The Suspicion Gland

[Adios]

This gland causes some of us to look at everything sideways, to examine a thing, tear it apart and put it back together. After doing this we sometimes accept a concept, or reject it depending on our findings.

Not everybody has a Suspicion Gland though, True Followers, for example. True Followers have many names, perhaps the most common is sheep. If True Followers ever had a Suspicion Gland they crushed it without mercy. The Suspicion Gland requires one to accept responsibility, leadership at times and the burden of self education.

True Followers have utterly rejected all of the above, because they are afraid. They know there is something lurking just out of sight and they do everything in their power to not see it. They shield themselves with flat screens, drugs or any number of distractions.

Some of see it though, and once seen it is most difficult to ever forget it or unsee it. Once the Truth has been laid bare before your eyes you change. A part of your soul turns black, diseased. This will never "heal".

The Truth is there for all to see and it always will be, but so many will never look.

Can you see or is your back turned to it as you run away?

[Jasper]

Horror Endocrinology.  I like it.

[Jasper]

Ok.

So back to OP:

It occurs to me that the themes of paranoia skepticism, truth, and faith are ripe for ranting.  This opened my eyes to that, and I think there could be a dialogue somewhere in there about the balancing act of skepticism, faith, and framing in the search for truth.

[Adios]

Ok.

So back to OP:

It occurs to me that the themes of paranoia skepticism, truth, and faith are ripe for ranting.  This opened my eyes to that, and I think there could be a dialogue somewhere in there about the balancing act of skepticism, faith, and framing in the search for truth.

I agree there is a lot of room there for discussion and building something on. On faith however, unless it is faith that I will bled after being stabbed, I tend to avoid faith.

I guess what I was really after is there is something that separates Followers from.....non-followers.

[Jasper]

I rarely notice which forum a thread is in.  I live in "Show New Posts" world, so I treat everything like I think it is supposed to be treated based on the OP.

Ok.

So back to OP:

It occurs to me that the themes of paranoia skepticism, truth, and faith are ripe for ranting.  This opened my eyes to that, and I think there could be a dialogue somewhere in there about the balancing act of skepticism, faith, and framing in the search for truth.

I agree there is a lot of room there for discussion and building something on. On faith however, unless it is faith that I will bled after being stabbed, I tend to avoid faith.

I guess what I was really after is there is something that separates Followers from.....non-followers.

Yes- you see it in actual sheep too.  There's supposedly always one sheep that is smarter and doesn't take shit from anybody in the flock.  I think it's kinda like that-

The tendency to blend in and play along is rampant. 

[Phox]

This gland causes some of us to look at everything sideways, to examine a thing, tear it apart and put it back together. After doing this we sometimes accept a concept, or reject it depending on our findings.

Not everybody has a Suspicion Gland though, True Followers, for example. True Followers have many names, perhaps the most common is sheep. If True Followers ever had a Suspicion Gland they crushed it without mercy. The Suspicion Gland requires one to accept responsibility, leadership at times and the burden of self education.

True Followers have utterly rejected all of the above, because they are afraid. They know there is something lurking just out of sight and they do everything in their power to not see it. They shield themselves with flat screens, drugs or any number of distractions.

Some of see it though, and once seen it is most difficult to ever forget it or unsee it. Once the Truth has been laid bare before your eyes you change. A part of your soul turns black, diseased. This will never "heal".

The Truth is there for all to see and it always will be, but so many will never look.

Can you see or is your back turned to it as you run away?

Charley, this is precisely what I was getting at in the evil Genius group. Push the button, shock the monkey, fine. Push the button, shock the monkey, see it happen, less fine. Push the button, shock the monkey, see the monkey, have to physically restrain the monkey... not fine. Man in lab coat= authority figure, listen to him, shock the monkey. Man in casual attire = Average Joe, don't listen to him, concern for the monkey. When the group jumps, the monkey jumps.

Unless the monkey isn't the one pushing the button. And that's where we sync up. Because as long as I'M not the one doing it, I'm not a bad person right. Even when everyone else protests, I'M just following orders. I'M just doing what the man in the lab coat is telling me. I'M just an innocent victim of a manipulator. So, it's okay. I'll just pretend that I'm not really a bad guy, because I didn't push the button. I just recorded what it said on the dials. The screaming in there? Oh, it sounds like he's in a lot of pain, doesn't it? A fellow human being in pain? That's okay. I'M not the one pushing the button.

I agree, with you Charley, the True Followers are the sheep who listen to the man in the white lab coat. The ones who think they are innocent because THEY didn't push the button. But you know what? They didn't try to STOP it either. They didn't even protest by refusing to read the dials... they just followed orders, like good little Followers.

[Jenne]

This gland causes some of us to look at everything sideways, to examine a thing, tear it apart and put it back together. After doing this we sometimes accept a concept, or reject it depending on our findings.

Not everybody has a Suspicion Gland though, True Followers, for example. True Followers have many names, perhaps the most common is sheep. If True Followers ever had a Suspicion Gland they crushed it without mercy. The Suspicion Gland requires one to accept responsibility, leadership at times and the burden of self education.

True Followers have utterly rejected all of the above, because they are afraid. They know there is something lurking just out of sight and they do everything in their power to not see it. They shield themselves with flat screens, drugs or any number of distractions.

Some of see it though, and once seen it is most difficult to ever forget it or unsee it. Once the Truth has been laid bare before your eyes you change. A part of your soul turns black, diseased. This will never "heal".

The Truth is there for all to see and it always will be, but so many will never look.

Can you see or is your back turned to it as you run away?

I have a True Follower for a mother and a Natural Skeptic for a dad.  I'm truly well fucked.  And not in the GOOD way.

By the bye, Hawk, your usage of "True Follower" reminds me of the Mormon "Firsts"...

[Pæs]

This gland causes some of us to look at everything sideways, to examine a thing, tear it apart and put it back together. After doing this we sometimes accept a concept, or reject it depending on our findings.

Not everybody has a Suspicion Gland though, True Followers, for example. True Followers have many names, perhaps the most common is sheep. If True Followers ever had a Suspicion Gland they crushed it without mercy. The Suspicion Gland requires one to accept responsibility, leadership at times and the burden of self education.

True Followers have utterly rejected all of the above, because they are afraid. They know there is something lurking just out of sight and they do everything in their power to not see it. They shield themselves with flat screens, drugs or any number of distractions.

Some of see it though, and once seen it is most difficult to ever forget it or unsee it. Once the Truth has been laid bare before your eyes you change. A part of your soul turns black, diseased. This will never "heal".

The Truth is there for all to see and it always will be, but so many will never look.

Can you see or is your back turned to it as you run away?

Why do you want this Truth, Charley?
Why can't you leave well enough alone?

Yeah, I had a Suspicion Gland, but it never did me any good so I went about having it removed and destroyed.
Is that what you wanted to hear? I stand by the decision. You don't make this Truth sound particularly appealing.
You mention the impossibility of forgetting it or unseeing it, but it sounds to me like this is something you desire at some level.

So forgive me for not wanting to be exposed to this soul-blackening Truth of yours.
You fail to mention what it's like to have a Suspicion Gland. It's a heavy thing, Charley... and it's so fucking sensitive. When I had mine, it was irritated by every little thing in our society. I couldn't walk past a billboard, or turn on the television or listen to other people explain their opinions without the bloody thing becoming inflamed or otherwise upset. It's a constant tie to that caustic Truth of yours, and every time it filters information it exposes you a little more to that vast, unknowable horror.

I enjoy the flat screens and the substitute truth and the substitute emotions.
I enjoy getting high and the ability to refuse to experience the lows.
I like my self-delusion and my sheltered existence and my ability to dismiss your Truth as not being particularly useful.
They're not distractions. They're my reality.

You've romanticised Truth, assuming it has some quality to make it valuable or desirable, even as you are willing to admit that it's horrible. Well, I'm doing just fine without it, thank you.

What good are your questions and examinations? What use is destruction and subsequent recreation?
The Suspicion Gland never made us any happier, so we did away with it.
And everybody's happy now.

[Adios]

This gland causes some of us to look at everything sideways, to examine a thing, tear it apart and put it back together. After doing this we sometimes accept a concept, or reject it depending on our findings.

Not everybody has a Suspicion Gland though, True Followers, for example. True Followers have many names, perhaps the most common is sheep. If True Followers ever had a Suspicion Gland they crushed it without mercy. The Suspicion Gland requires one to accept responsibility, leadership at times and the burden of self education.

True Followers have utterly rejected all of the above, because they are afraid. They know there is something lurking just out of sight and they do everything in their power to not see it. They shield themselves with flat screens, drugs or any number of distractions.

Some of see it though, and once seen it is most difficult to ever forget it or unsee it. Once the Truth has been laid bare before your eyes you change. A part of your soul turns black, diseased. This will never "heal".

The Truth is there for all to see and it always will be, but so many will never look.

Can you see or is your back turned to it as you run away?

Why do you want this Truth, Charley?
Why can't you leave well enough alone?

Yeah, I had a Suspicion Gland, but it never did me any good so I went about having it removed and destroyed.
Is that what you wanted to hear? I stand by the decision. You don't make this Truth sound particularly appealing.
You mention the impossibility of forgetting it or unseeing it, but it sounds to me like this is something you desire at some level.

So forgive me for not wanting to be exposed to this soul-blackening Truth of yours.
You fail to mention what it's like to have a Suspicion Gland. It's a heavy thing, Charley... and it's so fucking sensitive. When I had mine, it was irritated by every little thing in our society. I couldn't walk past a billboard, or turn on the television or listen to other people explain their opinions without the bloody thing becoming inflamed or otherwise upset. It's a constant tie to that caustic Truth of yours, and every time it filters information it exposes you a little more to that vast, unknowable horror.

I enjoy the flat screens and the substitute truth and the substitute emotions.
I enjoy getting high and the ability to refuse to experience the lows.
I like my self-delusion and my sheltered existence and my ability to dismiss your Truth as not being particularly useful.
They're not distractions. They're my reality.

You've romanticised Truth, assuming it has some quality to make it valuable or desirable, even as you are willing to admit that it's horrible. Well, I'm doing just fine without it, thank you.

What good are your questions and examinations? What use is destruction and subsequent recreation?
The Suspicion Gland never made us any happier, so we did away with it.
And everybody's happy now.

This is far better than the OP!

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Moved, and 5 pages of derail removed by request of the OP.

[Adios]

Thank you sir.