Joshe

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.

In the unlikely event it would ever come to this, I think it would be many years down the road. You have time. It doesn't make sense to succumb to negativity of the things that are out of our control. It doesn't make sense to keep feeding the negative emotions when there's a lot of work to do. My plan is to continue as planned, but with more vigor. With Trump and AGI potentially showing up in a 2-3 years, I've got a lot of fucking work to do. If anything, this should light a fire under your ass.

Yeah, good point. That makes sense. I was probably focusing too narrowly on the ones at the very top.

You said it yourself. They tried to appear as if they cared about something. Companies are always trying to act like they're on the side of the people and virtuous, and they end up coming across like fake ass kissers with no integrity. "The customer is always right". I never thought the companies went "woke". They were obviously trying to capitalize on a trend, and apparently, it backfired. I remember when gays started appearing in a ton of ads several years ago. Not once did I think those companies truly cared about gay rights or were trying to force gaydom upon me. I was perplexed by it though because it seemed very risky, but I figured they had some data that I didn't. Either way, I assumed they were doing it because they thought it was good for profit, not because they cared about the cause.

He signals virtue in every tweet, including this one. "Just be kind to people". What he's saying is "I care about kindness and I want everyone to be kind". He does this in nearly every tweet. He's the biggest virtue signaler I ever seen in my life. 😂 There's nothing inherently wrong with expressing you care about virtue, but when you build a brand on it while simultaneously embracing that which is diametrically opposed to it, that is what gives it away that he is just signaling it. He's full of shit. Whether he knows it or not is another question. Also, the subtext of his tweet is: I'm with the right. Virtuous???

He's always struck me as an opportunist climbing the ladder of fame and success, using charm to subtly signal virtue in nearly every expression. If the popular kids were on the left, he'd have struck you as left wing.

Of course.

I think this community could benefit from contemplating/integrating the truths and wisdom Leo laid out in this blog post: https://actualized.org/insights/some-political-lessons @Leo Gura If there was ever a video worth doing, it would be on this topic. Obviously, many people are stuck here. Personally, many years ago when I realized the things you highlighted, it was extremely demoralizing and it made me feel isolated and alone. However, accepting this reality is probably the largest factor in my growth. I eventually became less needy and I acclimated to being alone, spiritually. The reward for accepting this reality is strength and self-reliance and even a sense of pride in knowing that you put virtue above your petty human desires. Our largest collective problems can't be solved without properly accounting for this persistent and pervasive ignorance, which births falsehood and delusion. Aside from bias, I sometimes think a big barrier preventing spiritual people from accepting this aspect of reality is that many are afraid they won't be able to hold the truths without being crushed by cynicism and loneliness. Vernon Howard often talked about how life is a one-man boat and seeing the truth of humanity will isolate you. Many of his students would bring up this problem of loneliness. So maybe that has to be worked out.

Much nonsense occurs on that floor. For example, Christians speaking in tongues and praying that their laws to restrict women's rights to choose are successful.

It sounds like some are already positioning.

Simple con. Trump couldn't define most of the words in this tweet. The people will believe it though. This one tweet can convince millions of new Trump supporters that Trump is a good man. Many of them fear they made a bad choice, but they can use this tweet to reassure themselves they did the right thing. They will now falsely believe Trump cares about the physical health of Americans. It's effective because they want it to be true. This is how it happens. It's how they find themselves saying the devil has a good heart. "Gold Standard Scientific Research" and RFK don't belong in the same sentence. It seems more likely RFK would do more harm than good, but I guess it's not outside the realm of possibility that something good comes from RFK.

This statement alone is strong evidence that he'd stay in power forever if he could figure out how, not that you should need it to know that. I think he's planting the seed early and maybe he'll manufacture a scenario that'll provide the Republican senate justification for giving him another term. Does anyone know much about the Republican senate? I know they all band together on policy but doesn't it seem unlikely they'd support allowing him a 3rd term? If he can't get the senate to go along, I'm sure there are other routes he could take, like declaring war or something like that. Another potential thorn in his side is JD Vance, who will be very hungry for the position and might snake his ass with the help of Peter Thiel.

He's not even president yet and he's already floating the idea of him serving a 3rd term: Of course they're all saying "It was a joke".

Bro, go steel man our position. Stop watching interviews and go look for raw footage of him attacking people, conning people, being corrupt, being a buffoon, constantly saying he’s the best at everything, telling lie after lie after lie, faking like he’s a Christian…. On and on and on. It doesn’t end. Go find all that and if YOU aren’t biased and are a decent person, you’ll then stand with the people who can see clearly. 5 hours is not enough for most people. Americans have hundreds of hours and still can’t see it.

Trumps already floating 3rd term.

haha, no. it's just a draft (preliminary) of an executive order that will allow them to can anyone they see fit from the military. They're doing it under the guise of "fixing" the military's "wokeness" but they're really doing it to take full control over the military so they don't run into resistance when it's time for them to do whatever it is they're planning on doing. We're in for some deep shit.

True. Y'all remember that video of that Kevin guy from Project 2025 who went on a podcast and said "We are in the process of the second American revolution, which will remain bloodless, if the left allows it to be"? What "revolution" and why might it get bloody and how was he so sure it was in the bag? The revolution has begun. This is it. He said it with such confidence, it was like he already knew it was a done deal and his Project 2025 plans would be acted upon and he knew the lines planning to be crossed would provoke massive revolt. There seems decent reason to think Project 2025 might come to full fruition. Wouldn't Project 2025 likely need all 3 branches for it to be implemented? The head of Project 2025 seems like he knew early on they were gonna win.

JESUS CHRIST! Fucking Matt Gaetz as attorney general? WHAT? We are so fucked. Imagine Matt Gaetz in charge of the FBI, DEA, ATF, Bureau of Prisons, and U.S. Marshals Service. I bet they really are going to go after their political opponents and shut down media outlets.

Nice, thanks @aurum

Trump just appointed some Fox News host to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, which is a high-ranking official in the U.S. government who oversees the Department of Defense (DoD), which includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force. They're installing loyalists in EVERYWHERE! Reports from the Wall Street Journal indicate that the Trump transition team is considering a draft executive order to create a "warrior board" tasked with reviewing and recommending the removal of senior military officers deemed unfit for leadership. This move is seen as an attempt to purge "woke generals" and could lead to a restructuring of military leadership to align more closely with Trump's policies. The people will know their error much sooner than I previously thought.