So I might be being UnDude here...

[Reverend Curb]

I just want to start this off by saying I'm going to be blathering a lot and people might not understand what I'm saying or may not like it.

Anyway, why does it seem like there is a majority who rather than be individuals simply try to conform to The Dude in both style and lifestyle, etc.?

I understand that TBL is part of the ethos or what-have-you, but it seems like individuality sort of goes on the back burner a bit. Like photos of guys all wearing Lebowski-esque Pendleton sweaters, goatees, shorts, jellies.

Sure, The Dude is a bit of a guru figure and some bits and pieces have their time and place in who we are and what we do.

Am I going crazy? Or is Dudeism sort of like an excuse for some to play out this fantasy role of being a slacker and wearing a robe to the walmart while the genuine philisophical underpinnings are swept aside or ignored completely?

I love our community. I would never say a harsh word against any of your characters and, hell, might even hug ya. I'm just getting into the whole Dudeist community after a bout a year of priesthood so, I need some clarifying.

[FuckItDude]

I'll be the first to admit wanting to be the Dude! Hell, I've wanted to be anyone from James Bond to Spiderman. But the fact is, I can't be them I can only be myself. But what I CAN do is I CAN try to be like those I look up to, to improved my self, to make myself and those around me happier!

I try to chill out like the Dude, be a gentlemen like James Bond and be brave like Spiderman!

That's why so many Dudes around here try to be exactly like the Dude!

So all in all, good advice dude! Remember to be yourself, and don't stray to far away from you, in order to conform to an ideal of yourself!

"Today you are you. This is truer than true. There isnt nobody in the world more youer than you"-Dr. Seuss

[cckeiser]

I just want to start this off by saying I'm going to be blathering a lot and people might not understand what I'm saying or may not like it.

Anyway, why does it seem like there is a majority who rather than be individuals simply try to conform to The Dude in both style and lifestyle, etc.?

I understand that TBL is part of the ethos or what-have-you, but it seems like individuality sort of goes on the back burner a bit. Like photos of guys all wearing Lebowski-esque Pendleton sweaters, goatees, shorts, jellies.

Sure, The Dude is a bit of a guru figure and some bits and pieces have their time and place in who we are and what we do.

Am I going crazy? Or is Dudeism sort of like an excuse for some to play out this fantasy role of being a slacker and wearing a robe to the walmart while the genuine philisophical underpinnings are swept aside or ignored completely?

I love our community. I would never say a harsh word against any of your characters and, hell, might even hug ya. I'm just getting into the whole Dudeist community after a bout a year of priesthood so, I need some clarifying.

Does this help any?

several things have been chasing themselves around my head this last week, in regards to where this is all going. i knew that dudeism was a philosophy and a lifestyle, but i hadn't really grasped the "religion" aspect... or maybe i had just ignored it, i don't know. what i have realized though, with all the fuss that ensued this week, is that coining this movement as a "religion", for me, presents some problems.

GOOS, I was thinking over your comment in the quote above and in particular where you say "i knew that dudeism was a philosophy and a lifestyle, but i hadn't really grasped the "religion" aspect..." and it sparked me to offer a few comments and a few things that are just like my opinion, man..........

If Dudeism was a religion I would bail on it faster than lightening; dead religion, or religion that is stiff, rigid and stinking with rules and regulations is not my bag either. All that type of religion does is create slaves to other people's control. We certainly have enough of that in the world to last for millennial!

Dudeism, on the other hand, strikes me as a possible foundation in a person's life to help them develop their own path with perhaps the aid of some concepts, perhaps some guidance, maybe some dude like experiences of others (the dudely group mind) and what is becoming a wealth of material available for a person to use while walking their own path.

Dudeism, IMHO, could be seen as providing quality and worthy building materials for a person to avail themselves of used to construct a unique reality, life style and path, etc. different from others who embrace dudeism. By doing so they add to the ever growing body of people who are molding and creating a dynamic fluid philosophy of life. If you think about it, how could it be any other way? We are all unique and no matter how hard we try, we will end up being unique dudeists.

I think that dudeism's job (one job at least) is to help each person be what they can be, help each person find their own path as a dude and by doing so enrich the ever growing reality of dudeism. In other words, dudeism is a work in progress being built by everyone who joins in and adds their uniqueness.

Each time a new person jumps in the dudeism hot tub the celebration is enhanced and changed. As dudeists, we definitely need to embrace change or dudeism will soon be just another dead religion unable to relate to the needs of people and the world around it.

If you will notice, when the major religions of the world began (most of them) they were alive, growing, dealing with birth pains and the reality of the world around them. But, as soon as they became stiff, rigid, authoritarian AND GOD FORBID "complete," that is to say no new concepts permitted, they began to solidify into a set code of beliefs, creeds and rules and in some cases religious battles between sects; they died and retreated behind walls barricading themselves and their captives behind those walls for safety.

Dudeism, on the other hand, should help people grow, not force them into a set of ideas that just don't fit their own personal path.

If every dude is the same, then we are boring, dead and just another mindless religion. But, if dudeism embraces all of its people and all that they are, then we will be wiser, stronger (strong in the sense of really having something to offer the world, not strength as seen in money rich religious organizations), infinitely more creative and much much deeper! Not to mention, enjoyable!

I think that dudeism should merely provide a solid but ever growing basic foundation for each person to build on. If that is done, dudeism will remain relative, energetic and alive to people who embrace it, and capable of offering help in living the life!

All, of course, IMHO.

[BikerDude]

As I see it. Dudeism suggests a philosophy that is embodied by or exemplified by the Dude.
There is room for individuality but the Dude is seen as the perfect embodiment of certain character traits that, in this dogma, are seen as valuable.

IMHO the Dudeist religion has to appreciated for it's irony.
But the message is still real and literal. Many people could benefit by learning to just Abide and "Enlighten Up".
It's all in good fun and that is the point. Fun is good.

[milnie]

Right on bikerdude. Why can't religion be fun. The minute we start taking it seriously it leads to all manner of undude things , like not driving on a saturday, or some shit equally crazy imdo

[DigitalBuddha]

If there is any basic principle of Dudeism, or a "tenet of Dudeism," it would be "to thy own self, be true."  ...at least it's an ethos.


IMHDO

[Reverend Curb]

cckeiser, thank you for that response. I agree with that explanation.

I'm afraid I may have misrepresented myself or been taken the wrong way. I'm not saying that acting in a dudely manner is bad, I guess it's more that I'm afraid of running into a lot of fanboys who want to throw out quotes rather than expound on a person philisophy crafted from, or in relation to, Dudeism.

Do you know what I mean? I'm getting an image of Dudeism of middle aged dudes in bathrobes and sunglasses and haven't seen any other younger dudes who don't own robes, talk about their rugs, and what have you.

Is it just that it's too young of a thing, or are we perhaps pigenhold into an image of goatees and baja hoodies and can't shake off the slobber?

[Tripnastic]

What other people want to take from Dudeism is their thing. If the most they want is some cosplay and an excuse to drink and bowl in bathrobes, I'll abide it.

I'm not pigeonholed into any image because I do what I feel, and hope others do the same.

Don't over think it, just do it. YOUR it. Don't worry about other peoples it, or how other people see your it. Get it?

[Caesar dude]

I'm afraid of running into a lot of fanboys who want to throw out quotes rather than expound on a person philisophy crafted from, or in relation to, Dudeism.

I don't think you'll run into many of them around here. El jacjson Dude....sounds exhausting.... 
We may quote from the movie but I think most of us are just trying to live up to our own expectations...not anybody elses.

Peace dude.

[cckeiser]

cckeiser, thank you for that response. I agree with that explanation.

I'm afraid I may have misrepresented myself or been taken the wrong way. I'm not saying that acting in a dudely manner is bad, I guess it's more that I'm afraid of running into a lot of fanboys who want to throw out quotes rather than expound on a person philisophy crafted from, or in relation to, Dudeism.

Do you know what I mean? I'm getting an image of Dudeism of middle aged dudes in bathrobes and sunglasses and haven't seen any other younger dudes who don't own robes, talk about their rugs, and what have you.

Is it just that it's too young of a thing, or are we perhaps pigenhold into an image of goatees and baja hoodies and can't shake off the slobber?

Yeah, we get fan boys and girls here, and then we get the real serious Taoist corner trying to claim some Dudeist territory as well...And proud we are of all of them.
You may find a bit of or a lot of either here at any time. Like most discussion boards we run in cycles...but it's all good dude if you just abide and not let whatever is running it's course bother you.
Me?....I'll be 66 in July and mostly hang out in the "Fuck It" corner of Dudeism....Life goes on dude...can't be worried about that shit.

[Hominid]

A man wiser than me said:

Yeah, we get fan boys and girls here, and then we get the real serious Taoist corner trying to claim some Dudeist territory as well...And proud we are of all of them.
You may find a bit of or a lot of either here at any time. Like most discussion boards we run in cycles...but it's all good dude if you just abide and not let whatever is running it's course bother you.
Me?....I'll be 66 in July and mostly hang out in the "Fuck It" corner of Dudeism....Life goes on dude...can't be worried about that shit.

Good advice CC dude... and an astute observation of our little beach community here. 

[BikerDude]

Yeah, we get fan boys and girls here, and then we get the real serious Taoist corner trying to claim some Dudeist territory as well...And proud we are of all of them.
You may find a bit of or a lot of either here at any time. Like most discussion boards we run in cycles...but it's all good dude if you just abide and not let whatever is running it's course bother you.
Me?....I'll be 66 in July and mostly hang out in the "Fuck It" corner of Dudeism....Life goes on dude...can't be worried about that shit.

For me we are at our best when the Ironic or Fun of Dudeism is incorporated into the strict philosophical views. One in the same.

Slightly related: Lately I've been tripping slightly on the whole "slacker" thing.
Modern cultural instances of it being so rampant.
I mean on a basic level the most quoted poem in the english language.

The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.

And in terms of modern cultural references the "Fuck it" creedo is not the only place we see it.


I also find it difficult to ignore the similarity to black stereotypes from the Jim Crow south and minstrel shows. Stepin Fetchit? In the context of baby boomer whites it's difficult to see it as anything but a feeling of disenfranchisement just like blacks had in the south.

Stepin Fetchit (May 30, 1902 ? November 19, 1985) was the stage name of American comedian and film actor Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry.[1]

Perry parlayed the Fetchit persona into a successful film career, eventually becoming a millionaire, the first black actor in history to do so. He was also the first black actor to receive a screen credit.[2]

Perry's typical film persona and stage name have long been controversial, and seen as illustrative of negative stereotypes of African-Americans. Seen through a modern lens, Perry's "laziest man in the world" character can be "painfully racist" but also "subversive".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepin_Fetchit

Whenever we have an election I'm reminded of wisdom that somebody gave me some time or other.

Never argue with a drunk, and idiot, or a crazy person.

I swear it feels like in order to do that in this day and age the only course left is "fuck it".

It's all symptomatic of a feeling of disenfranchisement.  The existentialists had various names for it.
"La Nausea" -Jean Paul Sartre
"Absurdity" -Albert Camus (see the The Myth of Sisyphus)
"Fear and Trembling" - Soren Kierkegaard

Both refer to feelings of ennui and meaninglessness.
This stuff comes up over and over and over when you go deep in the world of the Dude and the entire slacker ethos.

[meekon5]

BikerDude nice post. A few bits I will have to research (Stepin Fetchit for instance)

Had to go away and look some bits up:

The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned.
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity

As a long term Existentialist and Postmodernist the fact that you actually used the word "ennui" pleases me greatly.

I personally have moments of ennui on the train, where I sit and worry that perhaps the existentialists and the atheists may actually be right and this is it, just this and that's all. What a horrible thought, but also very challenging.

I personally prefer the Homer Simpson version of this quote

Never argue with a drunk, and idiot, or a crazy person.

Never argue with an idiot.
He will drag you down to his level,
then beat you with experience.

...I'm afraid I may have misrepresented myself or been taken the wrong way. I'm not saying that acting in a dudely manner is bad, I guess it's more that I'm afraid of running into a lot of fanboys who want to throw out quotes rather than expound on a person philisophy crafted from, or in relation to, Dudeism.

We (some of us anyway) have termed them Lebowskiists. Not detrimentally, but a number of us regard them as perhaps the Sunday Hat type of christians (but in Dudeist terms).

I am under the impression that there are certain schools of Buddhism that rely on the repetition of the sutras continually to gain insight and enlightenment. I truly hope that the Lebowskiists are raised up into Dudeism by their repetition of the TBL script, but find no purchase in this method myself.

A lot of them exist on the facebook site. As Caesar dude said I too find them a bit exhausting.

If there is any basic principle of Dudeism, or a "tenet of Dudeism," it would be "to thy own self, be true."  ...at least it's an ethos.

My own favourite quote from myself (yes self publicising again)

Stop trying to be the Dude, and just be.

[Reverend Curb]

wow I went away and come back and re-read all of this. Thanks to all of you Dudes! My thinking was a bit uptight, I think due to some kind of fervor, but with all the positive and encouraging responses I'm gonna do like McCartney and just 'Let It Be' and do my thing.

Thank you all again very much for the clarifications and I what I see as encouragement.

Party on.

[BikerDude]

BikerDude nice post. A few bits I will have to research (Stepin Fetchit for instance)

I'll leave any similarities or lack of similarity to interpretation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQl2GoEbPys

http://archive.org/details/MiracleinHarlem

There's Danger! Terror! Mystery! With a Killer on the Loose!

Julie Weston and her aunt, Hattie, own and operate a candy-store in Harlem. A wealthy business man, Albert Marshall, and his wayward son, Jim Marshall, swindle the women out of the store. Later, Albert Marshall is found murdered, and there are several suspects, including Marshall's secretary and a blackmailer. (from IMDb)