One ting that has stirred up the muddy bottom of the group consciousness around here is the recent spate of high-volume, unsupportable and wildly paranopid generalizations about the wickedness of the world and the US and the government and the UFOs andthe aliensand everybody everywhere. This kind of discussion actually reduced the level of consciousness in the group for the simple reason that it dissipates attention in a targetless generalization, which makes everyone spin around trying to understand something that is inherently incomprehensible. This is a typical pattern of communication from an individual who is so overwhelmed by fear that they believe they are going down and must take as many others as possible with them. It is not within the normal meaning of sane communication. As such it depresses the creativity and intelligence of the community. It is something like having a quiet and interesting conversation while standing next to a car whose alrm is sounding stridentl siren sounds at top volume.

Bad communication of this sort tends to drive out rational discussion; and part of the responsibility of those who are capable of rational discourse is NOT to let themselves be stampeded into silence by loud and irrational communication.

This also has some bearing on the recent political threads.

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