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comment by thenewgreen
thenewgreen  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What Will It Take For Us To Dream Again?

    Why does it feel that people don't dream anymore?
-It doesn't, not in my opinion. People are out there creating great art, music and literature. SpaceX is working on sending people to Mars, we are exploring the deepest depths of our oceans etc.

Everyday people open new businesses. Every day people endeavor on trips and adventures down unknown paths. Every day people set goals, big goals for themselves and every day people achieve goals that they've set in the past.

    You are the breathless hush of evening That trembles on the brink of a lovely song
-You're right, that is beautiful and you can hear more beautiful things more often but I wouldn't turn to your local pop radio station.

BTW, there is nothing better than getting to know a stranger, I really mean that. I'm the kind of guy that talks to the person on the plane. That said, nice to meet you BLOB_CASTLE, happy dreaming!

I leave you with this





BLOB_CASTLE  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I completely agree with you and it's fantastic that those people are doing such amazing things. What I'm saying is that the majority of our population do not care for any of that, which is saddening.

Again, I agree with you that these beautiful things exist. The song you posted is very nice, wonderful lyrics. But the thing is it's such a small percentage of music that is beautiful. But come to think of it, isn't the reason we can appreciate it so much because of the filth that surrounds it. I suppose terrible music is a necessary evil. I struggle with myself so often, haha.

Me too! I often take the Megabus to and from Chicago and Kansas City and I make an effort to have a conversation with those around me and I that's where I've had some of my best discussions.

Very nice meeting you too. I've noticed you've been here a while, so it's nice to have one so famous as you take time for someone as new as myself. Happy dreaming to you as well!

In response to your video: 1) I've come to really enjoy Alan Watts thanks to Hubski. He's so frank about how everything we worry about is so pointless, I love it. 2) Such an incredible concept, the nothingness we live in. Thanks for sharing that.

MrScience  ·  4105 days ago  ·  link  ·  

The majority of people didn't care about people like the Wright brothers trying to fly. Apathy is not new to humanity at all.

You need to realise that people haven't stopped dreaming, it's that we're dreaming about things that are even more difficult to do. Going to the moon is hard, going to Mars makes it look like a picnic, you have SO many other variables to take into account that it's mind boggling.

To me it feels like the simpler, yet still difficult things have been done, the more complex, in-depth ideas are going to take a little more time to work on.

BLOB_CASTLE  ·  4105 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Out of curiosity, how long long were we interested (in the sense of having NASA focus on it) in going to the moon before we actually made it up there?

So you're saying we've just set our goals so high, a lot of us are just losing patience with how long it's been since we've seen progress?

AlwaysOnTime  ·  4105 days ago  ·  link  ·  

The only reason America went to the moon was because we sent Sputnik into space and the Americans got scared (I'm Ukrainian so I'm kind of from the other side of the coin here). We didn't do much else so when they realized that they stopped giving a damn. It's pathetic, really. America just wanted to win.

BLOB_CASTLE  ·  4105 days ago  ·  link  ·  

There wasn't any serious interest in the moon before Sputnik? Yeah...America isn't really all it's cracked up to be.

AlwaysOnTime  ·  4105 days ago  ·  link  ·  
BLOB_CASTLE  ·  4105 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I've seen this before actually. I just wasn't sure if it was solely Sputnik or not.

thenewgreen  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

The Megabus! Nice. I used to love to travel across the country by train. I would bring on a big bottle of whiskey with me and a deck of cards. All you need to make friends on a train are two things and I just mentioned them both.

BLOB_CASTLE  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

It's getting late, so I saved that thread in order to read it tomorrow.

Hahahaha that's awesome. Well, I turn 21 on Friday. After that I'll keep those two things on my person at all times.

thenewgreen  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

2 things:

1. No need to read the post, it's just a list of essential train tips 2. Happy Birthday pal!

BLOB_CASTLE  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

1. Well it might come in handy if by some miracle the Amtrak is cheaper than the Megabus. 2. Thanks!

Raxyn13  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

You talk to people on planes?! You monster! ;)

I think we do have some people who are striving for great things, but I don't see a culture of it. It's a shame, really.

thenewgreen  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    You talk to people on planes?! You monster! ;)
Ha. I promise, I can read people pretty well and if they're not interested in talking I don't even start in. Trust me, I've had to put my head phones on a number of times on flights to dissuade the person next to me from speaking anymore.

    I think we do have some people who are striving for great things, but I don't see a culture of it. It's a shame, really.
It's all in who you associate with. If you were to step in to my shoes for a day and interact with the people my wife and I have chosen to cultivate friendships with, you would think the world was filled with dreamers. That said, I realize that there are many people that prefer to sit around and watch TV all day. But "dreaming" or having ambitions beyond your current station is not all that rare from my experience. -Thankfully.
BLOB_CASTLE  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    I realize that there are many people that prefer to sit around and watch TV all day

I live with three other college students. One watches TV all day, the other is on his computer all day. I'm lucky enough that the third is my girlfriend who is a fellow dreamer.

thenewgreen  ·  4105 days ago  ·  link  ·  

So you're not the only one.... Her name isn't Yoko by chance?

BLOB_CASTLE  ·  4105 days ago  ·  link  ·  

...possibly...

Raxyn13  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I find myself in the position of being willing to work hard and sacrifice for the things I love, but has a seriously hard time finding things to devote myself to. As much as I wish I were, I'm not an idea guy. I'm pretty good at compiling ideas into a reasonable, well put together argument, but for the most part I feel like I'm an aggregation of the thoughts and beliefs of others. It's strange. I have to wonder if this makes me part of the problem, haha

BLOB_CASTLE  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    for the most part I feel like I'm an aggregation of the thoughts and beliefs of others.
Aren't we all?
Raxyn13  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Woah

thefoundation  ·  4105 days ago  ·  link  ·  

And that leads to a discussion I was having the other day about 'cultural ratcheting'. How we as a species have been able to pass down non-vital knowledge throughout generations which allows us to develop as a species. Don't take it as a bad thing that you were formed from the thoughts and beliefs of others, but try and make it into your own. The human species is special because we can pass on knowledge, I think it is now our job to continue the cycle and present new information to others. Even if you don't think up some new crazy idea or anything, you can be important by teaching your kids valuable lessons you learned in life which helps them out, and maybe they can invent something cool, you never know.

BLOB_CASTLE  ·  4105 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I completely agree. Over time, an idea can change from one thing to another, to another, to another...and all because of the other ideas thrown into the pot along with it. Add some oregano, the smell changes. Add some salt, the taste changes. And, every now and then, people will do crazy things like add hot sauce and ice cream to the concoction. The foundation of your beliefs changes, but what is in the pot is still you.

This reminds me of one of my favorite quote from Fahrenheit 451:

    And someday, after it sets in us a long time, it'll come out our hands and our mouths. And a lot of it will be wrong, but just enough of it will be right. We'll just start walking today and see the world and the way the world walks around and talks, the way it really looks. I want to see everything now. And while none of it will be me when it goes in, after a while it'll all gather together inside and it'll be me. Look at the world out there, my God, my God, look at it out there, outside me, out there beyond my face and the only way to really touch it is to put it where it's finally me, where it's in the blood, where it pumps around a thousand times ten thousand a day. I get hold of it so it'll never run off. I'll hold onto the world tight someday. I've got one finger on it now; that's a beginning.
thenewgreen  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

The world needs ditch diggers too JK.

I have had a number of "big ideas" over the years that haven't panned out. The most rewarding things I've worked on have been other peoples initial idea. It's nice to be a part of a team, to contribute to something that becomes a sum of all the parts. It sounds to me like you have a pretty specific skill set "compiling ideas into a cohesive argument", that's a valuable thing. Don't sell yourself short.

Raxyn13  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Well thankee! Now if I can just find a way to use that to get me money I'll be all set.

BLOB_CASTLE  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I'm sure that there are professions with that at its core.

BLOB_CASTLE  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Let's just get more and more of those who strive! Let's bring in a Renaissance of sorts!

Raxyn13  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Dibs on Da Vinci!

BLOB_CASTLE  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Well that's not fair. We'll draw straws.

Raxyn13  ·  4106 days ago  ·  link  ·  
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