September 23, 2007 Episode

[BrandonD]

I'd have to agree with you there. It's not even worth the energy to care what the public thinks about ufology. The average person's thoughts are so simple it's downright scary, and usually include such major issues as what Britney Spears is up to, the NFL or what happened in the last episode of "Grey's Anatomy" or "Dancing with the Stars".

The public image of ufology is what it is due to primarily one thing, a <i>lack of verifiable and undeniable public sightings</i>, as opposed to an abundance. As much as we - we being the folks who are very interested in UFOs (interested enough to listen to shows like the Paracast and use forums like this) - sometimes like to think that there has been in the past (and continues to be) a significant amount of UFO sightings, there really hasn't. Sure, there have been TONS on record, but obviously not enough to <b>render UFOs a reality in the mind's of the public...</b>

Though I agree with your ideas about how silly it is to focus unnecessarily on the public perception of ufology, I'm going to have to disagree with the reasons you present that have created the current public perception of the ufo mystery. I really don't think that the public's perception of ufology is due to the lack of verifiable and undeniable public sightings.

The first thing that comes to mind is David's witness to a mass sighting involving hundreds or perhaps thousands of people. And his is not an isolated incident by any stretch of the imagination.

This is my opinion, but I believe it is supported: The current public perception of the ufo mystery is almost 100% a product of the fact that people think what they are told to think. Because of this, mass perception of ufology is the way it is because someone wants it to be that way. It's not an accident or by-product.

It is a self-serving myth that people want facts and truth. Above truth, people want comfort, security, and circuses. The desire for truth only arises when faced with discomfort or a crisis.

It's an illusion that people have a desire to know the truth. ESPECIALLY westerners, the most comfortable culture in the world today. But the degree that you believe this illusion is also the degree that you believe the current public perception of the world reflects reality in any remote way... I mean, it must reflect reality, because *of course* people want the truth more than anything else, right?

That's the reason I believe we shouldn't worry about the public perception of ufology. It is being artificially created by someone, somewhere, for some purpose unknown to us. Unless you have deep pockets and an indominable drive, you probably won't be making much of a dent in it.

 

[CapnG]

That's the reason I believe we shouldn't worry about the public perception of ufology. It is being artificially created by someone, somewhere, for some purpose unknown to us. Unless you have deep pockets and an indominable drive, you probably won't be making much of a dent in it.

Doesn't that make your concert idea even more redundant then? After all, you can preach to the choir here for free...

 

[BrandonD]

That's the reason I believe we shouldn't worry about the public perception of ufology. It is being artificially created by someone, somewhere, for some purpose unknown to us. Unless you have deep pockets and an indominable drive, you probably won't be making much of a dent in it.

Doesn't that make your concert idea even more redundant then? After all, you can preach to the choir here for free...

Well there's two different angles that people can focus on. There's the angle of trying to alter the mass perception of the ufo phenomenon, and there's the angle of trying to inform people on an individual basis, without any concern for the public perception. The second one appeals to me.

 

[CapnG]

Well there's two different angles that people can focus on. There's the angle of trying to alter the mass perception of the ufo phenomenon, and there's the angle of trying to inform people on an individual basis, without any concern for the public perception. The second one appeals to me.

Entirely my point, we're already as informed as we each can be at this given point in-so-much-as we understand that we do NOT understand.

 

[Apocalypto]

I'd have to agree with you there. It's not even worth the energy to care what the public thinks about ufology. The average person's thoughts are so simple it's downright scary, and usually include such major issues as what Britney Spears is up to, the NFL or what happened in the last episode of "Grey's Anatomy" or "Dancing with the Stars".

The public image of ufology is what it is due to primarily one thing, a <i>lack of verifiable and undeniable public sightings</i>, as opposed to an abundance. As much as we - we being the folks who are very interested in UFOs (interested enough to listen to shows like the Paracast and use forums like this) - sometimes like to think that there has been in the past (and continues to be) a significant amount of UFO sightings, there really hasn't. Sure, there have been TONS on record, but obviously not enough to <b>render UFOs a reality in the mind's of the public...</b>

Though I agree with your ideas about how silly it is to focus unnecessarily on the public perception of ufology, I'm going to have to disagree with the reasons you present that have created the current public perception of the ufo mystery. I really don't think that the public's perception of ufology is due to the lack of verifiable and undeniable public sightings.

The first thing that comes to mind is David's witness to a mass sighting involving hundreds or perhaps thousands of people. And his is not an isolated incident by any stretch of the imagination.

I stand behind my reasons why the public has the perceptions they do or the UFO phenomenon. You underestimated the mass-sighting example I was trying to give.

Even with examples such as the mass sightings on record, UFOs are still essentially a myth in the public mindset. In a nutshell, the public - Western or otherwise - simply doesn't believe in UFOs. As a <i>worldwide citizen</i>, your average member of the general public doesn't have enough proof -- yet.

True, to a large extent the public thinks what it is told to think. You and I are members of the public, so to a certain degree we are in the same boat. We're hugely influenced by those same media factors. Pride won't let one escape that reality.

I never tried in my post to analyze why people want what they want. Not sure what you're talking about there...

Yes, for the most part people want comfort, a nice chair, a beer and a TV. I don't think you'll get too much argument about that from anyone with half a brain in their head.

The true ufologist shouldn't bother trying to make a "dent" in the public perception, just study the facts. The public will make up its own mind as the facts are publicized, one way or the other.

Let me clarify: The mass sighting example I was attempting to put forward was one that would render UFOs a reality, once and for all, without a shadow of a doubt. Let's call it "The Phoenix Lights On Steroids". It's a sighting (or series of sightings) of such a massive order that it will dwarf anything before it. It's 100% plausible, and even probable. A UFO flap of flaps. I think a lot of people expect this and wonder just when it's going to happen.

That sort of sighting is what the general public needs to truly believe that there are things flying around out there of an ET, ED - or other - origin.

 

[BrandonD]

Entirely my point, we're already as informed as we each can be at this given point in-so-much-as we understand that we do NOT understand.

We're not all equally informed. If one were to judge ufology by the "default" public perception, it would be something like: ufology is interesting in that it's imaginative and weird, so it's good for movies and tv shows, but there's actually nothing serious behind it.

A person who thinks this way, simply because he's not given that much thought to the subject, is less-informed on this subject than someone like you or I.

There are people who are ignorant simply because they've never thought about it, and others who are adamantly ignorant. I think that first category of individuals are worth trying to connect with.

 

[BrandonD]

I stand behind my reasons why the public has the perceptions they do or the UFO phenomenon. You underestimated the mass-sighting example I was trying to give.

Even with examples such as the mass sightings on record, UFOs are still essentially a myth in the public mindset. In a nutshell, the public - Western or otherwise - simply doesn't believe in UFOs. As a <i>worldwide citizen</i>, your average member of the general public doesn't have enough proof -- yet.

True, to a large extent the public thinks what it is told to think. You and I are members of the public, so to a certain degree we are in the same boat. We're hugely influenced by those same media factors. Pride won't let one escape that reality.

I never tried in my post to analyze why people want what they want. Not sure what you're talking about there...

Yes, for the most part people want comfort, a nice chair, a beer and a TV. I don't think you'll get too much argument about that from anyone with half a brain in their head.

The true ufologist shouldn't bother trying to make a "dent" in the public perception, just study the facts. The public will make up its own mind as the facts are publicized, one way or the other.

Let me clarify: The mass sighting example I was attempting to put forward was one that would render UFOs a reality, once and for all, without a shadow of a doubt. Let's call it "The Phoenix Lights On Steroids". It's a sighting (or series of sightings) of such a massive order that it will dwarf anything before it. It's 100% plausible, and even probable. A UFO flap of flaps. I think a lot of people expect this and wonder just when it's going to happen.

That sort of sighting is what the general public needs to truly believe that there are things flying around out there of an ET, ED - or other - origin.

I might have been going off on a different subject than the one you were talking about.

I agree, a massive and publicized sighting is probably what's needed to persuade people on a mass scale.

I think this subject gets me fired up because I have less respect for people who will only take a subject seriously when they are led by the nose to it. That is the thinking of a dog, not a human being.

 

[Tony2013]

I might have been going off on a different subject than the one you were talking about.

I agree, a massive and publicized sighting is probably what's needed to persuade people on a mass scale.

I think this subject gets me fired up because I have less respect for people who will only take a subject seriously when they are led by the nose to it. That is the thinking of a dog, not a human being.

That being said, I think the best thing that could happen to ufology, which is more a phenomenon and less a science, is that if everyone stopped listening to everyone and simply searched for them individually. I think we've reached a point where we're just chasing our tails, over and over again.

 

[BrandonD]

That being said, I think the best thing that could happen to ufology, which is more a phenomenon and less a science, is that if everyone stopped listening to everyone and simply searched for them individually.

I couldn't agree more. I think the search for truth behind all the things of significance is ultimately the task of the individual.