LINK The Brights' Net - Backtalk on "Bright"
From the Bright FAQ: Why not just use "freethought" as the umbrella word?
Freethinkers know exactly what they mean when they use the word, freethought. It is a perfectly good umbrella word used inside the club, so to speak. It has been with us for some time. In fact, the "community of reason" is most often termed, the freethought community, a good many persons who would definitely qualify as Brights are distinctly not freethinkers.
Out in general society, freethought is used in a multitude of ways. Most of the time non-freethinkers haven't got the slightest idea of what the word means. In fact, many religious folks we know think of themselves as freethinkers (“able to freely think my way through things” is their meaning). To others, freethought is closely linked to ideas like free love, and free spirit (nonconformist, individualist, maverick, radical, oddball, and doing exactly what you want).
In short, socially, this term is carrying the baggage of overuse and misunderstanding. We know this for a fact. We have been dealing with social studies educators concerning the topic of “freethought history” for about eight years!
Bright is an invented noun, a neologism. It is fresh, free, and unencumbered. It has a good shot at being a meme which will eventually pervade all of society.
The assumptions made by Freethinkers can be applied to other subjects of life aside from religion. Political, for instance. Maybe we should all examine our assumptions about each other and our motives?
I think we all operate from a very primitive motive, procreation, and that covers 98% of both genders. I would say all genders but not all operate from the perspective of inseminating or birthing. Those carry instinctive behaviors/strategies for the goal. Nothing to be overly sensitive about but we must know that's the case. No? This is natural, kids, and time to get with that program.
Please stop getting offended when someone (who happens to not be female) speaks about those motivations. Men understand just fine about our instinctual need to spread the seed and mitigate our need to satisfy desires of safety and provision/stability of nest for offspring. Going against a Primitive Brain need is not easy and takes work so both genders often fail. Females are better than males at building tribal support for later use (when they fail) but that's the primary difference in fallout. Males, however, do not get offended and defensive when reminded of our primal need. In fact, most become a bit ashamed of it.
Other gender distinctions don't carry those instinctual prompts from their Primitive Brain functions so are kind of removed from that tedious human quality. End of my personal observations
0
Enjoy being online again!
Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.Create your free account
4 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.The problem is that flat earth shitheads, alternative medicine idiots, conspiracy theory assholes and Joe Rogan style themselves as "freethinkers". They use the term as a rationale to disregard facts that don't fit their biases and narratives.
They use it to justify whatever horseshit they're selling.
Referring to oneself as a "bright" is a different, but related, form of assholery. It projects a false and unwarranted elitism and self-involvement bordering on Dunning-Kruger. It's for people who think they're much smarter than they really are.
Toonman
Level 6
Nov 20, 2021
0
I deduce you haven’t read anything about the term from the website? Bright is a new meaning and designed to get attention so it gains more org power. Numbers are the game. It’s for all naturalistic based folks, free of mysticism or supernatural elements, to put our voices into. We can then carry political clout that maybe rivals Evan’s. That seems a whole lot better than individual actions but I only put an idea out there, into your eyes, without expectation. I think humans are probably toast in 50 years and liberals might be so in 3 (if 45 becomes 47 as well) so I have little concern for what folks buy into. My personal feeling is that it’s better to try than give up or my thoughts become reality for sure. I’ve done my time on the curbs and phones, though, so America has to prove me wrong. Should be easy since we Brights are not very smart.
Do I have freethought and am I a freethinker? Yes, within the bounds of my educational upbringing and lifelong people associations. This means that others who use the same words to describe themselves are not like me at all. Some will have less choices in a bad situation while others have more. Such is free will for you. When you enter gender into this realm it is yet different again. This is why we see people and families that are ranging from not so bright on into much smarter than ourselves. I notice quickly if the female is the dominate one in a family relationship and often they are. Is Bright a good name? Not really. Again, you can call yourself a freethinker and make that mean almost anything you want it to mean. To me the term is about like the use of "spirtitual, believer, or Christian."
DenoPenno
Level 9
Nov 17, 2021
2
Brights is an unfortunate choice for a name. By default it casts everyone else as unbright, which, whether intentional or not, is how it will be seen - as intellectual elitism. I don’t know anything about them and I already don’t want to be a member. Kinda reminds me of Mensa, which I also don’t want to know anything about.
My reaction is a little like Groucho Marx not wanting to join any club that would have someone like him as a member.
I would doubt the IQ of any person who would want to join a club for people with high IQs.
skado
Level 9
Nov 17, 2021
3
Backtalk answer to the name objection is below. As I've said, we are what we decide and declare we are so numbers are important and must happen before full climate catastrophe is certain. After that none of it matters (which I already feel is true) but I merely observe and make suggestions.
"You can't convert an adjective into a noun!
English is fine the way it is? Sorry, but we feel there is a clear need for a noun that "umbrellas" (note the verb usage?) over the naturalistic worldview folks. The term just had to be something easy to pronounce. It was desirable that it be "in tune" with the Enlightenment heritage and scientific values. To us, this term just plain ol' fits the bill.
Perhaps the noun Bright won't make it. We can certainly try, though, to introduce a term that we feel has important uses, not only for the Brights, but for society at large.
Language has always changed and will continue to change. We would like to see Bright as a commonly accepted affirmative noun with which to refer to persons whose worldview is naturalistic. There's no such word for that concept right now. We hope in twenty years, there will be."
@OldMetalHead Absolutely. The only people in Mensa are people who want to point out that they're in Mensa.
Enjoy being online again!
Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.Create your free account
Share this post
Related Groups More
Memes R Us
2992 members
Categories
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.