Comment author: CronoDAS 29 September 2009 04:11:55AM *  4 points [-]

Well, I pretty much told them I planned on spending all day surfing the Internet and playing video games until they stopped supporting me. You seemed to have a better excuse.

You also probably weren't shoved into special education after second grade. I spent third through seventh grade learning basically nothing from my actual schoolwork while the rest of my native school district caught up to me.

I'm always jealous when I hear about mathematical prodigies who are doing advanced work at young ages. I would have been one of them if I only I had someone who was willing to teach me math more complicated than arithmetic!

Comment author: Epsilon725 12 September 2013 06:52:07AM 1 point [-]

To use the internet term... I know that feel.

Comment author: PhilGoetz 01 October 2009 11:22:10PM 3 points [-]

Yeah, well, the Nazis could have participated productively in online discussion forums!

Comment author: Epsilon725 12 September 2013 06:50:06AM -2 points [-]

Godwin's Law - You mentioned Nazis, you automatically lose.

(Unless that was part of a joke. If it was part of a joke, then it was funny. Also, you have a point - Those skills are rather common.)

Comment author: Kaj_Sotala 28 September 2009 06:42:42PM 5 points [-]

Though I suppose the ability to not be a permanent object might be useful for e.g. walking through walls.

Unless it meant that you ceased existing at all, of course.

Comment author: Epsilon725 12 September 2013 06:46:09AM 0 points [-]

Alternatively, it could result in falling through the floor, and being trapped in the Earth's core for all of eternity... Or until you die, whichever comes sooner.

Comment author: Epsilon725 12 September 2013 06:39:03AM -1 points [-]

This may sound odd, but could there be a subreddit for competitive video games and rational strategies/playstyles?

Comment author: Epsilon725 18 May 2013 09:08:48PM 1 point [-]

For as far back as I can remember, I have always been a Rationalist, even before I knew what it was. I'd examine something from all angles, and think about things most people from my home town would not even consider. I saw this as me being smarter than them. I actually am smarter than them, but not only for that reason.

I could never really relate to anyone, back home. I saw them as dumb, uneducated, boring people that refused to think about anything. They openly refused to understand logic. They were stupid. They wasted their childhoods failing school and playing football and joining gangs. And I was not into that sort of things.

I was alone. I was a nerdy shut-in that would rather read than go outside, because Outside was where all the boring people lived.

My parents sent me to Archbishop McGrath Catholic school, becuase my parents thought it would be hilarious to send me, an athiest, to a catholic school. I wasted asn entire year-and-a-half excluded from everything. I woke up, I went to 'School', I sat in a corner, and when my hours were done, I'd go home. I'd read books and watch anime, and then go to sleep late at night. Sometimes, I'd stay up all night reading, and sleep during the day. They didn't care. I wasn't religious, and I'd never be.

I should porbalby menion that back then, I was a wimpy, pathetic doormat. I might sound absurd for blaming my parents, but they used to be physically and emotionally abusive. Now, they are only emotionally abusive.

Eventually, I was in a road accident caused by the Art Teacher, when she drove her car into me. They covered it up, had me expelled, and spread lies about me.

I was diagnosed with Aspergers, because apparently, there's a disorder for the smartass-ness that I developed as a defence mechanism, and the aversion to touch that my parents gave me. "Is your kid not normal? Don't worry, it's not your fault! There's a disorder for that!"

I was sent to Heronsbridge School, a "Special School", where I wasted 3 years of my life colouring in line drawings of puppies, and answering what 2+2 is on every baby worksheet they can download and print in front of me.

I stayed firmly Rational, to try and keep everyone's emotional abuse from hurting me. Their opinions and belief regarding me are illogical. They are based on predetermined guesses and assumptions, rather than observation or fact. Therefore, I should not be bothered by the fact that I am despised and hated by everyone in school, at home, even in my own home. My parents call me a disappointment and a failure. Even though they sent me to these places.

At that time, I thought it was Logical. Like Spock, and the Vulcans. I did not know about Rationalism back then, and I thought it was called 'Logical'. I liked how it prevented me from feeling bad about my life, and allowed me to focus on Writing, rather than falling into a despairing wangsting emo-pile.

Because I'm probably not going to be able to get a job without any qualifications or grades, I'm going to make money by becoming a writer.

I have already written a few books, mostly fanfics and original stories. I have taught myself to write books.

Anyway, I recently came upon a certain fanfic. Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. I downloaded an audiobook of it, so I can listen to it at night, when I can;t use my 3DS or Laptop.

I really, really like that that fic had done to Harry. I read the TvTropes page for that fic, and then I looked at LessWrong.

One of the comments I saw, about a funny webcomic, claimed that "It was a perfect depiction" of a certain logical fallacy, I cannot remeber which one. At that point, I found what I had always dreamed of: An entire website full of smart, rational people. I didn't have to be alone anymore. I could meet and befriend people as smart as me. I could meet and befriend people smarter than me. I could even learn new things, and that sealed the deal for me. I suppose I should find it odd that my 'School' is where I relax and sleep, and my 'Home' is where I feel bad, and my 'Free time' is when I learn. But honestly, I'm finally learning, so I'm okay with it.

Comment author: Epsilon725 17 May 2013 04:21:38PM 9 points [-]

I am new here, and I am not sure what to do.