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questions about discordianism

Started by Alethias, October 01, 2008, 01:43:02 AM

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Alethias

So...

I'm fairly new to the whole discordian thang.
I've read PD, I've read most(almost all) of the books linked on poee.co.uk, I got to about page 155 of Illuminatus Trilogy and got bored, I enjoy reading posts here and elsewhere, but...

1) I don't smoke pot.  Not because I have anything against it, I just don't have convenient access.  Does this somehow make me undiscordian?
2) I spent the first 37 or so years of my life a rabid christian, then about 5 years a disaffected christian, and then about 5 years an atheist/skeptic.  I feel like I traded from one order game to another order game to another order game.  I'm sick of that.  Any suggestions on breaking out of the cycle?  I feel like I don't mind order games, or disorder games, but don't want to be stuck in a cycle like that.  I could easily start calling myself a discordian, but feel like I could easily be just doing an equivalent trade to what I've already done.
3) There seems to be a lot of in-crowd lingo and humor and understanding that I don't get as an outsider.  Should I care, and why if so?

Payne

1) Smoking pot is not necessary. In fact, reliance on pot can be a very bad thing for someone who has things they want to achieve, and as one some people say, it's a tool of The Con.

2) Do as you will. Don't feel you have to think a certain way: question everything and come to your own conclusions. If you are philosophically a Discordian, it does not preclude faith in a God. And any of the order trips you've been on should perhaps teach you that ANY trip is an illusion. Yes, most of us here are folks who like a bit of disorder, but you don't have to be to "fit in". Think For Yourself, Schmuck!

3) As a community the injokes in PD are complex and have a lot of history. You'll pick up on the ones that you like. you'll ignore or remain ignorant of others. It's not necessary to know them, but they help bind us together as a community. Let's face it, no one ever said that we aren't just as bad a collection of shit flinging monkeys.

Chairman Risus

Quote from: Ale on October 01, 2008, 01:43:02 AM


2) I spent the first 37 or so years of my life a rabid christian, then about 5 years a disaffected christian, and then about 5 years an atheist/skeptic.  I feel like I traded from one order game to another order game to another order game.  I'm sick of that.  Any suggestions on breaking out of the cycle?  I feel like I don't mind order games, or disorder games, but don't want to be stuck in a cycle like that.  I could easily start calling myself a discordian, but feel like I could easily be just doing an equivalent trade to what I've already done.


What changed?

Golden Applesauce

Quote from: Ale on October 01, 2008, 01:43:02 AM

2) I spent the first 37 or so years of my life a rabid christian, then about 5 years a disaffected christian, and then about 5 years an atheist/skeptic.  I feel like I traded from one order game to another order game to another order game.  I'm sick of that.  Any suggestions on breaking out of the cycle?  I feel like I don't mind order games, or disorder games, but don't want to be stuck in a cycle like that.  I could easily start calling myself a discordian, but feel like I could easily be just doing an equivalent trade to what I've already done.

Don't claim the discordian meme.  Just kinda let it flavor your life (at least, the bits of which you like the flavor.)  Don't take it seriously - SRS Christians, SRS atheists, even SRS agnostics are not all that different.  Use it as a model for thinking - and then rotate through your other perspectives and see how other ways of thinking work for you.

Quote from: Ale on October 01, 2008, 01:43:02 AM
3) There seems to be a lot of in-crowd lingo and humor and understanding that I don't get as an outsider.  Should I care, and why if so?

Rules of Thumbs:
If somebody says something terrible and condescending to you, they're probably being sarcastic.  Unless it's The Good Reverend Roger.  Either way, don't respond in kind - you'll start a flame war in the first place, or lose one in the second.

If someone quotes you in a reply with a picture of mittens, you're doing something right.

If someone asks you to back up a point with physics, just admit you're wrong.  It saves time.  Alternatively, learn physics.  Never use the word quantum, ever.
Q: How regularly do you hire 8th graders?
A: We have hired a number of FORMER 8th graders.

Alethias

Quote from: Risus on October 01, 2008, 01:53:35 AM
Quote from: Ale on October 01, 2008, 01:43:02 AM


2) I spent the first 37 or so years of my life a rabid christian, then about 5 years a disaffected christian, and then about 5 years an atheist/skeptic.  I feel like I traded from one order game to another order game to another order game.  I'm sick of that.  Any suggestions on breaking out of the cycle?  I feel like I don't mind order games, or disorder games, but don't want to be stuck in a cycle like that.  I could easily start calling myself a discordian, but feel like I could easily be just doing an equivalent trade to what I've already done.


What changed?
When I was in real pain, both physical and mental/emotional, and all I got was platitudes that seemed to me like what a con man would dish out to string someone along, I felt like something was amiss.  I started questioning everything I was taught was true.  After about 5 years of that I quit christianity and decided I was an atheist.  Maybe I'm still an atheist, maybe not, I haven't figured it out.  I'm happy and that's what matters.

Problem with atheism for me is that I dislike most atheists that I meet, and they mostly seem to dislike me.

Payne

Quote from: Ale on October 01, 2008, 02:19:53 AM
Quote from: Risus on October 01, 2008, 01:53:35 AM
Quote from: Ale on October 01, 2008, 01:43:02 AM


2) I spent the first 37 or so years of my life a rabid christian, then about 5 years a disaffected christian, and then about 5 years an atheist/skeptic.  I feel like I traded from one order game to another order game to another order game.  I'm sick of that.  Any suggestions on breaking out of the cycle?  I feel like I don't mind order games, or disorder games, but don't want to be stuck in a cycle like that.  I could easily start calling myself a discordian, but feel like I could easily be just doing an equivalent trade to what I've already done.


What changed?
When I was in real pain, both physical and mental/emotional, and all I got was platitudes that seemed to me like what a con man would dish out to string someone along, I felt like something was amiss.  I started questioning everything I was taught was true.  After about 5 years of that I quit christianity and decided I was an atheist.  Maybe I'm still an atheist, maybe not, I haven't figured it out.  I'm happy and that's what matters.

Problem with atheism for me is that I dislike most atheists that I meet, and they mostly seem to dislike me.

Thing is, it's maybe the church (whichever one) that you're really upset at. Maybe you NEED to have God in there somewhere, and have your own interpretation of whats going on with that.

That's a possibility.

Another thing to remember is that not all churches are communities, and not all communities are churches, but they do have some things in common. Little bits of order lying around the place that are common to each. This is because we are only human, and we like to "humanise" little organisations like these.

All you can do to get over these hurdles is work at your perception of them or work to directly change them.

Maybe you aren't a discordian activist, if so what you need to do is assess how you view the church or the community.

None of the above makes you a "good" or "bad" discordian. Some of it may mean you won't fit in so well to this community, or it may mean you fit in really well, but none of us know it yet.

TFY,S! And you'll get somewhere, eventually.


Alethias

Quote from: Payne on October 01, 2008, 01:51:42 AM
1) Smoking pot is not necessary. In fact, reliance on pot can be a very bad thing for someone who has things they want to achieve, and as one some people say, it's a tool of The Con.
That makes sense.  thanks.
Quote from: Payne on October 01, 2008, 01:51:42 AM

2) Do as you will. Don't feel you have to think a certain way: question everything and come to your own conclusions. If you are philosophically a Discordian, it does not preclude faith in a God. And any of the order trips you've been on should perhaps teach you that ANY trip is an illusion. Yes, most of us here are folks who like a bit of disorder, but you don't have to be to "fit in". Think For Yourself, Schmuck!
Kool.  I found very little to disagree with in PD and in most of the other online books I read on the subject, so I guess I am philosophically a discordian. Except I have a hard time buying or believing in some of the connections to some of the 'Magick' type stuff.  Mostly on that I feel like I'll have to see it to believe it.  That may be my skepticism trip kicking in, but I don't know how to get around that without feeling conned, hehe.  
Quote from: Payne on October 01, 2008, 01:51:42 AM3) As a community the injokes in PD are complex and have a lot of history. You'll pick up on the ones that you like. you'll ignore or remain ignorant of others. It's not necessary to know them, but they help bind us together as a community. Let's face it, no one ever said that we aren't just as bad a collection of shit flinging monkeys.
pretty much what i figured.  Thanks!

Payne

Quote from: Ale on October 01, 2008, 02:28:33 AM
Quote from: Payne on October 01, 2008, 01:51:42 AM
2) Do as you will. Don't feel you have to think a certain way: question everything and come to your own conclusions. If you are philosophically a Discordian, it does not preclude faith in a God. And any of the order trips you've been on should perhaps teach you that ANY trip is an illusion. Yes, most of us here are folks who like a bit of disorder, but you don't have to be to "fit in". Think For Yourself, Schmuck!

Kool.  I found very little to disagree with in PD and in most of the other online books I read on the subject, so I guess I am philosophically a discordian. Except I have a hard time buying or believing in some of the connections to some of the 'Magick' type stuff.  Mostly on that I feel like I'll have to see it to believe it.  That may be my skepticism trip kicking in, but I don't know how to get around that without feeling conned, hehe. 

Heh, you will find almost every single person on this board agrees with you on the mahdjiquebebel score. That's really more the "theistic" hippie side of discordianism, and is something that most of us here have moved away from qv The Black Iron Prison.

Here, we're more about the perception (filters and grids, law of fives) side of it, and we dip our toes into the muddy waters of O:MF, satire and various other things that came from the PD or from works inspired by it.


Bu🤠ns

Quote from: Payne on October 01, 2008, 02:33:04 AM
Quote from: Ale on October 01, 2008, 02:28:33 AM
Quote from: Payne on October 01, 2008, 01:51:42 AM
2) Do as you will. Don't feel you have to think a certain way: question everything and come to your own conclusions. If you are philosophically a Discordian, it does not preclude faith in a God. And any of the order trips you've been on should perhaps teach you that ANY trip is an illusion. Yes, most of us here are folks who like a bit of disorder, but you don't have to be to "fit in". Think For Yourself, Schmuck!

Kool.  I found very little to disagree with in PD and in most of the other online books I read on the subject, so I guess I am philosophically a discordian. Except I have a hard time buying or believing in some of the connections to some of the 'Magick' type stuff.  Mostly on that I feel like I'll have to see it to believe it.  That may be my skepticism trip kicking in, but I don't know how to get around that without feeling conned, hehe. 

Heh, you will find almost every single person on this board agrees with you on the mahdjiquebebel score. That's really more the "theistic" hippie side of discordianism, and is something that most of us here have moved away from qv The Black Iron Prison.

Here, we're more about the perception (filters and grids, law of fives) side of it, and we dip our toes into the muddy waters of O:MF, satire and various other things that came from the PD or from works inspired by it.



THIS is the real magiaoqkoiewupoque anyway.

Alethias

Quote from: GA on October 01, 2008, 02:04:49 AM
Don't claim the discordian meme.  Just kinda let it flavor your life (at least, the bits of which you like the flavor.)  Don't take it seriously - SRS Christians, SRS atheists, even SRS agnostics are not all that different.  Use it as a model for thinking - and then rotate through your other perspectives and see how other ways of thinking work for you.
Seems like good advice.  I don't think i know how to take on the discordian meme at this point anyway.

Cramulus

Quote from: Ale on October 01, 2008, 01:43:02 AM
1) I don't smoke pot.  Not because I have anything against it, I just don't have convenient access.  Does this somehow make me undiscordian?

No, but wondering whether you're undiscordian is undiscordian
           /
:hashishim:

Quote2) I spent the first 37 or so years of my life a rabid christian, then about 5 years a disaffected christian, and then about 5 years an atheist/skeptic.  I feel like I traded from one order game to another order game to another order game.  I'm sick of that.  Any suggestions on breaking out of the cycle?  I feel like I don't mind order games, or disorder games, but don't want to be stuck in a cycle like that.  I could easily start calling myself a discordian, but feel like I could easily be just doing an equivalent trade to what I've already done.

Don't replace Christ with Eris.

in fact, replace replacing things with Eris.

Quote3) There seems to be a lot of in-crowd lingo and humor and understanding that I don't get as an outsider.  Should I care, and why if so?

It's kind of like walking into some stranger's conversation. It won't make sense at first, but you'll pick up the relevant bits fast.
Apple Talk has the most buzz and in-jokes. If you like meater conversations, they're generally anywhere but Apple Talk.


hey welcome aboard. You'll have to make up what Discordian means for you. Speaking from experience, identifying yourself as a Discordian highly raises the chances of bumping into weird lunatics who are even crazier and more hilarious than you'd expect. The best kind of weird batshit stuff happens to Discordians, if you're up for it.




Golden Applesauce

Quote from: Ale on October 01, 2008, 02:19:53 AM
Quote from: Risus on October 01, 2008, 01:53:35 AM
Quote from: Ale on October 01, 2008, 01:43:02 AM


2) I spent the first 37 or so years of my life a rabid christian, then about 5 years a disaffected christian, and then about 5 years an atheist/skeptic.  I feel like I traded from one order game to another order game to another order game.  I'm sick of that.  Any suggestions on breaking out of the cycle?  I feel like I don't mind order games, or disorder games, but don't want to be stuck in a cycle like that.  I could easily start calling myself a discordian, but feel like I could easily be just doing an equivalent trade to what I've already done.


What changed?
When I was in real pain, both physical and mental/emotional, and all I got was platitudes that seemed to me like what a con man would dish out to string someone along, I felt like something was amiss.  I started questioning everything I was taught was true.  After about 5 years of that I quit christianity and decided I was an atheist.  Maybe I'm still an atheist, maybe not, I haven't figured it out.  I'm happy and that's what matters.

Problem with atheism for me is that I dislike most atheists that I meet, and they mostly seem to dislike me.

It might just be that you just haven't found the right variety of Christianity.
Or the right variety of Atheism.
Or the right crowd of either.
Q: How regularly do you hire 8th graders?
A: We have hired a number of FORMER 8th graders.

Alethias

Yeah, that could be.  The whole idea of taking some form of christianity back up is a weird thought that I'll have to think on.  Playing at being a christian as an order game with an awareness of it as an order game is a serious mind fuck.  And I've been away from it long enough, since 2003, that I dont' think I could get sucked back in.

Interesting.  Y'all are already fucking with my head in kool ways.  Happy I asked.

Professor Mu-Chao

Quote from: Ale on October 01, 2008, 01:43:02 AM
I got to about page 155 of Illuminatus Trilogy and got bored

That doesn't surprise me at all... Illuminatus! is one of those books where your reaction to it depends immensely on the age you are at when you read it. If I read Illuminatus! now, it would definitely not effect me like it did when I was 16.

Quote from: Ale on October 01, 2008, 02:28:33 AM
Except I have a hard time buying or believing in some of the connections to some of the 'Magick' type stuff.  Mostly on that I feel like I'll have to see it to believe it.  That may be my skepticism trip kicking in, but I don't know how to get around that without feeling conned, hehe.  

You're not the only one. I would say that many discordians believe in the kind of magic you can muster with things like the Turkey Curse - for the most part, there is a healthy skepticism inherent in those who throw off organized religion. You may see a lot of Crowley talk, but I think most Discordians enjoy Crowley not for his purported magic, but for his ability to encode levels of meaning into his poetry and prose.
"Is it weird in here or is it me?" - Ambrose Bierce

Alethias

Quote from: Professor Mu-Chao on October 01, 2008, 03:09:17 AMYou may see a lot of Crowley talk, but I think most Discordians enjoy Crowley not for his purported magic, but for his ability to encode levels of meaning into his poetry and prose.
Got any suggestions of some good Crowley?