I take back what I said earlier about the “straightedge” movement – although it IS just another conformist clique where the only reason people don’t do drugs is because if they did, they wouldn’t be accepted.
If this sort of movement didn’t surface, thousands of stupid people around the world would conform to something else instead. Probably something that “requires” that they do substances to fit in. Although these people are totally fucking annoying and don’t really think logically, the important part is that, to a large degree, these people are harmless.
Does this sound like anything slightly bigger? Yes, that’s right, it’s just like a religion! Cliques are really like mini-religions. There’s a congregation, there’s a similar viewpoint, there’s a need to conform, and, well, in terms of “idols,” it’s usually music or movie stars. Although there are sometimes violent fanatics that totally take things out of hand, the majority of people, despite the highly menacing permanent-marker X’s on their hands, are mostly harmless.
This is why, while I can develop my own opinions, likes and dislikes, if there weren’t things like religions or cliques or whatever, we’d have a lot more chaos. Stupid people wouldn’t learn how to react to things. They’d be very confused, they’d feel left out, they might become violent toward themselves and others.
But then again, if you really think you’re smart, I don’t think you need to rely on groups of people to develop your ideas and habits. Making a group of friends is different, in that you’re creating your own arrangement that works for you – you don’t have to change yourself at all to fit into a group.
So yes. Think for yourself. Realize through facts that drugs fuck you up and are bad for you. You don’t have to join a group just to form and push beliefs. But if you don’t have any beliefs or your own, by all means, go ahead.
Exactly. Thats why, while I don’t particularly like it or some of the things they promote, I think religion as a whole is a good thing.
As for drugs…well, you’re right. We have to let the facts speak for themselves. I’m a very rational person (well, with 95% of things) and when it comes to drugs I very carefully consider the facts, which is what has led me to be an occasional marijuana user and light alcohol consumer.
What I don’t understand, though, is how people always focus on how unhealthy drugs are, when there is an obesity epidemic sweeping this country. Someone smokes a joint and they have 20 people telling them how stupid it is. I don’t go to Taco Bell and call them all idiots for killing themselves through cholesterol.
wait, religion as a whole being a good thing? what are you, nuts?
Religion as a whole is most definately not good, not nessarily evil either, but simply is, as it exists. Anyway.
Ooh, gotta go to taco bell and do that though. IN SPANISH.
Felix, when you get back I’ll treat you to a psycho-social lecture on why religion is one of the best things to ever happen to humankind. Its current merrits are less obvious, but still in place.
How do you know that religion is not definitely good? Just like the news almost always focuses on the negative, people like us are only told about the horrible fanaticism that brings ruin to our cultures. Good deeds and amazing social “miracles” happen due to people having a religion that tells them to love one another and benefit society; without it, these people would have no purpose, and LIKE I SAID, they’d end up doing something totally retarded with their time.
Twenty people tell you how stupid you are when you smoke a joint? Funny, ’round here, all the rich pussies tell you how stupid you are if you *don’t* conform and smoke joints.
Ok, let me clarify. When I mean 20 people, I mean that the equivilent of 20 peoples worth of decibels are sent my way.*ahem* Actually, a LOT of people smoke weed out here, because theres nothing else to do and it helps you forget you live if FUCKING WISCONSIN.
Your right though, smoking joints are bad. Bongs are much healthier.
…for your lungs, maybe. But not your brain.
Hmm, you don’t hate you hate cliques just cus they’re full of cliquers. So what if someone is a mindless conformer, the more mindless the better I say. It’s like eating fiber, it doesn’t do much but pass through.
I mean most people conform not because they really believe, but it’s a good way to meet people. I mean how many musicians do you know that make crap music but still fit into the group of musician, and have musican fiends la de da, or geeks, I bet you know some crappy ass geeks who are probably conforming to the clique of geek (wow, now that person would have to be REALLY stupid if they were hoping to find social contact in that clique)
Still, sometimes it’s not about the movement but the relationship between people within the movement.
Not necisarily stupid. By immersing themself in the culture they’re bettering their career chances, meaning more money, and as we all know, girls like money, and girls tell you who to be friends with, so by becoming a pseudo-geek you’re acctually getting yourself not just laid, but also you’re getting, down the line, friends and the like.
😉
… if you’re lucky.
Yeah. That or you die in some sort of a surge protector related incident.
UPS FTW.
=D
😀 😀 😀
Amen.
It seems to me like you’re just putting people into groups and categorizing them, but leaving yourself out of these groups. Yes, you did say that people should think for themselves and realize that they don’t need a “group” to fit in, but before that you pretty much took away that option by putting them in groups yourself. If you have already categorized these people, how can you expect them to stand apart from the groups?
“The only reason people don’t do drugs is because if they did, they wouldn’t be accepted.”
“Although these people are totally fucking annoying and don’t really think logically, the important part is that, to a large degree, these people are harmless.”
Do you actually know enough people who do drugs and who do not do drugs to make these kind of conclusions? And again with the groups…now you’re JUDGING the groups.
“…The majority of people, despite the highly menacing permanent-marker X’s on their hands, are mostly harmless.”
You repeated yourself, and how are they “mostly harmless?” What does that make the people who do drugs? If straight-edge movements are a religion, then maybe you’re a cult?
Maybe I’m just bitter because it’s early in the morning, and it’s really not fair of me to nitpick everything you wrote, but I don’t agree with you at all, and I guess this is what this message board is for, right? Right.
I’m judging people who categorize THEMSELVES within groups. I have no beef with those who are substance free – I personally am substance-free – but the straightedge MOVEMENT is an actual group. You can look up communities, you can see that people describe themselves as being part of straightedge culture.
Basically, it’s not either you’re straightedge or a drug user. Maybe I should use the term “sXe,” which is even more obscure slang that people don’t misinterpret as a trait, rather than a group…
hhhmm…
To be straight forward,while not trying to be insulting, you sound as if you do not know the first thing about the “straight edge” lifestyle. Rather, it appears that stereo types have lead you to a false preception of what you call a “movement”. There are some people, who as you described, think being straight edge is a group project. These people are of the same breed as those who wore bell bottoms, padded shoulders and backwards pants; in other words, people who think of it as a trend.
While I’ve noticed straight edge “fashion core” bands are becoming more popular these days, their fans do not represent the whole “straight edge movement”. They do not represent this said movement, simply because this movement does not exist. The whole notion of a movement is a marketing ploy used by some bands to sell records.
“Straight edge” is not something you join, nor is it a group project, it’s an individual choice. While it is true some people may become “straight edge” because their friends have or something along the line, these people almost never continue this life style after the fact.
Re: hhhmm…
It’s pretty obvious what I’m talking about – people supposedly unlike you. The ones that weren’t the “original” straightedge folk, but the “posers.” Although using this designation makes it lose all meaning, if you ask me.
I mean, all the straightedge people -I- know (actually a good number) seem to do these things. I’m not saying they’re bad people or what they’re doing is wrong, but I’m saying that this sort of categorization doesn’t need little group rituals. That’s why I equate it to something like religion.
And then there are the people who take the good ideas from religion and go with those – these people aren’t sheep; they simply have made a conscious decision that a certain lifestyle works best for them, sans crap.
What my actual perception of “REAL straightedge” is doesn’t even matter – what I’m talking about is how these people who are suckered into the lifestyle by bands and marketing ploys end up becoming better people simply because of the lifestyle that “straightedge” implies.
I’m talking about the straightedge TREND, since there IS one. I’m not talking about the idea in general; I’m talking about the fandom. Two different things, believe me.
excuse the
…
I’ve put the the term straight edge in quoatation marks as it is a subjective adjective, it is a catagory only for those who want to be in it. If you make the *vast* connection between being “straight edge” as a religion, the same connection would be made to nearly every other category people include themselves in (and likewise, categories they are placed in by others). Aside from a gross misconception of what religion is (and the overt athiest nature held by a majority of “straight edge” kids), the subjective nature of a category leads for many loop holes in your theory. Even if some people are looking for categories, you could hardly miss them. If “straight edge” in its pure conception (untainted by sterotypes, who are outside the frame) is a personal decision, the same could be said about people who prefer Coke over Pepsi. The same could go for people who dye their hair a same color…it’s all subjective to personal views.
I’m not intending this to be some personal rant, it’s just that I want to clairify a few things. As I had mentioned earlier, a lot of negative “straight edge” (this time I use quotes, because,bluntly kids who do it for fashion or popular opinon are not “edge”) kids are coming out of the wood works. It’s just important to remember that for each of these assholes, their are tons of independent, positive kids doin the “straight edge” thing for all the right reasons.
Re: excuse the
And those negative ones are exactly the ones I’m talking about.
By the way, what’s with the x’s surrounding your name? 🙂
correction:
Band name.