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| The little-known "Solecismon, the Person Using the Word 'Ironic' Incorrectly" |
Recently, a furor broke out when an astronomer in Minneapolis made a statement in a newspaper interview that the zodiac calendar had shifted. As you look at the following items (just click on the titles), pay attention to statements made by the authors and interviewees that give insight into the role that belief and justification (i.e. evidence) play in what people claim to know, even about themselves. Use those statements as starting points for your comments.
29 comments:
If the pattern of some stars on the day I was born was going to determine my personality and future whatevers, I wouldn't see a point in changing. I am independent, responsible, witty, compassionate, energetic, confident, and loyal. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, those traits happen to be from different zodiac signs.
I don't understand why people are refusing the change their zodiac. It's a lot more fun to be independent and control your own life rather than listening to superstitions. They don't define anyone, whether the stars are changing or not. And frankly, it used to depend on the publisher whether I was a Virgo or Leo anyway. I was never sure because the date was never consistent in the first place.
As for the stars, the universe probably has changed. Everything changes, but they don't necessarily have to be tied together in any way except by time.
In reading the articles there seems to be two reactions to the news. The people who refute the evidence, because they believe that they are an aries, and that their sign cannot be changed. And then there are the people that are hysterical because they have changed from being "sensitive, dependable, and stubborn, they are now emotional, reliable, and obdurate." I was curious to see if mine changed, and sure enough I went from an aries to a pisces. I used to be independent and now I guess I'm gullible. Which is exactly what I would be if I bought into horoscopes. I looked at most of the horoscopes for today and sure enough they were all so incredibly vague that they could be applied to anyone. Also, if I read something in the morning that tells me something unexpected will happen I am going to analyze everything in my life and create something that wasn't really that remarkable into the "unexpected". Regardless of what is actually true, and whether or not the stars can guide or lives, people buy into it. The belief that they have in their horoscopes is so strong, that it doesn't matter how many people come out against it they'll still believe it. And the other individuals who accept the change will probably change their personalities into the people the stars destined them to be. The justification either way is not very sound, but I don't think people truly care about the justification. People just want a little pick-me-up fortune cookie horoscope that tells them they'll have a lot of friends and a lot of money and a great day.
So, I used to be a Sagittarius, but now I am apparently a Scorpio. Honestly I think horoscopes are ridiculous and just plain silly. It is just something lots of people seem to like to do because maybe they want to be able to label themselves and have some explanation/justification for why they are the way they are? But that's the thing, the sign doesn't always match the person, people just like to think it does. This doesn't seem like something that everyone should be having fits over. I mean really, you are who you are, does the opinion of the ancient Babylonians or some modern day scientist about who you are because the earth was aligned with a certain constellation, really matter? No. Everybody just needs to calm down. If you do believe in horoscopes, maybe you should take this as some proof that your sign doesn't reflect your personality--you are who you are. I noticed that the reporters were making light of it, but at the same time they were acting like: "Oh that's impossible haha I am an Aquarius so this is dumb." Why are they even worried about it? I think it's funny that people are all up in arms about the whole thing. Insecure with your identity much?
Sorry for a second post here.. but it just hit me that the feller in Times Square said it's like changing his religion.. implying people can't choose their religion? Wait a minute...
According to a couple of the articles, the Astrologers have known about the 13th Zodiac sign Ophiuchus for hundreds of years. Apparently they thought it would be easier to leave one sign out, because 12 sounds better. In the article 'Astrology Sign Panic: Five Reasons to Calm the Eff Down' the author discredits the new accusation, saying it was recently made up. Even in the articles, we have contradictions. Only one idea can be true. The claim that people have known about Ophiuchus for a while now is more justified, and I believe it more.
As a result of this confusing, we didn't know what our sign was. Or more accurately, we didn't know which area of the sky the sun was during our birthday. We may have believed we knew our zodiac sign, but we did not have the truth. Now that we have the truth, more people don't believe it, therefore they still don't know. Ophiucus is now a zodiac sign. That is the truth. Does this really even matter? A Gemini isn't going to act differently because they changed to a Taurus. Zodiac signs are not meant to be taken seriously because the guesses they make are not true. So a controversy if a part of something is true about something that isn't even true seems ridiculous.
The main thing that I saw in all the articles was a reluctance to give up your old sign and accept the fact that it was changing. People were really concerned because they had put their identities into this theory and had too much at stake for it to go wrong. As soon as the “change” was released people flipped out because the status quo had been changed. What we had based our knowledge on previously our chain or web of belief (Jeffrey Olen) had been broken. It’s one of those things like “if this is wrong how else have I been lied to.” The argument was not really about the “science.” People that were scientific or didn’t care accepted the news and people that believed in the horoscopes were immediately against it. This example shows how we justify our beliefs. Maintaining what we have known is more important than the strength of an argument. I found it fitting that after all the mess (which somehow I had been unaware off) they decided that they were going to maintain the old system, further proving my point. Smart people really do believe weird things.
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It is humorous that people are very superstitious about their signs. It is all but a psychological thing. A person might have first believed that he or she is a passionate and liberal person that doesn’t get along with, let’s say, Cancer. Now, all of a sudden, what that one person once believed and followed as their guide has turned the table around them and suddenly they aren’t passionate and liberal, but stubborn and prude. Now people feel betrayed and lied too and can’t believe that they’ve been acting the way they have and have been with the wrong people all this time. But they must realize that they have proved the zodiac signs wrong and therefore the description of your particular sign is absurd and inaccurate just like the zodiac calendar itself that was inaccurate by the Babylonians.
It's kind of hard to provide very balanced assessments when it comes to something like astrology - it's extremely suspect to begin with. I see what you did there, Currier.
Astrology is one of those interesting things that many people choose to believe in even though they know it makes no logical sense. It's interesting to see peoples' almost vehement reactions to the idea that their zodiac sign might be different than they previously thought - it shows the extent to which people are willing to defend something they want to believe in, whether it makes sense or not.
All the claims made concerning the astrologers vs. astronomers debate in all of the articles seemed... kind of poorly put together. All of the news sources seem very news-flashy and more concerned with spreading the simple story than helping anyone make an educated decision about the subject. Not very high-quality news sources, in other words. I don't think anyone should be forming their opinions on the subject based on these sound bites - they're not thorough and when they have opinions on the subject, they don't cite their sources or go into detail about -why- they think the way they do. Nothing here is done for the purpose of helping a viewer make an educated decision. Go listen to NPR or something if that's what you're going for.
astrology tends to play off of peoples lack of knowledge. people don't know what the future hold for them so the seek something to base predictions on. in reality those that use a horoscope to base there activity off of are actually getting conveniently vague information that could be interpreted in many different ways. the reason that people are so eager to base there personality profile off of astrology is that anyone can think of an instance in which there habits or actions aligned with the description of there designated astrological sign. things align because they are vague and because it has made an accurate prediction before it provides them with evidence about why the horoscope might be accurate. horoscopes make these grand prediction on how you life will turn out based on the position of the planets. after that a horoscope has provided evidence to the user that it is accurate then people become hooked they now have a tool that can accurately predict there future. so they continue to use it despite the lack of evidence on why its predictions are accurate.
now on the other side of the spectrum, even the little evidence that has been provided it is still evidence and it is accurate to some degree. so a horoscope has the potential to be correct. your brain is an immensely complicated devise, with potential we don't even understand so it may be that the position of the stars at the time you were born has some effect on who you become. it may be some astrological higher power that is driving fate. but until we have more evidence there is not a good argument for ether side
If people really need a horoscope to tell them how to act and behave, I'm a tad scared... I always viewed horoscopes and astrology as good, plain, old "fun." Seeing as my readings have never come true, whether I'm a Tauros or Aries, I'm prone to call this whole business silly and superstitious. Just because one man has decided to mention that, hey!, there have always been 13 ways to label yourself, not 12, doesn't mean people have to change their entire life style to fit an online description. And, from what it sounds like, most people aren't going to anyway. This "reveal" might actually make people realize that astrology is a business... that will trick you. Quit believing everything you read about, kiddos.
The problem with this situation is simple. People have used these signs for many generations, and as a society we have set types of personalities that are formed by this mythical process. The main problem is not that some people take this too seriously and base their lives off a star sign, but it is that one man cannot consider that the people who use star signs do not have the knowledge that the earth has tilted more on its axis than it did back when the Babylonians mapped the sky. These people believe in their preset daily destinies and follow them religiously. This one man cannot switch these people's perspectives because it has been built up for too long. Yes there is justificaiton that the star alignment with the calendar has changed, but the belief in the original way, and the justificaiton that the Babylonians presented, are enough to make these people deny empirical data.
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I have a hard time thinking that the way the universe is on the day i was born has anything to do with me, or the way i act or the things i do.
Then the fact that their changing just proves that their not accurate. i feel like alot of people play into the whole zodiac sign thing and form themselves to fit that explanation. people are reluctant to change their sign because for so long that has been a personal sign to them..and it doesnt make since how you can just go and change it. therefore i dont think anybody KNOWS what there signs are.
People are reluctant to change their previous beliefs when presented with new facts some times if it is so ingrained in their everyday routine. For example, those who depend on their zodiac sign to make decisions and determine who they are hold on to it stronger than those who do not. They don't want to change because they would be less trusting of their new zodiac and feel that they have been living their life from the wrong advice. They don't want to accept that this may not be accurate because if it were, then it wouldn't be so easy to change. The fact that Susan Miller can object to the possibility of them changes shows just how unreliable these signs really are; if we can't even agree on what sign we are, how can we trust what they have to say about us?
It is really interesting that people are very sensitive about their sign’s, one man said it was like changing your religion, but people change it all the time, because they begin to believe in different things. A person might have first believed that there sign was true but it’s humorous that some people let it run their lives. Now, all of a sudden, let’s say a Virgo reads their horoscope and it states “You can look forward to a busy day, Virgo. Don't schedule any additional tasks.” Virgos reading this horoscope will have an open day, and what if something doesn’t happen, they will begin to question, also they won’t believe it as much and they have just proven that the horoscope was incorrect, using evidence, there day was wide open. Therefore the description of your sign was incorrect and it becomes absurd to a pattern of stars from the day you were born keep you from living your life.
So, they changed the signs that we all rely on to tell us our horoscopes and futures for the next day, month, year? So....so what? Has your horoscope ever been correct? Did it determine every characteristic and personality fault that you have ever had? I don't think so. And if by some fluke it was correct, it's just as I said, a fluke. If you are insecure enough to base your life off of what the stars tell you to do, then you need to look at your life through some different eyes instead of complaining about the change. I understand why people would resist changing zodiac signs. I mean, we've all been the same sign for our whole life and we've all heard that pick up line "what's your sign?" While you may be used to saying Capricorn and you begrudge having to now say Gemini (or whatever it is), is it really that big of a deal? Move on with the you lives and learn to trust yourself instead of looking into the heavens, the stars, for answers. As cheesy as I know it sounds and as embarrassed as I am to say this: forget the stars and find yourself
I believe people should live their own lives rather than going by what the guy who types up the zodiac "predictions" on facebook says everyday. I don't think there's any way an alignment of stars can have an effect on your life or personality. The fact that the zodiac signs supposedly "changed" just adds to the ridiculous nature of them and how irrelevant they are. People shouldn't be offended that their zodiac symbol changed or have some sense of loyalty to one symbol because they are pointless in the first place. I suppose people will continue believing what they want to believe and group themselves with whichever sign they want to regardless of the new zodiac sign. I can only imagine how stupid the people that have tattoos relating to their old symbols feel now...
Is it really changing? Or do some people just think that it is changing when it really isn’t? I think that it is all a mind-game and that people buy into their “sign” and start to psych their selves into seeing the correlating results. But at the same point, why not? Life is too short not to seize every moment. This made me curious about mine. I am an aries: adventurous, active, lead the way, independent, masculine, aggressive, overcomes challenges etc. This seems to fit my characteristics much more precisely than if the calendar really did shift. I would then be a pisces: sensitive, resilient etc. Either way, I do not base my life off of this, and I think that some people are taking it way to seriously.
After more research, I have read about the signs of each of my family members and they are dead on.... maybe there is some truth behind zodiacs
This recent news story reflects how ignorant people are when it comes to putting belief into unreasonable things. I thought it was funny to see how many people were so upset to "give up" their old sign. It is common for people to have difficulty in accepting a new aspect in their lives and realizing that they were wrong. I don't see how people could be so concerned about the change in zodiac signs, however. Zodiac signs only give general descriptions with words like "playful," or "independent." Any person can have attributes that reflect any of the zodiac signs because they are so open-ended. Zodiac signs are not any better than useless fortunes from fortune cookies. The only reason why some people take the Zodiac so seriously is because it has a systematic method so many are more likely to accept it as valid information. I also believe that people want to have hope and believe in some type of "higher power" and so they look to astrology. I think everything Miller says is BS. All of a sudden the Zodiac system is protected because they are going off of the old system which was calculated by a bunch of crazy old prehistoric Babylonians. How could that even be factual? Miller is just trying to tell Zodiac followers what they want to hear so that people do not lose hope in their signs.
My first thought to this was, why do we believe astronomers in the first place? What point is there to know which planets aligned with which stars on which days of the year. That is going to determine my personality?? People read their horoscopes and are so brainwashed into thinking that those are the characteristics in which they live their life so they become what their horoscope says they are.
Then I realized that there are those people that believe as strongly in what the first astronomers described as I believe in the story written thousands of years ago about a star that led three kings to a manger one night. So who am I to say what is right and what is wrong?
I think that zodiac signs have always been a gimmick and are just vague descriptions of personalities that could fit anyone. They are like fortune cookies, extremely vague so no matter who you are you can relate to it somehow. I think that it is ridiculous to say that what stars you were born under will determine your personality and your day to day life.
But, for argument sake, if it really did determine who your are i think it is crazy to change it. I changed for a Leo to a Cancer, which are completely opposite. Although, like i said before, anyone can relate to any zodiac symbol in some way so neither one is any more or less accurate.
I think that the changing of the signs just goes to show how ridiculous they are, because last time i checked nobody i know has changed at all since the "discovery". I just feel bad for all the people with zodiac sign tattoos...
Astronomers have been interprting the stars ever since there were astronomers; that is the point of the occupation. When one guy says that the stars have moved, everyone wants to know what their new zodiac sign is. I agree with other comments that say that your zodiac sign does not make you who you are; you do. Even though I do read my horoscope every now and then just to see if what I did matches what I should do for the day. We all know that the earth is on a tilt and that the stars are also moving around their own solar systems. I don't see why there is so much talk of one man saying that there is a change. This shouldn't be new news.
I wholeheartedly agree with the last couple lines of the Zodiac Signs 2011 article, that "Astronomers have been telling the world that astrology is a load of tosh for centuries. Why are people suddenly listening this time?" Astrology holds little to no support, except perhaps in the pragmatic test. I think that really the only people who CARE that the signs have been changing for the past 2000 years (according to "Melanie" in the comments under the Astrology Sign Panic article) are those who actually lend credence to astrology. It is challenging their previous beliefs and it conflicts with what they know . I think that if people want to believe in astrological signs, they by all means can, and quite frankly I don't give a rip what they are according to the old chart or the new, or if they want to just pick one, or make one up. Hmm, maybe I'll be an Orion.
As everyone have already mentioned above, the conflict is that people are not willing to change their star sign, because they believe that their previous star sign define their personality. Which is....just wrong...completely wrong. I don't know what this says about our society but if people are really buying into this stuff, they must be desperate for the future. I mean its fun to read them and look into them, but following every single vague predictions made (from a star sing) for the rest of your life is just ridiculous. Of course that "one guy" can change the zodiac sign, he has the right to even say this whole horoscope thing doesn't even exist. He can say and claim whatever he wants, if people REALLY wants to keep their star sign, they can just keep it! Its not like if they do, they'll get arrested for not agreeing with the astrologist. Actually no one even have to base the star sings of off their birthday, if you just like being a Gemini more than a Virgo, then go for it! Don't people see that they have their own rights to believe whatever they want? They don't have to base it off of the astrologist and making a big deal out of it. Its not like the astrologist is putting a gun up to your head and telling you that you MUST change your star sign, he is just using his rights and stating his opinions/beliefs. Therefore if you don't agree, then just ignore it. Stop blaming other people for the insecurity of your own life. Most important of all, MAKE your own life, don't just CHOOSE ONE..MAKE ONE!
I found these articles somewhat laughable because they show the willingness of people to follow something which has basically been proven wrong. I can understand to an extent why someone might place their faith in the stars being some kind of guide for their personality as long as the basis for their claim remains consistent, but now that it has been scientifically proven that the constellations do not line up in the way we have always been told it seems ridiculous to continue to follow them as before. Even if for whatever reason they did still want to follow the stars as a guide for their life, they should at the very least follow the new (and scientifically correct) dates. Holding belief in something that has been proven objectively wrong can only be viewed as simply a waste of time.
A lot of these articles leanedtowards changing your zodiac sign because of how the days shifted so now there is an extra sign. I don't think that someone can just come and say there is a new sign and that people should accept it. People should look into it more. As far as i am concerned i am still a Gemini and i will always be a Gemini, even if someone says i am now something else. I had also heard this story of a guy who had dedicated his life to how his zodiac sign was and lived his life according to it and when he heard of the change in the zodiac signs, he attempted to commit suicide and the police had to get him off of a 20 story roof! Obviously this whole zodiac change will be a big topic for quite some time.
I remember when news of the "13th zodiac sign" came out, a lot of people were outraged because they always thought they were this sign and now they're that sign. But there were also people who just brushed it off because they believed that they were still what they were.
I think that people who claim that their personalities match what their signs "were" better than what they "are" now came to that conclusion subconsciously, by reading their horoscope for so many years already, they've become it.
Also, for people who are still furious about the change, this guy on youtube makes a comical, but good, argument about it not being changed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTtdX1QvCMY
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