What's an old belief that you could never go back to believing?

[Anonymous]

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

I used to resemble a Marxist in my teens (although I had yet to even become aware of Marxism still in high school) believing we should just share everything, like a family who shares everything. It didn't seem fair to me that billionaires could exist with 50,000+ times the net worth of an average middle-class household. Unlike Marxism, I just saw this inequality from a basic economic perspective and not a philosophical one seeking to liberate a class of people. I thought, very naively as a teenager who didn't have to provide entirely for myself yet, that we should just share everything! Problem solved!

Then I just started learning a little bit more about economics, witnessing first-hand cases of the tragedy of the commons when shared resources available to a large/varied group of people are quickly ravaged absent a private owner, and learning that all the developing nations where people wanted to live favored free enterprise (the freer the economy, the more gradually prosperous the nations seemed to become, and even quicker to observe is that as economies become less free, they quickly collapse).

[Flatmanlewis]

Splendid answer.

[Flatmanlewis]

This is beyond poignant. I was raised to believe that men should treat a woman a certain way - old school gentlemanly behavior. I agree and I do. I just never was raised with ANY understanding of how I should’ve expected women to treat me. It took some battle damage before I figured that out for myself.

[Asker]

Exactly what I went through. YouTubers had to teach me a lot about that stuff!

[Flatmanlewis]

There was plenty of misinformation that said if we treat women like a Princess then somehow they would respond by acting like one AND loving us.

[KrakenAttackin]

@Flatmanlewis. Yes. The fact that men could expect anything in return from women is seen as "narcissistic" and "abusive".

[Flatmanlewis]

Also true!!

[wiltingrosepetal]

Politics I guess. Grew up in a pro-trump household despite being Australian and adapted to think conservatively. Then reached highschool, got the overwhelming progressive ideals shown to me and switched onto that side.
Nowadays I fundamentally cannot see political issues outside of a centralist lense. Every time sum new pops up my instinct is: 'that's bad! Wait, no, it could benefit some people- but human rights- but wealth inequality...' and I just debate myself right there, on the spot. So I can't go back to my old belief that only one political party is good.

[Account]

I used to believe that being hard-working could help you out in life and that people valued that. I no longer believe that. I believe that contacts, having a way with words (charisma), thinking outside of the box and assertiveness can offer more.

That doesn't mean I stopped being hard-working.
It merely means I am starting to realize the consequences of it.
If you are hard-working you are merely a tool and people tend to put more and more responsibilities on you to see how much you can handle before you snap.

[Account]

Great question by the way

[Asker]

True that & thanks!

Reminds me of many people's stories on the importance of personality & especially looks. Like, one worker not being as hardworking as another, but they have other good qualities like being good looking, charismatic, confident & assertive, etc. So they get promoted. 🤣

[AmeerX]

So true 👍. Same here. I believe in hardwork and other things. Not much on contacts though because when things turn haywire, you only have yourself to do things straight

[Telekinetic-Potato]

That people start off as a blank slate with no I'll will towards anyone whatsoever. No theft or selfishness, those things are all learned.

LOL what a load of crap. Was always coming from the parents of the kid pushing everybody off the highest ledges at the playground

[Asker]

🤣 I was raised Christian so they told us we were all sinners from the jump

[Vesuvius87]

''Just be yourself''

Being myself (formerly reserved and quiet) got me nowhere. It's more than just being yourself. You have to be outgoing too and involved yourself in activities.

[Asker]

What are some specific ways you had to adjust your personality?

[Vesuvius87]

Just continue to meet new people, talk to people, get out there and not care. Shyness gets you nowhere in life.

[Asker]

Ahh yeah I agree mostly

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

I think a problem is an ambiguity in what "being ourselves" even means. For example, a shy person could either see their shyness as an inherent part of themselves or something that is actually preventing them from being themselves.

Most of all though, I think this type of advice tends to veer towards being interpreted as, "You're perfect as you are! Don't improve a thing. Being 400lbs is fine and healthy. Being shy is totally fine; if you aren't getting along with people, that's their fault for not accepting you as you are. Just twiddle your thumbs and do nothing and Mister/Miss Right will magically arrive at your doorstep!" Like that.

It doesn't encourage actively improving ourselves which is usually what most people need to do who are struggling socially.

[Vesuvius87]

@GuyAnswersGirls123
Well said indeed. What if someone is really unhappy with their social skills and the only advice they hear is ''oh but just be yourself, someone will come one day'' and that day never happens?
When I used to get socially bullied in junior high (for my social awkwardness and because I got sick one day in science class), I was told by one girl to just be myself and guess what, it did nothing. I continued being humiliated at school and no one would hang out with me. It did nothing. So much so the ''just be yourself'' BS.

[Vesuvius87]

The only way the ''Just be yourself'' works is if you've already had other areas in life accomplished and you don't need to add more into the basket. That saying wouldn't work out on an 200 Ibs obeses person that's struggling with their weight and you just tell them ''but just be yourself, someone will like you for who you are''.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

I had a very similar experience as a teenager being shy. I remember all the advice that, with the way I interpreted it (thinking shyness was a permanent character trait) was so unhelpful like, "Just be yourself. Just be patient and you'll find that special someone. You're perfect as you are; don't ever change a thing."

It was actually the worst advice possible for me since I just continued to patiently wait for things to change as suggested, hoping I could at least make some real friends if not a girlfriend. Fast-forward to university and I just started to naturally get over my shyness. Then the entire world opened up to me of good friends, parties, and dates. That's all I had to do was work on my shyness but following that horrible type of advice prevented me from actively seeking this change sooner.

[laly520]

bad people will change for someone they like

[Asker]

What makes a person bad to you?

[laly520]

being harmful, using others etc

[Asker]

oh okay cool

[Minahh]

Yeah that only works in enemies to lovers tropes

[laly520]

@Minahh works so well in books

[FunkyMonkee]

That there's an invisible man that lives in the sky who watches over everything we do and gives us anything we pray for.

[Asker]

Right 🤣

[turnpost]

I mean for all we know it might be real, the system is baked that you may never really know. "gives us anything we pray for" you can make that super vague and dilutes its meaning. tldr God just might be real just not what you expect lol.

[FunkyMonkee]

@turnpost It can't be! There's no proof at all to back it up!
If I prayed to my dog, I'd have the same 50/50 chance of getting what I want as if I prayed to god. ANY god!!

[turnpost]

You have no evidence that isn't real either. "Its baked in the system to test the doubt" These things aren't really 50/50 one can just say God doesn't care for you experiment lol. I dont want to argue I am just saying these possiblilities.

[FunkyMonkee]

@turnpost Billions of people around the world prayed their asses off that those 3000 people would live that were killed on Sept. 11th 2001, including most of those that WERE killed, and god didn't lift a fucking finger to help a single one of them! That's proof enough for me!
4 years ago, my holy roller ex-sister and her wannabe preacher hubby fucked me out of the house my mother left for me and over $37,000 I was supposed to get. If there was a god, it wouldn't have allowed her to get away with that! 3 years ago, my uber-religious aunt died of sepsis from a bladder infection. She spent half an hour every night repeating the rosary but god didn't cure her and allowed her to die. If god is supposed to be so omnipotent, it should be able to stop shit like that from happening
It is written:
Is god willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him god?

Epicurus

[turnpost]

Did you copy this post? lol Look I am not exactly Pro anything here. I am just saying no matter what evidence you show, the system has the logic baked in for the delusion.

Whatever stuff your going to, pales in comparison to those suffering in Sudan, Afghanistan and innocent children. Why did the innocent children have to suffer, its no test to have both there parent pass away and leaving the oldest son of 10 to take care of the remaining children. Follow the guidance of the religion to gather the strength to help that 10 year old boy.

God or No God you still have your morals to decide what is right. The book is just a guide (maybe outdated guide) . I wish you best.

[FunkyMonkee]

@turnpost Only the 4 lines at the bottom. Why re-write it when it can just be copied and pasted?
Exactly! If you've got morals, common sense and logic to guide you, who needs a god?
Okay, if the book is a guide, there's one bit where Jesus said that, in order to follow him, you MUST kill your family and all the slaves god told you you must have and you must sell all of your possessions. How many religious people have done any of that? Non that I know of that are still walking free.
How many normal people tell others to wear purple sneakers and kill themselves to be able to meet up with a comet that's being driven by Jesus? Or that you have to drink poisoned Kool-Aid? Or that you have to go kill a bunch of famous people because The Beatles told you to? I never hear of anyone but religious psychos that talk others into doing insane shit like that So, WHY follow people that could be psychos, rather than just doing your own thing and being a normal, ordinary person?

[turnpost]

Before organized religion, it was just pure choas. Its just a tool for some people to have structure. There are some poeple who desperatly desperatly need some type of guidance like age 15 has three children parent abusive and they leave and are now doing crystal. Like there life is just straight up upside down.

Yeah religion now is just an excuse for abuse mostly. But back in the medieval times when genocide and rapes were the norm, religion of peace seemed like heaven.

[turnpost]

Not mostly. Mostly by pos people who were going to do such stupid sht anyways.

[turnpost]

Listening to peoples advice. Most often times people just like the sound of there voice. Weather advice actually is helpful 90% is just fluff and garbage and arrogance and ignorance of the situation at hand and too lazy to research deep about the topic.

[jennifer_bloom]

I used to believe that you were coddling people if you were gentle with their feelings cause I was raised by two atheists who think that the physical life is the most important aspect of our existence.

[AmeerX]

All else will go to hell except Muslims.

I wish to see my Christian and Jewish friends and agnostics in heaven etc. Because I don't care what faith they keep as long as they are good people 🙂

[NathanDavis]

I can't believe it's not butter...

[Asker]

Was it butter all along?

[NathanDavis]

I don't know what to believe anymore...

[Asker]

Well shit now I'm questioning what I believe 🤣

[Anonymous]

That all women are "ladies". Once you've seen behind that curtain there's no going back.😆

[Texaskid1]

That women can do no wrong.

[Asker]

What made you lose it?

[Texaskid1]

1. Female relatives that push their child's father out or divorced a man and were already scheming who to squeeze as much child support and alimony from the ex-husband even before the ink on divorce paper dries up.
2. I have seen women assault men many times.
3. I have seen women treat their own kids like garbage.
4. Married women hitting on me.
5. I had a women at work steal money from my desk some years ago.
6. Women offer me bribes (sex or money) in exchange for certain favors.
7. Female coworkers messing around with married men.

[Texaskid1]

*1. Female relatives that push their child's father out or divorced the husband and were already scheming how much to squeeze regarding child support and alimony even before the ink on the divorce papers dries up.

[Asker]

I had a similar view but when it came to relationships when I was younger. I was raised around women so they were always talking about how men should treat them like angels and shit 🤣 like regardless of how they act

[TenderFantasy]

@texaskid1Wow you've been around some bad women for sure.

No body is an angel. Goes for both sexes. Some can come close but a lot do fail.

[KrakenAttackin]

I have had many of the same experiences. It took me years to see what western women really are.

[Joshydavid25]

That Black Panthers are it's own animal..

[Asker]

wait what are they?

[Joshydavid25]

It's basically what all big cats that roar are.. The family of big roaring cats.. So Lions, Tigers, Cougars, Jaguars etc.. They're all considered Panthers.. LOL.. Not Cheetahs though.. 😭😭😂😂..

[Asker]

bro got me questioning everything now

[Joshydavid25]

It's all apart of my plan..

[Asker]

*Heh heh heh he doesn't even know that I was lying to him. And now he's right where I want him. Nice and confident for the next phase of my plan! Eheheheh!*

[Joshydavid25]

*I have a feeling he's trying to fool me, I would never trust a Tyrone, I gotta watch my back from now on, I could be in the clutches of his plan*..

[Asker]

*Whew I hope he bought that. They told me about this guy, how well he can read body language. Even only with a glimpse he can seemingly know someone's thoughts. I just hope he bought mine just then. Because truth is that I've got no plan & I know I should probably make one but it's just that his hunter eyes, upturned nose, bigonial width & positive canthal tilt are just mesmerizing to look at. Its hard to think while I'm getting mogged this hard. I need more time.*

[Joshydavid25]

*Hmph, I know he's thought of some elaborate plan to get me, but I'm on my tippy toes with this one. You can never be too careful with his type, always smiling in my face, just to scheme behind my back. Maybe this is all apart of his plan, maybe he wants me to be skeptical, maybe me telling him about Panther facts was apart of it... FROM THE BEGINNINNNGGG!!*

[Asker]

*~surprised anime exhale noises~ this guy is insane. I mean sure his interpupillary distance is farther than ideal, but his other masculine dimorphic characteristics make up for it. Jesus christ looks at those hollow cheeks, the ramus bone length. His facial robusticity alone could mog my entire bloodline.*

[Joshydavid25]

*I know what'll happen... I'll show the true power of my PSL prowess.. That way, I know that his plans will be shattered to pieces.. Hmph, he'll never see the infinity Mog of a Thousand positive tilts coming his way.. Or my legendary PSL technique, Dark handsome, wide jaw Magician.*

[Asker]

*nuts*

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

Believing in Santa 🎅

[KittygosMeoWW]

That it’s ever ok to let People put you down because they’re family or friends

[Anonymous]

That ugly guys are nice.

It's the opposite; handsome guys are nice.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

Same for women too in my experience. It's the attractive ones who tend to be the nicest and most positive in their thinking.

[Anonymous]

That women are kind and good at their core.

[OddBeMe]

The logic of women.

[Asker]

What's the logic?

[OddBeMe]

Just in general.