Mindless sheep...

Lazarus Long

New member
Nov 20, 2008
806
0
0
Because Sturgeon's Law [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeon%27s_Law] applies to people, too. Some (or most, depending on how much of a bitter old cynic you are) folks just can't wrap their brain around the idea that others don't share their opinion on something.

Welcome to the Escapist, by the way.
 

TaboriHK

New member
Sep 15, 2008
811
0
0
Straying Bullet said:
TaboriHK said:
You're way too young to be worrying about mindless masses. Let that be your source of adult depression like the rest of us.
/thread.

Really, I cannot say anything else. Just live your gaming times without worry or trouble friend. Enjoy it, SAVOUR it. CHERISH it.

I know I did in my DOS days.
Yes, to all of these things!
 

TaboriHK

New member
Sep 15, 2008
811
0
0
TehOden said:
TaboriHK said:
XIxDAxREAPERxIX said:
TaboriHK said:
You're way too young to be worrying about mindless masses. Let that be your source of adult depression like the rest of us.
I see your reasoning, but I wish to find the answers to my universal questions before they can grow to the state of obsession.
You won't get a satisfying answer to anything metaphysical in your teens. That's what your entire life is for.
I would argue that you won't get a satisfying answer to anything metaphysical... ever...
Probably so. All the more reason to let the years of limited to no responsibility not be wasted on realizations that will only haunt you. XD
 

loc978

New member
Sep 18, 2010
4,900
0
0
There are many more important things to consider regarding the human tendency toward conformity than what games we play...
 

Zechnophobe

New member
Feb 4, 2010
1,077
0
0
Istvan said:
rockyoumonkeys said:
Lemmings was a pretty awesome game.
I never got to play that, could you tell me what it is about?
In Lemmings, you have a door that opens, and out poors your lemmings. Sometimes 50 or 100 at a time. If left untouched, they will simple walk forward into whatever horribly fate awaits them, fire, death pits, explosives, etc. You give each lemming little jobs like 'build a bridge' or 'stop traffic' to try and control them as they stream into the playing field. Ultimately you want to get them to the end goal, alive. You have to get a certain percentage out otherwise you lose.

Oh, and MOST IMPORTANT of all, there is a button you can click that makes them all explode. It is lots of fun!
 

TheLiham

New member
Apr 15, 2010
477
0
0
I literally ask this question everyday.

"Liam, do you have black ops?"
"Not yet, why?"
"OMFG U FURKIN LOS3R LOL DURRRR!"
 
Jul 13, 2010
504
0
0
There is no such thing as the "mindless mass", people enjoy what they enjoy and some things appeal to the general populace. If you find/choose to like something different, then so be it but that doesn't make people who disagree, mindless.

I honestly find your "mindless masses" to be far more bearable then the elitest twats who tend to make up 75% of the non-masses and who've choosen to hate things for the soul reason that they are popular.
 

Cyberdelic

New member
Mar 20, 2009
37
0
0
Look, the majority of people cant help but follow what is already popular - Call of Duty games are no exception, but the same applies to all aspects of human culture from religion and philosophical understanding to even what shoes you wear and movies you see.
That's also why ever summer the same stuff is regurgitated and slapped up on the big screen with a sparkling new frock and hair style. People like what's familiar.

To bring what could potentially be an over-winded rant back to your point however - having what is popular is a sign of social status and is present throughout human history, also people like to feel like they are making a mark on the world to stroke their own ego as actually having an effect on the world is a direct symbol of power. By persuading people to get involved in what they enjoy, that person feels that what they are already doing is not only correct by association but also that they are some kind of cultural force by 'spreading the word'. Ego. And we all like to feel like we are special.

To bring my thoughts [which by no means are entirely correct] together on the topic in a concise way - It's neither right nor wrong, because at the end of the day right and wrong is a human perception that doesn't really exist - there is only 'change'. It's built into us as a species as part of our evolution to reject what could be a superior successor to ourselves genetically by attacking that which is different and this is reflected in our culture, especially politics and social trends in consumerism.
In males whom are entering their teens this need to follow the trend is extremely important as it establishes an identity and social status amongst potential rivals to their dominance - your either on our side, or your not.

It's not right or wrong. It's just dumb. It's a evolutionary trend that could be shaken off with the right level of self awareness of yourself and your culture, but habits die hard.

Forums are easy access, but not the place for this level of intellectual debate. My advice to you is to go and read a sociology book on social and cultural habits, a politics book on anti-consumerism and perhaps think about why you play video games at all instead of, say, fighting for personal and political freedoms or go exploring the world and maintain your health via bike riding. Or some thing. Might help you think about how to go about educating yourself instead of trying to get intelligent answers out of a gaming forum full of eclectic and often half-informed ideas [lets be serious, none of us are qualified on the subject matter to state our opinions as fact] from people whom spend more time playing games, feeling like their opinions matter enough to write them on the internet rather then reading a book of mind expanding potential and coming up with an actual answer.

I am no exception. Im off to play Borderlands. Again.

Peace.
 

JUMBO PALACE

Elite Member
Legacy
Jun 17, 2009
3,552
7
43
Country
USA
It's nice that you appreciate the more interesting and deep game experiences out there, but don't look down on everyone else for liking something different. Move the hell on.

And try to sound less pretentious...

PayJ567 said:
Yes, we should all give into the mindless masses because clearly they have no upper brain functions and simply do what they are told to do. Meanwhile all the geniuses of the world sit on their computers thinking how superior they are on Friday nights.
This was my initial reaction.
 

Grigori361

New member
Apr 6, 2009
409
0
0
XIxDAxREAPERxIX said:
Snip & snap
You my recent acquaintance are a funny, funny man. People do what people do, if they happen to do something it means that it works for them. If you do something it means it works for you.

Now I don't even subscribe to the idea of "best" as a concept, but I won't get into that here, too much headache not enough benefit for me. That said, within the conventional idea of "best" there is no correlation between what's popular and what is the best.

Wonderful example provided via the late Nikola Tesla, all, and I do mean ALL modern electrical and magnetic theory is based on his work. Everyone thought he was crazy. Everyone was right. But he thought of all of the best ways to do things, and then proved that they could be done. All conventional power generation in North america (and I'd imagine most of the world) would be far less effective without his work, we also wouldn't have AC (alternating current), or maybe we'd just have a much more arcane form of it, I'm not sure.

I think you give people in General a bit too much credit, or perhaps power over yourself and your opinions and actions.

I'm not going to say "do this" "don't do this" or "you should think this way", I would however suggest learning to trust yourself a tid bit more, and that usually only comes with taking risks with yourself.

Just a suggestion, now excuse me while I go find someone to troll. :p

As an edit, I forgot to mention that A: while he was totally insane, and ostracized by society for much of his life, in the end he had the "best" ways to do things B: people didn't exactly warm up to his ideas quickly, his own idol Edison had his work slammed, discredited (ie: he paid people to say it would never work)and even sabotaged at some points.C: Despite doing more for modern science then Einstein x 3 he died a penniless old man, completely along, and had all his files seized by the G-men of Mr Hoover.

The current HARRP system being experimented with in Alaska is allegedly based on several of his works, most notably the "death ray" (or particle beam). I'm nore presumung to state that it works or doesn't, I neither know nor care, and I'd rather not dip into conspiracy stuff right now. Sufficed to say there's a US military base in Alaska that seems to be experimenting with the manipulation of the earth's magnetic.
 

Chrono212

Fluttershy has a mean K:DR
May 19, 2009
1,846
0
0
XIxDAxREAPERxIX said:
This may be because I am only 13
I both congratulate you on your maturity and also pity you for that maturity.

Look, your peers are probably not 'mindless' but neither are they going to be willing or able to embrace new experiences at this time.
Hell, and I'm not trying to be condescending here but, you are probably going through new things on a fairly regular basis just by growing up and if you want to take a wholly unnecessary philosophical view on this, your friends or 'friends' probably crave the formulaic and repetitive nature of CoD: BO because it's repetitive and formulaic unlike their lives/feelings/body/etc.

Sure, I may have got totally the wrong end of the stick but it's a wild sab in the dark but most if us here have gone through it.
I'm really not the same person I was when I was 13...well...I damn well hope so :p
Enjoy your games and let them waste time on theirs. If you can, try to either encourage your friends to relax a little and talk about other things you mutually enjoy or, in the extreme case, get some new friends X3

But good luck none-the-less, eh?

OT: Most? Maybe.
A significant and noisy proportion? Unfortunately, yeah. X)
 

Necromancer1991

New member
Apr 9, 2010
805
0
0
Want to know why Halo and CoD got big among tho "Bro" crowd, word of mouth from friends and family, having a laser-focus or lacking the willingness to try new things does not make one a metaphorical sheep, and frankly why should there opinions matter, why hell my brother isn't what I'd call a "gamer" but he's more than willing to try stuff I suggest to him (He knows how much I play games so I'm more or less his go to guy for them), it's just that people don't like making shots in the dark, and when everyone around you keeps jumping up and down like a yappy Pomeranian (example provided below)


Finding people with the FOTM (Flavor of the Month) games isn't as hard as you may think, that being said people should be willing to try new games.
 

TehOden

New member
Jun 1, 2009
19
0
0
uro vii said:
There is no such thing as the "mindless mass", people enjoy what they enjoy and some things appeal to the general populace. If you find/choose to like something different, then so be it but that doesn't make people who disagree, mindless.

I honestly find your "mindless masses" to be far more bearable then the elitest twats who tend to make up 75% of the non-masses and who've choosen to hate things for the soul reason that they are popular.
I would argue that there is indeed a mindless mass, though the "mass" part might be a little overstated. Can you honestly say that you've never done something because everyone else was doing it, and said you agreed with something or enjoyed something just to fit in with all your friends? I'm pretty sure most of us are guilty of that sometimes. It's human nature to try and fit in with a group, and sometimes that means saying you enjoy something without actually stopping to question weather you really do or not.
 

Savagezion

New member
Mar 28, 2010
2,455
0
0
rockyoumonkeys said:
Lemmings was a pretty awesome game.
Haha, best quote of the thread. I think that every time I hear the word Lemmings. Maybe its the inner child in me but "WHOOOOOOO! LEMMINGS!"

OT: You know that line your mom and dad have said/say a lot? "So if everyone else jumped off a bridge to their death you would to/it's the right thing to do?" You missed your chance to use it.
I don't think you are judging CoD fans. You point out your acceptance of other people's ability to choose for themselves many times. I see your main gripe as the mentality of your friend saying the reason you should play is that everyone else is. This is one of those times where you don't become a sheep for doing so though. This is your hobby and is completely recreation. Some people have a strong desire to do what a lot of other people are doing. It is actually more important than the activity in question. Because their real recreational choice is socializing. Even if they focus on Black Ops by themselves, it is so they can socialize elsewhere with a lot of people about BlOps. I hope that makes sense.

Now there are people out there that do indeed look for masses to tell them what quality is. The fact I am seeing Cataclysm thrown in my face everywhere right now proves that. Just like a month or two back I had Black Ops shoved in my face everywhere. To some people this translates to the quality of the item rather than the quality of their marketing campaign. You will find in life that a lot of people are persuaded by marketing and if that number is high enough that in itself is marketing for the others not so easily convinced. Product placement, testimonials, etc. are all effective yet subtle ways to market something outside of ads. CoD winning character of the year at the VGAs stinks of paid/political marketing. However, it reinforces the idea in a lot of people that BlOps is so good it won some prestigious award. I am not saying BlOps is a bad game but CoD is just a game that has hit a "safe zone" in marketing. What I mean is most people consider CoD a guaranteed win before they have even played it.
 

subject_87

New member
Jul 2, 2010
1,426
0
0
Quite a loaded question there, but I do agree. While Call of Duty is fun, it's fun in the blandest, least revolutionary way possible; I prefer games that'll actually be worth remembering a few years on.
 

vociferocity

New member
Jan 1, 2010
33
0
0
so your friends want to play call of duty with you, and that's a problem because why? if you're not into the game, then just don't play.

also, here is an interesting fact for you - lemmings aren't actually mindless beasts who fling themselves off cliffs while migrating. real leammings, that is, I make no comment on the lemmings in the game.
 

TehOden

New member
Jun 1, 2009
19
0
0
vociferocity said:
also, here is an interesting fact for you - lemmings aren't actually mindless beasts who fling themselves off cliffs while migrating.
As accurate as this may be, I challenge you to not giggle at least a little bit at the thought of a sea of little brown furry critters pouring off a ledge like a living waterfall. I do NOT challenge you to continue giggling when thinking of the fate that awaits them as they plummet to their doom.
 
Apr 24, 2008
3,912
0
0
I don't like all the "mindless masses" talk, it makes whoever said it sound like an asshole. People are what they are, there is no reason they should be any different, or reason to project your own idealism onto the world and be annoyed when it doesn't fit...there's no reason why it would.

We're social animals, and I think we enjoy media more when we are sharing experiencing it with someone. Even if you have very niche tastes(and pride yourself on having them), you still enjoy finding someone who loves what you love, and the conversations that follow. I think that's what people like about mainstream media and why people jump on it, the hype surrounding the-new-thing may be short lived, and the work itself may not be the best example of anything...but it's something to share, so it's value is significantly boosted.
 

vociferocity

New member
Jan 1, 2010
33
0
0
TehOden said:
vociferocity said:
also, here is an interesting fact for you - lemmings aren't actually mindless beasts who fling themselves off cliffs while migrating.
As accurate as this may be, I challenge you to not giggle at least a little bit at the thought of a sea of little brown furry critters pouring off a ledge like a living waterfall. I do NOT challenge you to continue giggling when thinking of the fate that awaits them as they plummet to their doom.
ngl, I used to find it hilarious. but I had this book of like "nature facts" or something when I was about nine or so, and there was this thing about a disney documentary which had footage of lemmings jumping from a cliff - but the truth behind the footage was that the documentary people had rigged up a machine that would literally just throw them off the cliff.

wow. great work, disney. perpetuating a myth and also slaughtering dozens of cute little animals, all in one fell blow.

took me a while before I could bear to watch another disney movie :(