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The Barstool Experiment

Started by LHX, June 13, 2006, 05:31:36 PM

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Your Audience

Quote from: LMNO on April 05, 2007, 07:35:02 PM
Quote from: Your Audience on April 05, 2007, 06:47:46 PM
I see your point about it being a parable. My version is far from being so obviously that. But isn't either version totally redundant as a psychological tool while posted on this forum and simply just a form of literature?


No.

Fair enough. I can see where you're coming from.

Are you anoyed as well?

There seem to be a few out there.
You turn me on.

Idem


Your Audience

Why do you want to hit me over the head with a bar stool anyway? Surely there's an easier way to do things than that? All I did was change your little story and people start freaking out! Jesus. Cool, keep your story as it is. It doesn't need changing, it's fine. I conceed. Must have been something I ate.

I was just thinking how stupid this whole avatar secret name thing was, but now I see why people need to hide around here.

Good job, Discordians! You really welcomed me into your fold.
You turn me on.

saint aini

The barstool experiment consists of five parts.

1. Some dope or dopes who pretend they know what matter is.
2. They postulate hypotheses about the nature of matter in a metaphysical manner.
3. Somehow a barstool works itself into the storyline (e.g. a character mentions it)
4. Someone else or by some method, the barstool is used to strike the dope or dopes from #1.
5. The story ends with the moral that one should not worry so much about the nature of matter, the world, social constructs, etc. so much as they are there and for one's use or harm.

Anything else involving barstools or experiments should be in Literate Chaotic or anywhere but this thread.

It's kind of like writing a sonnet or a haiku.  You have a form to follow.


Mary: Let me ask you something.
[Grabs his hand]
Mary: Why are you alive?
John Preston: [Breaks free] I'm alive... I live... to safeguard the continuity of this great society. To serve Libria.
Mary: It's circular. You exist to continue your existence. What's the point?
John Preston: What's the point of your existence?
Mary: To feel. 'Cause you've never done it, you can never know it. But it's as vital as breath. And without it, without love, without anger, without sorrow, breath is just a clock... ticking.

Your Audience

Ok, thanks for the explenation.
You turn me on.

Payne

Learning the barstool form is a very important lesson in here. Its not wholly and unimpeachable, but many of this forums denizens find something common in it.

Be careful with it.

Oh! And you may be an alt. for someone who I've not heard of, but I don't care about that. Yet. Other than that, welcome.

Idem


Your Audience

You turn me on.

saint aini

Quote from: Your Audience on April 06, 2007, 01:14:22 AM
What's a Vargyr?

A priest said to a student: "What is matter?"
The student repsonds: "I don't care what matter is.  You see that barstool over there?"
The priest says: "Sure, but it's only my mind telling me it's there."
Student: "Yes, but did you have to www.fuckinggoogleit.com or be told to know that it will hurt you?"
The priest responds: "But God will protect me."
The student beats the priest senseless with the barstool.
Mary: Let me ask you something.
[Grabs his hand]
Mary: Why are you alive?
John Preston: [Breaks free] I'm alive... I live... to safeguard the continuity of this great society. To serve Libria.
Mary: It's circular. You exist to continue your existence. What's the point?
John Preston: What's the point of your existence?
Mary: To feel. 'Cause you've never done it, you can never know it. But it's as vital as breath. And without it, without love, without anger, without sorrow, breath is just a clock... ticking.

Your Audience

You turn me on.

Idem

I don't even know if I spelled the fuckin thing right

saint aini

Quote from: Idem on April 06, 2007, 01:43:58 AM
I don't even know if I spelled the fuckin thing right
See new thread in apple talk.

Mary: Let me ask you something.
[Grabs his hand]
Mary: Why are you alive?
John Preston: [Breaks free] I'm alive... I live... to safeguard the continuity of this great society. To serve Libria.
Mary: It's circular. You exist to continue your existence. What's the point?
John Preston: What's the point of your existence?
Mary: To feel. 'Cause you've never done it, you can never know it. But it's as vital as breath. And without it, without love, without anger, without sorrow, breath is just a clock... ticking.

Your Audience

A 50th level Dwarf Savage called Vargyr is sitting in a bar somewhere in Moria. He's talking to his friend Dodo and trying to make sense of some weird things he's been thinking.

"I just tell ya, Dodo, I can't trust anything anymore. I keep thinking things aren't really there you know? I keep feeling like I'm going to fall through the floor."

"Yea, it's difficult." replied Dodo thinking of his own troubles.
"How are we supposed to know any of this is real?"

"It's really getting me down." said Vargyr. "I hope it is all just a dream."

"It's like this barstool," said Dodo thoughtfully. "There's no real reason why I should doubt my senses, but there's no real way of knowing that it's . . .you know?  . . . really real?".

"Exactly!" exclaimed Vargyr. "And yet . . . I can't help feeling that I'm missing the point somehow . . ."

"I'm feeling it . . ."said Dodo in a soft voice. "I think . . . I'm really  . . . feeling it . . ."

"Feeling what?" asked Vargyr with a quizicle look on his face. He watched as his friend got off his barstool and started inspecting it's leggs. "You know, I'm really . . . I don't know . . . feeling this legg . . ."

"Maybe if I just lie on the floor here and hold this legg like this . . . and now . . . yes, just as I thought, I can make the barstool seem as if it's hovering above me, just by holding it above my head like this."

"Wow," said Vargyr, "you know i think you're on to something there. Maybe you really are creating your own reality and the barstool is now hovering above you . . ."

"You really think?" asked Dodo excitedley.

"Well there's only one way of finding out." replied Vargyr confidently.

Just then, Dodo let go of the barstool, and it fell, hitting him squarely on his forhead.

"Ouch!" said Dodo.   

You turn me on.

Your Audience

Quote from: Idem on April 06, 2007, 12:52:52 AM
Quote from: Your Audience on April 05, 2007, 11:33:53 PM
Ok, thanks for the explenation.
Are you a Brit and/or a Vargyr?

I'm a Brit in the traditional sense of the word and I'm considering changing my name to Vargyr.
You turn me on.

LMNO

Quote from: saint aini on April 05, 2007, 11:30:53 PM
The barstool experiment consists of five parts.

1. Some dope or dopes who pretend they know what matter is.
2. They postulate hypotheses about the nature of matter in a metaphysical manner.
3. Somehow a barstool works itself into the storyline (e.g. a character mentions it)
4. Someone else or by some method, the barstool is used to strike the dope or dopes from #1.
5. The story ends with the moral that one should not worry so much about the nature of matter, the world, social constructs, etc. so much as they are there and for one's use or harm.

Anything else involving barstools or experiments should be in Literate Chaotic or anywhere but this thread.

It's kind of like writing a sonnet or a haiku.  You have a form to follow.


The trick is to make #2 be as convincing as possible, to lure the reader into the tricksy metaphysical land of hypothesis and metaphor.  So when the barstool comes, it's as unexpected for the reader as it is for the poor sap getting clobbered.