ivory

Then it's not UBI. There seems to be some disagreement about what exactly constitutes UBI, but I think that most agree that UBI means no strings attached. I can't say that I disagree but the thing to consider is that no solution is permanent. Shit happens, you deal with it, then you move onto the next problem. Wash rinse repeat. I believe there are times where UBI, or some semblance of it, may be the appropriate solution. Look at the US coronavirus relief package. We came up with a solution to deal with the problem at hand and in my opinion, it is the appropriate solution. Will it last forever, probably not. Will we come back to it at a later date? Perhaps. I don't think there's anything wrong with think big / dream big (Bernie Sanders, Green New Deal, etc), but most of the time, change happens very slowly. And that's true on every front. That's just the way life works. There are times, like in a crisis, where life changes drastically and there is just no going back. But that's something all together different.

@Joshi3 I get what you are saying. Cheers.

@Joshi3 The term self-acceptance is a bit misleading. A lack of self-acceptance really just amounts to a series of beliefs. Also, be careful with this "everything is non-dual" stuff. You'll just confuse yourself. Self-acceptance is not the same thing as non-acceptance.

Self-acceptance is a trick beast because ego is so deceptive. I must do ABC or I will never amount to anything. I must do XYZ or no-one will ever love me. There are two things that I found helpful and I'm not sure I would arrived at the place I am today without them. First, get therapy. Find a good therapist that will help you develop your self-esteem. Tell that that you struggle with self-acceptance. Why? Because self-acceptance is so counter intuitive. It's a mind fuck. Second, stage green friends who accept you for who you are. It helps a lot to get positive feedback from others. Hope that helps.

I also consider myself a slow learner but there are some things that I am naturally good at like athletics. What I've learned is to find some sort of balance. Do the things that come naturally and continue to hone those skills. As for the things that don't come naturally, push yourself just a little bit harder than you would like. By a little bit, I mean A LITTLE BIT. Do that more and more to exercise your brain and build strength. In the process you will improve as will you learn to believe in your abilities. I could go on and on about this topic but that's it in a nutshell.

I'm doing well Milos. Thanks for the kind words. Best to you.

Well that's not necessarily true, but there will be push back. I personally don't think anyone really gets anything out of accusations unless everyone involved is open minded. So, you aren't 100% wrong. Well, that is the solution to the madness you see around you. And for sure, find like-minded people. That's what makes the absurd bearable.

Aw crap, I just wrote a big long post and when I clicked submit, it garbled up my post. Here's a second shot... In Buddhism this is referred to as groundlessness which mostly pertains to impermanence in general: Health, wealth, life, relionships, etc. My last meditation teacher used to call it "Skating on thin ice." Here's an excerpt from one of his books. It's a good read with an interesting short story at the end. I think you'll get a kick out of it. Although Camu didn't consider himself an existentialist there certainly are some parallels in their thinking. Camu only talks about what he criticized here but this quote doesn't mention the antidote which is what made the existentialists so great (Sartre, etc). I'm reading a book called At the Existentialist Cafe and Camu's in it. Highly recommended. Clever. This line made me chuckle. I had a pretty severe health issue pop up a few years ago and I just didn't see it coming. It took me a few years to adapt but during those few years I couldn't help but think how vulnerable I was. All the time I was aware at how fragile myself and others really were and I was amazed at how many people just didn't see it. Anyways, thanks for sharing. I've enjoyed your posts recently.

Ok but did the scandinavian countries skip over orange? Like Roy said, progress isn't always linear. I personally think that the transcendence of some stages are messier than others. If you are firmly rooted in orange, brace for impact. The other thing to consider is that the US is so much larger and divided than these other countries. Comparing the US to them is like comparing apples to oranges. Lots of factors come into play here.

I'm going to make adapt and take up some new hobbies. In addition to my meditation routine I'm going to take up yoga and write poetry!

Interesting, I was just talking to my roommate about this a few minutes ago. This is a time when people are going to have to reassess what's really important. I've been saying this for quite some time, but real change often requires a crisis.

@lostmedstudent That's not what I gathered from this thread. Life has no inherent meaning, and although that may sound nihilistic it's actually very freeing. No outside source can tell you how you should live your life. You don't have to be a certain way or live to anyone else's standards. That said, life is only worth living if you live in such a way that matters to you. So, one could say, life is radically important.

Hey Matt, I've only been doing research into the career so far. I already have a bachelor's degree in computer science but I'm really sick of writing software for a living. Right now I'm trying to figure out if I need a second bachelor's degree in psychology before embarking on the journey towards a PhD. What did you like about the research that you did?

It's been a long hard path deciding what I want to do for my next career. I've lost interest in computer programming but have a strong interest in psychology. I don't think I want to be a therapist but I think I would love doing research. I know that it comes with a set of challenges and it's not going to be all peaches and cream. But I can't think of anything else I want to do. There are numerous possibilities. Like, study the affects of meditation or psychedelics on mental health. Or maybe even challenge the status quo. In psychiatry there's a tendency to over prescribe when simple remedies or behavioral change might do the trick. I can think of a number of things that interest me. Is there anyone here that's been down this road? Right now I'm just gathering data to see if this is the path I really want to go down. I'd love to have your input.

^^

I went through this a couple years ago. Fear of no-self. Fear of nothing existing. Etc. It passes. The best thing you can do is not resist it. After a while you see that the mind is just playing tricks on you and there's nothing to be afraid of.

No but I can say from experience. If you're not building one habit at a time you're doing too much. I can see the value in an accountability partner but they're not going to be there for you forever. It's important to find a pace that's not too quick, but at the same time is also firm. Give up one unhealthy habit at a time. After one or two years you should be solid.

You might find some luck here: https://www.dharmaoverground.org/dharma-wiki/-/wiki/Main/FrontPage#section-FrontPage-Retreat+Centers+and+Places+to+Practice

The fear will pass. But speaking from experience, it won't go away until you face it.

I think you're psyching yourself out a bit. You're not necessarily going to have a bad trip. If you did three grams of shrooms you might though Stick to a low dose. For your first time don't do more than 1.5 grams of mushrooms or more than 100ug of LSD. I don't think you need a trip sitter. It surely doesn't hurt but but you're not going to go crazy on the doses I'm suggesting.

@TamaraD What have you tried so far? I'd start by telling them how I felt and what I wanted. If they weren't willing to talk I'd tell them that I'd be patient and wait until the time is right.

I'm a recovering nice guy. I used to never get girls or get laid. I tried many things to try and attract women, including trying to be tough, cool, a dick, etc. I became quite successful but realized that it was all a front and wasn't sustainable to uphold a false appearance. So I started being myself (I know it sounds cliche). What I learned is that you can be kind and still attract women. The key is honest, direct expression and non-neediness. Women are attracted to honesty and guys who live with integrity and authenticity. This book is a great place to start on an authentic journey to improving skills with women: Models

@ardacigin Cool post. Just out of curiosity how much formal practice do you do daily? Also, do you make time for friends, hobbies, exercise and the like?

Once embarking on the self-development journey you come to realize that most people are lame. Why develop social skills just to get validation from lame folks. For me, green and above are the only ones I like to spend time with and I find it very natural. So when I say find people who are like you, I mean exactly that. Real friendships are formed when you share a common set of values. No effort is required because there's already common ground. My advice to anyone on this forum would be that. Find people who reside in green territory, it may take a while but it's totally worth it. Start there and see if you still want to develop your skills.

Often if you're lazy it'll creep into every other area of your life. Are you doing what needs to get done. Do you have a strong, routine spiritual practice?