Bigfoot, Should I Tell My Relatives?

[Guest DWA]

Oh, this isn't a thread derailment, Wingman.  The thread title is "Bigfoot, Should I Tell My Relatives?"  and as seems to happen on almost every thread here, we see a host of good reasons one might want to rethink that drink.

 

In terms of my being ahead of folks, well, ya know, I am, and I got that way the way people do in science:  work.  Paying attention.  I see too little of that here, both sides of the question (and even the in-between).  That includes, ya know, your relatives, most of whom - like most of the human race - accept the products and findings of science without pausing to think about how science, when it's working, works.  This extends even to scientists, and always has.  Scientists, see, spend their professional lives learning how one tiny aspect of the scientific realm works.  As far as the rest of science...well, they just swallow whole what their colleagues in other fields tell them, what they do.  There are - and have always been - relatively few true scientists, like Einstein, Darwin, Richard Dawkins, and my BlueQuote Friend down there, and shoot, I'll toss in my PurpleQuote Friend, whose degree I have no idea but he shows the mindset very well, who understand how a scientist must always think, no matter what.  In wondering why that is, I've formed a theory:  the technical rigor required for most advanced science degrees flat squashes the capacity for wonder and reservation of judgment out of the vast majority of people attaining them. 

 

In other words, most scientists get so stuck on the technical they forgot the reason the technical happened in the first place.  And their answers to questions like this show that they aren't using that knowledge they worked so hard to obtain, pretty much at all.  And it's obvious.

 

Not to your relatives, mind (although I know there are exceptions to that rule).  Which is one reason one might not want to tell them:  they just aren't ready.

 

You can tell me though.  I've done the legwork.

Edited January 14, 2015 by DWA

[WSA]

You kidding Wingman? You think DWA needs my help, ever? I just try to stay out of his way.

But no, science didn't make your marriage or your happiness, of course not. It that is what you meant to say, I get it. I was thinking more along the lines of "antibiotics" You probably, like me, also have a small circular scar on one of your shoulders, sugar cubes in the school auditorium, etc. You know, that stuff that probably would have culled many of us from the gene pool a long time ago. There are about a billion scientific discoveries that profoundly influence how we all live (or don't live, and die) that seem to just be part of the scenery for most people. It is that attitude that does stand in the way of future discoveries, and always has. It seems to be imbedded quite strongly of late. A naive view of the way things truly work, I'm sure you would agree.

[Guest DWA]

^^^Bing, that.

 

(Thanks for the sugar cube reminder.  Dang the sugar-cube thing had flat flown my mind.  Imagine never knowing to include the sugar-cube thing in My Life Story.)

 

People - and as I said above this so extends to scientists, who unbeknownst to bigfoot skeptics are people just like us - accept stuff, whole.  They yell for proof proof proof of this thing they don't understand, without the slightest thought that over 90 percent of what they "know," they don't and couldn't understand; someone else told them.  And they bought it.

 

(Your personal proof of the nature of the sun and moon, any time you're ready.  Um hum, thought so.)

 

It's the attitude that we got this figured that goes casualty practically every single day.  We don't.  Not even close to fairly started, really.

 

Staying out of my way well, my man.  But you do make a dandy shootin' blind on occasion.

[WSA]

(That was just the first sugar cube somebody offered me...)

Sure, like it was yesterday. My parents' stories of their childhoods on that topic probably made the experience that much more indelible, like they did for most kids of that time. I guess it is just ooo-man nature to think that was has been given to you is your due. We all do it. Lessons learned get swept aside for the narrative of personal triumph, overcoming the odds by sheer dint of will and all that. Unadulterated hogwash in most cases. The case for personal or national exceptionalism is pretty specious no matter what case you want to raise, but we keep on believing it. With this BF thing, it clouds our vision to no end. I mean SURELY if there were something THIS BIG to discover, we OF COURSE would have done that long ago, right? When somebody shows up and pops a sugar cube in your mouth and tells you that you no longer have to worry about a crippling disease that stalked mankind for centuries, why isn't the question "Well Jonas, how did you and your team accomplish this miracle, exactly?" No, instead we are all, "Ummm....thanks. You've just confirmed how superior and independent I am."

[coffee2go]

A few years ago when I was first getting serious about looking into things around our cabin my husband laughed at me when I started taking an interest in TV shows, books and stories on the subject and he asked why I watched that garbage on TV.  I began watching programs when he was not around or on my computer using headphones.  Later he brought up the topic at a gathering of his side of the family, again ridiculing me and went into detail on his views.  I was silent during this exchange as his family appeared to side with him.  Since then I have not told him anything about my research or activities on the topic.

 

I would like to find someone close to me who shares my interests in Sasquatch.  I have had a brother bring up the subject a couple of times in a joking way, but I wasn't sure how serious he was and didn't pursue it when there were others, including my husband, around. That brother actually asked if we had heard of the sightings in the area.  This was a few years ago and it got me interested in looking up those sightings.

 

I also have a sister who I recently had a brief conversation with on the topic while we were looking out over the river she lives on and she was decribing all of the wildlife they have seen in the area.  The conversation ended when my husband walked into the room to see what we were doing. I will pursue that one at a furture date as she was very interested and wanted to know more about the recent sightings in her area but seemed frightened at the prospect that they could be nearby. 

 

I envy you, LCB, as you have your wife as your partner in your pursuits.  I know that like others, if I had a sighting I would be sure to tell anyone who would listen as it wouldn't matter what they thought.

[OKBFFan]

I just look forward to the day when we can all say, "I told ya so. Neener."

Edited January 15, 2015 by OKBFFan

[coffee2go]

Yes, there is that.

[Lake County Bigfooot]

Coffee2go, leave a copy of "Sasquatch, Legend meets science" laying around near him, maybe he will pick it up.

I do feel for you being alone in this as I know that it can be isolating enough just to hold this belief. Usually the

wheel that squeaks the loudest is the one that falls off the car, so perhaps he'll get derailed by his own fear of

the subject, and fall victim to it's clutches..in other words joining this camp. I too resisted this subject strongly due

to my religious beliefs and now I have incorporated the creature into those beliefs. 

[Guest DWA]

A few years ago when I was first getting serious about looking into things around our cabin my husband laughed at me when I started taking an interest in TV shows, books and stories on the subject and he asked why I watched that garbage on TV.  I began watching programs when he was not around or on my computer using headphones.  Later he brought up the topic at a gathering of his side of the family, again ridiculing me and went into detail on his views.  I was silent during this exchange as his family appeared to side with him.  Since then I have not told him anything about my research or activities on the topic.

 

I would like to find someone close to me who shares my interests in Sasquatch.  I have had a brother bring up the subject a couple of times in a joking way, but I wasn't sure how serious he was and didn't pursue it when there were others, including my husband, around. That brother actually asked if we had heard of the sightings in the area.  This was a few years ago and it got me interested in looking up those sightings.

 

I also have a sister who I recently had a brief conversation with on the topic while we were looking out over the river she lives on and she was decribing all of the wildlife they have seen in the area.  The conversation ended when my husband walked into the room to see what we were doing. I will pursue that one at a furture date as she was very interested and wanted to know more about the recent sightings in her area but seemed frightened at the prospect that they could be nearby. 

 

I envy you, LCB, as you have your wife as your partner in your pursuits.  I know that like others, if I had a sighting I would be sure to tell anyone who would listen as it wouldn't matter what they thought.

 

Really sorry about that, c2g.  My wife is sometimes *too much* the partner with me, and the kids follow suit; the other day my eldest said, "tell him about the tracks you and Mom saw," I mean like out of the blue, one or two sentences after a casual mention of "Finding Bigfoot," him being her boyfriend of whom I had no idea what he thought about this.  I don't suffer fools gladly, but I talked about it, and he apparently from all subsequent feedback accepted it with open mind.  We (I should really say *I*) did spend some time slagging "Finding Bigfoot," which is no pretense with me; those people should know better.  That's not research, that's television.

 

Your husband should know better too.  And then we come to this...

 

(That was just the first sugar cube somebody offered me...)

Sure, like it was yesterday. My parents' stories of their childhoods on that topic probably made the experience that much more indelible, like they did for most kids of that time. I guess it is just ooo-man nature to think that was has been given to you is your due. We all do it. Lessons learned get swept aside for the narrative of personal triumph, overcoming the odds by sheer dint of will and all that. Unadulterated hogwash in most cases. The case for personal or national exceptionalism is pretty specious no matter what case you want to raise, but we keep on believing it. With this BF thing, it clouds our vision to no end. I mean SURELY if there were something THIS BIG to discover, we OF COURSE would have done that long ago, right? When somebody shows up and pops a sugar cube in your mouth and tells you that you no longer have to worry about a crippling disease that stalked mankind for centuries, why isn't the question "Well Jonas, how did you and your team accomplish this miracle, exactly?" No, instead we are all, "Ummm....thanks. You've just confirmed how superior and independent I am."

This.   Quoted again for truth.

 

What I have gotten more than once, when I've really lowered the boom on somebody clearly not thinking about this, is effectively, "how dare you think you know more about this than me..." followed, in every single bingle zingle gingle case...by nothing, nothing, substantiating the person's stance, or in fact showing any legwork or reading or even a moment's thought, at all.  As if coming off as ignorant is OK if it's the AlmightyYou, because you Know All and don't need to explain any of it.  (Watch it happen again.)

 

So, c2g, all I can hope is that someday your husband becomes one of those spouses that laughed at first...and later urgently urged his/her spouse to report that encounter he'd ridiculed her about.

 

It comes down to this, people:

 

When it starts with the answer:  it ain't science.

Edited January 15, 2015 by DWA

[Guest DWA]

Coffee2go, leave a copy of "Sasquatch, Legend meets science" laying around near him, maybe he will pick it up.

 

I'd add Bindernagel's two books (check Amazon; they're both there).  Tell  hubby:  these are scientists, who have done their homework; have directly relevant expertise; and have never been challenged by anyone else who isn't just spouting your line and have no idea how they got there.  I'm tired of being the smarter cookie in this marriage; and you better shape up or you got some buddies I have an eye on.

 

Always add spice to it.