AleksM

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Posts posted by AleksM

  1. Posted

    I see, so, growing in one area requires lots of energy in the start because we're adapting to it, then once we have adapted / integrated the habit, changed our belief, then we don't have to focus our attention as much on that anymore which frees us to focus on growing on other areas. Once a critical mass of changes has been integrated, then the curve of growth shoots up exponentially. At that point we'll be better able to recognize patterns and be more wise to see the consequences of our actions.

    This is such a fascinating topic. What is growing exponentially? Understanding? Clarity? Pattern recognition? Knowledge? Ourselves? Is that a specific thing or all of it.

  2. Posted

    Quote

    Being happy and finding life meaningful overlap, but there are important differences. A large survey revealed multiple differing predictors of happiness (controlling for meaning) and meaningfulness (controlling for happiness). Satisfying one’s needs and wants increased happiness but was largely irrelevant to meaningfulness. Happiness was largely present oriented, whereas meaningfulness involves integrating past, present, and future. For example, thinking about future and past was associated with high meaningfulness but low happiness. Happiness was linked to being a taker rather than a giver, whereas meaningfulness went with being a giver rather than a taker. Higher levels of worry, stress, and anxiety were linked to higher meaningfulness but lower happiness. Concerns with personal identity and expressing the self contributed to meaning but not happiness. We offer brief composite sketches of the unhappy but meaningful life and of the happy but meaningless life.

    Source: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17439760.2013.830764

    Leo talked a lot about finding meaning and having a life purpose. But this article poses an interesting point to ponder. Would a meaningful life, be a happy life? What do you guys think about this? Note, that I didn't read the full article since it's 50€

  3. Posted

    @Leo Gura mentioned in one of his early videos that personal growth is exponential. I have forgot in which video it was. Can you guys help me understand this concept more? Do you believe that personal growth can truly be exponential in various aspects of life, such as relationships, health, physical strength, intellectual growth, awareness, and decision making? Why or why not? Share your thoughts and experiences on whether consistent effort and dedication in these areas have led to compounding results over time.

  8. Posted

    The whole nofap movement is something that does more damage than good. The problem is not masturbation, masturbation is normal and natural. The problem is masturbating to porn and wasting time looking at that. That's what does the real damage. Learn to separate masturbation from watching porn and then you will naturally masturbate less. When you watch porn it's normal to masturbate like 5-10x times more than if you don't.

    The whole idea that something amazing will happen after 90 days is stage orange thinking. And suppressing your natural masturbation urges is stage blue at work. Develop a life purpose and you will not even think about engaging in such nonsense. There are of course benefits to abstaining, but the problem is that if you go to far, you will backslide in a way that you will conpenaste for the lost time of masturbating and watching porn. When you don't watch porn and masturbate naturally when it feels good, that will not happen.

    Even some monks are allowed to masturbate once every 3 weeks.

  12. Posted

    More consciousness=more free-will. 

    Less consciousness=less free-will.

    By raising the level of consciousness, you (as the field of awareness-looking) can notice more interconnections taking place. It appears as one is swimming in a larger pool of water and there are more streams that one can enter. In lower level of consciousness, you're immersed in a smaller pool, less streams are present, and consequently you have less access to reality. This access is direct, not just observational. The one who appears to observe is still a subject.

  13. Posted

    Instead of looking outside at what other people think, look within and feel your feelings. You don't have to know everything. Feel your next step. How does a decision make you feel compared to other ones. Does it feel like truth? If it does, it is true for you and you can trust yourself enough then to take that step. When you establish this trust in yourself, you don't have to keep searching. You will find what is true in that moment and that will be the end.

  16. Posted

    From what I understand, emotions are our responses to events, but response is a choice. However, when I'm in the moment, I don't feel like emotions are a choice, but more like a result. I don't feel like I am choosing emotions out of a spectrum of emotions or that I can conjure an emotion at will. So, my question is what are emotions really?  Are they a choice, a result, both, or what?

  19. Posted

    I think that Leo demonized pleasure seeking too much in the past. This can present a problem and I think @Leo Gura should address this and explain about it more in a video. I watched a lot of videos and there is an example of that in like 1/6 of the videos. If you view pleasure as wicked, this can lead to a lot of suppression. The ego eventually comes back, and then it's stronger than ever before and this can lead a guilt trip. 

    If you work hard and then reward yourself with something pleasurable, it's good. You can feel better than before when you take a break to enjoy the pleasures of life. Pleasure seeking is a part of us and it's better accept it. When we  accept it, we can avoid pleasure seeking to spiral out of control. We gain more control over our life, enjoy healthier things and get more pleasure out of them. So all parts of ourselves are satisfied.  

  22. Posted

    In retrospect I now think this guide can be dangerous if you're not developmentally mature enough. This is only for people who are ready for it, not for people who need to handle their survival first. If you want to get a better guide I have written a huge post on my blog about it. I still need to add some references to it, but if you want to get the ultimate guide on how to practice mindfulness check it out.

    https://investinhabit.com/how-to-practice-mindfulness/

  24. Posted · Edited by AleksM

    After the latest episode I have become more aware of the trap that I have fallen into after practicing meditation and mindfulness too seriously. A few years back I have written a post on how to become enlightened fast. Well now in retrospect I think it's dangerous to go too deep too fast. I was not developmentally ready for going that deep. My mind become too silent. I didn't know anymore who and what I was. I spend years reading and watching spiritual teachings to understand the depths I got myself into, because  I didn't have enough knowledge. Now I think I have enough of it and I will change my priorities back to basic personal development.  @Leo Gura I would appreciate it,  if you elaborated more on the point you mentioned in your latest episode at 1:17:25 about nihilism.  I have definitely fallen into that trap.