Looking for my motivation.

[AFK]

Well, I'll answer anyway.

No, because I think with most average people the name would be a distraction. 

Case in point.  I have a "fnord" hat.  Now, when everyone asks me what "fnord" is, I could launch into a brief conversation about Discordianism, etc., etc.,  but I'm usually asked in a situation where I don't really have the time to give it adequate justice.  So I usually just say, "Uhh, it was a cool hat." and leave it at that. 

Back in the Retail Hell days, when I was required to wear a tie, I had a "fnord" tie I would wear to work.  This one time I had a customer who saw the tie and recounted to me how a couple of asshats had broken into their apartment and wrote "fnord" in Sharpie all over the place.  So now, she was associating "fnord" with vandals.

My point being, is that rightly or wrongly, I think the jargon and jokes and symbolism of Discordianism CAN be a distraction from the philosophies that are wrapped with that stuff.  I, personally, feel the core philosophies are much more important than the labels and superficial trappings.

So, no, I wouldn't' self-identify as a Discordian, but I am not shy about sharing my belief systems and philosophies.

But here's a question for you and everyone else, which would be the better, obviously very idealistic and unlikely, scenario?

A) A fuckton more people being aware of what Discordianism is, but not following it.

or

B) Following the core philosophies of Discordianism (TFY,S, "art of playing games", nonsense as salvation, etc.) but not knowing them as Discordianism?

I'd pick B seven days a week and twice on Fridays. 

[Cramulus]

#A:
http://cramul.us/2011/01/why-i-put-up-posters/


#B:
http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?topic=29434.msg1059746#msg1059746


#C:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situationist_International



#D:

[Nephew Twiddleton]

there is no motivation but what you find.  discordianism is nothing.  dont listen to anyone, even me.  Find your own reason.  A logical look at existence shows nothing matters.  Do what you feel like.  be good to others if thats what you want.  or be an asshole.  no maral difference honestly.  Hust in the way other people percieve.  Live life, do what the moment tells you, and even if the moment tells you to plan ahead, whatever.  There are no right or wrong answers.  listen to me, or whover strike you the best, or a mix.  just kick it yourself.  Id love for you to like what i say  but i know i dont have the guaranteed solution. and i really believe only you can figure that out.  Just keep kickin ass, cause if you found this forum you prp;;y do more than most, and do your own thing, however you see fit

Well, yes, that's what I'm doing here with this thread. Part of me figuring it out is hearing what others think about the whole thing, see what strikes a chord with me the most.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Thanks for those, Cram. I'll have to read up more on the Situationist International. I don't think that I've heard of them before.

[Cain]

They should be required reading for every Discordian.  They basically went through Marxism and the avant-garde scene and came out the other side, and somehow found themselves in almost an identical place to Discordianism, but from a French political-cultural perspective.

[Cramulus]

Here's some more about nonsense, absurdism, and the revolution



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectacle_(Situationism)



Screaming Hysterical Nothingness, an anecdote about screaming hysterical nothingness. The thread goes on to talk about absurdity and how it is the CURE.




"We live in a spectacular society, that is, our whole life is surrounded by an immense accumulation of spectacles. Things that were once directly lived are now lived by proxy. Once an experience is taken out of the real world it becomes a commodity. As a commodity the spectacular is developed to the detriment of the real. It becomes a substitute for experience." -Larry Law

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I get the impression that this thread is going to lead me to a lot of reading 

Thanks again, Cram.

[Succulent Plant]

I don't really have anything to add but wanted to say thanks for the links Cram, I hadn't heard of Situationist International either but am enjoying reading up on them. 

[Nephew Twiddleton]

The good thing about threads like these is for things like that. There's a lot of threads here, and it's a lot to wade through sometimes, and sometimes you do see a referenced post and think of it in a different way.

I also seem to have gotten my rant juices flowing again, since making this thread.