . .

 

yeah totally, cause cracked is such an ego maniacle monster! always walking around forcing his opinions down peoples throats and making them feel stupid for not being as smart as he is!

 

 

 

 

cracked, im looking forward to UP this year, as you and i will be heading up team 'sober'. im not quite as funny sober, but im a bit more coherent.

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Originally posted by seeking

yeah totally, cause cracked is such an ego maniacle monster! always walking around forcing his opinions down peoples throats and making them feel stupid for not being as smart as he is!

 

it just seemed like bragging regardless. interesting post though.

 

 

i've never seen him post here before and he's crew? hm. not making assumptions, just thought it was odd.

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Originally posted by Cracked Ass

We're just Romans with the internet, at the peak of our empire

 

Cracked, you're so fucking arrogant! How presumptive of you to decide that we are at our peak! Anyway, I hunger for the decadant Caligulaic days to come...

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cracked. nice post. you are one sharp motherfucker. i know i come off like a naive idealist but im not actually like that at all. i very much understand human nature and i despise (dispise? who cares?) it for the most part. im not naive enough to believe that the world is going to change for the better anytime soon or that people are going to pick up my beliefs because i preach their ear off with simple ideas that are too hard for most people to understand. if the world ever starts fixing its problems it will only be after we hit rock bottom and we either die or change. but im betting more that people will adapt to the hellish world they are creating and learn to survive until it isnt possible anymore before they even realize theyve been fooled by a bunch of harvard graduates who took bernays theory and successfully handed the world over to consumerism and convinced people the most important thing in life is fulfilling their desires. kabar is not a person who is knowledgeable when it comes to human nature but too wise to believe in such "liberal" idealism. hes an ex-marine gun happy redneck from texas who has some book smarts and thinks he knows whats going on because he marched in civil rights movements back in the day. even after marching and protesting with all those people who were in vietnam and saw how full of shit it really was and how much if fucked with people, he joined the military and became a jarhead. no, im not going to buy that hes just experienced enough to know that people will be people. hes racist and arrogant and should be outdated but sadly isnt, as we can see. i agree that finding happiness for yourself and not getting into things you have no control over is a smart lifestyle. ive been reading some books about the teachings of buddha and they have helped bring me down to earth a lot along with my travels in the last year. but it teaches that you should better yourself by letting go of so many superficial things and find happiness through love and wisdom, not competition and endulgence. im not saying ive reached that level by any means but i am making some changes to the way i live and working on the way i think. if im a fool for making an effort at being a good person then so be it. i believe happiness comes from compassion and helping others. the more wrong you do the more it gets stored in your psyche and you have to do more and more to hide the fact that youre not a good person. people make so many laim excuses for doing things they know they shouldnt and they actually believe themselves. its not hard to convince yourself do something you want to do. rationalizing bombing a wedding because they thought they were terrorists is a good example. the only real reason we're spending so much time in afghanistan is oil, not world peace or to wipe out the axis of evil or whatever the fuck burning bush calls it. i am way too tired to try and discuss shit like this now though. i cant wait until ignatious reilly's manifesto is finished. that shit will be funny as hell.

 

peace

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Re: Re: Re: Re: cracked's "minifesto"

 

Originally posted by onesandzeros

 

Jesus Christ dude, what, are you quoting "The Matrix"?

 

That first part is so, so, so nauseating that it makes one not want to even read on, or take seriously what you have to say.

 

 

onesandzeros, that post by seeking is one of the best things ive read on these boards. what the fuck is wrong with you?

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"In our every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next generations".

 

-From the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy

(and from the bottle of Seventh Generation washing detergent)

 

So think of that saying next time you can't forsee any kind of suffering in your own lifetime.

 

You can't leave it up to the people in power to change things, but you can change your own lifestyle so that it does not coincide with rampant destruction (besides the rampant destruction of painting on walls, that is)...

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: cracked's "minifesto"

 

Originally posted by jah

 

 

onesandzeros, that post by seeking is one of the best things ive read on these boards. what the fuck is wrong with you?

 

It was a joke there champ. and the second part wasn't directed at what he said.

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hmmm im not sure how to digest that....it seems at points you come to some overall clarity and then dip back into the dredges....either i think your flying above it all, or your caught wading in it....i guess i just missed some points...me myself i am constantly stuck b/w them.....its very eloquent statement and i love reading the words and strings of thought...and i agree about the ignorance is bliss, however i decided a while ago, that as a cup of tea ignorance didnt suite my flavor....ill take the disillsuionment, the confusion, the chaos, the pain, the realization, just so when i sit back and get lost in stars i know its real...yes many times ive been crouched in the corner with my hands over my face as i thought maybe my sanity was slipping, but i realize more and more, that sanity is something deemed by society....fuck bliss if it aint a result of true living....

 

 

"In a world you can't change........"

 

this is the belief, not fact, that pushes your statement toward the pragmatic...thats the kicker....if thats your general outlook, then yes your right....

 

 

but i dont think thats the case......perhaps if we all slimed down the notion of world, to country, then to region, then to state, then to city, then to street, then to neighbor we would not, to use a phrase, have the weight of the world on our shoulders.....

 

 

 

"the downside is that understanding does not necessarily bring about change, acceptence or happiness"-seeks

 

 

youre right....people who want to truly understand, realize that it is in the actually action of understanding where the fruit lies...its in the intrinsic value of the understanding not what it gets you....and like seeks said, you better hope you understand that it aint all fucking roses and peaches......

 

 

i could go on and on, but im trying to be simple

 

.02

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Guest imported_El Mamerro

Re: Re: Re: cracked's "minifesto"

 

Originally posted by seeking

its difference between walking around in a maze, trying to find a way out, frustrated to find no end in sight, verses sitting in one corner of the maze drinking beer and getting old.

 

How about taking the beer, and walking around and looking at the colors of the walls, the tiles on the floor, the fixtures in the ceiling, and just enjoying the trip regardless of where it ends?

 

I think that's what I do. Beer,

 

El Mamerro

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Re: Re: Re: Re: cracked's "minifesto"

 

Originally posted by El Mamerro

 

How about taking the beer, and walking around and looking at the colors of the walls, the tiles on the floor, the fixtures in the ceiling, and just enjoying the trip regardless of where it ends?

 

I think that's what I do. Beer,

 

El Mamerro

 

and thats why i bother to read the things you post. :)

 

the trick is to be able to appreciate them for what they are, without trying to figure out what they are comprised of.

thats the difference between intelligence, and wisdom.

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oh dear. you didn't say anything for christ's sake. I'm sure you're nearly 30 years old and you're still complaining about how different you are because of your intelligence? IQ, shmy-Q. it's obvious that if we spent our time trying to solve all of the world's problems all of the time we would most likely lose grasp of the total dominance we have now. and no blue-blooded American wants that. no matter how big in their britches the liberals get it is always the hard-working good ol' boy image that the politicians play up to. if you don't wish to aspire to those ideals get out of this country as fast as you can.

 

don't worry, I think we're in the same boat I just don't understand what exactly you said. was this supposed to tie into terrorism? am I a stupid American if my IQ isn't as high as yours? do you think the hard-working American joe is less worthy of the American dream than you because you are smart?

 

America is as great as it is because we have such an abundance of people willing to sacrifice contented lives in exchange for a menial, low-paying job. as long as this excess of labor is everywhere, America will always be #1. I admire and deeply respect the 9-5ers for their ambition and their sanity.

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intelligence does not bring happiness

 

i can attest to that

 

but it is refreshing to know that at least there are those on earth who care enough about humanity and the conditions of our society to question it, ponder it, and possibly even make it a little better...

 

 

i've said it before cracked, and i'll say it again..

 

**sigh**

the world needs more men like you....

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To Disco, Mang, and onesandzeros: I couldn't agree more about the uselessness of "IQ" as a measurement of intelligence. For one thing it's flawed, for another it encourages arrogance, and finally, as I said, it doesn't help much even if you score high. I probably shouldn't have put those statements first, because you guys dismissed me as arrogant without even reaching the part where I turn it around and devalue a high IQ. If you don't know me then it's easy to misinterpret my intro as crass bragging.

I'm not trying to claim superiority here, just alienation. Seeking nailed what I was getting at when I said that a high intelligence can sap your motivation, and that ignorance of certain kinds may be more blissful. Anyone ever read that story "Bartleby the Scrivener" for English class? It's about this dude who works in the Dead Letter Office, and his job is to open and process or return mail sent to people who died before the senders became aware of it. He sees all these letters, packages, communications destined for people who are no longer alive to receive them, and he starts to lose his motivaion for living - "I would prefer not to" becomes his mantra when confronted with opportunities for activity. I forget whether he kills himself or just wastes away, but basically he let death get him down. I have a similar ailment, not worrying about death, but just seeing the world too clearly, understanding my own unimportance, and it gets hard to get out of bed. As a logical guy I figured I should, in the absence of knowing why I exist, just fill up my time with those things that make me feel good, and avoid those that make me feel bad. Working a shit job has always been in the second category. Drugs and alcohol used to be in the first, but migrated hard to the second and have been eliminated. What's left for me to do? Watch thunderstorms, watch trains, eat well when I can, listen to music, make music, look at art, make art. Sex is nice, but women understandably don't get me, especially on short notice, so that's mostly a solo activity. Meanwhile none of the things I enjoy doing make money, which inhibits my ability to obtain the rest of the things I enjoy.

If there were a "Motivation Store" I'd drag myself out of bed and trade in everything I own for a small helping. Lacking that, I just drift. The Motivation Store might be a metaphor for something that could happen in real life, but I haven't found it. Even a near-death experience didn't impress or distress me, I just shrugged it off.

I suppose I should be a writer - the other kind, novels and essays and whatnot. Stuff might sell. It's a lot of work though, organizing thoughts into words. Although I do it on here enough for free. Maybe people would buy my shit. I'll remind myself not to start my next piece with an off-putting boast about my high IQ.

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I didn't mean to come off aggressive. it's just that I think your problem lies in your assumption that you understand the world. you don't, I don't, no one does. that's the end of the story.

 

I am in your boat. I lost motivation a long time ago. I thought I was depressed, anxious, whatever. I gave up on trying to label it, I'm just going crazy. I too cannot do anything that seems redeeming to everyday people. and sometimes I just don't care. all these silly robots doing silly things because someone even sillier tells them it will make them happy and satisfied. it seems like the grandest illusion of them all.

 

I know Bartleby well. someday I will make a good movie out of that story, Melville rocks my world everytime. still on the literature tip, there is a Fitzgerald novel, either Tender is the Night or This Side of Paradise, I've read them both a lot, so they tend to mix together in my mind. anyhow, the protagonist goes through all this angst and crisis only to arrive at the conclusion we all should arrive at: he can only know himself.

 

I feel incredibly grounded sometimes when I think about how well I know myself. sure it would be nice for someone to "get me", but maybe that is not my function in the world. maybe I'm here just to stir things up a bit and get people to critically examine what goes on around them.

 

I think you and I both think too much.

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Guest willy.wonka

I JUST SEEN THE IQ THING... im in the top 2 in the usa...sad that im a jerk,loser,drug dealer[not anymore],horndog,rebelious,music/art lovin freak that likes to drink beer and get down on the dance floor.

 

i also cant drive 55.;)

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