What is the best way to convert everyone to your own personal -ism?

[Elok]

AAHZ has been huffing paint so long, he now tries to get high by scratch-n-sniffing the sample cards at the hardware store.

[C0ckney]

(Marxism is a bit different, because of its explicitly worldly and political nature, but you could argue for it being, or being like, a religion for some purposes)

this is a common misconception, and just something that marxism's critics use to deny it credibility. in fact marxism isn't a religion, it's not even an ideology (though it can easily be attached to things which are most certainly ideologies). it's a critical framework; it's no more religion or ideology than say logical positivism.

[Elok]

EDIT: This post in its original form was needlessly confrontational for a friendly discussion with a poster I actually like. Revised edition: what, in your estimation, is the significant difference between a religion and a critical framework?

[C0ckney]

i actually saw the original post (but i'm snowed under with work at the moment, so i have little time to respond) and didn't think it needlessly confrontational, but in any case thank you.

for me a religion is an organised belief system and world view that attempt to explain the world and man's place in and/or relationship with it. this often means some kind of creation myth, which details how the world was made and the starting point for man's relationship with god(s). it is not scientific, though it may (and often does) have a philosophical underpinning, relying instead on faith in a higher power, or something intangible within ourselves.

a critical framework is a set of assumptions and premises with a logical, scientific, and/or philosophical background. a critical framework can used to examine historical events or phenomena; it's a prism through which they can be viewed if you like. so you can examine the american civil war, brazilian urbanisation in the 20th century, or the effects of globalisation on vietnam from a marxist perspective, but you'd struggle to do the same from say an islamic one.

[Dr Strangelove]

Control the media so that people will only see and hear what you want them to see and hear. Soon they'll be thinking what you want them to think.

[Sir Og]

Media is the key.

You also need a book or a movie. You need to have human characters because people like humans a lot.


I have been thinking about something similar. I was wondering how I can change people's beliefs regarding monetary policy. I came to the conclusion that it is impossible because the subject is too boring. Also I could not think of a way to tell a monetary policy story with interesting human characters in it.

[Aeson]

It may help if you suffer and/or die in a horrible manner, yet are able to keep your spirits up about it to show how amazing your ism is.

[Sava]

It may help if you suffer and/or die in a horrible manner,

I'm going to get on board with this.

[C0ckney]

It may help if you suffer and/or die in a horrible manner, yet are able to keep your spirits up about it to show how amazing your ism is.

he died for freedom, for victory, for errr...monetary reform.

[Lorizael]

It may help if you suffer and/or die in a horrible manner, yet are able to keep your spirits up about it to show how amazing your ism is.

If most of my bodily functions cease, but in a non-catastrophic fashion, and then I am cryonically stored for some time, and then revived at a later time, does that count as resurrection?

[Aeson]

No, someone else gets born into your body in the future and thinks they are you. That or you become a zombie.

[Lorizael]

So much for therapeutic hypothermia.

[Sava]

anyone who has an -ism or believes in an -ism is an idiot

[Lorizael]

anyone who has an -ism or believes in an -ism is an idiot

Let's call that Savaism.

[Sava]

just throw in some commandments about marijuana and naked women and we're set