I notice ads for my book are popping up on several abortion information websites. I couldn't be more thrilled! Still, I'm curious as to how web crawlers are picking it up, since I don't believe the word 'abortion' is anywhere in my book, nor on the cover. Are the ad engines playing off the words 'procreation' or 'childbirth', and if so, just how fucking smart are these things?
UPDATE: Ah, I figured it out! Somebody simply slapped an 'abortion' tag on an Amazon review...duh! Wow, it's amazing how fast that got picked up and shipped around. Sigh...I'm old.
15 comments:
That's because your book's been tagged with "abortion" on Amazon, among other tags. I'm one of the people who picked that tag because I certainly think it's relevant to the subject matter.
And I've thought for a long time that being introduced to our position could actually make someone who feels guilty and selfish for wanting to have an abortion feel much better.
LOL! I just noticed that, CM. A very good idea; and, yes, quite relevant.
Well, there is that one poetic interlude, however subtle.
I've thought about this quite a bit, and it seems to me that secular anti-abortion arguments based on the premise that life is a continuum which begins at conception should, by logical extension, lead to antinatalism. Think it down; if life -- and personhood -- begins at conception, it's just a matter of following the same continuum an average few decades further to the person's inevitable death. If abortion is murder, so is conception.
Chip:
Succinct, and elegant. Extends this back to its true beginnings.
I wish we'd managed that as a foldout in the book, or something. Of course, anyone can print them out from here if they're so inclined.
Actually, these would look pretty neat framed, one above the other just like they are here. Think I'll do that.
I'm more and more convinced that antinatalism is, at the core, a kind of soothing philosophy, an antidote against this self-help, reinvent yourself, be happy, feel good, irrationaly cheerful age. As Cioran said: the idea that I can kill myself anytime, gives me strenght to go on living. I'm tired of self-help gurus which keep repeating you're the only one to blame for your unhappiness. Antinatalists, at least, admit unflinchingly that life stinks and go on without
resortintg to laughter therapy.
Exactly Josep, that's one of the main reasons I keep visiting this site. At one point, after reading a lot of self-help and spirituality books, and my life going totally to rock-bottom shit in spite of them, I just irreversibly "snapped", and am no longer able to believe any of that shit. Antinatalism is a confirmation, or consolation, that, yes, you are not insane, and yes, there's nothing wrong with you if your unhappy in this fucked-up universe.
Plague Doctor:
I'm really glad you found this consolation. I think all philopsophies should stop wordplaying and navel-gazing, face the truth and teach you how to live in an unliveable world. Luckily, we have Ligotti, Benatar Jim and, I hope, other thinkers in the near future.
The same thing happened to me, perhaps not so drastically, but the results were the same. What a relief to be able to discuss this subject with intelligent, lucid people from around the world.
I feel the same thing. Whenever I venture out to other pastures on the web, I run into "the world doesn't owe you happiness" or some or other story by some suffering young dad who reaffirms himself that yes, the pain is all worth it, or that they wouldn't have wanted it any other way, or even that the suffering was especially enjoyable.
It seems like the web is overrun with this shit lately, but more likely it's just that I've become way more pessimistic over the last few years. Funny thing is, my (self-diagnosed) depression is over, but me pulling the plug on myself seems more likely every day (though still not very likely). I'm just so exhausted all the time with all these things that life throws at me. Do this, arrange that, contact such, eat so; I already made it so that I practically don't have to do shit at all, but I still tire of it.
I wish I could live quietly like a hermit in some far off place, with only hunger and thirst coming knocking at regular hours. But then, that's a romantic view of life as a hermit.
Gah, rambling to the choir... So yeah, I'm a realist. Wouldn't have it any other way.
Ah, I remember what my point was -- this blog seems to be the only place that doesn't give me the creeps. Strangely, it lets me forget about life for a while.
"I wish I could live quietly like a hermit in some far off place, with only hunger and thirst coming knocking at regular hours. But then, that's a romantic view of life as a hermit."
I am currently literally living like a hermit, with only hunger and thirst (and PAIN!) coming knocking at regular hours. Because of severe health problems I am currenly more or less house-bound, repeatedly pressing F5 on this blog, while spending my days in severe pain. So you wouldn't believe how envious I am of you.
Plague Doctor: You have my sincere sympathy, man. I wish there was something I could do to relieve your pain, and I appreciate that with all that you still manage to drop by here and contribute. Thank you.
tim:
"...this blog seems to be the only place that doesn't give me the creeps."
You have no idea how great that makes me feel.
Plague Doctor,
I'll take your word for it. You're on my mind. I hope you find some way of killing the pain without killing yourself just yet.
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