You Are Not Special! YANS!

I remember when I was younger, we were right on the cusp of the competitive vs "wallow in mediocrity you're a special little snowflake johnny" transition. We still had cub-scouts, competitions, little league had championships (and they still kept track of score), dodgeball was OK, bullying was met with a fist to the face, and American values still existed...the pursuit of excellence. Now, we are raising a generation of kids who feel entitled to whatever they want simply because they breathe. Mediocrity is the norm, and it's encouraged....what do they say "lead from behind". I was taught to lead by example and kick ass at whatever you're doing....and if you suck, find something you're good at and kick ass at it. These kids come out of the womb thinking they are all going to ivy leagues, playing pro sports, and getting a 6 figure job straight out of college. These clintonian types raising kids these days freak me out. I hear them negotiating with their kids, asking them "what time works for you sweetie", "if that bully bothers you, go tell someone or turn the other cheek", "do the best you can, you're a winner no matter what". No, you're going to do what I want when I say you can, and if you don't like it go to your room. If that bully bothers you, elbow to face, foot to nuts...he won't be doing it again. You are not good at baseball, and it's going to hurt your confidence, so how about we try soccer, you're better on your feet and chicks like soccer dudes (fact, I played soccer). That, and I'll be damned if my kids face (I don't have a kid, but I will someday) is buried in a cell phone or wonked out playing video games. Bored? Here's a bike, go ride it. I hear the beach is going off, let's surf. Let's get some dirtbikes and raise hell. Get your kids outside, get them active, turn them into normal people that can interact with other humans. I've seen kids 12 years old so socially awkward they can barely look at one another in the eyes. Very weird group on their way up.

I could go on for days about this. Pussification of America. They've been coddled their entire lives, expect everything to come to them without as much as lifting a finger.

 

Tyler f***ing Durden. Spoken for truth.

[video=youtube;98LeLZ2crZE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98LeLZ2crZE[/video]

 

I think this thread is two separate conversations.
No one is special, but everyone counts, if they work hard, hard work is what counts


and individuals make a difference, rcarter, who was your first boss? did he help make you a better employee, person?

did Patton make a difference in WW2?

individuals do make a difference, its the deluded violent ones who are worrisome

 

I think what we are saying is that you're not born special, great, or incredible. One must carve themselves into something more, usually involving hard work (or insider trading/trust fund/dumb luck).

Violent people take the easy way of becoming "special". They confuse accomplishment with notoriety. Another sign of that generation....the complete lack of a moral compass.


Patton was the man. He did credit his military prowess with past life enlightenment though, so he inherited (by his account) a fair amount of info. I suppose a military mind trust fund. Pretty cool guy actually, had some interesting views on life as a whole.

 

We are the all singing all dancing crap of the world. We are all part of the same compost heap.

 

Well said Hanna...that same noise machine factors into the hysteria behind the wolf hunts in the Northern Rockies, that coupled w the cattle folks. Yeah I know, obsessed w wolves.

 

nice try but no

you're drinking the kool aid and you don't even know it

 

If YANS is true, then who is supposed to care about the dead besides friends and family, by your logic.

Truth is, there are special people, people who are true leaders, people who make life better....just because you may not be one of them does not necessarily give you the right to come on here and remind us that we are all sheep....

But, so be it.

Everybody can't be special.
Everybody can't win.

The violence in our society is actually very mild compared to generations of the past.



In absolutely no way, shape or form am I condoning the behavior of these a$$holes, but i can say for sure I've met some people who had power and abused it and if I didn't care about my life....I'd put abullet in their f^ckin' heads faster than you can say "fa-gina".

that is all.

 

if anything he is spitting it through his nose as he decries it, but despite any simplifications it is kinda spot on, its a money/murder/fear/sex circus on 24/7, I mean the senator in Cali was gun running, anything o the news? no, but this fits in the narrative, There we go. The Great Big White terrorist has arrived!

This is convenient as now the media has a way to demonize the gadsen flag, liberty movement, freedom lovers. More and more can see that a growing consensus no longer believes anything the government does or says and furthermore would surmise that the said crooks are acting against us. e.g. nsa, bailouts, etc

If this is an engineered problem to which they already have the solution, eric holders "domestic radicalization" task force may on the job

If this premise is correct then they are using a Hegalian dialectic to lead the population down the path they desire, which may not be the life, liberty, and pursuit of awesome we Americans are use too.

Solution > Problem > Synthesis
repeat

two things: the Bundy Ranch people kicked them out, they were felons, and this story just seems off/odd, wonder where these folks came from

 

and that's exactly the point! that's where everyone is lost! that is why i joined this forum! that is why surfing speaks on so many levels to me!

life is not about the reward...and the wave isn't either...and that's why i'm glad i can't remember a wave once it is gone.

life is about right now, as is surfing. it's about harnessing the good around you to enjoy but a few fleeting seconds that can only be cherished in a feeling. that is why at the end of every session, the thought of paddling in and not catching one last good one is so difficult.

somewhere along the lines our culture in general has either forgotten or lost the appreciation of a journey. of not knowing what the result will be eventually, but living every moment believing that there is some kind of reward at the end, and that there are little nuggets of time along the way that are more precious and valuable than anything someone could hold. and finally, to me isn't value isn't something that others say that you're worth, but something that you can pass on to others. saw a total kook going in to some awful conditions the other day when i was coming in (winds had crossed and conditions were disorganized and mushy as all shyte). he asked how it was. i relayed that above info. he said, oh, well this is my first time surfing. first i thought...mehhhh. then i thought, what would i have liked to hear. so i told him, the waves still had some power, it was a beautiful day, and that he should have a fun time learning. to be honest, no judgement of mine would help him to find what i've found out there - so i thought, have at it, man.

lastly, i'd have to say that our wisest fellow humans that we have documented are the ones that have been able to share with us simple truths that give us pause for inner reflection. to close, in the words of one of them, "the love you take is equal to the love you make."

 

This is gone to get nowhere. You guys will take this topic to the limit and something will get said and it will get locked. I am actually surprised it is not locked already. If I could speak truth I could explain it to yall,but I may offend someone so I have to keep my mouth zipped. Hint: one word says it all and it is not J........

 

Why would it get locked? Nobody has said anything offensive. Only different opinions.
Hint: If there was a Je_us these things would not happen.

 

This kind of stuff has been going on since the beginning of time, generation to generation, country to country, President to President.

This has nothing to do with politics. I'm an equal opportunity hater...I dislike both Liberals and Conservatives. If you identify with politicians, you have failed to think for yourself.

It has nothing to do with Reagan or Clinton or Bush or Obama or George Fkn Washington or the Constitution.

This has everything to do with humans that psychologically snap. Jeeze, get over it.

 

A couple things.

What is meant by being or not being "special"?
Perhaps our society's meaning of special is out of wack. So many things are too influenced by the media and entertainment. People's over-reactions to situations (minor inconveniences and perceived slights) seem to be based on what they see on TV or in the movies. An erroneous sense of entitlement is too prevalent nowadays.

You don't have to be an overpaid professional sports star, rock star, talk show host, or the Kardashians (a useless bunch, IMO) to be special. Special to me is someone who contributes to society, is helpful to others, radiates a cheerful and positive attitude, treats others with respect and civility, and generally has a positive influence on those and the environment around them. I see these kind of special people in the education and medical fields all the time. Teachers and nurses come to mind. But they come from of all callings and walks of life: the lady in the toll booth, EMS volunteer, fireman, the waiter at your restaurant, flight attendant, the janitor in your office building, the bagger at the grocery store, et al.

My son, who was a junior at ODU this past year, was held up at gunpoint last year at 2 AM right in front of our house. He was driving back from a friend who lived in our neighborhood. Being robbed at gunpoint was something that never happens around here. If anything it's the occasional loud party after midnight or some kids who got caught roaming around after curfew on a summer night.
Three black guys in their early 20s wearing dark hooded sweatshirts and riding BMX type bikes robbed my son just as he was getting out of his car. Needless to say, he was pretty shook up. When a gun is pressed against your forehead, your options are limited. He gave them the $70 bucks in his pocket, and they rode off. Of course we called the cops. Six police cars showed up, including a K-9 unit, but they never caught the crooks.

 

I like not being special. Once you get a little older you realize fame and fortune are not all they are cracked up to be. I enjoy my job, get to come home from work and hang out with the kids. Being a cog in the wheel is ok. These guys just sound like crazies. Work ethic is what's missing in today's kids. Just my .02 cents.

 

Spot on, brother.

If kids these days weren't spoiled rotten, there wouldn't be illegal people taking all the manual labor jobs.

 

They made a movie about this youre not special thing.... It's called fight club.