Have you taken tests that proved things aren't as they appear?

wordywalt comments on Mar 18, 2018:

You sound like a person I would like to know. As a mature adult, from my late 20s onward, I was always a risk-taker. Being arisk-taker certainly makes life richer, with some real highs and lows.

Best Place To Live?

wordywalt comments on Mar 18, 2018:

That depends on what a person wants from life. To me, an ideal place would be in the Pacific northwest with wooded areas and flowing wstreams -- but also near enough to cities to also engage in the world of culture and intellect.

I have quite recently thought that perhaps most atheists etc.

wordywalt comments on Mar 18, 2018:

Yes, we did note the discrepancies between theology and reality, and that was a major reason for freeing ourselves from all theology.

How do you deal with mixed signals?

wordywalt comments on Mar 18, 2018:

What kind of mixed signals, and in reference to what?

The Bible Says The World Is Going To End On June 24, 2018

wordywalt comments on Mar 18, 2018:

And, when it does not happen, it will not deter a single "true believer." They will namufacture some excuse for why it did not happen, or say the God was just testing them. See Leon Festinger's book, WHEN PROPHECY FAILS.

Do you feel that our society is getting far to used to the violence we see in today's media?

wordywalt comments on Mar 18, 2018:

No. I think that the large majority of our people are distrubed by the amount of violence. What is even more disturbing is the collapse of moral intrgrity among our politicians, particularly Republicans, shown in their unwillingness to do anything to deter violence-- particularly gun violence.

While I don't ride the stereotypes against anyone, and I don't jump on racism bandwagon, I would ...

wordywalt comments on Mar 17, 2018:

Yes. The proof is in the pudding. Just look at the composition of the groups.

Do you remember your 1st kiss?

wordywalt comments on Mar 17, 2018:

I was 7 years old. A classmate of mine named Ann Murray were walking together leaving sschool at the end of the school day. Ann motioned for me to come with her and she moved to a secluded spot near the corner of a house. Then she just kissed me. Iwasn't into girls at that age and was shocked and embarrassed -- and hurried home. I didn't walk with Ann after that.

Have you ever had a moment where you stop and look around wondering how you got to where you are?

wordywalt comments on Mar 17, 2018:

There have been so many critical decisions in my life that could have changed my path that it is impossible to predict where I could be if ...

HAhahahaha

wordywalt comments on Mar 17, 2018:

Love it!!

Is old age something to look forward to or is it generally filled with loneliness, health problems, ...

wordywalt comments on Mar 17, 2018:

Old age is simply a final stage we must pass through if we do not die sooner. It is a process of being forced to give up things which were once central to who you were. It is a time of increasing infirmity and in dependence on others. Still, it is a time which still provides much joy and meaning if one is a realist and adjusts one's perspective to find purpose in more limited perspectives.

Saw this online. Just wanted to share it.

wordywalt comments on Mar 17, 2018:

Stupidity is stupidity, no matter what century.

What One Year of Trump Feels Like [youtube.com]

wordywalt comments on Mar 17, 2018:

One year too damned many!!!

GMO - If you had the option of altering embryonic dna for the selection of particular traits in your...

wordywalt comments on Mar 17, 2018:

Only to remove DNA segments that cause genetic diseases.

Reaction to the mentality of our founding fathers and the descendants.

wordywalt comments on Mar 17, 2018:

Huh?

CNN headline quoted the minority-elected one as saying, "I like conflict.

wordywalt comments on Mar 17, 2018:

He would provoke a civil war if he could. We must not let him.

A forgotten hero stopped the My Lai massacre 50 years ago today

wordywalt comments on Mar 16, 2018:

One person with a moral backbone who is willing to speak out can stop a lot of vicious stupidity.

Without usng the internet, and just using a slide rule, can anyone calculate the the square root of ...

wordywalt comments on Mar 16, 2018:

1.73 +

Please help me strengthen my argument (sorry for the long post) Some Context: A very dear ...

wordywalt comments on Mar 16, 2018:

I don't think I can help you. Sounds like you will bve outvoted 2 to 1. In the case of my death, I have already made sure that this will not happen. My unequivocal instructions are that there will be no service of any kind. I will be cremated and my wife and daughters will scatter my ashes at one of my favorite fishing spots.

How do you feel about Zeke Emanuel's view that after 75 serious medical treatment is a waste of the ...

wordywalt comments on Mar 16, 2018:

When a person has contributed a lifetime of producive work and citizenship, he or she has earned comfortable waing years. I do not believe that dramatic effort should be made to sustain life with no quality. But, as a man of age 81, I have medical conditions which must be managed, but which still allow me to enjoy life if I take care of myself. I have earned that.

What traits make a good boss? Have you ever had one?

wordywalt comments on Mar 16, 2018:

A good boss has a real and posiive vision of what he and his organization want to accomplish and recognizes that people are absolutely essential to attainment of that vision. He or she encourages his employees, treats them with dignity and respect, gives them opportunities to grow, and recognizes and rewards them when they succeed. At the same time, he or she seeks excellence in the performance of individuals and in theentire organization. He corrects people caringly when they are not meeting standards or going in the wrong direction, and points them in the drection of more effecive action. He or she celebrates personal and organizational victories. He or she tries to get "the big picture" and encourages others to do the same. He or she wants effective planning to attain organizational goals, but also encourages nimble action when new opportunities arise. I have had some good bosses, but never a great one. Read IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE.

Is humanity in the decline?

wordywalt comments on Mar 16, 2018:

All civilizations rise and fall under what Paul Bohammon called "the curse of culture." Every belief, nrom, practice, way of thinking that comes into existence in a culture limits that which follows and channels it. When the burden of that cahnneling becomes so restrictive or wrong'headed, in leads people to act disfunctionally, leading to the downfall of the culture. Thee is a real danger that it is happening now, unless we can act with wisdom, independence of thought and action, critical thinking, and constructive action in new directions.

Fox News....

wordywalt comments on Mar 16, 2018:

If that were the case, they would not be fighting for Trump. Trump is a lying fraud and traitor.

Are humans genetically loaded for extinction? | Genetic Literacy Project

wordywalt comments on Mar 16, 2018:

It is likely that environmental degradation due to human overpopulation, or some natural extinction event will do in our species. It is just a quetion of when.

I’m usually a glass half full type of person but I have reason to believe that there are no ...

wordywalt comments on Mar 16, 2018:

Having grown up in north Florida, I know that the big majority of men still living there are religious, bigoted, and ultraconservative. But in a city like Jacksonville, there have to be a number of men your age who have finally grown up intellectually, philosophically, and morally.Hope some can give you a strategy for finding them.

How many non-believers and others here are currently or previously expatriates?

wordywalt comments on Mar 16, 2018:

I loved my time in Berlin, Germany. It changed, broadened, and matured me in so many ways. It enabled me to see my native culture withiout blinders on. Learning to speak and, read, and write German, and teaching English to Germans taught me more about my own language than all of the English courses I ever had. Also, being in Berlin at the height of the Cold War, surrounded by 300,000 Russian troops, taught me to live in the moment in very positive ways.

A follow up: What makes you a terrible partner?

wordywalt comments on Mar 16, 2018:

Your behavior is always your choice. Evidently, you do not feel a sufficient need to act any differenttly. It that is so, you can expect similar results in the future..

Which five non-fiction books would you recommend to help create a more well-rounded, enlightened ...

wordywalt comments on Mar 16, 2018:

There is no single set of 5 that I can recommend. What I can recommend is that each person read as much as they can in the areas of science, cognitive psychology, social psychology, history, analytical thinking, organizational excellence, anthropology. The more well grounded thought that we read and internalize, the wiser and more ethical we are.

Jane knew a chimp when she sees one

wordywalt comments on Mar 16, 2018:

A wise woman describing a stupid man.

Is it P.U.-OR- Pew???? -Funny Prank Call To a Church Woman

wordywalt comments on Mar 15, 2018:

This is lunacy!

Ugly?

wordywalt comments on Mar 15, 2018:

IN every sense! Another of Trump's corrupt scumbags. Did you hear that he took over a million dollars worth of unauthorized military flights?

Turning the tables on the theists, I say "There's a lot more to life than faith.

wordywalt comments on Mar 15, 2018:

Amen, brother!

Was anyone here involved with Televangelism?

wordywalt comments on Mar 15, 2018:

I always found televangelism intellectually and morally repugnant.

I've never been as close to anyone as I am to my husband.

wordywalt comments on Mar 15, 2018:

If he asks, tell him. Otherwise, since he already knows that you are agnostic, forget about it. My wife is a devout Catholic and knows that I am an atheist. We each respect the other's right to believe as we see fit.

Hello from Orangeburg, SC!

wordywalt comments on Mar 15, 2018:

Welcome. My family on both sides settled in South Carolina in the mid 1750s in the "Dutch Forks" area near Columbia, and over the 1800s migrated to Georgia, then Florida..

Why is so difficult for people to ask a lady / man out on a date?

wordywalt comments on Mar 15, 2018:

Yes, it is mainly fear of rejection.

What makes you unique?

wordywalt comments on Mar 15, 2018:

My DNA, my experiences in multiple cultures, myt education, and my mind -- and the interactions between these.

Public speaking/performing. Terrifying or fun? I'm all ears!!

wordywalt comments on Mar 15, 2018:

When I firest started speaking in poublic, I was so scared that my voice would shake. I would have to talk to myself in my head: "Get a grip on yourse3lf Walt! You can do this." Little by little I got used to it, then actually enjoued speaking before groups of up to 500 people. It just takes practice and preparation.

This is a question for recovering addicts (drug, sex, food, etc) .

wordywalt comments on Mar 15, 2018:

I had a nicotine addition -- smoked up to 3 packs a day. My real incentive was that my lknew wifel said that she would leave me if I did not quit. I did not want to lose her. Simply used the gum to break away from the habits associated with smoking, then switcvhed to the patch and got off. It was not easy. Her added incentive made the difference.

Phone addiction?

wordywalt comments on Mar 15, 2018:

When I see people constantly on their cell phone at the grocery store, at the gym, and everywhere else, it really bothers me. They are not aware of their surroundings and of the people around them, and seem to prefer the sterile distance of a phone conversation or of texting to real human interaction.

When you questioned, was critical thinking discouraged?

wordywalt comments on Mar 15, 2018:

The pastor's actions were entirely inappropriate ane unethical. He should have been fired.

It will not be China, India or handouts from Western Countries that will transform Africa.

wordywalt comments on Mar 15, 2018:

Are you saying that Africans lack the intellectual ability to do anything of value? If so, you are an intolerable and destructive bigot!

Getting desperate

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

Call your senator and tell him or her not to vote for Mike Pompaeo (or however you spell his name) for Secretary of State. Pompaeo is a militaristic right winger who is not to be trusted with the task of conducting our foreign relations. He tells Trump what Trump wants to hear.

We have our first event set up for Central Florida Freethinkers.

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

When and where?

Do You Have An Age You Turned Which Made You Sad?

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

I'm 81. Reaching a particular age ever made me sad. Still, getting old is a process of having to give up things that give up things which were central to your life -- sports, driving, recreational walking, reading, and more. We just have to learn to adapt and to make our goals more immediate ones, easier to fulfill.

So who wants to put together a meet and greet for Florida.

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

I live in Carrollwood. Don't drive anymore due to vision problems. Still, might be interested in a get-rogether if it is convenient. Keep me informed.

Punch a Nazi or no?

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

If you resport to violence, you are playing their game. Use the law and public disdain for them to hold them in check.

Why do we label everything?

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

Labeeling is a lazy device so that we do not have to deal with the specific instance.

Generally speaking, I'm not very good at self-care, but it's a goal on my radar.

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

You have to create a sense of meccesityand allow no esceptions.

Re: The National Student Walkout I am truly heartened to see so many thousands of kids exercising...

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

Let us hope that the young people, the "me too" movement, the repugnance of the Trump administration, and the agsence of moral and patriotic gonads among todau's Republicans creates a HUGE wave of righteous indignation that sweeps away the whole damned lot of political corruption!!

Horns of a dilemma.

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

Cats on counters do not bother me. I have never suffered a foood-related illness from their being there.

I recently heard that the Koch brothers (with a big assist from Pence) are trying to call for a ...

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

No. But, if it is true, it must be fought with every bit of energy and intelligence that we have.

On average, how much do you read per day? Do you read everyday?

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

Due to macular retinopathy, I no longer read much. For 30 years, counting books, newpapers and magazines, I read an average of over 100 pages a day and loved reading. I miss it.

Changing history

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

I do not dwell on impossibilities.

Can true feminism ever be achieved?

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

In my 81 year lifetime, I have seen huge advances in the reduction in gender bias and I predict that within the next 25 years we will see real gender equality in the culture of our country and in many advanced cultures. Those dominated by religion are and will continue to be a different story.

Do you know anyone who is not agnostic?

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

I know many, many more people who are not agnostic or atheistic then who are. So long as they do not try to impose their beliefs on me and others, they have a right to be deluded.

I find it humorous and sad that when I do something such as an act of kindness ie: the other day I ...

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

It is troubling how zealously religious people project their prejudices on everything. They do try to make every good or moral act a religious one -- a self-aggrandizing act of bigotry.

What's the best live performance you've ever seen?

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

In the 1980s I saw Joel Gray in a live performance at the Starlight Theater in Kans City, MO. When he came on stage, I was struck by how physically small he was. But, his performance was so great that it seemed that he grew and grew physically as the perrormance went on. It was a truly GREAT performance!

Is advertising immoral?

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

Yes, much advertising is immoral. Whyen it attempts to convince people to buy things they do not need and plays on the weaknesses of people, it is not treating people with dignity and respect.

When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their ...

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

The comingling of religion and politics is a real threat to democracy and personal freedoms.

Who the fuk fires someone through a public tweet?!

wordywalt comments on Mar 14, 2018:

A boorish lout!

If you are listening to the voices in your head.. Who's talking?? ?

wordywalt comments on Mar 13, 2018:

The only voice in my head is mine.

"A study published in the journal Neuropsychologia has shown that religious fundamentalism is, in ...

wordywalt comments on Mar 13, 2018:

I agree. Religious fundementalism is both a system of cognitive impairment, and a contributor to further cognitive limitation!

This is a question for those who have had strong feelings for another but could never get those ...

wordywalt comments on Mar 13, 2018:

It is because of who you have let yourself become. Get some good psychological counselling!

Here’s How The Scientists Running for Office Are Doing - The Atlantic

wordywalt comments on Mar 13, 2018:

Some intelligence in public office is badly needed.

Morning all.

wordywalt comments on Mar 13, 2018:

Reject Trump and Trumpism!

Why do people hide their feeling/emotion? How do you let emotion out?

wordywalt comments on Mar 13, 2018:

If you are dealing with a controlling and manipulative person, the more you eveal your emotions, the the more tools you give that person to play "mind'fuck" games with you.

Is what you do professionally now, what you wanted to do when you were growing up?

wordywalt comments on Mar 13, 2018:

When I was in high school, I swore that the last thing in the world I would want to do was to become a teacher. I became a high school teacher, a teacher educator, and later a trainer of practicing teachers and administrators and a school improvement facilitator. Iguess that much of my motivation was to help insure to help ensure that more kids had better teachers than most I had.

We hold life in our hands, sometimes it slips through.

wordywalt comments on Mar 13, 2018:

?

Human struggle

wordywalt comments on Mar 13, 2018:

You ask such vague, global questions that it appears that you are fishing for any response, as opposed to having a specific purpose.

If you are a conservative, do consider insulting the president a personal attack on you?

wordywalt comments on Mar 13, 2018:

There is a huge difference between an attack and an insult. An attack may be justified. An insult is a deliberate aspersion, often knowingly false.

Anti-Vax Mom: Death From Disease Part Of Divine Plan

wordywalt comments on Mar 12, 2018:

Sheer, dangerous idiocy!

Income inequality

wordywalt comments on Mar 12, 2018:

Yes, they could wipe out poverty, but only for an instant. Unless something is done to change the attitudes, behaviors, and skills of those in poeverty, most will lapse back into poverty. Yes greed motivates many of the wealthiest. But, some give back a great deal -- like Gates and Buffett -- and unlike the sociopath Trump.

Government Tyranny

wordywalt comments on Mar 12, 2018:

Onlyif some right wing nut factions try to stage some kind of uprising.

How reliable is the study of history?

wordywalt comments on Mar 12, 2018:

The dominant culture determines the historical story that is being told. What we have is not history, but histiography-- opinions about what happened.

The Ku Klux Klan is slowly rising again | New York Post

wordywalt comments on Mar 12, 2018:

Unfortunately, not surprising, given the climate that Tmp is fostering.

Should ther be term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court?

wordywalt comments on Mar 11, 2018:

Yes. No more than 8 years in the House, 18 years in the Senate, and 20 years as a Supreme Counrt justice. As Thomas Jerrson said, the earth should belong to the leving -- not the dead.

I have always wondered why people have that need of belonging to a group, of following a leader, of ...

wordywalt comments on Mar 11, 2018:

The huyman being is a social creature. We define ourselves largely through our interactions with others, We all feel some need to belong, to b accepted. Carried to an extreme, that can make us almost completely dependent on what others say and do -- or tell us to do To some degree, we need to establish our own independence of thought and action so that we are free to define ourselves.

Teaching young children to be free thinkers

wordywalt comments on Mar 11, 2018:

You can do much more than a few books can. Teach the ch9ildren to ask questions, ot try to puzzle out understandings, to think for themselves. Take them into many new sitations and show them how to observe asnd think about what they have seen.

The Moral Responsibility of Dying

wordywalt comments on Mar 11, 2018:

I have a living will stating those things.

Do you have a favorite line, or lines from a book, or books you'd like to share?

wordywalt comments on Mar 11, 2018:

HermanN Hesse, in his STEPPENWORF,described his lead character Harry Haller, walking in a neighborhood and encountering a walled garden with a gate. On the gate was the phrase, Enter at your own risk. For fools and madmen only!" It depoicted that when we achieve some realizations about ourselfves as hujan beings, will cause much internal discord -- which many cannot deal with.

Some people seek the truth.

wordywalt comments on Mar 11, 2018:

You are thinking too simplistically. We are more complex than that. We can seek all those things at the same time -- and more. When I was seeking a syntehsis of information and leatrnings, I achieved confirmation when I was successful -- and ejoyed both the search for truth and the confirmation of myself through achievement immenbsely.

Have you ever been put in a box by someone else defining you - if so How did you get out without ...

wordywalt comments on Mar 11, 2018:

I never concerned myself with how others defined me. I simply did what I thought was right and said what I thought.

What is morality?

wordywalt comments on Mar 11, 2018:

Within each culture there is a generally acceptee code of whqat constitutes moral behavior. Still, each individual defines for himself/herself what is the basis of his/her moral code and also defines the specific tenets of that code. In actuality, is is more of a personally defined and observed code of conduct.

Defence of significant other

wordywalt comments on Mar 11, 2018:

If my spouse were being insulted or attacked unjustly by her family, I would demand that they cease. If they were doing it in my home, I would give them the choice of stopping and apologizing, or leaving my home forthwith. If it were in their home, I would take my wife and walk out unless they stopped AND apologized. If in a public setting, I would berate them for their public incivility and demand an apology.

From what/where do you get your motivation?

wordywalt comments on Mar 11, 2018:

Either you don't really want to do it, or you you are afraid that you may not succeed if you try. If it really matters to you, you will do it.

There is no use arguing with people who deny simple, verifiable facts | Miami Herald

wordywalt comments on Mar 11, 2018:

True. the only options are either to (1) shout them down, or (2) declare that you refuse to aregue with a fool who is lying to himself and others.

Do you want a: 1.

wordywalt comments on Mar 11, 2018:

At my age, I'll go for 1 and 4.l

It has been a very gloomy birthday.

wordywalt comments on Mar 10, 2018:

When I was your age, I hadmy best years ahead of me. My most productive time was from the age of 40 - 60 and I loved those times and the friendships they afforded. Even at the age of 81 and with increasing health concerns, I do not feel the malaise you express.

Anybody here who is expert on handling worries ?. :-)

wordywalt comments on Mar 10, 2018:

I don't claim to be an expert, but I do not worry much. When I problem or concern arises, I try to define it clearly and attempt to address the issue. I do not own problems or dwell on them-- I attempt to find and implement solutions. I have always also lived by the motto: "Don't sweat the samall stuff" meaning don't make an issue of something that is insignificant. I also try to recognize when something is completely beyond my control, and not dwell on it if I cannot do anything about it.

Is it better to make compromises or is it better have things your way?

wordywalt comments on Mar 10, 2018:

That is a simplistic question. If it takes compromise to accomplish something productive (as opposed to accomplishing nothing of value) then compromise is fully justified.

What is the root of all the problems in the world?

wordywalt comments on Mar 10, 2018:

There is no single root of all problems in the world. Greed =, "true belief" in total ystem ideologies, egocentrism, ethnocentrism are all among the major causes.

When I think about life, other people, nature, etc.

wordywalt comments on Mar 10, 2018:

Huh? What seems so strange?

Do believe we live in a culture that promotes fear?

wordywalt comments on Mar 10, 2018:

I agree totally that the political and religious right thrives on fear and actively promotes fear as a vehicle to drive people into belief in a deceptive and manipulative ideology.

What's something you didn't learn until you were an adult?

wordywalt comments on Mar 10, 2018:

As a child and youth, I was largely a conformist to the expectations others had of me. Virutally all of my intellectual, moral, philosophical growth, my growth in productivity, and my self-definition occurred as an adult.

Thoughts for today: Life is good.

wordywalt comments on Mar 10, 2018:

When you throw yourself into tlrying to sccomplish a goal of real social and moral value, you will forget about the negativity.

Is anyone in favor of bringing back exile as a legitimate sentence for certain crimes?

wordywalt comments on Mar 10, 2018:

Expelling a person from the culture in which they feel comfortable could be a reasonable punishment for people trying to use and abuse others.

Men (sorry ladies) would you date a woman much taller than you?

wordywalt comments on Mar 10, 2018:

Why not. The meshing of personalities is much more important than superficial characteristics.

Was there a major musical influence that aided you in your beliefs?

wordywalt comments on Mar 10, 2018:

No.

Well that explains it.... little brains...

wordywalt comments on Mar 9, 2018:

We have an old southern colloquial expression for that poster: "Shit for brains!"