Things you used to believe/support but don't anymore

[NevskyProspekt]

Liberal Democracy, Neoliberalism, Laissez-Faire Capitalism, globalized markets, American exceptionalism (lol), liberal multilateralism (like the EU), libertarianism, technocracy, entirely market-based solutions to the housing crisis without some sort of cohesive plan, mainstream American Conservatism, """race realism""", gay marriage (supporting its legalization is one of my biggest regrets), NATO... I don't really fit neatly into any political category anymore.

I always hated socialism and communism, though, and still do. Thank goodness.

 

[A-Stump]

I used to believe in cryptids a lot. Like the megalodon shark still kicking around somewhere. I never got into terrestrial cryptids much because shit dude I think you'd be able to see a bigfoot walking around and I wasn't buying the being invisible thing. I guess it was easy to believe the ocean held a lot of shit we could never imagine but naw I think we've seen most of it. Scientists say 'Oh like 80% of the ocean is unexplored' but whatever, I don't need to see a bunch of sponges or tubeworms.

 

[Iamasock]

That the world needs a plague.

Although I still stand by my belief that this is the way the world keeps itself healthy. We have seen how a mild plague basically led to reinforcing control of individuals and changed nothing.

There is also a whole lot of nihilist shit I don't strongly support anymore as well.

Other than this, I am not sure I can think of much else.

 

[Quiet Guy]

Grew up Christian (Baptist) but now consider myself agnostic. I want to believe something greater than ourselves is out there, but I can’t do that on blind faith alone.

Try looking into apologetics. I have a book, Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh and Sean McDowell that seems good.

 

[DoNotFeedTheSneed]

Let me preface this by saying that I am a social democrat and I have been for around 2 years now. Prior to around a year ago, my only two disagreements with the vast majority of my ideological peers was on the issue of firearms (me being pro gun, them being anti) and de-platforming people for different political opinions (me being anti). Recently, I've developed a pretty major disagreement with those sharing my beliefs.

I cannot tolerate trannies anymore. I cannot live and let live with them like I can with every other group. I've tried as hard as I can, but it's proven to be impossible. The lion's share of them don't even have gender dysphoria anymore, They're just incels in dresses who are doing it as a ruse to net themselves power, whether that be power over lesbians by invading their spaces and pressuring them into fucking them or power over internet discourse by forcing people to constantly walk on eggshells lest their careers get ruined like their former saint Rowling.

Hell, they aren't even good political allies to me. My political priorities center around economic issues like healthcare, corporate regulation, and expanding welfare programs for the less fortunate whilst theirs center solely around chopping their dicks off. They don't give a flying fuck about any issue that doesn't revolve around them being trannies, not even the free healthcare which would net them their HRT easier.

They make everyone around them miserable. They're incredibly annoying, they constantly suicide bait, when they do kill themselves it tears families apart, and they convince young people that chopping their dick off and being miserable like them is the way to go.

Trannies want to ensure that everyone except them has the worst life imaginable. They are fundamentally incompatible with my views. TTD.

 

[Town Drunk]

Women's suffrage.

And just "equality" in general ("egalitarianism" is just a label I use, I just typically don't give a shit). In high school, we were put into groups and drew whatever American history subject was in the hat, and my group got the history of feminism. The catch to the group project was we were to put on a small presentation for it, and so we just made/printed images of women to paste on popsicle sticks and put on a scenario where the gossiping hens are complaining about men and deciding enough's enough. However, I went "off-script" and had "my girl" decide she didn't exactly agree with their sentiments and went home to make dinner for her husband while the rest of them continued to plot.

The irony of it all was that in spite of "lack" of women's rights, a woman still could make her own choices. Doubt anyone in the class caught on to it (my teacher chuckled at it, though).

Look up the white feather campaign. Women who shamed men who didn't want to go into the meat grinder that was WW1. A war that made them change troop deployment, as entire villages and towns were destroyed, because all the men were drafted and died. 22 million dead, while these women sat at home in safety.

For myself, religion. I can't force myself to believe, but I don't think believers are all idiots being deceived anymore. I see that it gives them purpose in life, a moral compass, and comfort in their final hours.

 

[(((I am NOT a jew)))]

I used to be the edgy fedora-tipping atheist type who thought that believing in God was a mental delusion only for idiots who couldn't rationalize the world to save their life.
The funny thing is I still do believe that but understand why.
I've seen the complete abyss and sheer nihilism that can come from atheism and or modern ideological counters to religion and what they do to people.
I still don't believe in a god, but I realize a society where people the majority of people do is infinitely preferrable to the alternative.
Something about humans having an end-all goal to reach, community, and a comic book level lore system gives people a kind of power to triumph and prevail through the sheer bullshit that is living that nothing else does. Religion tends to be the only real established thing that has these systems that has also worked and survived and thrived throughout time.
Yes, there are hypocritical followers and a lot of the morals in sacred texts aren't exactly to all be taken literally or at all, but that's also the case with every secular community as well. I see all the great works of art and science that has come about because of people believing in silly things and I've seen the absolute nadir of civilization come from "intellectuals" (who in reality are usually a lot more retarded on most subjects across the board than an average man of faith). I've noticed how the majority of influential people in the counter-culture and skeptic worldview all succumbed to their own vices and lived hedonistic, self-destructive lifestyles while espousing how humanity was shackled by religion, as if anyone would want to join them in their depressing lifestyles.
Everyone tries to use copes now and say you can replace faith wth whatever is of value to you in order to live a fulfilling life but the joke is most human beings can't find value in much things WITHOUT a belief system that puts value on anything.
This puts me in a bit of a pickle as a guy who still is a nihilistic atheist faggot but realizes where that road ends, while still not being able to believe in any major god and all the shit I'd have to swallow with that pill if I decided to take it. It's truly a weird position to be in. I might try to learn more about eastern philosophy because shit like Buddhism/Taoism always was more my thing. But overall anymore when I notice someone's religious I don't instantly cringe or reee and have a prepared debate on hold in my mind and I just accept that they're probably a much happier person than me/

For myself, religion. I can't force myself to believe, but I don't think believers are all idiots being deceived anymore. I see that it gives them purpose in life, a moral compass, and comfort in their final hours.

Goddamnit (literally)
Here I am writing a novel about my experience with religion and then the first thing I see after I post it is literally the same thing just in a much more concise TL;DR form "lawl fam, religion ain't my thing but I get it just do you bro".
Kill me.

 

[PaleTay]

That my family had good intentions. They're just controlling and afraid of everything they shouldn't be, couldn't be bothered to pay for a lot of activities.

 

[Ambidextype]

Weed legalisation, pro choice
I used to not care about these things because I believed in the free choice of people doing whatever they want in their own lives but I'm starting to think a lot of people don't seem to understand the concept of drawing a line from being too hedonistic. I believe too much weed consumption makes people unproductive and fat slobs while pro-choice gives modern women the leeway to be unlikeable sluts harming the relationships in the long term. In the recent years, there have been slew of articles of lonely women coping and seething about lack of men not realising they are the reason why men don't bother with dating any more.

 

[ArnoldPalmer]

Weed legalisation, pro choice
I used to not care about these things because I believed in the free choice of people doing whatever they want in their own lives but I'm starting to think a lot of people don't seem to understand the concept of drawing a line from being too hedonistic. I believe too much weed consumption makes people unproductive and fat slobs while pro-choice gives modern women the leeway to be unlikeable sluts harming the relationships in the long term. In the recent years, there have been slew of articles of lonely women coping and seething about lack of men not realising they are the reason why men don't bother with dating any more.

I was never in support for weed legalization, for this reason and more. I have been known to consume, but I have always been on record as not supporting legalization. Keeping it in the gray market (decriminalized, but still illegal and punishable as misdemeanor) made it so that you couldn't realistically be stoned all the fucking time, like some of the burnouts I have come to know. Now, I see people high in public, on the road, at the store, or zooted co-workers at my job, all the time, and I hate it. "The Weed Store" has done so much to worsen local society, that I find myself constantly surrounded by people who "just need to feel good" all the fucking time, as if suffering sometimes is a net bad thing. Someone's always gotta have a rip off of their wax pen, or hit their pipe in order to go outside and have fun, or do the things inside that they'd normally enjoy. It really has fucking crippled people, and I have a hard time associating with people I've known for years, because they all act like college dropouts, but in their mid-20s-40s.

I see it as what smartphones did to the Internet. You can have too much of a 'good thing'.

On the other hand, I do think that the hemp plant should be re-introduced into the local flora, but that's for a non-drug related reason.

 

[Mothra1988]

I used to believe in cryptids a lot. Like the megalodon shark still kicking around somewhere. I never got into terrestrial cryptids much because shit dude I think you'd be able to see a bigfoot walking around and I wasn't buying the being invisible thing. I guess it was easy to believe the ocean held a lot of shit we could never imagine but naw I think we've seen most of it. Scientists say 'Oh like 80% of the ocean is unexplored' but whatever, I don't need to see a bunch of sponges or tubeworms.

I know I'll get stickers for this, but while Bigfoot was probably a hoax by a guy who made a really good female ape suit, there is still something out there that is messing with people by making "knock sounds" in response to tree knocking, etc. It's just not a fucking Bigfoot. There's a lot of fucked up shit in the woods if you spend enough time out there. In some places, the land is fucked up because of what the Indians did there hundreds of years ago. People do not like talking about this kind of thing because it creeps them out and messes with their understanding of reality.

As for actual "criptids," I think it's possible that humans have some collective memory of some kind of dinosaur that survived into antiquity or pre-history, but that probalby occurred thousands of years ago and died for good around that time. But people just buy into the "mass die-off" theory so much they assume that's impossible. Like it was completely impossible when some of the mammals survived the same event. I'm not saying they didn't mostly die way early, but it's in the realm of possibility or we wouldn't still have fish species, etc. from that period still alive.

 

[Ingmar Aspergman]

Recently I considered (for a nanosecond) about narcing to someone’s boss about the insane shit they say online, but decided I didn’t want to be that person. Funnily enough, they’re getting fired anyway because of failing to meet standards, but it made me reconsider what I thought was right because I know for a fact he would absolutely do that to me. I wouldn’t have to question whether to stick to my principles if they mattered at all for anyone.

Weed legalisation, pro choice
I used to not care about these things because I believed in the free choice of people doing whatever they want in their own lives but I'm starting to think a lot of people don't seem to understand the concept of drawing a line from being too hedonistic. I believe too much weed consumption makes people unproductive and fat slobs while pro-choice gives modern women the leeway to be unlikeable sluts harming the relationships in the long term. In the recent years, there have been slew of articles of lonely women coping and seething about lack of men not realising they are the reason why men don't bother with dating any more.

I would satisfy both my very real hatred of those people and the principle of “live and let live” by allowing them to make retarded choices and ruin their lives as consequence.

 

[A-Stump]

I know I'll get stickers for this, but while Bigfoot was probably a hoax by a guy who made a really good female ape suit, there is still something out there that is messing with people by making "knock sounds" in response to tree knocking, etc. It's just not a fucking Bigfoot. There's a lot of fucked up shit in the woods if you spend enough time out there. In some places, the land is fucked up because of what the Indians did there hundreds of years ago. People do not like talking about this kind of thing because it creeps them out and messes with their understanding of reality.

As for actual "criptids," I think it's possible that humans have some collective memory of some kind of dinosaur that survived into antiquity or pre-history, but that probalby occurred thousands of years ago and died for good around that time. But people just buy into the "mass die-off" theory so much they assume that's impossible. Like it was completely impossible when some of the mammals survived the same event. I'm not saying they didn't mostly die way early, but it's in the realm of possibility or we wouldn't still have fish species, etc. from that period still alive.

The 'knocking' can be attributed to tons of animal calls which we just convince ourselves sound like wood being knocked on. Heck you can even get a corvid to repeat the sound if you're doing it first in an attempt to get a response. Crows or magpies love to repeat sounds back and you'd be surprised by the accuracy of their mimicry. As for indians doing fucked up things, IDK if you're maybe alluding to the wendigo or something but the wendigo was more like a metaphor in their cultures than actual thing. Like you could 'invite' the wendigo in and become corrupted by it. Kind of like Arabian cultures the ghoul was more of a representation of graverobbers than actual cemetery dwelling spirits.

I don't think humans could have been around when dinosaurs were. Seems kind of implausible, but we were alive when tons of mega-fauna were. Like our earliest fossil ancestors that were constantly bipedal were around 7 million years ago so shit you'd have to be crazy to think they didn't see some crazy things and keep it catalogued in the primordial part of the brain.

 

[AnneRipper1010]

war

 

[Toolbox]

The Death Penalty.

Now I see how hypocritical it is to have a law against murder and then sanction murder. Who am I, or anyone, to kill a creation of God or a billion years' worth of Evolution? I don't believe we can make that call.

I do believe that if acts in such a way that their humanity is no longer existent and cannot be redeemed, that they should be air-dropped into the middle of nature; jungle, tundra but not a desert, and let nature sort them out. If they can survive in the Jungle or expansive tundra's of Siberia, then maybe they will find a new appreciation of life. If not, they become food for nature.

While I now realize the death penalty is a bad idea, it is a bad idea because it puts more power over life into the hands of an uncaring at best and malicious at worst government. Regardless of where you live. At the same time there are people who legitimately would do the world better by not existing. Dumping them in the middle of nature is a good way to just end up destabilizing fragile ecosystems. Some of these wretches cling to life so much despite rejecting those of others. It'd be an unmitigated disaster. There are those that are so broken that no lesson will ever be learned, and there are those so far gone there is no "redemption" for their actions. The actual solution for these individuals is in the modern world unattainable.

 

[ToroidalBoat]

Leftism, vaccines, government in general, Atheism/science.

Used to think a one world government was a good idea, "progress" was always good, and that electric cars* were the future but were being held back by Big Oil or something.

*(the resources they use, battery safety, and the higher cost of maintenance are issues)

 

[(((I am NOT a jew)))]

Recently I considered (for a nanosecond) about narcing to someone’s boss about the insane shit they say online, but decided I didn’t want to be that person. Funnily enough, they’re getting fired anyway because of failing to meet standards, but it made me reconsider what I thought was right because I know for a fact he would absolutely do that to me. I wouldn’t have to question whether to stick to my principles if they mattered at all for anyone.

Dude, I've been there too. There was a case of someone who considered themselves anti-woke doing somewhat similar shit I was digusted by though, which reminds me I'm better than that.
But I get it. My only issue isn't that people say shit that would be considered non-kosher at times. My problem is they can't return the favor to anyone else.

Spoiler: Powerlevel here but

I've had a dude try to cancel my ass and spread rumors because I was some "nazi/incel/problematic" type when he would literally call his ex a nigger for not fucking him anymore among other shit. I've had pieces of shit cast dispersions on me and then chimp out when I've called them out on their complete hypocrisy.

I really don't want to be that guy but sometimes I think these people should have to be reminded that they have standards they have to hold themselves up to. If you're going to play that sort of game with everyone else, don't be shocked when your closet is cleaned out and you seem like a scumfuck. It's not right to think like that but you also know they won't stop until they have to deal with the same treatment they've done to everyone else.
It's also why I'm mixed on guys in Hollywood being cancelled right now. Are some of the stories going around over-stylized or even complete fabrications at times? Sure. But I also know these are the same people who have sold out their 'best friends' for clout and some shekels, so I really can't be bothered to give a shit when their grift comes tumbling down.

Another one for me: Free speech
Before everyone collectively rees... No, I'm not against people posting offensive things online or having extreme opinions I don't like. I don't support the banning of any piece of media and I think people should be free to say shit online without worrying about it affecting their livlihoods for the most part.
But I have met examples of people who love nothing more than inflict their abuse and sociopathy on other people. I've met the kind of guy who says shit behind protection of the law, knowing the only thing stopping them would be someone inflicting bodily harm. I'm not saying people should be in jail for being an asshole in public. But if you're going to intentionally provoke someone or try your best to pick at wounds for some people, don't be surprise when you get your ass flogged. If you're protesting someone's funeral and end up being stomped that's on you. I know some people think that's a slippery slope and it probably is, but I've seen too many examples of people using their freedom to harrass innocent people or spouses inflicting abuse that I can't say I believe in 100% freedom for some types. Say nigger/faggot all you want. But if you're humiliating your wife in public or trying to shame people, you need a decent asskicking at some point.

 

[Mewtwo_Rain]

Too many to list:

I once believed the egalitarian delusion, but now realize nobody is equal in oppertunity or outcome. I once believed hat authoritarians were misguided about the cowardice of most of humanity (I was majorly wrong on this) , MLKism at one time, Freedom of experession of sorts, I used to believe everything should be able to be exposed to the public outside of the likes of nudity to children, but porn has had real consequences on the unreliable and irresponsible masses, and certain ideas seem to be absorbed into people's brains who can't resist the subliminal messaging and propaganda (this could also be exposure of freedom of speech of sorts as well).. That the world and most people had some ability to be redeemed, to be fair they partially do but most people will never do it thus my incorrect thought on the concept.

That the elites are wrong about humanity, but the problem is they are right in some specific beliefs of how stupid most of society and people are in general, they themselves aren't much better but regardless. That humans will ever evolve pass our current limitations, Darwin is probably going to be proven correct in multiple ways. That people's cognitive dissonance has a limit, after seeing what's happen to western nation's no longer.

That it's not right to flex intellectual superiority or strength, that kindness should be shown until proven to be misattributed. People merely see your lack of strength/intellectual ability/kindness as a weakness and will purposely prey upon it and even people who still believe the opposite will often submit and bow down to those who do. Same thing with handing out respect if you give respect before it is earned most people will take advantage of you or gaslight you without you noticing.

That a lot of the "troll" accounts from 10-14 years ago on political sites were right. An easy example is that one guy on like every site claiming the right wing weren't much better than the left, saying they were cowards who were just as bad for other reasons. Now I see that said poster was ahead of the curb.

Hard work matters, most times it is those who cut corners who succeed not those who take pride in their work ethic. Those that adhere to good standards and life will benefit, the truth is far from that concept. Not always, but often enough to be noticeable.

That fear instilled morality is bad, I realized I was wrong about that as well, it's one of the few ways to keep people in line for lawful behavior. When you fear no punishment for being immoral, most will indulge in the immoral with no hesitation of not being held accountable.

Pro-choice aren't pro-abortion but pro-responsibility. No. Haha. They fooled me with that concept for a small bit of time. The charade fell apart real fast.

That tolerance is a virtue instead of being a go-to for the weak and vile and for those who are intellectual cowards. I was greatly mistaken in being tolerant in my youth.

I once believed it was silly that many great philosophers became hermits and exiled themselves from society. That transitioning in one way of life or lifestyle through the ages was a good thing. I can understand how people felt when their era vanished and became something worse or was no longer manageable.

That people in general hold the same standards universally. Most people delve into double standards and hate to be held to their own, most people accuse everyone of being hypocrites merely because they are and are pulling everyone into the bucket of crabs and once I realized that it changed a lot of my world view.

Most friends are loyalist. I always thought of my friends as someone to treat well and loyally take care, that was until I realized a majority of them are not like that, and at best will treat you like acquaintances. They love your loyalty, they just hate to return the favor. That most people listen, when most people would rather give their own story than to listen to others and in return tell their story. The difference is staggering.


That hanging around the openly and honestly vile is a bad idea. I realized as I aged the nicer people were often deceptive scumbags who were far worse than those who were open and honest about it. A façade of pleasantry is not as fun when you realize how malicious the "nice guy" really is behind your back or what he really thinks, at least the guy with upfront intention and vile behavior let's you know what to expect so their betrayal or open honesty of behavior always makes sense unlike the formal who can't even be honest with themselves and always expose themselves only when they find it valuable too or when plotting methodically.


That violence is bad and reason should always be priority. The issue with that belief is reason rarely works with most people and violence and force and submission seem to be one of the few ways to steer people in line. Even outside of that people care more about personal feelings than reason.

The belief that systems function on their own in a standard way. They just don't and the reason systems collapse is due to lack of responsible figureheads in a system. Whether it be social systems, retail chains, etc. Once the person keeping it sustained vanishes, dies, or leaves, everything collapses.

That societies based on lies will slowly fade. I was mistaken because all societies are based on convenient lies, they still fall apart slowly or rapidly over time due to those lies but there is no society based on full functioning reality or truth. "You can't handle the truth." Indeed.

That the rule of law, and a strict sense of justice is a good thing. This delves into double standards and the fact how it should function doesn't. Also some laws are just idiotic to be enforced or applied and should be outright resisted. Obedience and appeal to authority and rule of law can be dangerous depending on how it functions.


/etc.

 

[Dylan]

I used to believe Null was an idiot. But now I see he's on par with NPC and He's very susceptible to the influence of propaganda.
This man was drinking tap water in a shit hole 3rd world ditch, oh and he thinks vegan substitute for nuggets is healthy.
Null, if you ever read this, I was the anon at lolcow who was spilling your milk when you made a thread.

 

[AhByee]

Feminism
Black unity
'Science'