Elitism

[Merlin]

Elitist people are not 'the best' in the world, they are simply people who think they are. There is a distinct difference. An elitist is someone who refuses to acknowledge any belief or idea that contradicts his/her own, no matter how much evidence the person has. That is not the recipie for the 'best' in the world, because your knowledge will become stagnant and never increase beyond the confines of your smug, dogmatic, self-diluted, egotistic way of thinking. With such a simple-minded approach to thought and ideas, no matter how much intelligence an elitist has, he/she is still infinitely more stupid than others beyond his/her narrow field of vision. I don't care how much you know about something or how good you are at something, if an elitist wants to rub it in people's face and refuse to expand his horizons, he's the real idiot. Go ahead and bask in dilusions of grandeur... while the rest of us laugh at how pathetic of a person an elitist truly is.

But, in the end it doesn't matter. Some people are simply full of themselves. It doesn't matter what you say to them, they won't change, so why bother. They want to think they are better, whatever. I know the truth and that is what matters.

[Angantyr]

HAHAHA

Elitism is attained from having a wider view of everything, it is experiencing everything and deriving the best from all of it. To despise Elitism is to live the most generic bland life ever. Go ahead be gullible to everything around you and drown yourself in the MTV trends and pathetic idealistic views of society while I continue to enjoy something much better than that...

[Casanova[OCAU]]

Originally Posted by Winter

HAHAHA

Elitism is attained from having a wider view of everything, it is experiencing everything and deriving the best from all of it. To despise Elitism is to live the most generic bland life ever. Go ahead be gullible to everything around you and drown yourself in the MTV trends and pathetic idealistic views of society while I continue to enjoy something much better than that...

not necessarily. The more you know the more you dont know.

Like, I acknowledge the fact that I'm better at/know more about a lot of things than most of the people around me (g0t modesty?), but it doesnt mean I look down on them or think I'm somehow 'supirior' to them. There are many an area in which they trump me. And you do get plenty of stupid people who think they know a lot and are eletist. We call these people idiots.

I personally, apparently come across as very approachable and trustworthy, though I do think I have eletist tendencies, especially those with significantly lower intellectual capacity.. either that or i just feel really handicapped and uncomfortable talking to those kind of people.

Oh and I like MTV!!! :'(

[.EcKS.]

Originally Posted by Winter

HAHAHA

Elitism is attained from having a wider view of everything, it is experiencing everything and deriving the best from all of it. To despise Elitism is to live the most generic bland life ever. Go ahead be gullible to everything around you and drown yourself in the MTV trends and pathetic idealistic views of society

I hardly beleive that you expeirence "everything". I despise elitism and guess what i guarenteed have a much much more exciting life than you my friend, and alot less "generic". speaking that your saying that all elitist have such an exciting life of talking down mtv, while you throw up the invisible grape fruits of satan. And i mean if you all do that wouldnt it be generic to an elitist, therefor making you ... may i say this....generic?
you seem to be seeing things in a narrow minded manor. Everything out of your relm of approval is shit, and that would mean that....oh oh....IGNORANCE? making you IGNORANT?..weeeeeeeeeeee this is fun.
You dont have to be an elitist, to see everything and take the best of it, anybody can do that. Since when did you get to say what the un-elite and elite can do?

How is everybody views on society pathetic?? Just becuase we dont have a thorny stick shoved up our ass, and look at the world in a negative light doesn't mean OUR views are pathetic. I'd think that it'd be the other way around.

Originally Posted by Winter

while I continue to enjoy something much better than that...

would this be abstinence?

[Jin]

Wow, how incredibly racist and idiotic was that?

I still think there's a confusion of terms here. At least for Winter, who seems to be saying that elitism is merely someone who is good at something (correct me if I'm wrong) and everyone else who says that it has nothing to do with actually knowing anything but in being arrogant and narrow minded about what you do know.

Both definitions are true of the word, the only difference is context. On an internet forum, the most common usage I've noticed is the latter one, the one to do with arrogance. The former usually comes up in politics.

Now, either way you look at it, arrogance is in their somewhere, as long as you claim to be part of the elite. The only difference is that you don't necessarily need to actually be elite to be part of the latter definition. Let's get our terms on the same page here, shall we?

[Casanova[OCAU]]

lol. It's intended in satire, not literally Jinatsu.

[Angantyr]

Superiority and Elitism are two different things by the way, superiority is thinking you are better than everybody else whilst Elitism is striving for the best. Think of it this way;

Microsoft think they are superior because they have a huge monopoly over everything.
Linux is considered elite because it has a much more stable system and you can do more with it.

Also Elitism is only for a select few, ie Not everybody uses linux cause not everybody understands it.

and I do not know where the hell I implied Elitism to be racist, I think you guys have a rather miss-informed stance on my views on that. I highly doubt for a second you have African blood, perhaps Arabic as a lot of Meds do, and I have absolutely nothing against the Arabs.

[.EcKS.]

I think thats the stupidest thing ive ever heard you say "guts".
Sicilians for one are not even close to having an african desent, the closet they got to having african desent is when they were at war with punic trading companies on africas mainland, and that was like 7th century BCE.

Sicilians are mostly of greek and siculi descent than anythin else, although sicily has had tons of different empires take it over, since it was such a valuble trading post positin from the the roman empire to the byzantine, to the normans. Meaning the cultural make up of siciliy would be a vast one.
anyways, unless someone is your family is a black man/woman themself. Being that of a pure sicilian would not have any trace of african desent.
and saying that you were 1/4 of african decent would mean that one of you grandparents would be of african desent.

so what you were saying is quite racist, playing off the "stereotype" of a african american, ecspecially when your not. would be IMO racist.


ps/edit..i think what winter is talking about is the l337 kind of elite.
you know d0000d i got h4x kinda l337.

[OmniTense]

I think I was a little vague on my stance last time I posted...

Elitism is simply enlightened enjoyment...
Enlightened enjoyment isn't superior to regular enjoyment.

An eight-year old bouncing a yo-yo isn't getting any less enjoyment than I do when I play FFXII.

Elitism is a fine thing if you keep in mind that it does not make you better than anyone else! Ever...under any circumstances. But there is a flaw to doing that:
I am guilty of Elitism; I simply refine from rubbing my tastes in other peoples faces or telling them that my tastes are better than theirs. But in esence, to declare yourself an elitist is, in effect, telling people that you have superior taste.

Refine and tweak your tastes until they fit you. Just because a small group of "in vogue" people agree with your tastes does not mean anything at all...

[OceanEyes28]

Guts, that's about enough. Stay on topic; this isn't a discussion about race.

Jintatsu, Winter: I don't have anything to warn you over, but I want to be clear that you should continue to act like adults. I'm seeing some content here that could evolve into something a little more offensive if you're not careful. Just be adults about this. You know that.

Thank you.

[Casanova[OCAU]]

How about we refer to the humble dictionary for the definition of what eletism is.

e·lit·ism or é·lit·ism (ĭ-lē'tĭz'əm, ā-lē'-) Pronunciation Key
n.
The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources.

The sense of entitlement enjoyed by such a group or class.
Control, rule, or domination by such a group or class.

"The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources."

Intellect - fine. But social status and financial resourses? This is where the concept of elitism comes to a grinding halt as far as the justification goes off the track. Just because you're rich doesnt mean your child, despite being an idiot deserves better resourses, or an better education.. etc..

[Jin]

Alisyn: Hmm? I'm not quite sure what you're talking about, this has to be one of the most civil conversations that Winter and I have ever had, but I'll try to...be civiler, I guess.

And back onto that, Winter: I've heard both terms used interchangibly, so I think that may be what has been confusing some posters here, myself included. Even so, being elite at something doesn't make you a better person than someone who isn't and they deserve the same rights as the elite. I'm not saying that you are saying anything contrary to that, but a lot of pro elitism advocates such notions which sicken me.

On a side note: I thought that it was the whole semitic thing in general, so don't arabs count?

Joking.

Originally Posted by Casanova

Intellect - fine. But social status and financial resourses? This is where the concept of elitism comes to a grinding halt as far as the justification goes off the track. Just because you're rich doesnt mean your child, despite being an idiot deserves better resourses, or an better education.. etc..

And just because your child isn't an idiot doesn't mean he deserves better resourses and a better education...

[Casanova[OCAU]]

Originally Posted by Jintatsu

And just because your child isn't an idiot doesn't mean he deserves better resourses and a better education...

I'm a strong believer that intelligence, when detected early should be guided and nurtured well. That way, as humans, we'd lead significantly happy lives, as people in all fields will have thier talent unlocked really.

[Angantyr]

If you have the money and you want the best for your children then why not give them the best they can? If you have the money then your probably have some intelligence and them being your kids surely you would pass some of that on to them.

Frankly I do not really give a f*ck what other people do with their lives but when it effects me and my family and my beliefs thats what pisses me off. There is nothing wrong with having pride in your accomplishments and those who you helped mold, I am not implying you have to be better than everybody else, racist or anything like that.