Harmless fun until they talk shit about one of their friends’ boyfriend because his sign doesn’t match and they think he’ll cheat on her… To fish one example out of the sea…
That goes deeper than simple horoscopes. If it wasn’t horoscopes, it’d be religion. If not religion, race. If not race, diet. If not diet, hobbies. It’s like talking shit about someone because they don’t use your favorite distro. Is Linux the problem? Or is it someone’s capacity to pass condescending judgements over silly things? Some people are insufferable. That’s a people issue.
Back in our early 20s, my friend decided not to date a guy because of his horoscope and some tarot readings she got. You could throw away the love of your life that way.
This kind of thinking is silly. First, that’s her problem. Second, whoa, jeez, are the stakes really that high? “I’d be married happily ever after if only she hadn’t gotten those darn tarot cards read.” Move on, meet someone else.
Your comment makes zero sense. I never said it was my problem and the stakes are the same any time you have a potential relationship. You inferred quite a bit of nonsense into my comment and that’s all on you.
I’m saying that your favorite song was written but you’d never know (NUFAN). My friend threw away a potentially great relationship for no reason. It could have been great or it could have been terrible. The point is not to use irrational criteria whenever possible.
Yeah, see, again, your snark makes no sense. You’re saying this like I’m angry and bitter or something. It’s just a thing I mentioned in passing. No idea why you struggle with this kind of thing so much.
The majority of it is indeed harmless fun, but I personally know someone who believes they don’t mesh well with specific signs. So much so that once they learn someone has that sign their opinion sours.
Yes, it is a problem with their magical thinking surrounding superstitious, preconceived notions about others. Just like how phrenology is not only bunk, but actively harmful in stereotyping people, inaccurately, for things they cannot control, zodiacal discrimination is similarly potentially harmful bunk.
Phrenology was used for scientific racism. “Zodiacal discrimination” is used to … not go on dates with people? Be a drag in social circles? What if someone doesn’t like my socks and refuses to date me? Is this potentially harmful bunk? What about haircuts?
Given how many idiots there are who make hiring decisions? Yeah, I’ll bet that it has harmed a not insignificant number of people. As long as people have noted the movements of the heavens, people have made life and death decisions on the perceived significance of the positions of the stars, sun and moon. Bunk is bunk, and all it takes is one incredibly stupid demagogue to believe a horoscope for the world to change in a horrible way. If there is no other lesson of the last 10 years in american politics, then at least this: never underestimate either the depths of stupidity to which a human can descend, and never underestimate the damage that the truly stupid can cause.
Ok so we went from phrenology to … checks fucking notes … hiring managers using astrology to not hire someone and therefore causing significant social damage. So now this is about intelligence? Only “stupid” people believe in astrology? “Smart” people don’t cause damage? Or are you conflating intelligence with ethics?
What I am “conflating” is the stupidity of a moron with the tendency to make patently stupid decisions based solely on what an oracle tells you. Anyone can do it, but boy, it sure is more damaging when it’s the leader of a country with nukes reading “outlook not so good, beware of the color red, look to the east”. So yeah, I’m much more terrified of a stupid person with power and a fucking horoscope than I am of a smart person with a trolley problem in front of them. At least one of them is going to use a heuristic more complex than “this thing I read sometimes tells me today’s a bad day, better blow up the world”.
Ok so now it’s no longer hiring managers, but a president with nukes. I’m losing track of what you’re trying to say. This stemmed from a comment about someone in a social circle using horoscopes and becoming a drag on the group.
You’d be surprised which things affect our personalities and actions. I’d bet my left hat that you have some silly influences over you that you think are mundane and normal. And I bet those things make you more fun to be around too. Or less fun, depending on your company.
So strange how people will throw snark at others for enjoying harmless fun.
Harmless fun until they talk shit about one of their friends’ boyfriend because his sign doesn’t match and they think he’ll cheat on her… To fish one example out of the sea…
That goes deeper than simple horoscopes. If it wasn’t horoscopes, it’d be religion. If not religion, race. If not race, diet. If not diet, hobbies. It’s like talking shit about someone because they don’t use your favorite distro. Is Linux the problem? Or is it someone’s capacity to pass condescending judgements over silly things? Some people are insufferable. That’s a people issue.
Back in our early 20s, my friend decided not to date a guy because of his horoscope and some tarot readings she got. You could throw away the love of your life that way.
This kind of thinking is silly. First, that’s her problem. Second, whoa, jeez, are the stakes really that high? “I’d be married happily ever after if only she hadn’t gotten those darn tarot cards read.” Move on, meet someone else.
Your comment makes zero sense. I never said it was my problem and the stakes are the same any time you have a potential relationship. You inferred quite a bit of nonsense into my comment and that’s all on you.
What were you trying to say with your comment?
I’m saying that your favorite song was written but you’d never know (NUFAN). My friend threw away a potentially great relationship for no reason. It could have been great or it could have been terrible. The point is not to use irrational criteria whenever possible.
Ok man, I’m sorry for your friend’s possibly great possibly terrible relationship she didn’t have in her early 20s because of horoscopes.
Yeah, see, again, your snark makes no sense. You’re saying this like I’m angry and bitter or something. It’s just a thing I mentioned in passing. No idea why you struggle with this kind of thing so much.
Tbf aren’t they used a lot for taking money from vulnerable people or just overall spread gossip about those you dislike?
The majority of it is indeed harmless fun, but I personally know someone who believes they don’t mesh well with specific signs. So much so that once they learn someone has that sign their opinion sours.
That sounds like their problem
Yes, it is a problem with their magical thinking surrounding superstitious, preconceived notions about others. Just like how phrenology is not only bunk, but actively harmful in stereotyping people, inaccurately, for things they cannot control, zodiacal discrimination is similarly potentially harmful bunk.
Phrenology was used for scientific racism. “Zodiacal discrimination” is used to … not go on dates with people? Be a drag in social circles? What if someone doesn’t like my socks and refuses to date me? Is this potentially harmful bunk? What about haircuts?
Given how many idiots there are who make hiring decisions? Yeah, I’ll bet that it has harmed a not insignificant number of people. As long as people have noted the movements of the heavens, people have made life and death decisions on the perceived significance of the positions of the stars, sun and moon. Bunk is bunk, and all it takes is one incredibly stupid demagogue to believe a horoscope for the world to change in a horrible way. If there is no other lesson of the last 10 years in american politics, then at least this: never underestimate either the depths of stupidity to which a human can descend, and never underestimate the damage that the truly stupid can cause.
Ok so we went from phrenology to … checks fucking notes … hiring managers using astrology to not hire someone and therefore causing significant social damage. So now this is about intelligence? Only “stupid” people believe in astrology? “Smart” people don’t cause damage? Or are you conflating intelligence with ethics?
What I am “conflating” is the stupidity of a moron with the tendency to make patently stupid decisions based solely on what an oracle tells you. Anyone can do it, but boy, it sure is more damaging when it’s the leader of a country with nukes reading “outlook not so good, beware of the color red, look to the east”. So yeah, I’m much more terrified of a stupid person with power and a fucking horoscope than I am of a smart person with a trolley problem in front of them. At least one of them is going to use a heuristic more complex than “this thing I read sometimes tells me today’s a bad day, better blow up the world”.
Ok so now it’s no longer hiring managers, but a president with nukes. I’m losing track of what you’re trying to say. This stemmed from a comment about someone in a social circle using horoscopes and becoming a drag on the group.
Believing stupid shit like astrology actually affects our personalities and actions is not harmless at all.
You’d be surprised which things affect our personalities and actions. I’d bet my left hat that you have some silly influences over you that you think are mundane and normal. And I bet those things make you more fun to be around too. Or less fun, depending on your company.