LastThursday

@Eph75 paradigm lock is a real problem as you say. It takes luck - epiphany or suffering or external influence - or something else that breaks the paradigm to escape it. No paradigm is wholly consistent, there are always holes that can be noticed:

Unknown unknowns. We're all deeply ignorant all the time. Except on occasion we get lucky. Even then we usually forget like goldfish.

@Valach you're focusing on the wrong thing. Why did you want to do pickup in the first place? Whatever your answer is to that, is what you should be focusing on.

Forget that. If you have a gf you've already won. On the other hand, if you want a new gf, then that's different: work out as if your life depended on it. Or at least have some other high-value metric.

With these sorts of contemplations there is an underlying need that doesn't get questioned. That is, will "I" continue after death? The answer is, of course not. Awareness may well continue after death, but it's a kind of anticlimax because @Adamq8 won't be around to appreciate it. Then again the "I" continues to die and be reborn constantly even when living. When I was around 13 I used to sit on the bus home from school and contemplate what I would be like when I was 27 (the year 2000 seemed good and futuristic to contemplate). I had no idea except I thought I would be married with kids. When I hit 27, it was nothing like I thought it was, and sadly I was no longer 13 to appreciate it as that was a distant memory. Now I'm 48 both of those ages seem like a haze on the horizon of my past. Three different ages, three different "I"s, three different deaths and rebirths.

The one thing that rubs me up the wrong way about owning a house is being in (large) debt to a bank. Once you're mortgaged, you are effectively enslaved to paying off the mortgage, plus interest. That translates into having to have a steady income to cover it (wage slavery). If your income is patchy (because you run your own startup business say), then you will have the constant worry of defaulting on your mortage and repossesion of the property. However, for most this is all moot - you still need money to pay for rent. The ideal (for me) would be to build my own home and own it outright - no rent/mortgage - no wage slavery. But in the UK no chance, I'd need to be a millionaire.

Political Correctness, who wants it? I've noticed a nuance within PC which never seems to be discussed. That is the three-way tussle between causing offence, using non-inclusive language and being authentic. In the UK at least PC usage has only been the norm since about the late 80's and very much was an import from the states. I remember myself how weird being politically correct felt at the time, it was truly a novelty. Also, it was a purely media (TV etc) driven phenomenon. It took a very long time before the average Joe and Jo used more careful language. Before that anything went (in the media) as long as it wasn't overtly racist or sexist. Wind back ten years before to the late 70's and even sexism and racism weren't noticed or at least complained about - in fact, in the media, bad language (swearing) was seen as more taboo (interestingly this has only loosened within the last 10-15 years). The main thrust of political correctness is really about removing non-inclusive language. It comes from a recognition that racism and sexism and other forms of exclusion and prejudice are unacceptable. They're are unacceptable because prejudice and exclusion are detrimental to the receivers of it. And really it comes from the standpoint that all people are are equal in some sense, and so should have equal opportunities in all spheres of life. Racism and sexism and other forms of prejudice reduce freedom of choice and opportunity. For me personally, this has very strong resonance, I have been at the receiving end of racism. Prejudice in itself is offensive, and rightly this should be pointed out and stamped out when it occurs. However, not all offence is prejudice. Like it or not offence is highly context dependent and also dependent on the sensibilities of the person who takes offence. Within a group of close friends it can be quite acceptable to use overtly offensive language, but to take it as lighthearted banter (especially amongst men). People also have different tolerances for offensive language, some may care about every word, others not at all. Causing offence often gets lumped into being politically correct. Within PC there is a kind of levelling whereby the lowest common denominator usage is expected. That is, any offensive language (language that causes offence, not just cursing) is seen as bad and potentially prejudicial in some way. Whilst admirable in a prejudicial sense, as I stated earlier not all offence is prejudice. This is the "treading on eggshells" effect of PC, and I would go so far as to say this is not what PC is about and has been one of the unfortunate side-effects of PC usage. When trying to be authentic, there's a recognition that what is inside needs to be expressed on the outside. But there should be limits to authenticity: perhaps you authentically want to murder people, or you really are a racist. And there's a huge difference between thinking like a murderer and actually murdering people. But for lesser taboo expressions of authenticity, it should be ok to be offensive. After all within a group of relative strangers, whatever you say may be taken offensively. Having to "tread on eggshells" and think deeply about every word that comes out of you mouth, is the opposite of authenticity. In order to be authentic, you will sometimes be offensive. If you are an authentically compassionate person, and you have caused offence by your words then you would rightly try and make good, and possibly even adjust your future behaviour. If not, then authentically, you would let the offence ride and carry on regardless. Seen in this light political correctness is in direct contradiction to being authentic. However, being authentic is not complete freedom and needs to be reined in by certain standards (such as PC). But also PC is not about being nice to everyone, it is about treating others as equals and not denying them (even obliquely) opportunities to be free. Offence is ok, you shouldn't have to cater to everyone all the time.

God is such a loaded word. Nevertheless, Leo repeatedly says that it's possible to realise that you're God. I would say that that bald statement alone requires a very open mind. It's very easy to dismiss a thing if you've never encountered it yourself: that's closed mindedness.

Bump. Hi. My observations on your latest vid: "Now, go in to your direct experience, what you're directly sensing and perceiving right now. Is there any you there?" Yes, indeed, it's all me. Everything I paint and recognise is me. And yet, nothing is me. It's all foreign and unrecognisable. I'm just a voyeur in a dream of my own creation. "Unless we bring in thought, and that's what brings in the illusion of memory and the illusion of continuity. And, creation itself." Sure, and as you say, we should have fun with it, it's just a cosmic joke.

Fun is primary, pay is secondary. Just sayin'.

Blush.

Just beautiful, young beautiful @Preety_India. My orange competitiveness is overcoming me however. Can I beat both ABBA and Stephen C. Foster? Unlikely, but I can try: Once a queen sat in her high throne, All powerful over all that's known, Her dictum was reality. Her thoughts all but finality, And yet, she liked to dream, Of far off lands, Of streams of thoughts, Of this and that, Of knights in court, Until, finally she's caught. She pleads and tussles, "I myself just forever struggle!" Yes, my lady you do, but, Just give up and no longer trouble yourself, You are the Dreaming Queen herself.

You can dance, you can jive Having the time of your life Ooh, see that girl, watch that scene Digging the dreaming queen Friday night and the lights are low Looking out for a place to go Where they play the right music, getting in the swing You come to look for a king Anybody could be that guy Night is young and the music's high With a bit of rock music, everything is fine You're in the mood for a dance And when you get the chance You are the dreaming queen Young and sweet, only seventeen dreaming queen Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah You can dance, you can jive Having the time of your life Ooh, see that girl, watch that scene Digging the dreaming queen You're a teaser, you turn 'em on Leave 'em burning and then you're gone Looking out for another, anyone will do You're in the mood for a dance And when you get the chance You are the dreaming queen Young and sweet, only seventeen dreaming queen Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah You can dance, you can jive Having the time of your life Ooh, see that girl, watch that scene Digging the dreaming queen Digging the dreaming queen

I'm loving the Gandalf beard. I'm unable to grow such a lush beard, my facial follicles just won't do it. I'm envious man. Reminds me of when I tried a round of 18 holes of golf. I hit dirt every other swing, it was exhausting. It needs some sort of skill that.

I dream myself alive. Yep, you're right. It is an A-Ha song circa some 80's date, not actually an existential questioning act. Nevertheless, good lyric, but I refuse to believe any of A-Ha (as they were/are) are awake in any sense, but what the bleep do I know? Reminds me of row your boat. I've been questioning my own addiction to this site and what it really stands for. Most normal folk would just carry on regardless in spite of themselves. I'm a lapsed contrarian so here I am. Why so deep and questioning? What's the bleeping point? Be a bleeping man and I should just act; think lightly, then act. Don't reverse the acts you do man, just go forward, forward, forward. Going back is inappropriate, weak. Revisiting is weak and worthless and bleeping pointless. I'm only beeping for those of you with a weak disposition. So now for something different. What's special about this little ditty? here, there, now and then, to, fro, and back again clock, strikes, a-quarter to three, in, out, and thoughts of ye coin, note, time and motion, queue, wait, and love's devotion push, jump, before and after, hold, hurt, and then some laughter Hint: think quick, think fox, think brown. Anyone who wants to try, just PM me, if you get it right then you'll get a date with me through a medium of your chosing (I'm straight BTW if it helps and believe it or not I'm suprisingly normal IRL - except for an occasional penchant for nail varnish). Yeah, I know it's not a dating site. Anyway, enough frippery, to the post proper... MEMORY Ever smelt something, or heard a song that just triggers something deep within you? Some earlier younger incantation of you? Something emotional that surfaces that you can't logically control. Consciousness asserts herself. You are rendered paralysed in-so-far that you can't dismiss the triggered emotion outright. Instead you try to closer inspect the thing, and find that actually it's a part of your DNA. That song, that smell, that morose imposition of some 'other' past. You can't extricate yourself from it. You may become Leo's version of God and yet, still these stupid smells and songs and whatnot still trigger you. So, what do they point to? I'd go so far as to say God her/him/itself is nostalgic and idiotic. It wants to remember, remembering is all there is. How else do you "Dream Yourself Alive"? Remember, remember, remember. That's all there is. Ego, is just a bunch of remembering. God is a just a bunch of change. Which one are you really?

The nature of mind is the constant tussle between unfettered impulse and rational restraint.

I have a strong tendency to want to do my own thing. This manifests in any number of ways, but in my experience it's a double-edged sword. One of the best ways of bonding with people is to do what they do, say what they say and so on. That way, two people become one system where the parts are in harmony with each other. When you think about it copying each other is weird and also there's no proper rationale as to why it should make a better system or better able to survive (in a Darwinian sense) or why it's better in any sense. If you have a society of people, even two people, there's sense in both copying each other and not copying each other. If you both copy each other's language, then yes you can communicate more effectively, or if you use the same tools, it's more efficient. The ability to share is of great survival value, because it reduces the cost of producing the shared items: they are made once and used many times. But copying each other comes at a cost. That cost is the time it takes to learn to copy someone else. Look at how long a young child takes to be fluent in language, it's certainly not overnight: years. The other cost is that because copying is so costly in itself, you are locked in to just those behaviours that you've mimicked. This is because there's not enough time to learn anything more (in a certain timespan). The copying behaviours crowd out the non-copying behaviours. You become a sheep incapable of novelty. So what about not copying others? This also has its benefits. The main one being novelty. Novelty is important because it allows a person to find more efficient or effective ways of doing things, i.e. discovery. Some people are extremely curious or at least nosey. This curiosity is what drives the seeking of novelty. It's obvious that other animals can also be very curious, cats and monkeys come to mind. In the modern world, it can help you find a better coffee to drink in the morning, find a mate, or find a more fulfilling job. Novelty is also what drives self-development; it's not about being better, but about finding novel ways to be different from your current self. Novelty too comes with a cost. There is danger in novelty seeking. Maybe you walk into a dangerous neighbourhood out of curiosity, or you attempt a new activity that you don't realise may harm you. Or you try out a new way of doing things, and are met with derision from the non-novelty seekers, and are ostracised for it. Again there is also a cost in time spent, looking for novelty takes effort and resources, which may be better spent by just copying others: why re-invent the wheel? So, it really makes sense from a Darwinian perspective that there should be a range of behaviours, even within one person. There should be a strong tendency to copy others, but there should also be a strong undercurrent of novelty seeking. And so it is, people's genetic makeup make them either more risk averse (less novelty seeking), more wanting to be part of a group (copying each other), or more curious (more novelty seeking). Any society of people needs a good mix of sheep and lone wolves. I think the dice of chance have made me into a novelty seeker, but not the risk taking type. I'd be an idiot if I said I didn't copy others at all, after all I'm speaking English and wearing jeans. But I very much enjoy thinking for myself and coming up with unique ways of doing things and expressing myself. This can leave some people to look at me as if I have two heads, or as a quirky person to kept away from, or even a dangerous subversive with no respect for others. I've rubbed many managers up the wrong way, not because I want to, but because I'm not a robot sheep. Long live novelty!

So I watched the video for the second time just now (after a 4 year hiatus). To make up for my egoic shortfalls and devilish behaviour, here's my summary of the video: Success You need: Spirit, engagement and connect directly with survival To seize control for your life back, live on the edge To Study diverse perspectives Trust in: Truth, unconditional love, beauty Existential investigation Passion, focus, direction, vision A hard work ethic Commitment Mastery Spiral Dynamics Re/connect emotions strongly with vision, so much it makes you cry. Practise extreme ownership. Learn and read hundreds of books. The steps to success are: Vision Learning and research Building momentum and focus Hard work It's dumb to believe that there's "nothing to do". It's dumb to believe there's "nothing to chase". You should challenge yourself deliberately. Passion and consciousness should be like the oxygen you breathe. When you feel like quitting, double down and work harder no matter what. Stop looking for shortcuts. Don't outsource your decision making. And at 46:43: "What does matter is that you're playing the game with seriousness. And yet at the same time you can joke about it." My take away? It's a good video. But Leo missed out one crucial ingredient: play; not in the sense of playing the game, but in the sense of curiosity and playing with ideas and techniques. Why do I think it's important? Because seriousness can lock you into a singleminded rut. Only play can continually bounce you out of it.

Ok. Sorry.

I'll feed my obsession with age: Don't ever worry about being old(er). For two reasons mainly. Worrying about being old one day, spoils being young - just enjoy being young it only happens once. And, when you get old, you'll realise that it feels exactly the same as being young, and just how badass you are now in comparison to your younger self

Man you've so hit the nail on the head. All truth is pure faith, how can you ever know if a truth is going to vary in future? If you did, then you would know it wasn't truth.

@Dodo your future self is always stronger, and more wise than you, trust that person. Don't trust neurosis, we can find fear everywhere if we let it, and we become paralysised. That's no way to lead life.

Good point. How prepared can you be for death or hell? I suppose I can prepare myself against a hurricane or tsunami maybe. But death and hell? Perhaps I can take out an insurance policy by taking up religion or spirituality? How do I prepare myself against my own fear of the future? Even for a tsunami or hurricane you can only prepare so much, and then you forget about it once it's done. You let your future self worry about the details when it comes.

I was talking about play, love and laughter for myself. I wasn't aware that @Logan was talking about becoming rich and famous, he didn't actually mention it? He actually seems to be talking about motivation. Motivation for what exactly I don't know. Maybe motivation for play, love and laughter perhaps (I hope)?

Ah yes free will. Free Will™ is nothing but ownership of action. For as long as you believe in a "you" then "your" actions belong to you, and so were freely dictated by you. When the smokescreen of a "you" clears, then action belongs to no-one and so free will evaporates.