# The Book of Assholes



## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

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CBC Gem







gem.cbc.ca





About an hour to shine a light on the assholes among us.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

"this content is temporarily unavailable"


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

That was really well done, thanks for the link.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

Watched the first 5min, looking forward to watching that in full when I get home. 

Thanks for the link.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Gotta do my welding today cuz it's supposed to get hot tomorrow, so
I will finish later too.

So far it looks like my biography... 

EDIT: Fave line so far:

"It's not a theory, they're out there. C'mon, man."

Same guy: "I'm a big black guy so they tend to leave me alone." LOL.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Doug Gifford said:


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Definitely going to watch that one. Gem has some great programs you can stream for free. We watch it a lot. The only negative is the commercials are way louder than the show, not a lot of commercials but you have to keep the remote handy to mute the commercials.


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## HighNoon (Nov 29, 2016)

Thanks for posting. Enjoyed it. Overall balanced and informative. It would be interesting to see that same subject matter today ....Assholes Part Deux.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

About halfway through, now. Good viewing. Not antagonistic, even sympathetic at times.
There are so many times in life when you want to say to someone "Have you no shame?". But as the film so amply illustrates, a great deal of a-hole behaviour stems from people behaving in unconscionable ways largely because they don't wish to be embarrassed in front of whomever they consider to be "the gang". Sometimes I wonder if one of the many sources of a-holes in the world are business schools. And certainly ultra-religious groups with political aspirations are another good source of a-holes...as are poliltical groups with religious aspirations.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

I've been thinking of watching that one for a long time. Thanks for the link, I finally did. I thought it was pretty interesting.


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

that was really good. good insight into the minds of assholes.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

The research on children's friendships and peer relations (what gets technicaly referred to as one's "sociometric status") distinguishes between kids who are "popular", "rejected", "neglected", "controversial", and "average". ( Sociometric status - Wikipedia ). A-holes tend to show up among the "rejected" and "controversial" categories. The relatve universality of a-holes would seem to be because it gets established fairly early in life. Or at least our experience of them begins quite early, such that we tend to know one when we see one. That is, unless you happen to BE one.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I think I have watched this?? What year was it made??


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

The film (by John Walker) has it's own official website: Documentary Film - Assholes A Theory: John Walker 2019


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## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

This viewing galvanized my suspicions that assholerey has been on the rise. However, I was quite aware of the Facebook, Twitter and Google CEO's leaning towards the side of asshole territory along with what seems to be a large number of political figures.

Hell,... there are also assholes who appear here from time to time.

I remember carrying on like an asshole at times during my early youth,... but Pops put a stop to that well before it became a potentially compulsive behaviour.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

A considerable amount of the film revolves around internet behaviour, with a side-order of investment/media corporate behaviour.

In his work on obedience to authority, one of the things psychologist Stanley Milgrim observed was that willingness to inflict punishment, or at least negative events, on others, varied as a function of personal distance. If the recipient of one's actions was in the room with you, people were less likely to be harsh in their actions, compared to if the recipient was unseen in another room. Always easier to bomb your enemy from 20,000ft than to walk up and stab them. In many respects, the manner in which we communicate with each other these days, places others in "the other room", giving us the freedom to indulge in as much a-holery as we wish. I have had to break up or defuse many an on-line fight by reminding people that if the person they view as so contemptible was actually THAT rude and antisocial in their daily interpersonal life, someone would have likely murdered them in their sleep by now.

The manner in which electronic communication indulges our a-hole tendencies is insidious. We can be anonymous, hence unaccountable. Those we interact with are also often anonymous. We can't see or hear those we interact with, making it difficult to have compassion or empathy, especially for someone who is largely invisible and almost abstract, by virtue of their anonymity. Clearly, one of the cardinal traits of an a-hole is being inconsiderate, and it is easier to be inconsiderate towards those whom you don't know. can't see, and likely won't ever meet again, or ever.

Another trait of being an a-hole is treating impulses as legitimate motivation to be followed. Here, I find mobile devices help to nudge us in the a-hole direction. Not that there is no history of a-holery prior to the arrival of mobile communication, or even telephones of the curly-cord variety. But immersion in a portable screen and the ability to respond instantly, and curtly, to anything we see, without taking time to reflect, supports and consequently brings out the worst in us.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

I haven't watched it yet, but I will say this... There's either more of them, or I'm better at spotting them. I might even be one of them for all I know.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Being mindful and considerate of others' needs is hard work. As a result, we ALL eventually get to be an a-hole now and then. The socially desirable goal is to be one LESS of the time rather than MORE of the time.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Midnight Rider said:


> This viewing galvanized my suspicions that assholerey has been on the rise. However, I was quite aware of the Facebook, Twitter and Google CEO's leaning towards the side of asshole territory along with what seems to be a large number of political figures.
> 
> Hell,... there are also assholes who appear here from time to time.
> 
> I remember carrying on like an asshole at times during my early youth,... but Pops put a stop to that well before it became a potentially compulsive behaviour.


No, no he didn't.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

mhammer said:


> A considerable amount of the film revolves around internet behaviour, with a side-order of investment/media corporate behaviour.


One of the best things I've heard about Internet behaviour was at a talk sponsored by CIRA. I can't remember who the speaker was. The gist of his assertion was we have two personalities, an off line and an on line personality. He said most adults have a well developed off line personality. The Internet is so new most of us have a toddler or at best a teenage on line personality. This was a few years ago. I think with social media things have devolved from then. There are way too many toddlers on social media.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Like I say, it encourages impulsiveness. And if there's anything that typifies a toddler, it's acting on impulse.


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

I can’t remember a single time where my grandmother didn’t use the word asshole as a her preferred pronoun to address me lol.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)




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## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

keto said:


> No, no he didn't.


And as expected,... one has surfaced here,... right on cue.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Midnight Rider said:


> And as expected,... one has surfaced here,... right on cue.


I did forget to mention, I am of the school 'Takes One To Know One', fwiw. So, technically you are correct.


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## fretzel (Aug 8, 2014)

.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

not just humans


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## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

keto said:


> I did forget to mention, I am of the school 'Takes One To Know One', fwiw. So, technically you are correct.


Yeah,... riiiiiight, that is quite a deep spin,... technically you are showing signs of this thread title.

So, anyways,... For What It's Worth,


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

Always12AM said:


> use the word asshole as a her preferred pronoun to address me lol.


Oooh. Is that an allowable pronoun? I want that.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

I watched about 5 minutes of it and concluded that the people in the video were assholes .. lol


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

jb welder said:


> Oooh. Is that an allowable pronoun? I want that.


It’s 2021, we can be whatever we want now.

I identify as a 756 year old Native American woman named “Crying Coyote” who knows karate but never talks about it until it’s time to rip someone’s jugular out.

I entered a senior women’s boxing league and I’m 235 - 0.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

Well I've watched many Dr. Pol episodes and learned that pigs push their assholes out all the time.


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## LouisFNCyphre (Apr 23, 2021)

Always12AM said:


> It’s 2021, we can be whatever we want now.
> 
> I identify as a 756 year old Native American woman named “Crying Coyote” who knows karate but never talks about it until it’s time to rip someone’s jugular out.
> 
> I entered a senior women’s boxing league and I’m 235 - 0.


So when do you plan to transition?


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

And we'll call you Bertha.

2:10 mark


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## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

laristotle said:


> And we'll call you Bertha.
> 
> 2:10 mark


LAMO, Good ol' Jimmy Castor,... Troglodytes, King Kong and Dracula.
Has some good Funk stuff though.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

butterknucket said:


> Well I've watched many Dr. Pol episodes and learned that pigs push their assholes out all the time.


Do we know what they're saying? Or do they just push it out and leave it that way? Do they wiggle? I'd like to know without watching, if possible.


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## silvertonebetty (Jan 4, 2015)

I’m sure my name was in it 😂


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

My boss has to be on the 1st page. She really is an asshole. She’s the kind that likes to intimidate to get you to do extra for her even though I am not getting paid extra!


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

Lola said:


> My boss has to be on the 1st page. She really is an asshole. She’s the kind that likes to intimidate to get you to do extra for her even though I am not getting paid extra!


My God Lola....haven't you learned that you do a bad job and then they don't ask you to do something again?


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