squeeeb

i got a lotta flotsam and/or jetsam sloshing around in my head. there are threads i wanna start, to hear what others think and feel about things, but i do a lot of self censoring. i think "this topic is lame like Hephaestus" or "this will make me sound like a psychopathic criminal," so i keep the thoughts to myself, i don't start the threads, even though i'd really like to hear what others have to say or what others have experienced.

am i the only one on this? do you ever start to post a new thread, read it, and say "no, i best keep this to myself" and delete it?

not to defeat the purpose of your self censorship, but IF you self cenrosed, what topics were you gonna post and ended up deleting?

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onward to mayhem!

jewels

All the time.

If I told you what I self-censored, I wouldn't be censoring myself anymore. Most topics relate to human nature in its various forms, as that's where my curiosities and interests generally lie.

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We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess.
Mark Twain

blahblah454

I suppose I have insanely strange thoughts or dreams that I feel the world needs to know about and have a strange urge to post them on my beloved TFP, but then I get the better of myself and don't post anything. I think maybe I should just write some of these dreams down. They are pretty solid and would make for an entertaining time just reading them to myself.

Oh, and Squeeeb, I already think that you are a psychopathic criminal. So its all good!

dlish

many a times sqeeeb.

i find that its like that in the real world too though.

sometimes you wont say something fearing you'll be rejected by your friends, or just plainly not accepted.

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An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

Zeraph

Nope, but that's why my posts seem crazy sometimes. I use this website to try out the unfiltered thoughts in my head.

SabrinaFair

My self-censorship more often relates to ideas I have for discussion that I can't quite articulate. I'll have the idea, but I can't quite get words around it enough to feel comfortable starting a thread. But yeah, I know what you mean.

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"With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy."
-Desiderata

Xerxys

HA! Thank god for anonymous internet forums. All threads I've started have either ended badly or not taken off at all due to the mere controversy they hold.

One thing I can say about TFP in general is, post anything, anything at all. They will respond with their views. Sometimes it might not make you feel better, but it keeps a handle on reality and setting your feet on the ground.

Punk.of.Ages

I hit the back button constantly...

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"The fact is that censorship always defeats its own purpose, for it creates, in the end, the kind of society that is incapable of exercising real discretion..." - Henry Steel Commager

"Punk rock music is great music played by really bad, drunk musicians." -Fat Mike

Shauk

I've been inspired to create a potentially controversial topic on modern day racism thanks to this thread.

*shrug* inspiring new discussion topics ftw.

squeeeb

wow, its cool to see so many of you do this as well. hanging out in this forum, i always feel like the janitor raoming the halls at MIT buffing floors among the professors. you guys are talking huge important intelligent things and i'm making dick and fart jokes. and, like SabrinaFair, there are thoughts i have that i can't seem to put into intelligble sentances. but now i shall try.

i will stop censoring myself (so much) and post things that i am thinking.

damn, now i'm afraid i will think they are "out there" and you all will be "huh? yeah, we talked about that in 3rd grade."

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onward to mayhem!

Jetée

I don't self-censor, I just practice common sense and try to preserve a level of contentment in self.

I've started many threads on topics I hope would foster participation and/or guidance in the community, but only a very small percentage of my threads garner more than five responses as it is left primarily disregarded until it sinks into the quagmire of irrelevance. I try to alter my position, provide more/less commentary to get conversation flowing, offer visuals and/or more citations, sources on the topic, but it gets somewhat disheartening to always have in the back of your mind when posting: "Am I going to get any responses at all this time, or should I not have even spent the hour-and-a-half on this topic thinking of a proper contention, in the off-chance someone actually reads it?".

Perhaps this is the reason I leave many topics on the shelf, because of a fear that once posted, my devoted intrigue on the subject, the time spent on it, and awaited general acceptance of it all will go sadly unrequited into the archives of heedless threads. It's a fickle thing to not want to shout in a room filled with chattering exchanges, but to want to offer business cards and a friendly bow instead.

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As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves.

—Mohandas K. Gandhi

noodle

+1

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thespian86

Does that mean my "Rape laws caused the Oklahoma city bombing" thread is a no go?

EDIT: I even toned that one done. It involved Mexicans and lasers.

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EX: Whats new?
ME: I officially love coffee more then you now.
EX: uh...
ME: So, not much.

wooÐs

Personally, I'd like to see more Catholic priest jokes.

thespian86

Last year in improv. II (I attend a swell acting conservatory north of the border) we had a contest to see who could offend the most.

You want to see a room clear trying telling a joke that involves Catholic priests, black men, rape, and 9/11.

I won by the way.

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EX: Whats new?
ME: I officially love coffee more then you now.
EX: uh...
ME: So, not much.

wooÐs

lol!

Shauk

well my thread turned in to a trainwreck apparently, this is what happens when I post what I daren't post. go figure.

squeeeb

yes, now i see why people self censor. perhaps i won't bother posting the stuff i was thinking about.

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onward to mayhem!

Xerxys

^^ Please insert "/sarcasm" in your quote.

Charlatan

Squeeb and Shauk... post what you like. You just need to be aware that not everyone is going to agree with you (or if they do, they may not have your back on some topics). If you are going to take a controversial stance, you need to have some very thick skin. Some people are not just going to read something controversial and roll-over.

Be ready to defend your position or change your opinion if your original stance doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

For example, if you are going to defend racism (a touchy topic) you'd better bring your A game or be ready to let shit roll off your back.

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"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

squeeeb

agreed 100%

i don't think he was trying to defend racism though, i think he just posed the question poorly. instead of trying to figure out what he was asking, it appeared they jumped to conclusions.

i have re-re-re-re-re read the OP, and i'm being serious when i say i'm not all that bright, i'm kinda stupid. i honestly do not see where he "defends racism." i think he was misunderstood. makes people skittish about posting what is on their mind if they are gonna be misunderstood and have to defend a point they didn't even make.

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onward to mayhem!

Jetée

I saw that many (including myself) jumped onto the example of "Hip-Hop" that Shauk posed. I agree that that was a poor choice, if only because it needed more elaboration on how it contained to perpetuate racism. I tried my hardest to veer what I originally offered enlightment into, to what I believe Shauk was asking about "media perception of the culture". It is a thought-provoking topic, and I'm glad it was raised, but it did start off not to dissimilar to another of Shauk's threads about "Why does all rap suck?". I just think either more elaboration on the offered example was needed, other types of racism/class structure that continues today, or perhaps it was better left to our own each individual minds to come up with examples.

Thankfully, the train is back on the tracks there, I think.

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As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves.

—Mohandas K. Gandhi

ametc

Yeah.. And really.. I would be interested in topics that would be considered off-the-wall or outrageous.. just because I think they'd get more interesting replies. But, there's always those people that are always going to be all, "ehhh.. that's not normal.. kill it with fire..omg".

n0nsensical

"Post here every time you smoke out"-- too oppressive?

__________________
"Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." --Abraham Lincoln

wooÐs

Hmph. I didn't bother with that racism thread. I just kinda read the title and moved on. Nothing to do with the poster or anything but I'm just bored with the same ol' same ol'. So if the ideas you have are a little 'off' or what not, I say go for it.

And like others sorta said already, it's a discussion forum. Not a popularity contest. Who gives a poop if other members don't like what you have to say. I might. And that's what matters.

squeeeb

not oppressive enough!

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onward to mayhem!

n0nsensical

All right maybe I'll make it next time I smoke :P

__________________
"Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." --Abraham Lincoln

FelixP

Hmmm...maybe I should post that topic...

The one about how men are inherently superior to women because we carry our most vulnerable and treasured body parts on the outside of our bodies-wait a minute...

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Free will lies not in the ability to craft your own fate, but in not knowing what your fate is. --Me

"I have just returned from visting the Marines at the front, and there is not a finer fighting organization in the world." --Douglas MacArthur

Reese

I have a ton of ideas for posts and I actually start typing many of them. I wouldn't call it censorship, It's just that most of them don't make it through quality assurance.

I had a thread typed out about the death penalty and why we imprison people, if it was punishment, rehabilitation, or just to keep the person away in a place where they can't disrupt society. I pretty much kept going more and more off topic and after watching "The Most Evil" TV show on TLC I concluded that people that do bad shit are physically wired differently and to punish them isn't right and killing them isn't right so prison must be a place that we just put our broken brained people and got me to think about quality of life in prison.. etc etc it went on and on and after about 10 paragraphs I just trashed it.

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“It is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick” - Dave Barry

Daniel_

agreed

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╔═════════════════════════════════════════╗
Overhead, the Albatross hangs motionless upon the air,
And deep beneath the rolling waves,
In labyrinths of Coral Caves,
The Echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand;
And everthing is Green and Submarine
╚═════════════════════════════════════════╝

Shauk

I'm not defending racism in any way in that thread and the people who accuse me of that, well, I'll refrain from the nasty comments I had in store for them, it's why I don't want to participate in that thread anymore.

There is no reasonable discussion to be had where people take the easy route of trying to cross the boundaries of respectful discourse and attack the character of the poster presenting a question instead of addressing the question.

Is dish soap different now than it was in the 50's?


"you don't know shit about dish soap, you're ignorant, you're biased about what kind of soap you like because you choose piss poor examples of media portraying soap"


*throws hands up*

anyways, sorry to derail. Just explaining my lack of participation, I can't dumb it down for people anymore.

Charlatan

Shauk... it isn't about dumbing it down, it's about clarity.

The fact that just about everyone (including those who have been supporting you) is not clear on what you are saying speaks volumes about your post. Had you simply stated, "has racism changed from the 50s to today" rather than your post, it would have been clear and to the point. You didn't do that.

Clarity is important.

My read on your thread suggested that you were looking for a way to justify racism today. -- People can see the worst side of black culture in HipHop music videos, therefore someone is justified in being racist. -- That interpretation was reached by more than one or two people.

I think it really is your job to clarify your position rather simply throw your hands in the air crying that you are misunderstood.

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"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

The_Jazz

Yes.

Yes. But I hope you see where the collective's misunderstanding came from the unclear OP. Is it about music? Something else entirely?


Charlatan apparently has a much better idea of what it is you want to say. I still don't quite know what it is. As I've said elsewhere, I think you might have a very interesting topic and an interesting approach to it, but you haven't made it clear. I think you needed to think it through to make the OP easier for us to understand. It's not about "dumbing it down", it's about framing a discussion in a way that leads in an obvious direction. You didn't do that.

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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin
"There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush
"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo

Crack

well... soab. daren't - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

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Crack, you and I are long overdue for a vicious bout of mansex.

~Halx

inBOIL

There are quite a few things I don't post about for fear that those posts might come back to haunt me. There are a few times I've started a post and then abandoned it, but that's because, like Sabrina, I couldn't adequately verbalize my thoughts.

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And you believe Bush and the liberals and divorced parents and gays and blacks and the Christian right and fossil fuels and Xbox are all to blame, meanwhile you yourselves create an ad where your kid hits you in the head with a baseball and you don't understand the message that the problem is you.

Plan9

My contribution?

Infant Coffins: How They Make Large, Durable Lunchboxes for Hungry Men

...

I tend to avoid serious discussion for two reasons:

1. I'm an idiot.
2. It's played out. The Big 5. (racism, homosexuality, gun control, abortion, and religion)

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Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

uncle phil

same here...

__________________
"We were wrong, terribly wrong. (We) should not have tried to fight a guerrilla war with conventional military tactics against a foe willing to absorb enormous casualties...in a country lacking the fundamental political stability necessary to conduct effective military and pacification operations. It could not be done and it was not done."
- Robert S. McNamara
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"We will take our napalm and flame throwers out of the land that scarcely knows the use of matches...
We will leave you your small joys and smaller troubles."
- Eugene McCarthy in "Vietnam Message"
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never wrestle with a pig.
you both get dirty;
the pig likes it.

lktknow

i always feel like the janitor raoming the halls at MIT buffing floors among the professors.

Squeeb said that,
I always feel like that. Almost as if I am not smart enough to even reply to a thread, much less post one.
Not that Squeeb feels that way, I'm just saying how at times, I do not even understand what you are talking about. But the light bulb does go off sooner or later.......or comes on?? lol

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Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about. ~

genuinegirly

I'd post more in politics. But then again, I know very little and I don't particularly want to take the time to learn more.


Janitors at major universities have either more street smarts or better interpersonal skills than the professors. You add value to this community. Your threads and blogs about food & cooking are enough to secure your status among the brilliant. Stop feeling dumb.

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"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy