Taking Credit for the Acheivements of Others

**Vermillion** · 08-12-2012, 11:08 PM

I've been seeing a lot of people online who seem to think they're something special because the US won a lot of medals at the Olympics and because of the Mars landing thing. I guess these imbeciles think that because some people from the same country did something kinda cool that all of the sudden that means that they're not an obese fatass with a shitty job, no ambition, and lower than average intelligence.

This is nothing new and I can kind of understand it. When you're life is so pitifully mundane you have no choice but to take pride in the accomplishments of others, or in some even more pathetic cases, things like your race or the country you were born it. When you can't take pride in anything you've accomplished in life because you're an expendable worker bee with an average, overweight spouse, a couple of borderline mentally retarded children, and a pet or two that lacks the awareness to understand that their owner is a worthless pawn, I guess you have to turn to other things for a sense of pride.

But seriously, it is annoying. Hearing people act like they won gold at the fucking Olympics or piloted that fucking rover onto Mars. It really just helps to identify who the truly pathetic ones are, if they really have to leech off of the success of others then they're nothing.

**Chameleon** · 08-13-2012, 10:12 PM

It must be very lonely...

**ppu6502** · 08-13-2012, 10:31 PM

Do you also hate it when a child feels a strong sense of pride when his parent succeeds at finding a job after hunting for years of incredible dedication? I mean, where do you draw the line when social grouping is some horrible disgusting thing?

**SirJamesIII** · 08-14-2012, 02:59 PM

No one is successful in a vacuum. The people who landed a rover on mars and olympians can't take 100% credit for what they do.

**Ender** · 08-14-2012, 03:31 PM

Regardless of how you feel about it, there's lots of money to be had in the mentality. Being good at Baseball, for example, would not be a marketable skill-set if people didn't take pride in cheering on their home teams. Same goes for any other like sport.

There is also a difference between some punk using the accomplishments of others to bolster his ego and people in general taking pride in the accomplishments of a group that they are a part of, whether distantly or otherwise. I don't take pride in the accomplishments of the US, personally, despite being born here, but that's just because nothing in my life has fostered pride in my country.

I have pride in my family and its accomplishments, so I can't say I'm immune to the phenomenon.

**Phaze228** · 08-14-2012, 03:48 PM

	Originally Posted by ppu6502 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Do you also hate it when a child feels a strong sense of pride when his parent succeeds at finding a job after hunting for years of incredible dedication? I mean, where do you draw the line when social grouping is some horrible disgusting thing?

"Good job dad, you did it!"
not, "WE DID IT, WE WON THE OLYMPICS"
No, no you didn't. The guy who spent years training for a sport, that another animal can beat him at without any training, won the fucking olympics. You cheered. Sure, those cheers could have helped push him if he heard his name...but really they don't count as you.

	Originally Posted by SirJamesIII
	No one is successful in a vacuum. The people who landed a rover on mars and olympians can't take 100% credit for what they do.

Doesn't really mean anyone can go around saying "We landed the rover on mars" like they personally did it. Whenever someone says it, they're referring to humanity or else they have mental issues.

**SirJamesIII** · 08-14-2012, 04:03 PM

	Originally Posted by Phaze228 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Doesn't really mean anyone can go around saying "We landed the rover on mars" like they personally did it. Whenever someone says it, they're referring to humanity or else they have mental issues.

I'm not saying that. I have issues with people who take credit for something they have 0% to do with.

**Starbucks** · 08-14-2012, 04:08 PM

Them being proud is a good thing, it might be the golden ticket for NASA's budget increasing. I suppose their ignorance pays for all the amazing things the intellectual few want to accomplish. See it as an animal farm but instead of them producing food they produce money, a hefty 30% in Europe I believe.

Hadron collider.

**Shinganist** · 08-14-2012, 04:18 PM

OP, what I think is bad is your understanding of the subject and then ripping into these people and of all places, the internet. At the same time, by me saying that, that would be the pot calling the kettle black.

Stating that they are truly the pathetic ones is... well, I guess, and I'm only guessing that a guy of your intellect that... well, saying that is beneath you. Those folks don't know any better. Helps offset how annoying it is to hear folks talking about achieving something that they personally didn't achieve.

**Selene** · 08-16-2012, 01:59 AM

Most people crave recognition/spotlight. For some, this need is being projected on high achieving and publicly adulated sportsmen.


	Separation of the active and the passive, the line between sport and spectator, gives rise to the paradox of the spectator—described by French philosopher Jacques Rancière; which is to seek an opportunity to passively contemplate engaging in an activity, and in doing so, forfeit that life moment one might have used to actually engage in the activity.

**UltraIncredible** · 08-16-2012, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by Vermillion
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

I've been seeing a lot of people online who seem to think they're something special because the US won a lot of medals at the Olympics and because of the Mars landing thing. I guess these imbeciles think that because some people from the same country did something kinda cool that all of the sudden that means that they're not an obese fatass with a shitty job, no ambition, and lower than average intelligence.

This is nothing new and I can kind of understand it. When you're life is so pitifully mundane you have no choice but to take pride in the accomplishments of others, or in some even more pathetic cases, things like your race or the country you were born it. When you can't take pride in anything you've accomplished in life because you're an expendable worker bee with an average, overweight spouse, a couple of borderline mentally retarded children, and a pet or two that lacks the awareness to understand that their owner is a worthless pawn, I guess you have to turn to other things for a sense of pride.

But seriously, it is annoying. Hearing people act like they won gold at the fucking Olympics or piloted that fucking rover onto Mars. It really just helps to identify who the truly pathetic ones are, if they really have to leech off of the success of others then they're nothing.

Yup. Same thing as sports teams (high school / college / city). It's a pretty useful mentality during wartime.

**Grave** · 08-17-2012, 11:13 AM

It's the relation they have that makes them a representation, and therefore their achievements are also representation. I suspect some consider being an American as a sort of condition--one of many-- of which resulted in the achievements, such a mentality is only meant to stroke the ego. The stupidity of it is the deluded relationship we conceive; relation to what? living in the same country? Yet there is somehow little relation to the beings which live on the same earth?

08-12-2012, 11:08 PM	#1
Vermillion Veteran Member [91%] MBTI: XNXX Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 3,671	I've been seeing a lot of people online who seem to think they're something special because the US won a lot of medals at the Olympics and because of the Mars landing thing. I guess these imbeciles think that because some people from the same country did something kinda cool that all of the sudden that means that they're not an obese fatass with a shitty job, no ambition, and lower than average intelligence. This is nothing new and I can kind of understand it. When you're life is so pitifully mundane you have no choice but to take pride in the accomplishments of others, or in some even more pathetic cases, things like your race or the country you were born it. When you can't take pride in anything you've accomplished in life because you're an expendable worker bee with an average, overweight spouse, a couple of borderline mentally retarded children, and a pet or two that lacks the awareness to understand that their owner is a worthless pawn, I guess you have to turn to other things for a sense of pride. But seriously, it is annoying. Hearing people act like they won gold at the fucking Olympics or piloted that fucking rover onto Mars. It really just helps to identify who the truly pathetic ones are, if they really have to leech off of the success of others then they're nothing.
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08-13-2012, 10:12 PM	#2
Chameleon Veteran Member [98%] MBTI: INTP Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 3,956	It must be very lonely...
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08-13-2012, 10:31 PM	#3
ppu6502 Special Snowflake MBTI: INTj Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 11,802	Do you also hate it when a child feels a strong sense of pride when his parent succeeds at finding a job after hunting for years of incredible dedication? I mean, where do you draw the line when social grouping is some horrible disgusting thing?
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08-14-2012, 02:59 PM	#4
SirJamesIII Member [38%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 1,541	No one is successful in a vacuum. The people who landed a rover on mars and olympians can't take 100% credit for what they do.
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08-14-2012, 03:31 PM	#5
Ender Veteran Member [74%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 2,969	Regardless of how you feel about it, there's lots of money to be had in the mentality. Being good at Baseball, for example, would not be a marketable skill-set if people didn't take pride in cheering on their home teams. Same goes for any other like sport. There is also a difference between some punk using the accomplishments of others to bolster his ego and people in general taking pride in the accomplishments of a group that they are a part of, whether distantly or otherwise. I don't take pride in the accomplishments of the US, personally, despite being born here, but that's just because nothing in my life has fostered pride in my country. I have pride in my family and its accomplishments, so I can't say I'm immune to the phenomenon.
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08-14-2012, 04:08 PM	#8
Starbucks Member [07%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 294	Them being proud is a good thing, it might be the golden ticket for NASA's budget increasing. I suppose their ignorance pays for all the amazing things the intellectual few want to accomplish. See it as an animal farm but instead of them producing food they produce money, a hefty 30% in Europe I believe. Hadron collider.
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08-14-2012, 04:18 PM	#9
Shinganist Member [16%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 647	OP, what I think is bad is your understanding of the subject and then ripping into these people and of all places, the internet. At the same time, by me saying that, that would be the pot calling the kettle black. Stating that they are truly the pathetic ones is... well, I guess, and I'm only guessing that a guy of your intellect that... well, saying that is beneath you. Those folks don't know any better. Helps offset how annoying it is to hear folks talking about achieving something that they personally didn't achieve.
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08-17-2012, 11:13 AM	#12
Grave Member [08%] MBTI: INFJ Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 325	It's the relation they have that makes them a representation, and therefore their achievements are also representation. I suspect some consider being an American as a sort of condition--one of many-- of which resulted in the achievements, such a mentality is only meant to stroke the ego. The stupidity of it is the deluded relationship we conceive; relation to what? living in the same country? Yet there is somehow little relation to the beings which live on the same earth?
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