Things Are Just Fine Offline

So I see all the debates and concerns people have here on ATS. I hear the occasionally snippet on the evening news or catch a headline from the local paper. I wonder how much happier people would be if they just disconnected from everything for 30 days.

I know for many of you it is important entertainment to argue public policy back and forth. I know for some it may even be a passion, but when you feel it becoming too much take a break.

I know that when I just stop looking at the news and the headlines I start to get a sense of peace. People are walking their dogs through the neighborhood and give me a wave. People are going to jobs and school. People are smiling at me as I checkout at the grocery.

I wonder how much of these 'problems' are in our mind and a creation of a world more connected that ever before? I wonder how many things are simply sensationalized or over-reported to sell advertising.

Life is simpler offline...happier too.

Take a break and be at peace.

Couldn't agree more. Recognizing the calmness of your immediate reality is a big part it. You can't tap into that if you're constantly concerning yourself with issues outside of that for which you have no control over.

Turn Off
Tune Out
Unplug

a reply to: Metallicus

Good day Metallicus... Could not agree more.. On the outside? Life is still moving forward regardless.
Best

MS

a reply to: Metallicus

I did that yesterday for my Birthday.

It was nice.

I know that when I just stop looking at the news and the headlines I start to get a sense of peace. People are walking their dogs through the neighborhood and give me a wave. People are going to jobs and school. People are smiling at me as I checkout at the grocery.

More people as I walk out the door, they're making lots of noise. Whats this? SJW protesting Trump! Ugh, I quickly turn around the corner and head for my car. My eye catches a strange object in the sky, it's moving very fast. That's weird. But no time to take pictures, it's long gone. Suddenly shots in the distance. I start running to the car, the bag tears and groceries roll over the pavement. Whats is going on? I dig for the keyfob while running but I can't get it out of my pocket.
An incredible roar crumbles the wall behind the car and a T-90 flattens my car. THE RUSSIANS!

I kid I kid. Just got taken away by your story.
Have a good one!

a reply to: Metallicus

I will offer a counter point of view for you which may bring light to another side of this issue.

Conversations are what bring clarity to important issues. You must allow for all speech to be open on pretty much every level for any consensus to be had. That means that ludicrous talking points will be brought up, measured for their validity, talked about and inspected from hundreds of points of view, and then, those that are worthy of trying out will be adopted and those found to be less than adequate, will be left by the wayside.

Don’t be discouraged because people are talking about things that you either don’t understand, or don’t agree with. In the long run, the well being of our society is on a drastic incline. Only the media controlled by tptb want you to think otherwise by focusing on the outliers and the fringe opinions. The vast majority of people are fine and only want to tweek the system in appropriate and small ways to slowly improve our lives through proper and non corrupt political channels.

Then there are the few who want what they want by any means necessary. These are the outliers. These are the few who don’t understand rational decision making and logical progression. They want what they want based on their emotional state and not because it is equal or fair.

These are the people i see being paraded by the media for their emotional commitment to irrational knee jerk reactions.

Once you learn to identify positions and arguments based on emotional reactions like that, you will no longer be confused on why they use such tactics. All you can do is be aware and be prepared to point it out where ever it pops up.

Seriously, I couldn't have said it better myself, it's starting to get exhausting.

If you really want to fix the world try smoking a pork shoulder rubbed in truffle oil then coat it with sea salt, brown sugar, and a touch of coffee.

2 more hours baby!!

*FACEPALM*.....and that diatribe? proves the OP point...unplug dude, go walk your dog, look at the sun (Oh NO he didn't! LOL) breathe the fresh air! LOL....and Metallicus? YOU are exactly right in your thought process, time to go out and teach my kids, "Kick the Can"....LOL, yep, it's a real game LOLOL!!
a reply to: Woodcarver

***TOTALLY DROPS CELL PHONE as the nose lifts and snuffles the air***.....I'm walking to your house! Can smell that all through the flats! Be there in an hour? LOL! a reply to: Mandroid7

originally posted by: rockhndr
*FACEPALM*.....and that diatribe? proves the OP point...unplug dude, go walk your dog, look at the sun (Oh NO he didn't! LOL) breathe the fresh air! LOL....and Metallicus? YOU are exactly right in your thought process, time to go out and teach my kids, "Kick the Can"....LOL, yep, it's a real game LOLOL!!
a reply to: Woodcarver

so, you don’t think people should be allowed to talk about whatever they want? Telling me that I need to unplug more that I need to spend more time outside, Could just as easily be construed as you not paying enough attention to the issues at hand. You being willing to ignore things that plenty of people are more than willing to discuss.

My best advice is to ignore things that bother you and let those who are better equipped to think about them and discuss them, come to rational decisions. You can go frolic on the mountain side, it’s fun I did a lot in my youth. As I grow older, I find my interests are much wider and focused at understanding the actions and decision making processes of those in my society. For you to try to tell me that I need to think about other things that don’t interest me as much, it’s quite authoritarian of you.

a reply to: rockhndr

Yeah, I don't know how to describe the flavor of the truffle oil, I mean the smokey flavor from the coffee with the sweet brown sugar and salty dry rub is insane, but the truffle oil adds like a earthy, garlic bite to the whole thing. I've been a bbq snob from Iowa, and KC area for a while, but this mix makes even Florida grade meat taste better than I'm used too.

Sweet jesus and Mary of tastebuds.

I'm having problems uploading pics from phone to show you yahoos, lemme see if I can fix that.

Food snobs are one of the reasons I may just take an online break... their bragging and constant talk of food irritates me to no end. 😏

Meh .. to each their own.

Obviously you missed the POINT of the entire thread...I'm sorry your young mind can't handle the fact that life EXISTS beyond the screen in front of you....get a grip.....Nah, nevermind, you missed the handle entirely....*SMDH*....Not everything is up for some kind of debate or conversation, sometimes it's absolutely OK to sit and drink Sweet Tea with no conversation at all.....sometimes we all just need to just STOP thinking so damned much, STOP looking for intent that is not there in conversation.....us old folks understand that sometimes? SILENCE and walking hand in hand.....is BEST.....and as far as authoritarian? Nope, just a Mother and a Grandmother, and would you look at that!! I have a Great grand-child as well....don't come at me with your higher than though BS sweetie, and do NOT assume you know me....I was replying to your very LONG winded crap, when I am pretty sure the OP decided to just go OUTSIDE for a walk......good day, Woodcarver.....lighten up a bit, would ya? LOLa reply to: Woodcarver

If you managed to turn Florida grade meat into something? Well, that deserves a thread of it's own! LOL! Enjoy your dinner, Mandroid7!! LOL a reply to: Mandroid7

originally posted by: rockhndr
Obviously you missed the POINT of the entire thread...I'm sorry your young mind can't handle the fact that life EXISTS beyond the screen in front of you....get a grip.....Nah, nevermind, you missed the handle entirely....*SMDH*....Not everything is up for some kind of debate or conversation, sometimes it's absolutely OK to sit and drink Sweet Tea with no conversation at all.....sometimes we all just need to just STOP thinking so damned much, STOP looking for intent that is not there in conversation.....us old folks understand that sometimes? SILENCE and walking hand in hand.....is BEST.....and as far as authoritarian? Nope, just a Mother and a Grandmother, and would you look at that!! I have a Great grand-child as well....don't come at me with your higher than though BS sweetie, and do NOT assume you know me....I was replying to your very LONG winded crap, when I am pretty sure the OP decided to just go OUTSIDE for a walk......good day, Woodcarver.....lighten up a bit, would ya? LOLa reply to: Woodcarver

where are you getting that I am stuck in a screen? You are literally making bull# up?

If you can’t handle people having conversations, then remove yourself from them. Quit telling people what they need to do with their time. And quit patronizing people on the #ing Internet. You are inventing things about me so that you can point those things out about me as things you don’t like. if you can’t handle people having conversations, then remove yourself from them. Quit telling people what they need to do with their time. Calling me young when you Obviouslyhave no idea how old I am, Shows how little you care about Having a rational discussion and how much you like to Lord over people while you spell out how your own opinion is the only one that could possibly be right. Grow up and learn how to have a conversation without insisting that people talk about what you want to talk about.

DONE...because you SIR, are a moron and just want to argue....

a reply to: Sheye

Sorry, I will try and tone it down a notch, I sometimes forget not everyone was born with good taste.

originally posted by: rockhndr
DONE...because you SIR, are a moron and just want to argue....

You never wanted to have a conversation in the first place.

This is the reply I made to someone off of ATS who was questioning why people spend so much time on the internet.

Why? Quite simply doing so is an addiction. As more people spend their spare time online fewer people are meeting one on one these days. This lack of contact leads to loneliness and depression. Social media tries to accommodate for these concepts such as “friending” on Facebook or upvoting on Quora (sorry folks).

With the widespread use of cell phones, the internet is as close to you as your nightstand, causing sleep disorders, or nearby on your front seat while driving. We know that cars and cellphone use don’t mix.

Gaming is another addiction/use that is taking people away from actually being social creatures. It may be online games or gambling which most ends up asking for your money, tempting you to win millions or to buy that perfect weapon for your game character. My personal reason for no longer participating in online role-playing games is the others take advantage of the system with multiple accounts to gang up on you. Of course, stealing daddy’s credit card always help them find a way to keep ahead of you too.

The wonderful (sometimes that is) world of videos and online dating are other things that steal peoples time away from reality. The videos such as on Netflix is where I spend most of my internet time. Online dating, in my opinion, is a waste of time and money. Like with all the fake Facebook accounts, what you see on dating sites is only the good (true maybe fake) side of people. They don’t mention that they just got out of jail and have 700 children or that it’s just online scammers after your online information and credit card numbers.

There are practical uses for the internet such as with ATS (edit here), any news sites that you feel can be trusted and many papers that can help out a person in their general knowledge of what the world like outside of their bedroom

Now that I’ve spent all of my time online writing this I need to take a break and detox.

Nice thread, I agree. It's all about sensationalizing anything and everything through (social) media in order to destabilize society in my opinion. It's to make people so worried about what's happening outside of their own lives that they neglect to fix what's wrong within it. If enough people fix their own corner of the world then the edges will eventually meet, that's what they don't want.

S&F