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XcookiexbakerX · 31-35, F
Biggest change of heart, loving my ex-husband. 13 years and 3 kids later I couldn't accept his behaviors any longer. We are much better off now although initially it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. And when I say we I mean me and the kids, he hardly comes around.
PhoenixPhail · M
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PhoenixPhail · M
@allygator18 It's your true being - your God self with which you'll come into full alignment at the moment of your physical death. You'll have such elevated consciousness, it will feel as though you're waking up from a dream of this physical reality into your [i]true[/i] reality. There is no lapse in consciousness.
SandWitch · 26-30, F
@PhoenixPhail
[quote]I started out believing everything the media and the doctors were telling me about Covid, then went completely to the other side via common sense and my knowledge of immunology.[/quote]
What about the 1 million Americans whom were buried in mass graves after dying from Covid-19 who insisted on using their common sense to keep themselves naturally immunized without vaccinations?
I should probably also mention the other 2 million people around the world whom were also buried in mass graves at the same time and for the same reason during the pandemic who also used their common sense and avoided vaccinations, unlike the rest of us here like yourself, who may now be second-guessing their actions after-the-fact, though fully vaccinated nonetheless and still here to talk about their mistake.
[quote]I started out believing everything the media and the doctors were telling me about Covid, then went completely to the other side via common sense and my knowledge of immunology.[/quote]
What about the 1 million Americans whom were buried in mass graves after dying from Covid-19 who insisted on using their common sense to keep themselves naturally immunized without vaccinations?
I should probably also mention the other 2 million people around the world whom were also buried in mass graves at the same time and for the same reason during the pandemic who also used their common sense and avoided vaccinations, unlike the rest of us here like yourself, who may now be second-guessing their actions after-the-fact, though fully vaccinated nonetheless and still here to talk about their mistake.
ViciDraco · 36-40, M
Plenty of times.
I was raised Christian and believed pretty strongly. I started falling out of mainstream beliefs because things weren't making sense and for a time I adopted a naturalistic, deist form of beliefs. God was busy elsewhere and left us to take care of this place. I've since gone fully to atheism.
Related, but not limited to that journey, I once viewed homosexuality as unnatural. At 17, a friend of mine came out. It challenged that view and though I was slower than I would like to admit, I've corrected my world view of what is it isn't natural and now support lgbtq+ as not only acceptable, but completely natural as well.
For a brief time I identified as a Libertarian. That was largely resolved by attending Libertarian meetings and learning they only really cared about taxation and economic regulation and that actual social liberty was just kind of a side deal. The social liberty angle was always more important to me. But I drove into free market economics with a critical mind. My journey out of religion had taught me to consider information rather than just accept what someone tells me. I came to the conclusion that free market economics were an awful thing if they were allowed to play out in Libertarian fashion. They can't work with private property rights because in the long term you'll just get supply side monopolies. So I left Libertarians. I align more with Greens these days, but haven't had the luxury of feeling safe enough to vote third party for the past 8 years. Not going to be happening this year either.
I've changed my mind on whether health care should be covered by government. I used to think it was best to be private, but now I'm in favor of single payer.
I still generally support gun ownership. A lot of other things have gone kind of leftward, but not that.
I am honestly more alarmed by people who have never had their minds changed. Nobody has everything right the first time, and if you've never changed your mind on something it tells me you have never taken the chance to learn anything.
I was raised Christian and believed pretty strongly. I started falling out of mainstream beliefs because things weren't making sense and for a time I adopted a naturalistic, deist form of beliefs. God was busy elsewhere and left us to take care of this place. I've since gone fully to atheism.
Related, but not limited to that journey, I once viewed homosexuality as unnatural. At 17, a friend of mine came out. It challenged that view and though I was slower than I would like to admit, I've corrected my world view of what is it isn't natural and now support lgbtq+ as not only acceptable, but completely natural as well.
For a brief time I identified as a Libertarian. That was largely resolved by attending Libertarian meetings and learning they only really cared about taxation and economic regulation and that actual social liberty was just kind of a side deal. The social liberty angle was always more important to me. But I drove into free market economics with a critical mind. My journey out of religion had taught me to consider information rather than just accept what someone tells me. I came to the conclusion that free market economics were an awful thing if they were allowed to play out in Libertarian fashion. They can't work with private property rights because in the long term you'll just get supply side monopolies. So I left Libertarians. I align more with Greens these days, but haven't had the luxury of feeling safe enough to vote third party for the past 8 years. Not going to be happening this year either.
I've changed my mind on whether health care should be covered by government. I used to think it was best to be private, but now I'm in favor of single payer.
I still generally support gun ownership. A lot of other things have gone kind of leftward, but not that.
I am honestly more alarmed by people who have never had their minds changed. Nobody has everything right the first time, and if you've never changed your mind on something it tells me you have never taken the chance to learn anything.
Really · 80-89, M
@ViciDraco You're really only 36-40 - How did you become so level headed so young? A lot of your post could apply to myself but I'm double your age and some of my revelations were longer in solidifying.
Your comment about libertarianism reminds me of going to a meeting of 'Free Thinkers'. Their free thought consisted almost entirely of sharing their scathing, vituperative contempt for all religious people. Nothing else was discussed. Despite my own atheism I was disgusted. In retrospect, my sense of irony makes it seem hilarious.
Would you care to elaborate on your thoughts about gun ownership? I note that you said ownership and not control. I'm not in the USA - just a neighbor. Not looking to argue pro/con about it. Just rational discussion would be - refreshing?
The most absurd thing I've had to change my mind about was the danger (and the anti-social aspect) of cigarette smoking. I smoked an outrageous amount and was pretty defensive about it long after I should have seen the light.
Your comment about libertarianism reminds me of going to a meeting of 'Free Thinkers'. Their free thought consisted almost entirely of sharing their scathing, vituperative contempt for all religious people. Nothing else was discussed. Despite my own atheism I was disgusted. In retrospect, my sense of irony makes it seem hilarious.
Would you care to elaborate on your thoughts about gun ownership? I note that you said ownership and not control. I'm not in the USA - just a neighbor. Not looking to argue pro/con about it. Just rational discussion would be - refreshing?
The most absurd thing I've had to change my mind about was the danger (and the anti-social aspect) of cigarette smoking. I smoked an outrageous amount and was pretty defensive about it long after I should have seen the light.
ViciDraco · 36-40, M
@Really I grew up in a rural area, so gun ownership was common and nobody was going on shootouts. I think a lot of our gun violence trends are more cultural in nature. Removing guns would put a bandaid on that. It could help in the short term, but those cultural issues will still exist and will still need to be addressed.
Being more in favor of personal liberties, I think owning a gun is within the rights of the average person. At the end of the day, it is a tool and there is no telling what tools tomorrow may warrant needing. There are a lot of people on the American left (Democrats) that feel the same, but a lot of them would eliminate gun ownership altogether if they could. I'd never go that far. Further, I am also a bit iffy on requiring trigger locks and gun safes be used at all times. That just means you'll have a delay in using it if you really need it.
I do like the concept of background checks and potentially psych evaluations. But I'd need to think more on the latter before pushing it. What i do believe we need is better education surrounding guns. If we, as a society, are going to enshrine the right to own these dangerous killing tools, then we should be requiring safety and education about this right in our public schools. I actually think if people had proper information and exposure, there would be fewer people that sought to own them purely for the cool factor.
I do not own a gun myself. However, I was five years old the first time my father took me out to the field with some targets and his .22 and taught me both how to use and also respect the weapon.
As far being so level headed, thank you for the compliment. I have always been a thinker. I've had a more frail than average body my entire life so I have always been in my own mind a lot. I have also always been pretty mature about things. My folks would tease me by calling me grandpa even at 18. My friends would say I was like an actual wizard. So I guess it's just always been a thing.
Being more in favor of personal liberties, I think owning a gun is within the rights of the average person. At the end of the day, it is a tool and there is no telling what tools tomorrow may warrant needing. There are a lot of people on the American left (Democrats) that feel the same, but a lot of them would eliminate gun ownership altogether if they could. I'd never go that far. Further, I am also a bit iffy on requiring trigger locks and gun safes be used at all times. That just means you'll have a delay in using it if you really need it.
I do like the concept of background checks and potentially psych evaluations. But I'd need to think more on the latter before pushing it. What i do believe we need is better education surrounding guns. If we, as a society, are going to enshrine the right to own these dangerous killing tools, then we should be requiring safety and education about this right in our public schools. I actually think if people had proper information and exposure, there would be fewer people that sought to own them purely for the cool factor.
I do not own a gun myself. However, I was five years old the first time my father took me out to the field with some targets and his .22 and taught me both how to use and also respect the weapon.
As far being so level headed, thank you for the compliment. I have always been a thinker. I've had a more frail than average body my entire life so I have always been in my own mind a lot. I have also always been pretty mature about things. My folks would tease me by calling me grandpa even at 18. My friends would say I was like an actual wizard. So I guess it's just always been a thing.
GeistInTheMachine · 31-35, M
CrazyMusicLover · 31-35
twistedrope · 26-30, M
darknessprevails · 26-30, M
bijouxbroussard · F
thewindupbirdchronicles · 46-50, M
@bijouxbroussard I never imagined you this. I could, from how you sometimes express, take that as observation. I can see how you might have different views from how you once felt.
PleasurePunch · 100+
Cant say.
How can anyone over about 12 yo?
How can anyone over about 12 yo?
PleasurePunch · 100+
If I were 17 I could answer you.
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SandWitch · 26-30, F
When I was approaching the end of high school, my plan was to go to university like all my friends were doing on their parent's nickel. I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up, but university life seemed to be a good place to park myself until the gravy train of life pulled into my station and took me away to higher ground.
The problem is however, that it costs about $100,000 USD per year to attend university in the USA and slightly more in Europe, which would mean that daddy would have to cough-up my inheritance package earlier than I was expecting to receive it, just to pay for those 3 or 4 years of university education for the daughter of his dreams, whom of course is his 'favorite girl' among his 4 offspring and who is clearly deserving of such financial advancement, or be forever burdened with the sadness that would fall over his kingdom, which is his dairy farm in northern Sweden, every time I came upstairs from my basement apartment in his house for yet another meal, since I wouldn't be able to leave home and survive on my own with only a high school education on my resumé .
Then one day while in my last year of high school in Stockholm, a recruiting officer from the Royal Swedish Navy showed up out of the blue at our school and wanted to speak to me of all people!
I sort of knew what the Swedish Navy was about, but I really wasn't much into boats at the time because our dairy farm wasn't located anywhere near the water, so why would they want me?
Turns out, I had been recommended without my knowledge by a couple of my Teachers, as being a 'good fit' in the Swedish Navy's Marine Engineering program and so they showed up with a white van to take me away!
The female recruiting officers made their sales pitch sound pretty good to me as I sat listening to them in the Principal's office, though I was 17 years old at the time and the only sales pitch I'd ever been subjected to up to that point in my life was for a pair of discontinued jeans that were 50% off and was convinced by a savvy and very cute sales guy that I'd be a fool not to buy them, despite me not having any money. But, I made it work and I got the jeans and I've never looked back in regret.
So, I said 'yes' to the recruiting officers because it sounded like a good idea at the time, then I went home on that big yellow school bus for the last time at the end of my last year of high school and told my parents that I wouldn't be available for 'milking duties' on their dairy farm as of the following Monday, which was 3 days away.
Though my decision to join the Royal Swedish Navy saved daddy about $400k USD which he still has locked away in his mattress today apparently, life in the Navy turned out to be something I could have really done without when push came to shove.
Yes, I received an internationally recognized Marine Engineering Degree on the Navy's nickel which I can use anywhere in the world and yes, I came up with a couple of propulsion designs for submarine retrofits that can be applied to any vessel of similar size and which I was able to Patent the design after I eventually left the Swedish Navy which is the upside of my story.
However, the psychological evisceration that a female Navy recruit is subjected to upon entry and thereafter maintained indefinitely, makes living in mom and dad's basement until she's 60 seem like a better option at the end of the day for a teenaged high school graduate, considering I'd still have that $400k waiting for me in my parent's mattress when they both eventually checked-out and I moved upstairs!
The problem is however, that it costs about $100,000 USD per year to attend university in the USA and slightly more in Europe, which would mean that daddy would have to cough-up my inheritance package earlier than I was expecting to receive it, just to pay for those 3 or 4 years of university education for the daughter of his dreams, whom of course is his 'favorite girl' among his 4 offspring and who is clearly deserving of such financial advancement, or be forever burdened with the sadness that would fall over his kingdom, which is his dairy farm in northern Sweden, every time I came upstairs from my basement apartment in his house for yet another meal, since I wouldn't be able to leave home and survive on my own with only a high school education on my resumé .
Then one day while in my last year of high school in Stockholm, a recruiting officer from the Royal Swedish Navy showed up out of the blue at our school and wanted to speak to me of all people!
I sort of knew what the Swedish Navy was about, but I really wasn't much into boats at the time because our dairy farm wasn't located anywhere near the water, so why would they want me?
Turns out, I had been recommended without my knowledge by a couple of my Teachers, as being a 'good fit' in the Swedish Navy's Marine Engineering program and so they showed up with a white van to take me away!
The female recruiting officers made their sales pitch sound pretty good to me as I sat listening to them in the Principal's office, though I was 17 years old at the time and the only sales pitch I'd ever been subjected to up to that point in my life was for a pair of discontinued jeans that were 50% off and was convinced by a savvy and very cute sales guy that I'd be a fool not to buy them, despite me not having any money. But, I made it work and I got the jeans and I've never looked back in regret.
So, I said 'yes' to the recruiting officers because it sounded like a good idea at the time, then I went home on that big yellow school bus for the last time at the end of my last year of high school and told my parents that I wouldn't be available for 'milking duties' on their dairy farm as of the following Monday, which was 3 days away.
Though my decision to join the Royal Swedish Navy saved daddy about $400k USD which he still has locked away in his mattress today apparently, life in the Navy turned out to be something I could have really done without when push came to shove.
Yes, I received an internationally recognized Marine Engineering Degree on the Navy's nickel which I can use anywhere in the world and yes, I came up with a couple of propulsion designs for submarine retrofits that can be applied to any vessel of similar size and which I was able to Patent the design after I eventually left the Swedish Navy which is the upside of my story.
However, the psychological evisceration that a female Navy recruit is subjected to upon entry and thereafter maintained indefinitely, makes living in mom and dad's basement until she's 60 seem like a better option at the end of the day for a teenaged high school graduate, considering I'd still have that $400k waiting for me in my parent's mattress when they both eventually checked-out and I moved upstairs!