this post was submitted on 29 Dec 2025
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

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Like that thing in 1984. And that episode of Star Trek TNG

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[–] presoak@lazysoci.al 2 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (2 children)

He sees 2 lights but the authority tells him there are 3 lights.

Through torture the authority convinces him to trust the voice of authority over his own observations.

It's a deep kind of convincing. It is heartfelt and he really does see what he's told to see. A kind of religious conversion. ("The truth of the state is the only truth, do not trust the evidence of your senses")

Or something like that.

But ya, they copied it for TNG. Picard got kidnapped and tortured. I forget the actual episode number.

[–] BlackVenom@lemmy.world 2 points 15 hours ago

Bros over here all Cardassian... There were indeed 5 lights.

[–] NABDad@lemmy.world 5 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

I think you're suggesting that this is somehow generally true in human behavior, but the examples you give are fictional and a result of torture.

Can you give a real-life example that doesn't involve someone being mentally damaged from torture?

[–] presoak@lazysoci.al 6 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (2 children)

The red scare. The persecution of jews in nazi germany. The persecution of the first dude who suggested that if doctors washed their hands then less people would die of infection. Just say no to drugs. Cigarettes are good for you. And yes, our latest adventures with vaccines.

A good propaganda campaign and our natural urge to conform substitutes for torture in this case.

[–] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 2 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

I heard about a study where they put people in a room and asked them to identify the shortest of four lines. There would secretly be 3 people in the room gaslighting the fourth one by choosing the most obviously wrong answer and often times, it worked

[–] presoak@lazysoci.al 2 points 12 hours ago

I'll keep that one in mind. Thanks

[–] JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social 3 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

our natural urge to conform

And/or our natural preference for half-baked logic, conspiracy theory, scapegoating others, being part of the 'in' group, etc, etc.