What exactly IS intellectual masturbation?
 

and why do people indulge in it?

And so on.

intellectual masturbation can be

a) any kind of intellectual activity as seen by the uninitiated
b) intellectual activity for its own sake, without any regads to usefulness or communication

people with intellects of all sorts willl indulge in "intellectual masturbation" for the same reason people with gonads indulge in simple masturbation: it gives them pleasure when copulations is not available, or as a complement or supplement to copulation, or as a substitute for it, or its is a form of copulation, misunderstood.

i answer also with a question: what is intellectual copulation and how does it differ from intellectual masturbation? what is it called when the intellect comes out with a little bit of shit in it? and is a dirty sanchez possible in this context? bonus question: what about philosophical rape and its variants? discuss from an ontological perspective, and identify current critical trends.

it's a trap!

I think you just cracked one off.

Intellectual masturbartion is the equivelent of jamming. It can lead down numerous cul-de-sacs, but every now and then can culminate in a 'wow' moment when everything seems to come together - albeit for a brief second.

It's also a lot more fun than discussing the string gauges on J. Mascis' guitars.

i smell an orgy-- pervert

Oh dear, it did sort of come out sounding a bit pervy. I must admit.

It's a trap!

is that a moustache i spy over your lip or....?

edit: i am growing a moustache/beard...

Reading a book in a coffee shop when you have nowhere else to go

intellectual masturbation or not; I retain the right to talk innane philosophy with my friends or brother over a pint

it's my god given Irish right


EDIT: but I consider intellectual masturbation to be the excercise of intellect when not necessary and only for the sake of showing off one's knowledge. Like name dropping or using spcialized words (lol dem dere big wurds) in an everyday context. But it's also important not to fall into anti-intellectual thought.

intellectual masturbation it's probably another dr. house expression to cerebral hemorrhage.

i'm spent...

(ha ha, does anyone remember that "vagina power" video and going to long john silver...? oh nevermind...)

penis power ACTIVATE!

since this is the sonic youth board, i'm guessing intellectual masturbation is what happens when reading burroughs and listening to silver sessions full blast.

speaking of which, did you know that the adam's apple is man's clitoris? if you keep rubbing it rapidly, going from gentle to more aggressive in your approach, you'll eventually throw up!

i am not really sure but i guess to me its when someone uses their intellect in an unapropriate way or when two or a group of people begin a heavy weight discussion using all kinds of buzz words and such to describe something very simple just because they can. i.e a guy at work wrote a three page letter using all kinds of arguments, quoting all kinds of philosophers and went into minute detail when all it turned out was he had spilt his coffee and wanted us to pay the dry cleaning bill.

Intelectual? You mean like, whacking off to philosophers and dinosaurs?

I remember reading Plato's Phaedrus and then wankin the snake right after once.

Of course, I was thinking of chicks during the latter.