Joshe

I understand the idea and it is good that something made them start thinking about health and what they're putting in their bodies, but there's a problem. Biochemistry and human health is complex. Dealing with complexity requires sound epistemics and without it, tinkering with the body is dangerous. My sister’s now looking up ingredients in vaccines and jumping to bad conclusions. Her kid has health issues and was recommended the Prevnar 20 vaccine, but she found out it has aluminum phosphate and is now against it. She’s furious that the healthcare system approves injecting “heavy metals” into kids. She thinks statins are a net negative (big pharma/FDA are poisoning people to line their pockets). She lets her kids drink Coke but not Coke Zero (thinks aspartame is worse than sugar). So, it's good they're thinking about health, but also problematic. They often end up doing harm to themselves and their children. They end up drinking blue silver their preachman sold them and taking supplements that are a complete waste or damaging. They call healthy, unhealthy. Like how many currently don't believe high serum cholesterol is bad and they're against statins, so those folks will see an early grave. There won't be a huge health initiative on the right. They might get healthy from the working out at the gym, because appearances matter more to them than anything, but they don't care about cholesterol, free radicals, etc. This applies to most Americans, but the right is more likely to reject science, seek magic pills, and rely on poor information sources. Case in point: RFK thinks AIDS is fake and vaccines cause autism. Sound epistemics are needed if health is to be pursued.

Healthy foods like whole grains and beans go a long way and are cheap and can be used to make a ton of dishes that taste really good, but they'd rather spend $25 on pizza. The REAL reason Americans eat like shit is because they're lazy, always taking the path of least resistance, and because they care more about instant gratification than health. This being the case, they rationalize it all away with "healthy food is too expensive". You can make an extremely healthy meal that would last you all week for less than $20. I do a daily smoothie with all organic plant foods (spinach, banana, blueberries, date), fortified with ground flaxseed, chia seeds, turmeric, black pepper, pumpkin seeds, walnuts. I haven't added the cost up but I'm sure it's less than 2 or 3 dollars a day, which could easily be offset by eliminating expenditure on bad habits such as blowing money on fast food and convenient stores, eating out, buying lotto tickets, coffees, soda, and dozens of other bad habits Americans partake in that they don't mind dispensing with their hard-earned cash. They don't eat healthy because they don't give a fuck about it and they're too lazy to set it all up. My right wing sister is all of sudden worried about chemicals and ingredients in foods and she blames it all on corrupt food companies, big pharma, and the FDA. Interesting how she's just now concerned about it. I wonder if she might have been manipulated just like she was manipulated in 2020 when she all of sudden she was going to "save the children" from pedophiles. Now she's all of a sudden amped up about health... got it!

Nice to hear. I can see how peeps these days fall into it. Most can't break out because they don't have the self-awareness to see what it does to them and what they're doing with it. You're a lucky one!

How did you come to see through it?

Donald Trump Nominates WWE Co-Founder Linda McMahon as Education Secretary McMahon serves as board chair at the Trump-aligned think tank America First Policy Institute. In her 2010 U.S. Senate campaign, McMahon's team implemented a voter registration drive at the University of Connecticut, offering $5 bonuses for each Republican voter registered. Linda McMahon has been linked to controversies involving her husband, Vince McMahon, including allegations of sexual misconduct and a federal investigation into sex trafficking. While she has not been directly implicated, her association with these issues has drawn public scrutiny. "Linda McMahon’s lack of direct experience in education policy, administration, or teaching raises significant doubts about her qualifications to serve as Secretary of Education. While her leadership roles in WWE and the Small Business Administration demonstrate administrative and managerial capabilities, these do not translate to the expertise needed to oversee the complex challenges of the U.S. education system, such as curriculum development, equity issues, and compliance with federal laws like Title IX. Her nomination appears to prioritize loyalty and business acumen over the specialized knowledge traditionally expected for this role." It's odd that most of Trump's picks have been involved in sex trafficking investigations.

Large circle of concern + discernment + valuing of integrity + duty to warn + recognition of the populace putting the polar opposite of that which is good on a pedestal to idolize = A person who denounces Trump to the degree that he is praised. When over half the U.S population not only condones but praises such a con artist, which serves to degrade human life and the virtues most people on this forum would claim to value, people who care about those things will speak up. If you're not a native English speaker and not from America or have not spent considerable time here, it's highly unlikely that you can understand what Trump is. So if that's you, I'd be careful in thinking I know what Trump is. You guys keep thinking it's a political issue or bias. It's not that people are sounding the alarm about his ideology, because he has none. They are sounding the alarm that goodness itself is under attack and the purpose is an attempt to make them see that which they fail to see. Wise people aren't so much against Trump's con artistry and deception as they are against the American people's embrace of it. THAT is what all the noise is about. If people knew Trump was a total bullshit con artist who lies every time his mouth opens and doesn't care at all about anyone, much less America, then there would be no need for sounding the alarm. The whole point of sounding the alarm is to wake you the fuck up to your ignorance of what Trump is and the implications of his widespread embrace. We have a totally unwitting population who cannot see he throws even his closest allies under the bus and that he will lie to every single fucking group he talks to and tell them all he loves them and will deliver everything they want... and they believe it. Wise people know everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie and they can, clear as day, see the rot coming from the top down. If there is growing love and support for someone who tells lies everytime he speaks, and the people who hear them clap and grow even fonder of him.... People who can see where this leads, people with integrity, people who care about good things, will be bothered that the people fail to see. That's why integrous people are so serious on this matter. Don't mistake them for ideological, biased leftists, just because you yourself cannot see the nature of Trump, Trumpism, it's evolution, and what the implications of those are, because if you could see, Leo's stance would not boggle your mind. It would make perfect sense.

True. Of course the left would bring up cheating, especially after the last election. But it’s wise to not forget the story of the boy who cried wolf. There might be a natural tendency to reject claims based on the fact that you knew the lies were coming because you know the nature of things. I fit into this category and have taken no other claims of fraud seriously because they were mere speculation. However, this theory has the appearance of validity. We know Trump, Musk, and Russia have no qualms about rigging the election and we know they have the resources. Without knowing more about the voting system design and hearing from other experts, the safe play is to not accept this theory, but until then, I wouldn’t assume it’s false either. Also, this guy didn’t produce the video thumbnail. He just did a short interview on the guy’s show who did. He’s a lifelong Republican. .

Any intelligent thoughts on this? Duty to Warn Letter - to VP Harris - Re: Election 2024 Summary of Duty to Warn Letter to Vice President Kamala Harris: Author & Background: Stephen Spoonamore, former CEO/CTO of multiple tech firms specializing in hacking and counter-hacking. Experience with government agencies (DoD, DHS, State Dept.) and as an after-action reviewer for 9/11 data failures. Lifelong Republican prioritizing democracy over party loyalty. Purpose of the Letter: Urges Vice President Harris to reverse her concession and demand hand recounts in seven swing states. Asserts clear indications of deliberate hacking and vote manipulation in the 2024 Presidential Election. Key Claims of Election Hacking: Approximately 600,000 Trump-only “bullet ballots” (votes for Trump without down-ballot selections) were added in swing states, reversing outcomes. These anomalies are absent in non-swing states and push Trump’s totals beyond recount thresholds in key states (e.g., AZ, MI, NC, WI). Claims the manipulation required modest programming skills, limited access to tabulators or ePollBook data, and a small team (6-10 people). Analysis of Vote Irregularities: Unprecedented levels of Trump-only ballots in swing states: AZ: 123,000+ Trump bullet ballots (7.2% of total vote). NV: 43,000+ Trump bullet ballots (5.5% of total vote). NC: 350,000+ Trump bullet ballots (>11% of total vote). Contrasted with normal levels of bullet ballots (<1%) in neighboring non-swing states. Proposed Hacking Mechanisms: Hack Part 1: Creation of ghost voter data using pledged Trump supporter addresses (e.g., Elon Musk’s $1M lottery database). Hack Part 2: Matching manipulated ePollBook data with tabulator results, potentially through network connectivity or physical access. Recommendations: Full hand recounts in swing states to expose discrepancies between paper ballots and electronic results. Immediate investigation into data anomalies and potential co-conspirators in tabulation centers. Additional Concerns: Bomb threats at tabulation centers could have been used as a diversion to introduce fraudulent ballots. Suggests a connection between the election hack and broader cyber operations by foreign actors. Call to Action: VP Harris is uniquely positioned to demand recounts across all affected jurisdictions. The author and volunteers plan to continue investigating but stress the need for official action. Conclusion: Appeals to Harris’s responsibility to defend the integrity of the election and democracy. Offers personal assistance and outlines the importance of swift and thorough investigation.

Yeah, I mean, teams of world-class hackers exist. Ever see Mr. Robot? I think one reason it might not be a common idea is that most people are tech-illiterate. They have no idea how computers work, networks, systems, vulnerabilities, social engineering, etc. Most don’t have a clue about Russian hack teams working round-the-clock looking for exploits. All it takes is one phished fool to download a Word doc. Also, I wonder how modern and secure our election software is. You’d think it would be set up to only send data one way (out). According to this guys theory, data was sent and written to the machines, which seems easy to prevent.

Trump appoints TV celebrity Dr. Oz to head up CMS, an agency responsible for overseeing Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for more than one hundred million Americans, as well as implementing policies to ensure access to healthcare, managing healthcare spending, and improving program efficiency. Implications of Dr. Oz’s lack of experience in managing large federal healthcare programs: Policy and Operational Challenges: Without relevant experience, he may struggle to navigate the complexities of healthcare policy, potentially leading to inefficiencies or mismanagement in administering these vital programs. Increased Influence of Ideology or Personal Bias: A lack of expertise might make him more reliant on advisors, lobbyists, or political ideologies rather than evidence-based decision-making, potentially skewing policies toward special interests. Impact on Beneficiaries: Mismanagement or poorly informed policy decisions could disrupt access to healthcare for millions of Americans who depend on these programs, particularly vulnerable populations like seniors, low-income families, and children. Undermined Credibility of CMS: Appointing someone without relevant experience may erode trust in the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission, both among the public and healthcare professionals. Potential for Controversy: Dr. Oz's celebrity status and history of promoting controversial or unproven health remedies could draw scrutiny and criticism, overshadowing the critical work of CMS and potentially politicizing its operations. The appointment could create an environment where public health priorities take a backseat to political or personal agendas, with serious consequences for healthcare policy and administration.

I would love a good answer to this question. I can't pin it down. If I had to pick the top 3 traits to work on to develop it, they'd be: Integrity: commitment to align one's thoughts, beliefs, and actions with what is true Intellectual humility: ability to effortlessly revise existing judgements/conclusions in light of new information and then a desire to put your errors under the microscope and uproot the cause of error Intuition: develops with deep observation. I'm not sure but I think you mostly have to be born with a predisposition towards deep observation and contemplation. Not sure how feasible it is to develop if it doesn't come natural. These might also be necessary: Open-mindedness Comfortable with uncertainty, patient Curiosity fueled by need to understand what is not currently understood Self-awareness to see through your own lies Critical thinking / logical reasoning / observation skills Adaptability Confidence

They do appear but they usually only account for <1%. Unprecedented levels of Trump-only ballots in swing states: AZ: 123,000+ Trump bullet ballots (7.2% of total vote). NV: 43,000+ Trump bullet ballots (5.5% of total vote). NC: 350,000+ Trump bullet ballots (>11% of total vote). Contrasted with normal levels of bullet ballots (<1%) in neighboring non-swing states. This seems relevant to me but I don't have enough data. If we knew that bullet ballots almost never exceed 1%, that would most certainly be worth looking into. Yeah, I agree with you. Contests this big and the players having the resources they have, it seems more likely than not IMO. This is why integrity and character matters. I don't have any reason to believe the Dems would go so far as to actually hack into the machines, but it wouldn't blow my mind if they did. That said, Trump would obviously have no qualms rigging the election and he has access to Elon and Russia, who are more than capable of getting this set up. Putin is already saying he got Trump over the finish line and now it's time for Trump to pony up. 😂

Oh yeah, that's all AI. I rarely take the time to organize and assemble info like that. It's easy to tell the difference between me and an AI. 😂 My writing usually has many mistakes. I rarely use AI to write my original thoughts unless I'm struggling to articulate them or coherently weave them together. He does mention Starlink but I'm not sure if it gels with the existing theory. I haven't looked into them. I know many people are wishing for fraud/rigging, so I'm not interested in all that, but this dude supposedly has evidence to backup his theory. It relies on the idea that all 7 swing states were the only states with a flood of "bullet ballets", which are ballots where only Trump was selected and no other races/politicians were voted for. I'm not a data scientist so IDK how significant that is but according to this guy, it's an anomaly that doesn't typically occur in such high numbers. The interviewer acknowledges it could be explained by marketing, like Elon's million dollar giveaway, but the data guy isn't convinced for reasons he explains. IDK anything about him, so he could be a biased quack for all I know, but he claims to be an expert in data science and he gets paid to find exploits in secure systems. Apparently, he's built several successful businesses in the hardware and tech space. He claims to be a lifelong Republican.

Supporting Trump isn't so much about political knowledge/development as it is discernment. If you want to vote against the left because you think they're the greater evil, you don't have discernment. Discernment is a key trait among the top spiritual teachers. You can't even begin to discuss Trump's policies because he's a con artist. Only those lacking discernment would discuss the merits of and show support for a con artist. If you think a verified con artist, who has a long history of conning, and has been recorded lying 30,000+ times is better than a status-quo politician who was caught lying 20 times, you clearly lack discernment. There's no way around it. If you had discernment, 1 hour's worth of watching Trump speak would tell you everything you need to know. If you walk away thinking "I like this guy" or "others are treating this man badly", you lack discernment. This has much more to do with understanding discernment, self-deception, logical fallacy, emotional reasoning, etc, than it does with understanding politics.

Anyone not on the ground in America or who has not spent considerable time here does not really know Americans. The average American is not pissed at government. They’re caught up in the fantasies and drama of their own lives. For the ones who are pissed at the government, they’ve mostly been led to that position slowly, guided by memes that appeal to their egos, Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump, Christian Ideologues, etc. I watched it all happen in real time. Here’s the truth of it. Trump caused a lot of polarization, which created a lot of collective guilt, which created a big market to relieve that guilt. Anyone who could effectively relieve it was a hot commodity. This is where Fox News came in - specifically, Tucker Carlson. Carlson’s whole shtick was the dems are the establishment and the establishment is bad. He spent an hour every night on prime time TV, on the nation's most watched show on television, spinning his bullshit to capture those people and turn their guilt into self-righteous indignation towards the big bad establishment who enables the immigrants, blacks, gays, and trans. People ate it up, not because they were tuned into the evil ways of the establishment, but because they needed good reasons to justify their expanding embrace of Trump and their expanding disdain of blacks, gays, trans, etc. So, Tucker channeled their guilt into self-righteous indignation via anger and snake oil, which was directed towards the Democrats, AKA, the left, AKA, the establishment. Obviously, this isn't the whole story but it's an important chapter. I KNOW Americans. They’re the only people I’ve ever known, and I’ve watched them morph into something. The morphology can be traced back. You don’t know Americans just by seeing them on the internet or visiting once or twice.

Enlighten us

Long term, Trump has set a new precedent, which serves as the new playbook. The precedent is this: Open con artistry and debauchery is fine and even appealing if you can create a modicum of plausible deniability. Claim you're the best, then denounce the most popularly hated things while singing the tune of populism amongst a star-studded cast of iconoclastic influencers. That's how you win over the American people. What integrity our institutions had will mostly be lost. The degree to which he will wreck everything in the short term is uncertain, but the precedent is set and will remain the winning playbook until the people wise up to it. However long that takes is how long it will take before recovery begins.

Mods, the finest MAGA kool-aid is being handed out here. This video is full on adoration of Trump. It's similar to brainwashing type shit. A common sentiment among the video comments: "This is so awesome. I downloaded it on my phone, I’ve watched it hundreds of times. If I was a young man, and I’m looking at the LGBTQ progressive “toxic masculinity”, vs MAGA reality. I want slay dragons. I want to do great things. I want to storm castles, I want to take risks, I want to go fast, I want to be a man, I want to attract woman, I want greatness. That’s what you’ve shown here, it is so brilliant. Love it. This is MAGA."

Damn bro. You just outed yourself as someone who gets excited at Tucker Carlson speeches. Who knew that the actualized.org forum would have Tucker Carlson fans? For those who don't know, Tucker was giving a speech and crafted a story where the left was behaving like a bad little girl, but now, "Daddy's home and he's PISSED!" "You've been a bad little girl". "I'm going to spank you". The crowd went fucking WILD and started chanting "Daddy Trump". 😂😂😂

Imagine an AI trained on all politicians in each of the 3 branches. Set up a database that tracks their: History Conflicts of interest Worldview Ideology Personality Work ethic Intentions Motivations Integrity Dark triad traits Ego Subservience Obedience to party and donors Competitiveness Controversies Alliances Political enemies / in-party beefs Vote history Initiatives Historical timeline Donors Things like that. It could then be set up to observe and analyze current political happenings to make predictions. You'd think something like this would already exist. Even a website that didn't use AI and just showed each politician's information seems like a profitable idea. Would be a lot of work though.

Billionaire elites successfully posing as ordinary people before they eat their McDonalds order that was prepped by a butler wearing white gloves, served on a gold-plated table, while burning through more money in jet fuel than the average American will make all year, while discussing their schemes and tactics to acquire even more. Trump ain't gonna allow RFK to mess with the harmful chemicals in his beloved burgers.

@Hardkill A cruise company is offering a 4-year journey to escape Donald Trump's presidency https://ground.news/article/a-cruise-company-is-offering-a-4-year-journey-to-escape-donald-trumps-presidency_3353ee

What personality traits or psychological tendencies tend to cluster with reflexive contrarianism? ## Personality Traits and Psychological Tendencies Associated with Reflexive Contrarianism Reflexive contrarianism often clusters with certain personality traits and psychological tendencies that drive individuals to consistently oppose mainstream ideas. These traits may not guarantee reflexive contrarianism but are commonly associated with it. --- ### **1. Openness to Experience** - **High Openness**: People high in openness often enjoy exploring unconventional ideas and questioning norms. This can predispose them to contrarian thinking, though in reflexive contrarianism, this trait may manifest as an uncritical embrace of anything non-mainstream. - **Desire for Novelty**: A craving for unique or unconventional perspectives can lead to rejecting mainstream ideas simply because they are familiar or "common." --- ### **2. Need for Uniqueness** - **Individualism**: Reflexive contrarians may have a strong desire to stand out and be perceived as unique or different. - **Identity Building**: Contrarian views can become a way to construct or signal a distinct identity, often at the expense of open-mindedness. --- ### **3. Distrust of Authority** - **Skepticism or Cynicism**: A deep-seated mistrust of authority figures, institutions, or consensus can drive contrarianism. This tendency often assumes that the majority is wrong, incompetent, or corrupt. - **Conspiratorial Thinking**: This overlaps with contrarianism when individuals are predisposed to seeing hidden motives or agendas in widely accepted ideas. --- ### **4. Intellectual Overconfidence** - **Dunning-Kruger Effect**: Contrarians may overestimate their understanding of complex topics, leading to a belief that their dissenting opinion is more valid than expert consensus. - **Overemphasis on Intuition**: They might rely heavily on "gut feelings" or personal reasoning while dismissing evidence and data from experts. --- ### **5. Rebelliousness** - **Oppositional Defiance**: A tendency to resist being told what to think or do, sometimes stemming from a desire to assert independence or autonomy. - **Anti-Conformity**: A belief that going against the grain is inherently virtuous or courageous, often irrespective of the content of the mainstream view. --- ### **6. Low Agreeableness** - **Argumentative Nature**: Reflexive contrarians may enjoy debating or playing "devil's advocate," not necessarily to uncover truth but to challenge others or create friction. - **Low Empathy**: This can manifest as a lack of concern for how their constant opposition may affect social harmony or relationships. --- ### **7. Sensation Seeking** - **Provocation**: Contrarians often enjoy the thrill of shocking or provoking others by espousing unpopular opinions. - **Drama Seeking**: Contrarianism can also be fueled by a desire to create or participate in conflict and debate, as it provides stimulation and attention. --- ### **8. Rigidity or Black-and-White Thinking** - **Dogmatism**: Paradoxically, contrarians who pride themselves on rejecting mainstream ideas may become dogmatic in their alternative views. - **Binary Thinking**: The tendency to see mainstream ideas as inherently wrong and opposing views as inherently right. --- ### **9. Narcissistic Traits** - **Self-Perceived Intellectual Superiority**: Reflexive contrarians may believe their dissent makes them smarter or more insightful than the average person. - **Need for Validation**: They may seek attention or admiration by positioning themselves as the "voice of reason" in opposition to the majority. --- ### **10. Fear of Mediocrity** - **Insecurity**: Reflexive contrarians may reject mainstream ideas out of fear that agreeing with the majority makes them "average" or ordinary. - **Perfectionism**: They might believe that mainstream solutions are inadequate and only their unique perspective is "good enough." --- ### **11. Social or Emotional Alienation** - **Feeling of Outsider Status**: Reflexive contrarians may feel disconnected from or misunderstood by mainstream society, leading them to reject its ideas reflexively. - **Defensive Posture**: Contrarianism can serve as a shield against perceived judgment, allowing the person to position themselves as superior or misunderstood. --- ### **12. Low Tolerance for Ambiguity** - **Desire for Simplicity**: Contrarianism can be a way to impose order by categorizing mainstream ideas as "bad" and alternative views as "good." - **Certainty-Seeking**: They may prefer clear stances, rejecting nuance or complexity in favor of opposing the majority. --- ### **13. Emotional Reactivity** - **Reactance**: A strong emotional reaction to perceived restrictions on freedom or autonomy, leading to rejection of consensus views. - **Defensiveness**: Criticism of their contrarian views may reinforce their opposition, creating a feedback loop of defensiveness and rejection. --- ### Conclusion While reflexive contrarianism can emerge from intellectual curiosity or genuine skepticism, when combined with the above traits, it becomes less about critical thinking and more about identity, emotion, and reaction. Understanding these tendencies can help in fostering balanced, thoughtful skepticism rather than uncritical opposition.

@Rafael Thundercat That looks like a good book. You should have Claude write it. Reflexive contrarianism is a great term. ChatGPT: Reflexive contrarianism is the tendency to oppose or reject popular or mainstream views, ideas, or norms automatically and without critical evaluation, simply because they are widely accepted. This behavior is often driven by a desire to appear independent, intellectual, or unconventional, rather than by genuine disagreement or reasoned analysis. Characteristics of Reflexive Contrarianism Automatic Opposition: A reflexive contrarian tends to dismiss mainstream opinions as wrong or uninformed, often without investigating the evidence or arguments that support those views. Superficial Rebellion: While it can seem like deep critical thinking, reflexive contrarianism is often reactionary and lacks substantive reasoning. It values being different over being correct. Signal of Identity: Being contrarian can serve as a way for individuals to distinguish themselves, signal intellectual independence, or feel superior to the "herd." Cynicism: It often includes a mistrust of authority, institutions, or consensus, assuming these are inherently flawed or corrupt. Overestimation of Own Insight: Reflexive contrarians may believe their perspective is unique or revolutionary, even when it stems from a knee-jerk rejection rather than a well-thought-out stance. Examples Rejecting scientific consensus (e.g., climate change or vaccinations) not because of specific evidence but because it's a mainstream belief. Insisting that a critically acclaimed movie or book is "overrated" without engaging with the work itself. Opposing a popular political policy or social trend simply because it is widely supported, without considering its merits. Dangers of Reflexive Contrarianism Stifles Growth: Rejecting mainstream ideas without examination can lead to intellectual stagnation, as valuable insights may be dismissed out of hand. Undermines Credibility: Constant opposition without clear reasoning can make others view the contrarian as untrustworthy or overly cynical. Polarization: Reflexive contrarianism contributes to echo chambers by rejecting consensus and embracing fringe ideas, potentially fostering extremism. How to Avoid Reflexive Contrarianism Engage Critically: Evaluate ideas on their own merits, regardless of whether they align with popular opinion. Be Open-Minded: Accept that mainstream views can sometimes be correct and that consensus often arises from rigorous testing and evidence. Separate Ego from Beliefs: Avoid defining your identity by opposition; focus on truth-seeking rather than distinguishing yourself. Practice Humility: Acknowledge that being contrarian doesn't automatically make an idea valuable or insightful. While questioning consensus is an important part of critical thinking, reflexive contrarianism undermines genuine inquiry by prioritizing dissent over understanding. True critical thinkers question ideas, mainstream or not, based on evidence and reasoned analysis.