VioletFlame

I love this. What a sweet answer.

Kanye doesn't even write most of his music. He has a ghostwriter. It's a bit concerning that he is being placed in the same category as Beethoven. That's like saying Jordan Peterson is the Buddha of our generation. It's way off. And it's almost insulting too. Beethoven was an actual musical genius. He is the dictionary definition of genius. He lost his hearing as a youth and still managed to create some of the most beautiful music known to man. Kanye West is not even remotely similar to Beethoven. I don't care how "enlightened" you think this guy is. He's not genuine. I don't think Kanye can even play an instrument. Therefore, I wouldn't even classify him as a musician, let alone compare him to one of the greatest composers of all time. Sure, he's some kind of trendy artist. But not a musician. To me he is blatantly unoriginal and his musical style sounds the same as many other artists of his genre. You want a real, bona fide spiritually conscious Johann-Sebastian Bach of our generation? Try listening to Björk. Also what the hell? Leo doesn't come across as bipolar at all. That is some diag-nonsense. Also, you really have no place in drawing such conclusions when you don't even know him personally. It takes personal, intimate, one-on-one contact and often an extended period of time to properly claim a diagnosis. This thread is entirely ass backwards.

Lol exactly Leo when you were a child!! You're a big boy now, aren't you? And I figure you learned a lesson or two. So curse less. I say this warmly. I just want to add that I respect you more for this. It's very thoughtful. By the way Leo I asked you a question in this thread. Would you be so kind to answer me? ?

Profanity is overrated.

Yes, the better the upbringing a person has, the more likely they are to focus more effectively in school. But they probably have less life experience and less depth-oriented understanding of themselves and of others. The less shit a person goes through, and the more "easygoing" and convenient life is for them, the less interested they'll be in self-inquiry and less interested in understanding people and themselves. It's like people have to have a specific reason, and sadly many times a catastrophic reason, to incentivize them towards personal growth.

It definitely may depend on their genetics but it can also depend on various situational factors. Believe it or not, the more trauma a young person experiences, the more likely their concentration skills & comprehension could diminish. It is not a matter of intelligence but simply a matter of a part of the brain shutting down due to the severity of the trauma a child has experienced. Trauma messes with our hippocampus and our memory and our capacity to retain information. Although I must assure you that neuroplasticity is legit, healing is very possible, and it is the sweetest revenge. Trauma disrupts many children's ability to focus or excel in school yet they are probably the most spiritually conscious individuals out there, even more spiritually conscious than their adult supervisors.

@Ulax Hmm...I'd like to think that Leo is a man of integrity. I believe he is, so I'm sure he'll practice what he preaches. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.(: The beauty of executing and actualizing true spirituality is that it challenges us to adjust & modify our behavior, including our responses/reactions to things and the way we communicate with others. Challenging yourself, coming out of your comfort zone, and adjusting your tone or language to help another person feel more comfortable, safe, and welcomed is a great sign of personal growth, of spiritual maturity, and a great sign of empathy. Most people do not want to be bothered with challenging themselves or changing themselves because they believe there is nothing to improve, but there is always something to improve. Even if you have thousands/millions of followers and are worshipped by many. Hell, even if you are Christ, Buddha, or *ahem* Leo himself, there is always something to learn about ourselves and to improve. And I think Leo gets this. Low empathy functioning on the other hand, or a lack of empathy for another's feelings or personal well-being & peace of mind, is a great sign of spiritual misapplication and misunderstanding. Empathy is key to living spiritually. And it is a cognitive skill, so people can improve their capacity to empathize with others. However, many people are living so selfishly and acting so entitled to their selfishness these days that the topic of empathy is disregarded and it is dying. It does not seem to interest anyone and it's not discussed enough. @Leo Gura Would you consider doing a video entirely on Empathy and how it relates to spiritual awareness/intelligence? I grew up in various abusive dynamics and I must say from my prolonged observation that low empathy functioning inhibits people from living spiritually & authentically. Empathy increases our ability to "go meta" and to broaden our perspective. Also the higher one's empathic functioning is, the more authentic they are, emotionally aware, and less likely to fall into traps of hypocritical thinking or cognitive dissonance. “The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world" - PLATO

@Leo Gura I think this is very sweet of you, Leo. Your thoughtfulness & consideration are deeply appreciated. I've been supporting you for years but I think I will be even more so now. You seem like a good man.

@Jake Chambers Hey I was just reflecting on your question and personally, I think that people can actually become attached and addicted to fame and the feelings fame evokes in them once they experience it. I think we could also consider that perhaps Kanye was a totally different person before he acquired his fame. He could've behaved much differently then. He could've been the sweetest, most humble, quiet, & selfless guy you'd ever meet and it was the fame itself that messed him up and altered his behavior and his attitude. Fame does change a person. And I think it can quite drastically. So to answer your question, his narcissistic personality traits could be inherited, I don't know his personal genetic background, but they could also be developed and learned. And achieving fame is one of the easiest and fastest ways to mold & shape a personality into one which is more egocentric, superficial, & vain. (It's like a trap and it can become very miserable and crippling for some celebrities/artists who are more spiritually/emotionally aware and in tune, who are wanting more in life than to have eyes all over them.) Once a person receives such extreme levels of admiration and attention, this can act like a drug, and some can actually become addicted which can heighten their greed and also paradoxically, increase their lack of satisfaction & true sense of fulfillment in life. This is why we see fame driving many individuals to sickness, and to disturbing degrees of self-destruction, including suicide. This proves that not even living like kings & queens or honorary heroes/idols can ensure happiness, positive well-being, and sense of fulfillment & life satisfaction.

All of this nonsense is all merely for shock value. Don't keep feeding into petty, narcissistic, Hollywood drama. It's only a distraction from what is actually important. This guy is a joke. He's not even a genuine vocalist; it's all autotuned & his voice is grossly monotone.

Experiencing insanity, manic states, & psychosis all energetically have the potential to manifest/evoke deeper spiritual awakenings, insights, & clarity within us. Many times individuals experiencing these states are actually like open channels. In other words, they're more receptive and allowing for epiphanies/breakthroughs to come forth. Think about it: some of the most "sane" people are the most close-minded, unable to embrace their vulnerability; unable to truly "open up" and be in that state of allowing/receiving. And in essence, one must be open to truly grasp what spirituality is, to truly be spiritual, and to let love in. Tapping into your insanity, and unleashing the wild mad man within can foster some eye-opening, transpersonal experiences for you which is all very healing. Do not cage your authentic constellation of emotions. To be spiritual is to lovingly accept every emotion there is to experience. To be spiritual is to lovingly accept, (or if that's too much) at least lovingly attempt to understand, even that which is most insane. I recommend the book "Shamans Among Us: Schizophrenia, Shamanism, and the Evolutionary Origins of Religion". Very good read.

I dig this Leo, I have no objections here. Going insane can actually be a very liberating experience and it can often resemble a form of catharsis and promote/accelerate spiritual purification & clarity. I think it's healthy to lose some control at times. To unclench and let go and that is often a necessary ingredient to achieving insanity. Sometimes we need to lose our mind in order to find it again. Or maybe in order to find what was missing all along.

What are your passions? It sounds like you're stuck in a rut. You're uninspired, and you may be getting sick of the same old routine. Sometimes, to avoid change, or to avoid making changes, we tend to tell ourselves that "everything is just fine" the way it is. Then what happens is we get very very stagnated. But the truth is, if you're bored with life and not getting any juice from life, then that is problematic and an issue which must be addressed. Gain as much inspiration as you can from multiple sources. This will eventually help you to clarify your own personal goals and interests. Make a list of all the things you love out of life and of all the things you'd love to do with your life. And take baby steps. Sometimes when we're in a funk, the biggest step you can take is just throwing the pot of tea on and making yourself a nice cup of tea to soothe the pain. As long as you're taking action, you will see improvement. Embrace each step you take.

@ShardMare Hi there, I'm sorry to hear you're having a difficult time. I don't know you or your situation but it sounds like you could be triggered by something, perhaps associated with past trauma or childhood. You mentioned the anxiety occurs during any type of movie. But perhaps while you're watching any random movie, you are actually having a strong emotional reaction to a particular and recurrent theme/emotion/mood/scene. You say you feel emptiness and numbness. Many times this can derive from generally feeling disconnected to love, joy, people, and things. Do you find that you are feeling socially isolated or disconnected at all? If so, this could be causing you to feel empty. But I think that it is perfectly okay to feel into these emotions and to notice them. Your emotions can teach you so much about yourself and help you grow. And I believe it's best to sit, watch, and learn from your emotions, rather than dismiss them. So it's great that you are noticing what's happening, opening up, and asking for advice. Emptiness itself is an emotion, which tends to arise out of lack of fulfillment. And it's okay to feel this way. In fact, if it's any consolation, I've found that "emptiness" can often show you what you are missing in life and therefore, guide you towards that thing you are currently deprived of; towards the things you deeply desire, and ultimately help you to regain your sense of fulfillment. @ShardMare If and when this occurs again, I invite you to try noticing what was presented on the screen before you had a reaction. This could help you gain deeper clarity on what exactly your triggers are and develop effective preventative/coping strategies as well. Also, try to check in with yourself and feel into your body when this is happening. Ask yourself what type of sensations are you experiencing in your body? Perhaps ask, "What is it about this movie, or scene, that is causing me to feel so bad?" You may surprise yourself as to how much this could be related to deep internal wounds you may need to work on healing. And movies are in a way, great for this (as a self-assessment/self-inquiry exercise). They can offer clues and details which can help you determine and analyze what you need to work on about yourself, when you notice the emotional reactions you are having to them. But if you are finding that it's too much right now, you could always stop watching movies for a while and see how you're feeling. The thing with trauma is, after we experience it, we start to learn how to become hyper-aware of emotions and hyper-attuned to emotional cues. It's like we're on high-alert all the time, and we actually become highly sensitive to the moods, energies, and behaviors of other people. This acts like a shield; like a defense mechanism, because it helps and teaches us how to respond to specific behaviors and how to react in certain environments/situations. And this applies to watching people in films as well. Watching movies can actually successfully improve our capacity to empathize with various emotions, which can heighten our sensitivity to emotions--especially if you already have a lot of unresolved trauma. Also, movies contain a myriad of complex information/imagery/content which is deeply buried and connected to our sub-conscious minds. This is how and why we can relate to them so much. And this is why we have triggers; revelations of our traumatic experiences/repressed memories, or even just moderate nostalgia, while watching movies. This is because our brains recognize the sub-conscious associations, relate to them, and then essentially, we re-experience the event (i.e.; mentally or physiologically). For me, personally, I like to deliberately re-watch movies because I enjoy exercising my ability to see from multiple perspectives and to put myself in the shoes of various characters. It's like, you know when you watch a movie for the first time, we don't always notice the true colors of someone right away, or the truth to the situation. We can't always predict what's going to happen because we don't know the full story yet; we haven't seen the "big picture" yet. But, once we watch it for the second time, we know exactly what's going to happen, so it gives us more room to focus on each individual character, and to deeply understand what unique challenges/obstacles/emotions each one is going through and feeling throughout the course of the movie. Whether the character is "good" or "bad", haha, you know? It just works as an exercise to gain a deeper perspective towards all types of people, situations, and circumstances. Anyway, I promise you, it does get easier over time. I hope this advice was helpful for you and I wish you all the best along your journey. ?❤️ Please feel free to reach out if you ever need to vent.

@Preety_India You are very welcome. xx

@Preety_India You are dead on, love. I too am a trauma victim and it is not easy to pick up the scattered pieces of a mess someone else left in your life. I have done years of spiritual and personal development work; therapy, 1-3 hrs of meditation per day, 2+ hrs of yoga per day. This all has done wonders for me in regards to my overall mental health and personal well-being. I am now studying and working towards my life purpose/career path: Music Therapy. I noticed that having a life purpose to lean on really helps to ground you and anchor you as well. I consider myself fortunate in that regard. You seem sweet and kind. So much love to you. ❤️

@Matthew85 Thank you! I hope it was helpful in some way. ?❤️

@hugoalfven Yes exactly. Infinite intelligence. It's all channeling and tapping into a higher source of energy. @charlie cho It actually has a lot to do with physical reality because if you have true integrity, are walking your talk, and are embodying your values, such as practicing consistently, and having direct experience with them, for example, that only materializes (and makes more sense of) the knowledge you hold. Integrity materializes your knowledge. If you are not embodying your values or your knowledge, then your knowledge is left unclear, unexpressed, and also becomes rather stagnant and limited. To enhance your knowledge, live virtuously, and never stop learning. Most of the greatest known composers maintained their humility because they believed they could never stop learning. Knowledge is not only within you, but all around you. So look around you, because it's more connected to physical reality than you may realize. ❤️

Yes, thank you, that makes sense. It's certainly not my area of expertise and I often find that it confuses or unsettles me because it doesn't seem to resemble anything spiritual. They may be opposite, but I do think both parties exhibit signs of bigotry, bias, and dogma. As long as someone has a strict and rigid opinion about something, they will be less impartial and more adamant on supporting their own perspective/belief system and only their own perspective. I've witnessed blatant ideology from both the far-right and the far-left. To the point where I don't even know which one to trust anymore or which one to fit myself into.

Wait, so the ultimate goal is to eradicate Repubs? Please correct me if I'm not following here but this doesn't sound like a healthy or high-conscious transition. It doesn't sound like stage Yellow... Leo, I have a question. I often contemplate just how ideological and bigoted BOTH parties seem to be. Wouldn't stage Yellow avoid to take any particular side and aim to take both parties into consideration? Wouldn't Yellow strive to integrate both sides of the coin? After all, a bird cannot fly with one wing. I'm not much of a politically-inclined person. And today, I often find myself completely flabbergasted by the actions/ideas of both Repubs and Dems. Frankly, neither party seems very high-conscious to me and many of it comes across as blind and lacking true virtue and integrity. We seem to be living and walking with cognitive dissonance. And honestly, to be totally blunt, I think it's all bullshit, a circus show really, and that both are clearly ignorant. Throughout my whole childhood-adolescence, I was literally one of three white kids in the entire school. I was teased for being white. And I even recall some of my non-Caucasian teachers, like adults inappropriately mocking me and pointing out my "whiteness" in front of the whole class. Just throwing backhanded compliments, and subtle remarks which would leave me feeling so uncomfortable in my own skin. So really, this may sound obvious, but I think it's a people problem, not a political party issue. No matter who the minority is, as long as there is a minority, there is going to be discrimination. Because people judge, they can't accept things as they are, and they simply lack deep empathy and emotional intelligence. This is the fundamental core reason why all wars and cultural/sociological problems arise. It helped to stand up for myself, and now some of my most best friends are black, including one that picked on me that time. Lol! Of course, this was yeears ago, but I called her out on her crap once and we actually ended up becoming really close friends. This was probably because although I am sensitive, and can take things to heart, I am also easily capable of laughing at myself.

@Razard86 Hey, thank you so much! So I can totally see what you mean and they are both very similar. Essentially, they share many of the same characteristics. They are not completely separate, but they are relatively distinct. But Machiavellianism does seem to be more complex and nuanced. So Machiavellianism contains characteristics from both psychopathy and narcissism. Specifically from "factor 1 psychopathy" and grandiose narcissism (arrogance, morbid envy, sense of entitlement, etc.) With psychopathy, it has factor 1 and factor 2. With factor 1 psychopathy, we see callousness, impassivity, lack of empathy, manipulativeness, etc. And with factor 2 psychopathy, we see characteristics such as impulsivity, irresponsibility, and even committing crimes. One distinction, for example, is that a Machiavellian tends to be goal-oriented and skillful in strategic long-term planning, which is not a feature shown in narcissism. Also, their goals tend to be regarded as "evil" or immoral; so it usually involves a degree of criminality or cynical, misanthropic, and malevolent thoughts/beliefs/behaviors. Also, they are shown to have higher impulse control than a narcissist or psychopath. A Machiavellian is strong in this area in that they are capable of putting off rewards, which is something narcissists struggle with a lot. Narcissists actually display an attitude of impatience, of wanting all eyes on them, and everything to immediately fall into their laps; they crave immediate attention and instant reward. Another distinction is with fantasy and desire. We see this with both narcissism and Machiavellianism, where someone desires power or status, except narcissists will usually desire fame and excessive admiration; whereas a Machiavellian does not and does not necessarily strive to be the center of attention. They actually prefer to be "in the shadows"; very discreet, sly, and deceptive and prefer to keep their intentions hidden. They value their anonymity more. In other words, with a Machiavellian, there are ulterior motives and very little communication as to why actions are being taken. And when someone is narcissistic, they are usually very clear about their intentions and it appears very obvious; they have difficulty obscuring their tactics. Also, a Machiavellian can appear nice and gregarious, and trusting on the outside, so there is a little more depth to their deceitfulness than with psychopathy and narcissism. And they are very much a part of the business world, and high in conscientiousness, but of course, are not typically attracted to those endeavors for the right reasons. A narcissist, however, can use Machiavellianism as an abusive tactic. And like narcissists, a Machiavellian can also use guilt and deep emotional components as a form of manipulation to gain something. So I guess we can say there are many degrees to narcissism but Machiavellianism is just a more extreme, detailed, or multi-faceted version of it. Overall, the Dark Triad is an intriguing construct and the way I interpret it is that Machiavellianism is like the umbrella, if you will, which seems to encompass elements or aspects of both narcissism and psychopathy. Or you could say narcissism is the umbrella, encompassing aspects of psychopathy and Machiavellianism; whatever floats your boat, really. Essentially, it's all relative and it all boils down to a disregard for morality for personal gain. Machiavellianism also seems to correspond with ruthlessness, cynicism, and extreme Nihilism. Narcissism has some connection to criminality, but not as much as Machiavellianism and psychopathy does. The Dark Triad is sub-clinical so it's not often studied in the mental health realm, but I personally think it should be..?

Hey--great question. I am currently a Music Therapy major and may I just say that simply listening to Bach's music seems to elevate my mood. So I'm no genius, but one thing that helped me write my last album was committing to a deliberate, consistent, steady morning routine. First thing in the morning, (and this is beginning to sound a bit cliché but it does work wonders) I would wake up and make myself do yoga and meditation before working on anything related to my creative project. I basically constructed this as a rule for myself because I knew it produced such better results for me. I felt much more clear-headed, focused, and inspired during the creative process after working on my spiritual practice. And I found that it helped to prevent or defeat any resistance or procrastination, and also helped me to be less critical and more impartial and constructive with my work. Consistency is key. Practice, practice, practice, until it is virtually impossible to make the same mistakes. Keep correcting yourself. Humor yourself; laugh at yourself. Trust me, that is a skill in itself. Embrace and experience the power of catharsis. And just try to stay inspired as much as you can. Inspiration and motivation go hand in hand. It's difficult to have one of those things without the other.

@RendHeaven @Dlavjr waddup. LOL.

Yes! Thank you @Leo Gura

@Leo Gura Exactly. How can one change if they aren't even aware that they are in need of changing? Most narcissists are completely oblivious to their condition, which is one of the reasons why it is so stubborn to treat. Because it all boils down to a willingness for self-improvement, personal growth & development. And lack of awareness only causes more issues, because if the narcissist doesn't stay the same, they'll only get worse. NPD is actually very common and most people are in denial that they have it, or that they at least experience a few of the ten traits/symptoms, which is why most people cannot empathize with a narcissist, because they are in denial of their own mild-severe narcissistic traits/tendencies/characteristics. They cannot understand because they refuse to understand themselves first. But there is a reason why narcissism is so ubiquitous. If one looks at the ten major traits more closely, they'll start to see that most of these traits are actually common responses to deep existential problems/dilemmas that I think most humans experience at some point in their lives. In other words, they're in a sense, and to an extent, admittedly relatable. However, what tends to be less common is the "Dark Triad" (which contains the personality traits of Narcissism, Machiavellianism, & Psychopathy.) Trump is a really good example of the "Dark Triad". I wouldn't go as far to say he fits into "Psychopathy" perse, but a Machiavellian, for example, is someone who, almost obsessively, desires power, status, money, opulence, etc. They seem to disregard morality for their own personal gain. Like narcissism, they also exhibit extreme grandiosity, solipsism, and superficial thinking. Most importantly though, Machiavellianism refers to deception and the quality of being deceptive, conniving, and manipulative to reach one's goals. It is complete and utter callousness and exploitation of others. So if anything, I associate Trump not only with narcissism, but with the whole triad, particularly Machiavellianism. On an end note, my philosophy is that most mental illnesses should be relatable. The goal is to develop and increase our capacity for empathy towards multiple types of individuals, struggling with various mental health issues. The higher our empathy (which is a cognitive skill), the more our perspective expands, especially in regards to human understanding. Empathy increases our ability to see things from multiple perspectives; to fit ourselves in multiple types of shoes, if you will. And I believe that the more we can understand our own palette of emotions and every side/fragment of ourselves, the more we can understand various types of people. We just need to learn how to be more impartial.