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Ouroboros

Welcome to the enlightened side of the web! Are you one of those few true "illuminati" or just one of the flock? Find out with this short and simple test. If you agree with all of the below statements you are probably enlightened, or pretty close to it anyway. Yes, it's really that simple...

I.

• Reason (rational thinking) is good because it leads to practical results. Irrationality is dangerous and inefficient, and should be avoided as much as possible.
  
  II.
  
• Individualism and Egoism are good characteristics from the individual's point of view, meekness and conformism are not.
  
  III.
  
• Religion is a crutch for the weak & ignorant, and a handy tool for the manipulative.
  
  IV.
  
• As we are most likely the result of random evolutionary processes, there is no higher reason for existence or a universal meaning of life. Who cares; we can create our own "meaning".
  
  V.
  
• The human condition (the way our bodies and minds work now) needs to be improved, if only to eliminate death. We should strive for nothing less than "godhood", or to become "persons of unprecedented physical, intellectual, and psychological capacity, self-programming, self-constituting, potentially immortal, unlimited individuals''. This philosophy is called transhumanism, by the way.
  
  VI.
  
• Reason, science and technology are the prime tools for improving the human condition.
  
  VII.
  
• Survival should always be a major point on one's agenda, as being alive is a basic prerequisite for anything else [that you want to do/experience]. Death means the definitive end of freedom of choice; it is the ultimate oppressor.
  
  VIII.
  
• Money and wealth in general are very important because they can buy you just about anything, including health, happiness, freedom, power and probably even godhood and eternal life. However, money is also just a tool, not a goal in itself.
  
  IX.
  
• "An eye for an eye" and the Golden Rule are fair and logical principles, and should be the main pillars of law. If the laws are sound, "mercy" is just a(n arbitrary) perversion of justice.
  
  X.
  
• Eventhough it may be a long shot, having yourself frozen upon death for possible future revival (cryonics) is the rational thing to do.
  
  XI.
  
• "Political correctness" is usually just an euphemism for "dogmatic nonsense". For example, all people are not equal.
  
  XII.
  
• There is no reason to remain forever stuck on earth, space colonization and -exploration are the wave of the future.
  
  XIII.
  
• Unless we destroy ourselves first (or get wiped out by a natural disaster), technological and scientific progress will lead to the creation of super-human intelligence, and thus a Singularity somewhere in the next century.
  
  XIV.
  
• It is a good idea to train oneself in both armed and unarmed combat, as this significantly helps to advance personal empowerment, both mentally and physically.
  
  XV.
  
• The state should stay out of matters such as drug use/sale, prostitution, gambling, euthanasia and abortion. As long as it doesn't harm anyone against his will it shouldn't be illegal. One has every (moral) right to ignore any law that violates the abovementioned principle (at your own risk, of course).
  
  XVI.
  
• Enlightened, individualistic people don't have children as they don't (strongly) feel the urge to procreate, don't bow to pressure from society, and duly see it as an unacceptable limitation of their freedom. Especially for women the refusal to have children is a very empowering act, as society's pressure to start a family is usually greater on women than on men, and the (negative) impact of children on their personal life is generally greater too.
  
  XVII.
  
• There is nothing wrong with hedonism, as long as it doesn't interfere with your long-term goals (like staying alive).
  
  XVIII.
  
• One should take responsibility for one's actions. For example, blaming tobacco companies for one's lung cancer, a (possible) result of many years of heavy smoking, is rediculous.
  
  XIX.
  
• Work (especially the "9 to 5" kind) is degrading and unfit for intelligent and "emotional" creatures such as humans. Therefore, we should strive to create an "automated" society where all unpleasant labor is done by machines, and humans are free to enjoy virtually unlimited free time (and increased wealth, due to the considerably greater efficiency of automated systems). Of course we wouldn't have much time to enjoy the new automated society due to the coming technocalypse, but that's another matter.
  
  XX.
  
• Generally speaking, people get the kind of government they deserve. Although many complain about the status quo, very few have the courage and wisdom to (even try to) improve their situation. In a world with a majority of rational people, many of today's problems, such as those caused by warped political and religious ideologies, simply wouldn't exist. This is direct proof that the masses are indeed "stupid" (incapable of effectively pursuing their enlightened self-interest).
  
  XXI.
  
• Society as we know it isn't going to survive the radical technology-driven changes in the coming century.
  
  XXII.
  
• Cooperation with like-minded people is very important, especially for someone who agrees with all of the above.