Old article about Oxford's dress code change

Clippings from news sources involving fashion freedom and other gender equality issues.
Stu
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Re: Old article about Oxford's dress code change

Post by Stu »

moonshadow wrote: Sun Jan 19, 2020 9:51 pm A virtuous notion, but I can't see very much statistical evidence to support this.
You won't see statistical evidence of it because 1. nobody has ever studied it scientifically; and 2. the consequences do not follow within a defined time scale. You are also assuming that karma is just a religious idea based on faith. It isn't. Buddhism, in its pure form, is not a religion, but a philosophy. It eschews faith and instead urges people to look at the teachings according to their own experiences.

You have not understood the concept of karma. I spent thirty years as a cop, and some of that time as a detective. I met many extremely evil people who made their lives through committing crimes: I never met one who was a happy human being, even ones who had apparently profited from their wrongdoing. Karma isn't some magical or supernatural force - it is common sense. Everything we do in life stems from our thoughts. When we act upon our thoughts, we change ourselves in some way - we become something different, and we change our mental states with it - and the majority of suffering emanates from our mental states.
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Re: Old article about Oxford's dress code change

Post by crfriend »

Stu wrote: Sun Jan 19, 2020 7:37 pmWe don't just believe things because we have "incontrovertible proof" - we also believe things because they accord with reason. Example - I believe there is a platinum ring in a box in my safe. What makes me believe that? My memory tells me that I put in there last year and, so far as I know, nobody has removed it because ... why would they?
Or, "Who could without the keys?" Incontrovertible proof, to me, means that we can replicate something by direct experiment -- e.g. in the above case, opening the safe and verifying that the ring is, in fact, there.

If it comes to stealing, then there is likely provable harm to the person whose property has been stolen. I do not operate in a world of "morals"; that notion is so badly tainted by various assorted religions that the concept is virtually meaningless. I operate in a world of ethics, and in that framework there is no room do dodge one's responsibility. If one is capable and able to assist, then one should; moreover, one should never cause deliberate harm to come to another unless one's own very existence depends on doing so (i.e self-defence).
I am a big believer in karma. I have seen it in action countless times. We never get away with any wrongdoing - we just delude ourselves if we think we do.
As have I, both in negative and positive ways.

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Re: Old article about Oxford's dress code change

Post by moonshadow »

Stu wrote: Sun Jan 19, 2020 10:05 pm You have not understood the concept of karma. I spent thirty years as a cop, and some of that time as a detective. I met many extremely evil people who made their lives through committing crimes: I never met one who was a happy human being, even ones who had apparently profited from their wrongdoing.
Were they miserable because of the wrong doing? Or miserable because they were caught?

Your point of reference stems from criminals in the grips of the justice system. It says nothing for the evil doers that were either never caught, or perhaps their evil behavior wasn't illegal. (Its not against the law to be a greedy jerk)

Look, I appreciate what you're saying and I can also understand the value of such a philosophy. But there is just too much ugliness in human nature to suggest that karma is valid. If this were the case everyone would be good natured because it would be to each individual persons benefit.

This is NOT to say that I think all people are evil, but I am saying that evil people couldn't care less about the concept of karma, and many are living quite a good life at the expense of those waiting on these evil doers to have their day.

Karma also raises another philosophical question... Are people doing good deeds because they feel it will benefit their "karma balance". How many people would do good deeds with no hope for reward?

The answer is plenty of people... but those people are often among the poorest and humblest among us.

There is value in believing in karma, just as there is value in a faith in other systems... I wish I could believe, I really do. It's been a long time since I was in the company of anyone I admired.

I'm sorry... the world let me down. I don't know who to look to for moral guidance anymore. Every group I have tried to align myself with left me hanging and feeling empty.

It's not just stuff on TV or social media. People have gotten just so rotten lately. I'm left to assume this rot always existed, current events are just now bringing it to the surface.

I watched a few of David Hoffmans interviews with people who were in their 80s and 90s in the 70s and 80s. These people spoke with such grace and dignity, such kindness and empathy towards everyone. It made my heart ache.

Where are these people today? Where can I find them? I'd love to get lost in the tales of an old man or woman... but all I get now are political rants from all sides. Its constant, like a throbbing pain that never ceases. Its constant hate hate hate hate hate, judgement judgement judgement judgement, my folks, my distant family, my coworkers, the churches, customers, the TV sets in all of the businesses, a constant never ending stream of self righteous HATE. Everybody hates everybody.

Karma? Pfft... If karma is real, we're all doomed.
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Re: Old article about Oxford's dress code change

Post by Uncle Al »

There's been a lot of talk about "Karma". This made me think of a
Pic I have about "Karma". So, I'll post it here, then go and :hide:


Karma 2014-05-31.jpg


:rofl: Hey - Everyone needs a good laugh now and then :D


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Re: Old article about Oxford's dress code change

Post by Jim »

My understanding of karma is that it is a belief that what you do in this life will affect your circumstances when you are reincarnated.

I don't believe in reincarnation.
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Re: Old article about Oxford's dress code change

Post by Stu »

Jim wrote: Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:08 am My understanding of karma is that it is a belief that what you do in this life will affect your circumstances when you are reincarnated.

I don't believe in reincarnation.
Karma can relate to the circumstances of a person's re-birth in some religious or philosophical creeds, but that's not always the case. Karma also comes into play in the present life.

Although I am an atheist, I do believe in reincarnation. To me, it seems quite logical.
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Re: Old article about Oxford's dress code change

Post by skirtyscot »

Stu wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2020 4:25 pm Although I am an atheist, I do believe in reincarnation. To me, it seems quite logical.


Really? I am surprised about that. What exactly do you think is reborn?
Keep on skirting,

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Re: Old article about Oxford's dress code change

Post by greenboots »

moonshadow wrote: Sun Jan 19, 2020 3:19 pm Despite all of this I'm going to hell because of the clothes I wear. To that I say, screw heaven anyway, the last thing I want to do is spend eternity with a bunch of self righteous, hypocritical religious people.
Interestingly Jesus (who of course wore a dress) seemed to imply that the "self righteous, hypocritical religious people" wouldn't get into heaven, so you may be OK after all :)
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Re: Old article about Oxford's dress code change

Post by familyman34 »

It's my belief that "bad" people don't get as much deep satisfaction from life as "good" people. They make get a superficial reward (emotional or material, or both), but the thought must always be there in their consciousness that they don't really deserve their shallow pleasures. Most people, in my experience, are mainly good; there are a few bad ones out there, but we can usually manage to avoid them after a first encounter. We don't have so many friends, but the ones that we do have are true ones.

I value above all being able to go to bed each night knowing that I have tried to avoid causing harm or distress to other people, sleep and dream innocent dreams, and then wake up in the morning refreshed and happy to face the coming day. Friends and acquaintances frequently comment on "how lovely" in character and appearance our three daughters are, and I suppose that, as well as Nature (our genetic legacies) some of that must come from the way that we have brought them up (Nurture)!
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