Australian Politics Forum - Are you a cynical person?

Bobby.

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Re: Are you a cynical person?
Reply #75 - Nov 13^th, 2024 at 4:11pm

Frank wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 4:06pm:

Get one of these

https://wise.com/au/card/

It's a debit card that functions like a Visa card.
Brilliant for overseas travel, too.

I use PayPal.

They got me my money back when catch.com sold me a watch for $440 that
they didn't even have in stock - just a pretty picture on their website.
Even large companies like catch.com are rogues - you can't trust them -
hence another reason for me to be so cynical.

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Dnarever

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Re: Are you a cynical person?
Reply #76 - Nov 13^th, 2024 at 4:14pm

Bobby. wrote on Nov 10^th, 2024 at 1:32pm:

MeisterEckhart wrote on Nov 10^th, 2024 at 1:30pm:

Bobby. wrote on Nov 10^th, 2024 at 1:24pm:

I found that the older I got the more cynical I became.
Now I hardly believe a word that anyone says.
I distrust people, the Govt. used car/motorbike dealers, real estate agents, lawyers, and also employers -
they have all let me down more times than I could count.

So, you and 25 million of us, then!

But the article on CNN says we should not be cynical.

So now you want to believe the MSM ?

I didn't find any substance in the article - they have no logical reason to not be cynical in the areas mentioned that we all know have routinely let us down and deserve no trust based on their record.

So the MSM would prefer for us to believe them ? right - got it.

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Bobby.

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Re: Are you a cynical person?
Reply #77 - Nov 13^th, 2024 at 4:15pm

Dnarever wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 4:14pm:

Bobby. wrote on Nov 10^th, 2024 at 1:32pm:

MeisterEckhart wrote on Nov 10^th, 2024 at 1:30pm:

Bobby. wrote on Nov 10^th, 2024 at 1:24pm:

I found that the older I got the more cynical I became.
Now I hardly believe a word that anyone says.
I distrust people, the Govt. used car/motorbike dealers, real estate agents, lawyers, and also employers -
they have all let me down more times than I could count.

So, you and 25 million of us, then!

But the article on CNN says we should not be cynical.

So now you want to believe the MSM ?

I didn't find any substance in the article - they have no logical reason to not be cynical in the areas mentioned that we all know have routinely let us down and deserve no trust based on their record.

So the MSM would prefer for us to believe them ? right - got it.

Well - listen to Trump next time he says -

"CNN is fake news."

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aquascoot

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Re: Are you a cynical person?
Reply #78 - Nov 13^th, 2024 at 4:22pm

mothra wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 8:01am:

MeisterEckhart wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 7:54am:

mothra wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 7:52am:

MeisterEckhart wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 7:41am:

mothra wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 7:38am:

Nobody ever built a political strategy on trans issues.

Could this place actually be any more ridiculous?

Harris stupidly was on record promising transition therapy/surgery to illegals inmates in US prisons.

Democrat doorknockers reported that it was the number 1 question asked of them by prospective Democrat voters.

That is miles away from a political strategy being built on trans issues.

Check yourself.

Oh really? What's the usual point of making public statements of that kind if not stating a party's political strategy? In Harris's case to signal the party's ultra-progressive stance?

Do you think she was expressing a personal opinion?

One may simply make a comment without 'building a political strategy' around it you know.

If anyone made it political strategy, it was Trump.

you present him with an opportunity he's going to take it

biden calling americans garbage ?...dumb

hilary calling people deplorable?... dumb

the errors are errors made by the democrats

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Sophia

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Re: Are you a cynical person?
Reply #79 - Nov 13^th, 2024 at 4:39pm

Frank wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 4:06pm:

Sophia wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 2:42pm:

mothra wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 10:17am:

MeisterEckhart wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 10:01am:

Sophia wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 9:57am:

Am I a cynical person?
Not all the time

Only sometimes… because the way this world is… we need to be cynical to protect ourselves from all sorts of bs/scams/ etc
We just have to know when to turn on our cynicism when there’s a call for it.
I guess the older I get, I get less ripped off or conned because I’ve developed a healthy mistrust Grin

And has been statistically proven - that scams have a higher success rate the younger the target. Boomers are the least likely to be scammed than Millennials and Zoomers.

Depends entirely on the scam.

Sadly true, the most obvious ones most of us know…. like short prank missed unknown phone calls … expecting us to ring back … I block it, then delete.
Then there’s some unknown numbers ringing which could be legit… do I answer it? Nope!
I say… if it’s important … I have my message saying “please leave a message”
The ones that do… I listen and then know it’s from something like the reception at specialist about changing appointments, or the Vic govt electric heat bank special to replace the gas hws I’m applying for…
Then I call back.

Then there’s some I’ve been scammed with a legit website… and lost $80 recently…
Now I’m more cynical about anything to buy online… over last 5 years caught twice … but not a lot of money lost I can’t get over… it’s the inconvenience of cancelling the credit card for a new one.
I think twice before buying anything now.

I’ve lost interest buying online because I have lost trust.
Best to go shopping in shops I can walk into.

And maybe it’s not just being a tad cynical… I’m getting paranoid!
I check my banking every day!
I hear how even experts have been scammed! And a few elderly too… more so lonely, or widowed or elderly that have been brought up on trust, good will and a handshake deal.

Get one of these

https://wise.com/au/card/

It's a debit card that functions like a Visa card.
Brilliant for overseas travel, too.

One can simply not say debit cards cannot get scammed… maybe there’s a bit more protection with credit cards.

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If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand.

Milton Friedman

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Frank

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Re: Are you a cynical person?
Reply #80 - Nov 13^th, 2024 at 4:50pm

Sophia wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 4:39pm:

Frank wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 4:06pm:

Sophia wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 2:42pm:

mothra wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 10:17am:

MeisterEckhart wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 10:01am:

Sophia wrote on Nov 13^th, 2024 at 9:57am:

Am I a cynical person?
Not all the time

Only sometimes… because the way this world is… we need to be cynical to protect ourselves from all sorts of bs/scams/ etc
We just have to know when to turn on our cynicism when there’s a call for it.
I guess the older I get, I get less ripped off or conned because I’ve developed a healthy mistrust Grin

And has been statistically proven - that scams have a higher success rate the younger the target. Boomers are the least likely to be scammed than Millennials and Zoomers.

Depends entirely on the scam.

Sadly true, the most obvious ones most of us know…. like short prank missed unknown phone calls … expecting us to ring back … I block it, then delete.
Then there’s some unknown numbers ringing which could be legit… do I answer it? Nope!
I say… if it’s important … I have my message saying “please leave a message”
The ones that do… I listen and then know it’s from something like the reception at specialist about changing appointments, or the Vic govt electric heat bank special to replace the gas hws I’m applying for…
Then I call back.

Then there’s some I’ve been scammed with a legit website… and lost $80 recently…
Now I’m more cynical about anything to buy online… over last 5 years caught twice … but not a lot of money lost I can’t get over… it’s the inconvenience of cancelling the credit card for a new one.
I think twice before buying anything now.

I’ve lost interest buying online because I have lost trust.
Best to go shopping in shops I can walk into.

And maybe it’s not just being a tad cynical… I’m getting paranoid!
I check my banking every day!
I hear how even experts have been scammed! And a few elderly too… more so lonely, or widowed or elderly that have been brought up on trust, good will and a handshake deal.

Get one of these

https://wise.com/au/card/

It's a debit card that functions like a Visa card.
Brilliant for overseas travel, too.

One can simply not say debit cards cannot get scammed… maybe there’s a bit more protection with credit cards.

You put your money on it so you can keep it ticking along with say $200 for an online impulse buy. It's great when travelling since there is no online payment without your verification.

There is NO protection from willingly handing money to crooks.
So don't buy anything from a link sent to you.

TRUST ME! Shocked

Seriously, it's terrific. You can use it as an opal card in in Oz, Europe. Online bookings, anything. Had it for my last two overseas trips and use it for online transactions from parking, theatre to hotels and shirtings. Brill.

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Estragon: I can’t go on like this.
Vladimir: That’s what you think.

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Sir Grappler Truth Teller OAM

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Proud Old White Australian Man
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Re: Are you a cynical person?
Reply #81 - Nov 13^th, 2024 at 5:19pm

Maybe - but some here must be running scared... look at this... some here are absolutely petrified of any open discussion of several issues....... got 'em on the run, though.... remember that Chinese Astrological Year of Ox - gentle, loyal, hard-working beast...... but when the buffalo fight - all else in the jungle takes cover.... damn - monkeys and humans set the same tasks - hardly a fair study .... Grin

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/techandscience/scientists-may-have-finally-figure...

oooh! Psycho-babble....

"Often dismissed as an irrational or overinflated sense of concern, paranoia extends from a very rational ability to keep our wits about us in a chaotic environment.

Being able to adapt quickly can keep us alive when circumstances do change. At an extreme, however, delusional beliefs in the ill intentions of others can be socially isolating, robbing people of the ability to maintain healthy relationships and hold down jobs.

To better understand why some brains figuratively jump at shadows more than others, a team of researchers led by Yale University psychiatrists Praveen Suthaharan and Summer Thompson analyzed the results of a simple test on a group of male rhesus macaque monkeys and human volunteers.

Called a probabilistic reversal learning (PRL) task, the test revolved around the selection of a symbol for a chance of a reward – food for monkeys, and points for humans.

Different symbols granted varying chances of success, so given a choice of three on a screen, the subject was given an opportunity to learn which symbol was most likely to earn a reward.

Just when the subjects thought they had it all figured out after half of the test runs, the trial outcomes were flipped, with the luckiest symbol paying out rewards less frequently, and the unluckiest symbol now becoming the optimal choice.

"So participants have to figure out what's the best target, and when there's a perceived change in the environment, the participant then has to find the new best target," says Yale psychologist Steve Chang.

Six of the 20 macaques had undergone a neurological procedure previously in separate studies that affected either their dorsal thalamic nuclei – a region thought to play a role in planning, abstract thinking, and organization – or an area in their prefrontal cortex involved in decision-making.

Human volunteers, on the other hand, were required to complete a thought scale questionnaire to assess their level of paranoia, and a second survey to determine signs of any depression.

By analyzing the behaviors of the monkeys and humans before and after the switch had occurred and comparing the results with those of the surveys, the team were able to judge which of the impeded brain areas may affect the monkey's ability to coolly navigate the volatile gaming environment.

"Not only did we use data in which monkeys and humans performed the same task, we also applied the same computational analysis to both datasets," says Yale psychiatrist Philip Corlett.

The data indicated both the magnocellular mediodorsal thalamus (MDmc) within the dorsal thalamic nucleus and locations in the orbitofrontal cortex (known as Walker's areas 11, 13, and 14) all affected the monkey's behaviors following the test's switch, in subtly different ways.

Among those with impeded Walker's areas, the sudden loss of reward had little impact on their decisions to switch. The monkeys kept on tapping what they thought was the 'winning' ticket with reckless abandon.

Those whose MDmc had been damaged demonstrated the very opposite behavior, switching back and forth even after discovering the new 'high chance' symbol was paying out rewards, almost as if they suspected the system was rigged against them personally."

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“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
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