waysider

What are the odds water is wet?

That's not all he was unable to control.

And yet you do.

OMG! You are one funny guy.

I have no desire to read the book. If there are "MANY", as you say, a listing of them should be a simple task.

examples?

I'm curious. How do you "stretch" a coffee pod?

Only my humility prevents me from boasting of my perfection.

"Gurdjieff wrote that he supported himself during his travels with odd jobs and trading schemes (one of which he described as dyeing hedgerow birds yellow and selling them as canaries)."...Source: Wikipedia Yep, I definitely see the similarity to VPW.

My take on this is somewhat of a blend between the two ideas. The core essence of human nature remains the same. (Maslow's hierarchy and all that jazz.) That doesn't negate the fact that all species evolve (or de-evolve, as DEVO posited) over time. However, as society is becoming progressively unable to meet those needs, AI is increasingly being used to try to fill the voids. For consideration, I offer THIS piece about a current trend in Japan. Accept it, reject it, doesn't matter. This is the reality we are dealing with in the modern world.

Are we not men? We are Devo

If you're counting on its historical accuracy, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment.

Would we be required to shout "Hallelujah!"? I'm not much of a shouter. Would an announcement on Twitter be Okay?

We saw this during the height of the pandemic with megachurches. Maybe not completely replaced but certainly modified in their approach.

For the uninitiated: MGTOW

It's difficult. That's why we seek the approval of others who can offer us a sense of validation.

So, either you find your purpose or you become weak and feeble and lose your vigor and vitality. Are you sure there's nothing in between?

I'm sure some find an existence that's more nuanced than that.

I don't really see the jazz analogy. Jazz is more like a flock of starlings going through murmuration. Using music as an analogy, I would say his concept of "ethical cult" more closely resembles field calls and work songs. Most cults, based on my limited experience, appear to have all these elements present at varying degrees, making it difficult to clearly differentiate one from the other. Rather than look at this as being three types of cults, I prefer to think of it as multiple characteristics that might be found in a singular cult.

Is kidnapping illegal? Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's illegal. Those of us who have posted here for a while know of a certain someone who, along with family, was confined to their trailer at HQ with armed guards outside the door. Not the sort of thing that gets talked about much during class refreshment breaks.

Well then, I don't think I'm a good candidate for recruitment. The cosmos already has me wide awake and I need to suppress my consciousness so I can get some sleep.

I only come here for the refreshments. Feel free to help yourself to a fresh cup of coffee. (Not the "stretched" kind you might expect at a TWI function)

Ah, yes. "The Pill".

Technology has, indeed, ushered in a Brave New World.