BlueOak

I hid this initially, as I tend to agree with @Bjorn K Holmstrom it's the kind of test that will give everyone who takes it some form of disorder, and that to me, is a failing of the modern medical professional to over diagnose people. I would challenge someone to try and get a 0% to see if it's possible. I scored high on Schizoid 86% which I agree with because I've lived below the poverty line in an affluent area for 20+ years and adapted myself to it all my adult life. Few relationships outside of family and work, with a lot of alone time. Compulsive 50%, which I didn't agree with, as I'm not spontaneous and, if anything, too reserved. Some 43% negativistic and 57% depressive tendencies in there linked to the first point, which I agree with: Always the money. No matter how long you practice philosophy or spirituality (or anything else for that matter), if you are broke, life sucks. Dependent was sort of expected but i'd put it around 20% now, I've done a lot of work on it.

I appreciate the similar life experiences shared and the solutions offered, gratitude to all of you

I've noticed most of my life that I am looking for problems to solve, and it's a chronic state. Sometimes people love it because you are being useful to them or helping them out, but I've been working with a guy that's aware enough to tell me, you're always solving a problem, and that's something I've considered before in relationships, and such with women but never work. I don't engage much with life if I am not solving a problem of some kind. It's an odd dynamic currently, he keeps telling me to work less hard and relax, but all my life I've had people who want me flat out all day working, and that's when I feel like I have a job, or feel like I am living life or in a relationship. It's not that I can't or don't just switch off and relax, outside of work I am somewhat lazy I feel, but I don't feel like there is much to the day when I do.

You are not in isolation. You are at the crest of a wave, and then it filters down. Your words, actions, energy and the ripples bring those realisations to all of us slowly. That's why it gets a bit easier for others to have awakenings and such as more people have them. Incidently that's why I don't like when you hold back information because we are not receiving it fully yet. I feel like saying: Well yeah obviously! That'll take more of the collective to have those experiences first.

I don't have much of a flow with life. For me, that's a state I would experience sporadically when on a task. I have problems that come up and I solve them. When I don't have anything to do I have two choices usually, solve something or relax. As to why, that's my frame for life. When I am not doing that, I am wasting time or relaxing. This thread is another problem-solving thread, so it's even here . Specifically at work, I feel that's what work is about, solving problems, finding solutions, and assisting people. Examples: I exercise to solve the problem of my weight, possibly dating again, get my strength up, and keep me healthy through middle age. I work to pay my bills, start a business up again, maybe socialize and feed myself etc. When I have some spare money again I'll socialize to make friends, form connections, be there for someone etc, have some creative expression outside of work. I come on here to have meaningful conversations, see different points of view, raise my awareness and grow, help people out, and be helped sometimes. It's all either this is the problem or need etc, so this is what I do. OR I am choosing to relax right now. When I go through topics here, I skim for either questions or things I think I could help with and have some knowledge about. I like a mystery and miss the times when I thought they surrounded me, but I think I've solved most of them of consequence, and if not, I know they will come to me throughout my life (like this one).

Thanks for the reply. I don't have a problem with that, I can give them some help and extract myself from a conversation easily enough. I used to have a problem fixing people's problems and then losing interest, and attracting people who liked the fact I was supporting them in that way, but that's resolved now. I used to feel that but I think I've gone too far with it. A part of me feels I am creating these problems to solve. Keeping this practical, this comes out in me looking for things to fix at work, I've had bosses that loved that I was proactive, but it becomes a problem when the rest of life feels less engaging as a result. Yeah we lose and change friends as we go through life and change ourselves. I agree I need to let some things go myself and not try and fix them so much. Its a healthier way to live.

Sitting with room around you is usually okay, though I've heard people who get into deep states say kneeling with elbows resting on the bed is a good way, leaning slightly forward. For most of us a pillow or cushion under the knees will probably be more comfortable.

Short version is there is no highest, no knowing, nothing aside from what is happening right now inside yourself that you are watching unfold. That doesn't mean dismiss things that come to mind, because that's part of the experience also.

Self-Viewing: The Experience | Your mind as a Filter Retelling: The Experience | Your mind as a Filter | The listener's mind as a filter 2nd Hand Accounts in a book or video: The Experience | Viewer's mind as a filter | Writer's Mind |Reader's Mind Jury Duty for written statements: The Experience | Viewer's Mind as a filter | Writer's Mind (Officer) | Reader's Mind (Lawyer) | Listener's Mind (Jurior) | Anyone listening to the Jury in deliberation. Oneness: The Experience Importantly: The experience you are having is unique to you, it is framed by you within your beliefs or values, referenced and given meaning by you, and created by you, mass detail is unconsciously stored by you to be referenced later, potentially emotionally bonded or referenced by you, brought into alignment by all the connections you've made in life, the energy of the experience has a unique quality, the timing when it happens during your life etc. There is a lot of subtlety in experience, what you are currently generating to experience, and for why you are doing so. It is differently experienced in many ways, from person to person.

Most of the land Russia takes is not strategically important, with a few important exceptions. This appears to be a similar land grab from Ukraine,and another is potentially starting in Belgorod now. Unless it's still a ruse of some kind which appears unlikely at this point. It appears that Russia has taught Ukraine and the west something about how to fight a war over very large mostly flat areas. Most people's egos will not allow them to see that truth however, on either side. Ukraine is using Russian strategy against them, by learning from it. By that I mean grab every field and every tree, because there is so much land, quantity over quality in this war in terms of terrain/resources/cover etc. *Hearing reports they are at 500 square km's now.

Let me give this a shot. Hunger: Get Food: No Hunger. You call the being getting hungry YOU, and then you define what YOU means. But that definition doesn't exist anywhere, you can't point it out to me. There is just the experience of being hungry, and then eating, to not feel hungry. Then you see someone else and say other, then define what other means. You can point to a second body sure, but anything beyond the physical sensation of something in front of you is all made up in your head. You could say Me and You. Us. Them. Two People. Two entities. Begins. Pair. Group. etc. It would just be a label. We add so much that doesn't actually exist, and it tends to complicate life the more we add. The simpler we make it, the simpler life is. I use the words you and me because that's understood (and quite simple) in the experience, I realise I am talking to myself. I will take what you say give it meaning, and then react to myself, I know this logically and experience how I alter conversations along often predictable patterns. We can call them levels if it helps, I understand there is a level beyond that, I understand and experience emotion manifesting the flavor of the experience that's fairly easy to demonstrate to most people, but it also assists in creating even out of the blue changes, let alone altering the pattern being run. What you are experiencing is yourself. Always. The torus model runs forever, that's why it's quite useful for demonstration.

Hopefully this helps: In various orders, but always together. The logical mind trying to draw circles where it is not is fun, but there are no circles, no mind, no individuals or collective either. Whatever model you focus on becomes your frame for reality. Truly there is just this. | | and this moment right here you are now having. Until leo or another part of me can convince me this moment doesn't exist, I will believe that now is all that exists. Consciousness would be a concept, yes but then so is everything else, including the words or implication (everything else). It's true that this is all bricks you put together to understand reality in the way you wish, but that changes nothing, it always has been.

From my limited understanding, poker involves managing risk, reading people, taking chances, a good head for numbers and percentages, having a sharp memory, and at higher levels a detailed strategy. These things can help the population in life generally, but there are negatives: Addiction, financial problems, crime to pay bills/addictions, and the general social strain these things present in other areas, families, communities, etc. It can also support organized crime if people go too far into these traps, as they have to pay off people with significantly worse consequences.

@Consept Britain has been invaded so many times that there has always been an assortment of cultures: The thumbnail here is a good start. Romans, Saxons, Normans, Danes, Celts, Beakers. Its the same reason we became so adept at warfare, a lot of warmongers settled here, and everyone else learned to keep up. It was a natural place for immigration, being a well-developed, rich island, which only diversified the culture more. The end result is regional cultures, exemplified by the number of accents, for example, rather than a national culture.

Completely the opposite opinion. You can have 100 breakthroughs stacking shelves, walking your dog, and day to day life. You can also sit meditate and have a wild one. It's all you; you set it up and live it. I've never done DMT but then it's produced in my brain, so I never needed to, just shifting the focus from thought is enough. Listening to people like Leo can also be enough in itself, because Leo is also you. Getting in front of the right speakers, if only the retreats didn't cost so damned much. Grumble Grumble. I'd be doing that too. But the dog, the shelves, the day-to-day life. The guy telling me to relax at work more, me realizing he's too relaxed (and all the related connections those two states come with), the mother I'm caring for and realizing aspects of myself (and aspects of surrender, moving on), the father who is getting old and the parts of myself of forgiven on the micro/macro in forgiving him. Then words of wisdom from Leo, teal, sevan etc are enough. Some people can be unintelligent, simple and humble, and in perfect harmony with their life.

Is anyone part of this effort, or do you have any experience with the individuals involved? https://integrallife.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@IntegralNaked/videos I discovered them a few weeks ago but I've been busy with work. *Possibly better in a different forum this question, but it crosses several.

The Azov were a few hundred strong and integrated into the regular army long before the war, the leader left to run for office and received 1.5%-2% of the vote. Russia created a lot more far-right individuals in Ukraine as a result of the war, as always in wartime, and as the war is largely about nationalism in Russia cultivated by Putin to maintain power, Russia has far more extreme-right individuals in their own country. It was never about a few hundred or even a thousand men or even the minor border skirmishes between the Russian-backed militias and Ukraine that both sides engaged in. Again, ukraine offered neutrality very early on and Russia rejected it. Because it would have been neutrality with western leanings due to the Crimea invasion, not a Russian puppet government. I've mentioned the many reasons for the war before, we can go through them again if you like. It's easy to name twenty. All wars happen for multiple reasons, not just one. Additional general info: Looks like a few more border breaches going on to try and encircle in the north, and distract in the south, any remaining border guards

Point well made. Yes it was an offensive action. At the time preemptive action (preemptive strikes it was called) through the 90s was common as a defensive measure, especially by America in the post-Cold war period. This is in part due to the exaggerated fear of the Soviet era at the time cultivated in the west and the soviets themselves, later continued by Russia. It was a different time, and a heightened state of tension, one in which we are returning to and might see again.

It bombed Serbia because Albania was being ethnically cleansed. Neither of us is doing that situation a service by such a simple take on one of the most complicated regions in the world. Afghanistan was attacked because several thousand Americans were brutally murdered by an extremist group within Afghanistan, protected by the government there. Unlike Iraq, which happened because of a small man's pride, oil money, weapon sales, and certain people's lust for war, I fully supported Afghanistan until the mission was accomplished. Nation-building, as Russia tries to do in Ukraine, or America tried to do in the Middle East and Afghanistan was a massive failure, and it is completely self-serving, egotistical, and narcissistic. However, I understand if you rip something down, something needs to be built in its place, just not a copy of yourself.

Well its partially something to consider. Because when these countries got done playing warmonger, NATO now defends them after the fact. However, it needs to be stated in that way to be accurate. Just as BRICS are beginning to protect Russia's warmongers or China's warmongers. A similar thing but with fewer military guarantees.

Starve a people. Bring in your own. Deport, assassinate and torture anyone who disagrees with you. Put a gun to their head. Tell them to vote. Sometimes twice. And here you are telling me that's its something I should consider legitimate. Again: Russia has had 8 wars on former USSR territories to take control of them back. Nobody can or will trust Putin. Putin was offered Ukranian neutrality and he refused it.

Ukraine has been independent since the 90's and for 100's of years in the past. Your dislike for their internal politics or even their democratic process is irrelevant. Should I say every authoritarian country that has either rigged its elections, killed their opponents off or just abandoned them is not independent? Again. NATO did not invade Iraq. I understand why people from large or collectivist countries associate people together. I've been trying to do the same in communication when I refer to BRICS, because I understand that's how the general understanding is from many of the people there. So I understand 'the west' , NATO, BRICS, etc being used as a collective reference. But honestly the downside is, that it just empowers the otherside. You just create enemies that weren't there to start with. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_invasion_of_Iraq Most of NATO had nothing at all to do with the Iraq war.

Part of the strategy is to bleed Russia. So fighting withdrawals are common. Its more sensible when they don't hold too long, as they sometimes do before withdrawing, because they lose experienced soldiers doing so. When you are fighting a bigger opponent, you pick and choose your battles. Holding terrain is more beneficial than attacking it. If they do bunker down here, it'll cost Russia a lot more than the almost nothing it took Ukraine to take it. It is already in the backline, and their convoys are being hit. However, just making this a raid to take out critical infrastructure like the airports, then capturing prisoners and supplies, taking out bottlenecked reinforcements, and forcing Russia to commit a sensible amount of manpower to defending the border is a victory all the same. There will be no end to the war because Russia is ironclad it'll give up no territory. So there is nothing to negotiate. As I've said a dozen times to you the battlefield is where the negotiations are taking place. I don't like it but it is what it is.

As far as I am aware, video evidence of anything helps the satellites locate troop movements, its why partisans filming what is going on and where is so crucial. These are big areas of land, and to hit a drone on a moving target a distance away isn't that easy, but it is slightly easier with a missile.

The initial reports were inaccurate. There are more like 6000 plus support. There are three brigades and several smaller mechanized units in support as well. They outnumber the Russian response currently, which is why they are pushing forward, especially as the Russians are reporting on where their own troops are along the roads, so their convoys are being hit. Some dumb reporters are over there. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2024/08/08/one-of-ukraines-toughest-and-fastest-brigades-has-joined-the-invasion-of-russia/ Ukraine needed manpower because they recruited 500,000 more men this summer. The age is still 25 for recruitment. Desperate is an exaggeration, it would be like saying Russia is desperate for manpower because they left the border undefended, but it's not. Both sides don't want to do another mobilization. Certainly, I would say the volunteers for both sides are all in the army now, so there's purely conscription, and that's why some people try to avoid it or resist it. If they take two cities, it'll be significant; Kursk would be the second biggest city taken in the war, Mariupol being the biggest. Either way, they've taken a chunk of territory, including the main connection point for Russia sending gas into Europe, which is a big deal in any negotiation and if they get the power plant that's another prize. I do agree I would have liked the west to take the chains off Ukraine earlier on, so they could threaten Russia more effectively, but the fear of Russia's response made them restrain Ukraine from invading Russia, giving a strategic edge to the Russians because they had fixed fronts, while Ukraine had to defend almost every border. At the very start of this war I said Ukraine will give up some territory, but here they may trade some back. I also said if they don't get into NATO we will do all this all over again. It will be supremely stupid if we don't put them in NATO. I stand by both statements. Yes, it's a very wide open country, vulnerable to partisans, mobile units, and protecting its borders. Shortening its borders is one of the many reasons for this war. Because of Russia's population crisis, they don't have the manpower to secure every land connection, but shrinking it down into central Europe was a core strategy they were attempting. I think this being a raid shouldn't be dismissed yet, because all of Ukraine's units are mechanized and fast, it may depend on how successful they are. They are reinforcing some of the towns they've taken but that could still be for a short-term stay. They are able to take out Russia convoys as they are coming into reinforcement with drones and artillery while the convoys are bottlenecked and disorganized, which is another bonus long term.