Comments for The Ethical Nag

Comment on The mob mentality revisited by Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Wed, 30 May 2012 19:34:04 +0000

Hi Bev - I too like to believe that I'm in that 26.2% of onlookers who "will try to intervene to stop the violence" as the demographics in Dr. Gordon Russell's studies on mobs show. Simply cannot even fathom yelling "Jump!" - under any circumstances.

Comment on The mob mentality revisited by Bev RN

Bev RN — Wed, 30 May 2012 18:34:01 +0000

Yes, I agree with Cave. And regarding the statement: "This is going to be hard to believe, he says, but this sort of behavior could be inside you as well. Under the right circumstances, you too might yell 'Jump!'", notice the qualifiers "could be" and "might". They are writing about generic "you"s. I am me and I would NOT yell "Jump"! At age 9, in 1956, I had unwittingly started my own little women's lib movement in my little 1 room schoolhouse. I think for myself. Never would I yell "Jump". If I were to do that, it would be time for ME to jump!

Comment on The mob mentality revisited by Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:38:21 +0000

Thanks Cave!

Comment on The mob mentality revisited by cave76

cave76 — Tue, 29 May 2012 13:30:59 +0000

I've always thought of this behavior as 'Sinking to the lowest common denominator'. Good post, Carolyn

Comment on The Quantified Self meets The Urban Datasexual by Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Mon, 28 May 2012 14:34:21 +0000

Are you trying to tell me that everything about me, me, me is NOT worth mentioning?!?

For more on this, read Dr. Sherry Turkle: “I share, therefore I am”

Comment on The Quantified Self meets The Urban Datasexual by RN in NYC

RN in NYC — Mon, 28 May 2012 10:38:59 +0000

“The self-monitoring movement is just another manifestation of our profound self-absorption. When you measure something, presumably you have to react to it. Is the hope that this constant self-monitoring will change our behavior? Just look at how decades of focus on diets and weight have fared.

I agree 100% with Dr. Zilberberg here. Not everything that can be counted, counts. And really, WHO CARES? Isn’t QS a natural outgrowth of a generation of people with obsessive Facebook status updating behaviors, the narcissistic manifestation of believing that everything about me is somehow worth mentioning?

Comment on The Quantified Self meets The Urban Datasexual by Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Sat, 26 May 2012 23:01:08 +0000

No, you are not alone, RT. And who knows – perhaps there is a meaningful use for keeping track of 20 years of keystrokes?

Comment on If only Avandia were more like Toyota by Oakley

Oakley — Sat, 26 May 2012 18:46:49 +0000

Brilliant analogy: Avandia and Toyota. Thx for this – love your site.

Comment on Anti-gay? Anti-Jew? Anti-Muslim? It’s those atheists we trust least by Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Sat, 26 May 2012 18:31:56 +0000

Interesting points, Kate (especially the part about me being persuasive and intelligent!) I suspect however that, in reality, this ideal mutual respect is a tad one-sided just as the UBC research seems to suggest: not much respect out there among churchgoers for that "lack of belief" in others. Thanks for your perspective here!

Comment on The Quantified Self meets The Urban Datasexual by RTKap

RTKap — Sat, 26 May 2012 18:13:36 +0000

Geez I thought it was just ME who was rolling my eyes over all the fuss about this tiresome QS stuff out there. Unless there is an actual purpose in collecting data about yourself, you should fight that narcissistic urge. And there is not ANY conceivable purpose in counting computer keystrokes….

Comment on Anti-gay? Anti-Jew? Anti-Muslim? It’s those atheists we trust least by Kate

Kate — Sat, 26 May 2012 17:41:40 +0000

What a wonderful, refreshing take on atheism. I have never bought the argument that you have to believe in god to be a moral person.

I respect other people’s religious beliefs, just as I think they should respect my lack of belief in a higher power. Whichever way you look at it, life is a gift, and it’s one I am deeply grateful for, whatever the source. As always, you argue persuasively and intelligently without attacking either side.