BlueOak

To fit your theory, you ignore: The pattern of Putin fighting 8 wars in former USSR territories to get to this point. All the territories he's annexed till this point, including parts of Ukraine. Every point I've made previously about the cause of the war you've not addressed to better fit the narrative you'd prefer. India is not neutral, and neither are you. They support Russia economically and allow it to continue to finance the war, that is choosing a side, as is your preference for the dictator to win his war. A neutral person would say, let them get on with it, or I have no strong opinion one way or the other. You want Russia to win the war, to annex territory, threaten nukes/food/energy, bomb civilians for two years, and use its military in Europe while getting away with it? What signal does that send to China, and Russia in 5 years? It's worked twice; let's do it again. The world does not operate in a vacuum. It would be supreme stupidity to allow Russia to break Ukrainian lines or legitimize what they have taken. AGAIN. Then regroup, rebuild and go again. The line is held here, or it's held further back in Ukraine 5-10 years from now, then Moldova, then the Baltics, then Poland, then Germany. Until either Russia is defeated, or one man's ego and Russia's lust for war are finished, and people stop making excuses for it. Yes, a democratic coup. Russia doesn't hold elections LOL. One candidate runs, and everyone else is for show. It forces people to vote the way it wants by fear and suppression, which is not democracy in any shape or form. The reason that the coup happened, (I watched it unfold), was that students were beaten for protesting, and then snipers started opening fire on the crowds that protested the beating, even the church came out in opposition to the actions. The 'opposition party' (joke) couldn't even take the concerns seriously. So it wasn't just a dictatorship, but a stupid dictatorship. A border is not a problem to free trade, there are borders all over the world, so your argument makes no sense. Russia wants control, as does BRICS. The people in Ukraine are not aligned with Russia they haven't been for decades, and especially so since Putin has killed hundreds of thousands of their family members. He and you, on this issue, live in the past sadly. These regions will never be given up peacefully, not for a hundred years, that's how invasions of foreign countries are. Again, with just America. NATO has many voices. Numerous leaders didn't want Ukraine in NATO and they couldn't be in NATO because Russia held Crimea, so it was an impossibility anyway. I don't take Mearsheimer seriously because he can only see Russia vs America, which misses the 19 other reasons for the war or the actual realities on the ground, or the long history of what led us to this point.

The way we measure IQ is improving slightly. Still, a great majority are not being measured accurately. Alternative IQ could be considered meaningless for much of life. Depending on which definition you prefer, I would prefer it to be more encompassing and meaningful if it is to be used at all. Let's say we have a 100-IQ farmer who raises a family, his children are healthy and successful people. The farmer is not only very successful at his job but also preserves the soil quality and sustainability of his farm for future generations. The farmer can relate to his wife and family's needs, he understands himself very well. He is well-liked among his friends, and socially very capable among them and the local community. He is reliable and loyal, he has a handle on his life's challenges, plans his family's financial well-being, and generally people like him, he's a positive influence locally. He takes care of his health and has a good diet, he will likely live well and for a longer time. Then we have a 200-IQ genius. He is depressed most of the time, and he struggles with addictions. He's had three failed marriages and has no friends. He's separated from his children, who barely know him, and when he gets together to see them, there is constant fighting and stress. He has no sense of self-awareness or awareness of others. The man is unreliable and can't hold down a job for long periods, but he is a genius when he applies his intellect. The man stuffs himself full of carbs, sugars, and fats, and will probably die from his poor health and dietary choices. Do you honestly think we should be measuring these two example individuals as we currently measure them? It was this sort of gaslighting throughout my life that contributed to everyone saying, 'oh he's intelligent he'll be fine, or oh he'll apply himself eventually'. Growing up, people should have looked at me and given me help in areas that were not academic, because that was already a breeze for me. Creative, Social, Financial, and Emotional IQ are not considered in the makeup of a child nearly enough. Because they are not tested, they are considered secondary considerations, if at all. Note my IQ isn't that high, it's an example of my experience coasting through school while doing no work. Meanwhile, I was a **** up for most of my life, but even as a mature student, when I had my third shot at university, people were repeating the same old garbage to me. 'Oh you'll be the only one that uses this', or 'oh you'll be alright.' Despite the fact I'd just skipped half the year. Just pin a calculator on your forehead, and life's good I suppose. IQ as it is currently, is one aspect of potential in a few disciplines, nothing more or less.

A perception exists because we exist. Infinity Becomes. Watching -> Infinity If you were every possibility, there would be no movement, no distinct form, no separation, and nothing to observe. With self, it provides a window to observe. It's an illusion because infinity can't chop a piece of itself off, but it creates illusionary separation and illusionary space to view.

@Javfly33 Then how would you know it disappeared? Did someone else tell you? or did you observe it dissolving and disappearing?

Nothing is a concept. Being is a concept. Thoughts are a concept. You can never remove the witness, its the only thing with permanence.

I understand what you are saying, but when I experience nothing, that is an experience.

@bringa I lived my life like that. I psyched myself up out of my depression, and then, when the effort didn't get me what I wanted, I went back into hiding in my room. That was my longest-running pattern because it was transactional, it was expecting a result for the action I was doing. The way not to have that problem is to keep finding out who you are, so when you do something, it's because you want to do that thing itself. If the thing itself has 500 conditions before you can feel anything, maybe you are putting too many conditions in the way? Could you do a less perfect version of it right now, and would that bring you some joy? Let's say I wanted to be a surgeon, and I knew it was because I wanted to help heal people. Well while on the long journey to being a surgeon, I could still help heal people by giving dietary advice. It would not be my dream job, but it would be what I enjoyed and why I was training to be a surgeon. A lot of us with parental trauma never got the guidance necessary to know ourselves in our formative years. We spent so long hiding ourselves so as not to get abused, so we have to put the work in to learn ourselves now. It sucks, but that's the reality, often with a lot of behaviors covering it that we used to hide away, fight, freeze, or manipulate and survive. You talked about love, so let's give you a step. Gratitude is easier than love to start with. You can be grateful for the food, for the shelter, for the air and water, and for the simple things we all take for granted. Really sit there and feel gratitude, take a moment, no rush whatever happens, happens. Tell yourself you are thankful for the things that matter in life, be kind to yourself, learn to feel. In your analogy of feeling empty: when you are doing this, you are placing that gratitude inside yourself. You are the thing you are experiencing. Placing your hands together can help put the body in that state. Practice that, so you can begin to see you are what you focus on. Then people go through a similar process with joy and love. You will feel empty and depressed if you are doing something that isn't you. You will feel in love if you love something. You can put yourself in any emotional state, but if you've never felt love, that might take guidance and patience. It will need you being unconditional with yourself. I just did it by closing my eyes, and taking a posture that I consider the best way to express love. Gentle, caring, and nurturing. No conditional result or thing I had to do. Whatever happened, happened. Your body posture goes a long way to assisting your emotional state. This also goes for depression and sadness. It's only a temporary thing, but it's there. To fill that emptiness day to day takes understanding yourself, and then doing something that lines up with who and what you are, not the result you want out of it. Fame, money, attention, praise, acceptance, etc.

Putin wanted Ukraine to be back in a Russian Empire, a new USSR. Russia has fought 8 wars to get pro Russian governments in former USSR territories or annex them outright. Part of what caused this war, was the democratic coup in Ukraine. You mentioned Ukraine which is good, thank you for that, and you recognize that Ukraine couldn't be in NATO. I'll add while Russia held Crimea, it blanket stopped any chance of Ukraine joining. Nor did many member states want Ukraine in NATO before these hostilities started, they were afraid of seeing war in Europe, so it was unlikely to happen, but I agree not impossible. Now it is very likely they will join the EU and possibly NATO. Then you mention America and China. Which takes us away from Eastern Europe unfortunately, I understand the global tensions; I mention them a lot myself too so sure I can see how you can compare Chinese annexation, which they have done all over China, to America's or now Russia's 'liberations'. They are similar in nature for different flawed goals. Unlike Tibet, or East Turkestan, it's the water that stops China from invading, not some higher moral compass. The losses they'd incur do not guarantee victory in landings by sea, which are very difficult when the enemy is prepared for you. The larger number of aircraft carriers, American bases, and their allies within reach. China has more patience than Russia, not their leader so much, but the government. China's trade wing of the party is sensible enough to realize they will influence Taiwan eventually over time. Not quick enough for any one dictator's ego trip, but eventually given their growth, size, and how democratic elections can at any time produce a result that favors a particular government. Xi Jinping has a very clear and often stated One China Principle, which in part inspired Russia to do the same. That's not ambiguity at all. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_China The America position is as you describe, but not China's.

Russia is risking a nuclear war for control and resources, mostly control. I can see from their perspective how other countries don't have voices or agency, that its up to Russia and America to decide the fate of the world. Like a dictator would think. To Russia, nobody else matters but what America and Russia want or will. In democratic countries, they choose who they ally with. More than one voice can speak. NATO isn't one voice, its many. I'm fed up with people saying there would be no war without treaties, for example, NATO is a treaty. The treaties have stopped the major powers going to war directly. If Russia were continuing to invade or push their power into Europe, we'd just have had a major war in Europe again, like every other century. If we keep ripping up the treaties, and old rules, we'll be back to fighting large wars across the globe again, not regional ones, and that is a completely different level of devastation that you in India and me in the UK won't be spared from. At the moment, we just feel it in our quality of life and our economic output. If the larger powers go back to war directly, we'd see devastation on the streets, or the deaths of those we know. And by larger powers, I don't just mean Russia and America. Please try to see other countries, unlike what these videos are capable of doing. For example, France is considering using troops to help Ukraine in some capacity, (probably not directly), the Russians are not happy, which means two nuclear powers are closer to war. They are likely doing this in part because Russia messed around and took over some of their colonies in Africa, Note that I am not pro-colonial for anyone reading, but I knew France would eventually react either in Africa or in Ukraine. Russia's response: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/in-rare-call-russian-defense-minister-warns-french-counterpart-against-sending-troops-to-ukraine/ar-BB1l25uZ Britan's response: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/britain-must-send-troops-to-ukraine-or-risk-becoming-a-lost-nation-if-macron-intervenes/ar-BB1ljWSr This is the kind of movement that would be happening independently without NATO where everyone acts completely independently. It's closer to Eastern Europe's position. As another note, I think it'll be to secure areas and not fight directly on the front; if they went, it'd be in the rear or providing support in an allied country. As you can see Europe is closer to war with Russia than America is, so PLEASE reference Europe as the focal point of understanding this conflict. If people can't take Eastern Europe as the focal point at least they can look a bit closer by not just saying America all the time to me, or NATO (which isn't a country making decisions), its the countries within NATO.

I appreciate that, and I would like the same, I am in full agreement. I have realised though we need to talk about both sides more when making our points. This is why I brought up India to you. Like my own country, you'll find people hungry for conflict, especially at the start. Mostly because they are not near the front line, we live in places a great distance from it, so our people can afford that kind of language. It is understandably very difficult for the average person to take a life. Its even more difficult to kill someone unless they are a monster. So what countries have to do, is make their enemies monsters and terrible threats. Whenever you hear this pattern, you can understand it's always an exaggeration. Most people would rather be safe, employed, and well fed than live in a war zone. The few that want war, quickly realise this too when they experience it. Despite that war does turn some men into the monsters that you see, using their worst instincts. NATO is not a monster, and nor is Russia. There are some people in these countries far from front lines that either profit from war: America, or stay in power from War: Russia. Its not just Putin, or Biden, its the way the upper echelons of those countries are structured. Money from politics in America, and Ruling by Fear of the Enemy in Russia. Both of these things are cultivated and used to govern in each country.

or Whichever appeals most. They might both be helpful to view for different reasons, your inner child and your adult self.

Creativity is key. The closer to mainstream you are, the worse you have it. It might drive people to make movies that are not just patterns of the past. Coders building AI are making themselves obsolete because that is entirely a replicable pattern. Coding can be creatively driven, but not for everyone. I am writing a book, and I assume I will compete with AI. So I am designing things in the book that the AI will not have or know to use. I see other people who plan their books and use formulas or concepts from others. If you think about a great novel and make it formulaic through a thousand different versions of it, I can see how your business will be affected. If you handcraft a story, how is an AI going to copy what doesn't exist and that it hasn't learned from? Even if the AI reads your book, you are going to be one of millions of authors, a drop in the ocean, making your work difficult to replicate by many. Unless you are on the best seller's list, then hopefully you are doing okay anyway because you've made it, and you've got an audience that will keep coming back. I would like more regulation on AI, as with any life changing tool, mostly to protect smaller-time artists who struggle anyway to make ends meet. These kinds of people are usually the ones feeling new changes the most. Otherwise, AI will hasten the stagnation of cultural development, which leads to the collapse of everything it supports or renews.

Russia's infiltration of the US government.

Because wars are fought for 20 different reasons, not one. I've listed them many times, let's do a few again, bearing in mind that this was before the war started. Answering the Russian population crisis, and trying to gain 40 million new people. Russia has long discussed its border concerns. With less population, there are fewer people to guard its vast border, so it seeks to shorten it. Putin's 8 wars to rebuild the USSR, and his regrets about its fall, plus his KGB training dogma framing his worldview. This is just part of a pattern for decades or centuries of Russia trying to destabilize, meddle, and take over Eastern Europe, they've managed to help turn the world more into an extreme rightwing version of itself. (With many others assisting.). The cultivation of a fascist government in Russia. Fascists require an enemy to fight to sustain themselves. Gaining control over its gas connections to Europe in Ukraine. Gaining control of the Black Sea ports, to stop Turkey from expanding its sphere of influence. In a non-globalized world, Turkey is central, its geographic connections make it a powerhouse. We are moving to a less globalized or cooperative world, and you can see Turkey testing Greece, Syria, and central Asia. Stopping Ukraine from drawing closer to the EU. Gaining control of Ukraine's gas supplies to stop it from replacing Russia, especially as it drew closer to the EU. Removing a democratic government or the attempts to build one in a former Soviet state. This might encourage others to do the same, the cultures are very similar. Answering the coup against the Russian proxy government in Ukraine is something both sides want to ignore. NATO before this conflict appeared weak, and on its last legs, Putin saw it as the time to strike. Some countries are still are acting cowed, but less these days. A way for a dictator to cling to power. A way for a dictator to do whatever he wants to the population. Killing off his competition. Structuring society as he wants. That's a few to get us started. The most important reason Russia started this war was to take over global trade, and thus dominate the planet in a zero-sum game: In BRICS attempts to replace NATO, this is a multi-faceted war. Both in banking, trade, economics, culture, and politics but also on the ground: Iran vs Israel - Russia vs Ukraine, and China vs Taiwan. In different stages of hostilities, I am not guaranteeing China actively mobilize (but it's likely), I am saying their industries and BRICS as a whole are helping the other two fight their conflicts. Yes, India is not neutral in this either, I've seen many people in India cheering on these conflicts, probably because they can do so from relative safety. To paraphrase Sadhguru, war is the worst thing in the world when it's happening to you, but from afar, it's a spectacle. In the long term, China is and will take over more of Russia, which is not a terrible ending for the West in this conflict. Russia becomes a long border for the West to China and a proxy for the leading BRICS powers. Oh and if that's not enough, you can always just listen to Putin himself talking about Russia's territory, with claims extending back to the 9th century, and this constant distortion. Touched on below.

Also, it occurred to me to say what Explorermystic did above, if you want to talk about some of your experiences here, I'm happy to listen, as are some of the others. For me I could only do that after I was over the shame or my protective personality let other people in. When I started talking publicly about my abuse, it became easier. I stopped making excuses for it, but I still battle with that from time to time, because I always think, well it wasn't as bad as some people, or do I need to run those emotions again? We run games in our heads to survive and there is nothing wrong with that either at the time, but overall, I found it healing to just say what happened, and eventually post some of that publicly. It got easier each time I wrote about it and the emotions I'd attached to it gradually eased. Most people aren't equipped to help you, but you'll find some of us here have had experiences that relate to yours, or communities dedicated to surviving abuse out there are full of people who talk about this all day. @meta_male

The pattern is when something gets too top-heavy, it falls over. Until a political flip, revolution, or large conflict of some kind. Yes. Hopefully, a non-violent conflict will occur. People are well suppressed, but you can only march so far right until you end up on the other side of the political spectrum. The dynamic begins to flip. A good example in our age would be microchipping, a social score, or social engineering. Even the extreme focus on immigrants to the point where populations are being managed in fine detail, is edging toward an authoritarian social outlook. That's something people don't generally understand, so it's fun to watch it happen in real-time, maybe that's why I am still around here, tuning into politics now and again. I know a socialist will tell me most of that's more fascist, yeah, but can you see how it's getting closer, and a point where it flips the spectrum completely? It just becomes a matter of how it's done rather than what's being done.

If it helps to relate: I am constantly broke and struggle all the time, this week was hard to get food. My depression is about 3/10 these days, sometimes raised momentarily, but mostly that's where it sits. It took work on myself to get there, but it is possible, it used to be around a 7 or 8. One of my best friends had Aspergers, I miss her. She was brutally honest, and I came from a family of manipulators so she was who I needed in my life. She called me on my BS all the time, a bit demanding on my time, but time well spent, as I often say. So you will find people, especially from abused home environments, that love the honesty you bring, and you'll give them an opinion with much less hidden filter or manipulation on top of it. To get someone who wants to listen to your depression, and connect in a meaningful way you need to invest time with them. In decades past, forum writing communities were good for this, and writing generally can help get out some of the depression you are feeling. Live it through a character, literally kill off the representations of what causes you pain. I've also found that the friends I made there through the years, listened to me write these things out, so speaking about it to them was natural. You may have another medium that suits you, like music to express it, but seek out a means of expression. For people. It's got to be give and take, so you listen to others, help them, and be there for them. When you take yourself out of the equation, it gives you a break from thinking and being depressed about your own life. It's a nice relief, and it's available at any moment of the day. There are a million people like you who need help. It doesn't solve all your issues, but if you are like I was, that's comfort food from your problems for a short time. So how did I heal myself: Writing as I say, eventually I reached writing about duality, and that brought me to spirituality. I got honest with myself and the people around me. Sevan Bomar got my head straight. Teal Swan got my heart in the right place. I focused on others when I could, and I valued the friends I made during the process. You might find different teachers work for you. I had plenty of abuse. Life isn't roses for me now. Far from it, but I am also not thinking about ending it every week, if you can relate. That only happens once every six months or so, which is a vast improvement. You can get there too. https://www.youtube.com/@TealSwanOfficial/search?query=parts work I suggest you start with parts work and do what I did in reverse. Putting yourself back together, which is something we are all doing, all the time. The more complete you get, the better your life will be and the less pain you'll feel. Then, when you are in a stable state, checkout: https://www.youtube.com/@wholeness/videos

@Princess Arabia All of what you said, the answer is yes. It's one and two. It's an illusion and real. It's self and a reflection. You are both, and everything else you can label or conceive in your mind. To keep that single thing in mind, you need to keep generating it. You've probably experienced this when you needed to take a refresher course, workout to stay in shape, or realize you'd forgotten something you used to know. Bricks crumble, people age, beliefs decay, interests change, people lose skills or memories, fashions go, relationships end, etc. The contradiction is where the fun happens for many of us and we sit there because it's entertaining. I think what Razard says is true from my experience, but he's hitting his ego a bit hard. It's a survival mechanism, and when we feel a threat to our identity or some part of reality we protect, then the ego is there. Spiritual egos are quite common when a belief system is formed and challenged. Sitting in the ego can become an addiction, at least in me, where I go fully into the ego for long periods when I don't have to be. I like establishing the 'best' set of beliefs I can and then arguing them. When you see me or anyone else doing this beyond the initial communication or perhaps an explanation of a point, people should just smile and shrug unless they also like the game. It's not always unhealthy, if it's positive (and by that, I mean giving you energy) then it's part of the unique makeup of that person. If it's negative, by that I mean draining energy, it's not what a person is, and they are having to use up energy to maintain it. If you find something that's giving you energy to do, then it's you beyond the ego, beyond all the crap we put in the way. Many of us in this particular forum know arguing perspective is a game God is playing with god. Neither perspective can be better than the other in absolute terms, because who am I to tell you (God) what to believe?

For material needs, yes. For everything else, we still need each other. That's the gaping void in so many lives covered up by addictions, medications, suicides, and ill conceived individualist solutions to communal problems.

Everything in this reality meets challenge. There is nothing anyone has ever done or will do that will not have an opposite polarity challenging it. - This is one absolute i've always seen in reality. Unless you enjoy being challenged, you will always be facing discontent and unhappiness. So cultivating an enjoyment of being challenged, is the only method of doing anything while remaining in a positive state.

Here are 7 problems and 7 solutions. 1) Be this 10%. We'll highlight this 10% and promote it at the top of searches. Are you the 90%? Sorry, my searches are for these attributes and qualities. Current failed solution: Change the 10% to another 10% and the problems persists. Solution: Focus on average people. What the average relationship brings into people's lives. Redesign the internet to promote average people, not exceptional people. Remove narcissism from the design of the internet. 2) Financial hardship, affording the cost of running a house and family. The money to do is in the hands of fewer people. Current Failed Solution: Pretend it is not the case or can't be fixed. Solution: Acknowledge it is a serious problem, redistribute wealth, and pay decent wages to people. 3) Fearful populations have fewer children Current Failed Solution: Inject as much fear into the population as possible to sell media and maintain political control. Solution: Stop. Double Tap: Stop burning up the planet, eliminate the warmongers from power, and get into sustainable energy solutions. 4) Reduce agricultural land use, and build more houses to make them cheaper. Current solution: Vertical farming. Better Solution: Get rid of Cows and Sheep from the food supply. The worst offenders in terms of land use. Double Tap: Inject the cultural idea of large family apartments. 5) Promote people, and families. Not things, and the worship of money. Current Solution: Religions and politicians tell you to breed, and peer pressure. Society tells you to buy, or worker harder. Better Solution: Design society around families, not breeding to fill jobs, or social pressure to do so. 6) Cultural stagnation. Current Failed Solution: Pretend to not understand how this effects society. Better Solution: Invest in culture, get it vibrant, alive, and attractive. Growth, new concepts, and fertility need to be in all elements of society. If a society stagnates, people pull back, they conserve what they had, and things grind to a halt. People in that mentality are not looking to take on new responsibilities or commitments. 7) Finally accept the left half of yourself, 95% of people I talk to no longer do. That half is the one that will care for a family, nurture it, be sympathetic to its needs, listen to it and care for the baby. Without it, nobody wants that in their life in the first place, only out of obligation or peer pressure. For fun - 8) Your hail Mary solution is colonizing infinity in space, where everything we experience here now becomes infinitely large, including population, and the cost of things changes radically. Water/Air/Time etc become priceless (they already are), and metal things become cheap.

@Razard86 Reality tries to maintain itself. So whatever you have as your reality, the world (you) is trying to maintain aspects of it for you, at the same time as it is decaying or breaking apart. The funny thing is that my statement will also have the same thing happen to it over time.

Its about not suffering and enjoying the challenge. There is no way out of challenges, no strategy, no method, because that's how reality works. I might as well be trying to get out of breathing. Nothing you've ever done in life, including this reply, didn't meet the opposite polarity eventually. That's what happens in duality. I appreciate you demonstrating it to me one more time in the reply :D. You move left you get pushed at right. You build something, and something appears to test the building. I give an absolute view, someone gives me a relative view. I try to build a business, I hit hurdles. I try to run, the exercise will test me. I try to relax, I'll have to get rid of distractions. I try to help someone, I'll hit their biases. I try to diet, I'll fight hunger or cravings. I try to learn a skill, I'll fail a hundred times. Nothing we try to do isn't met with some form of challenge. I know what your telling me. This body is a concept in my own mind. The challenge is a concept. Duality is a concept. Now is all that exists (but now is also a concept). That doesn't change anything about what I said. You tell me something you did that didn't eventually hit a challenge. Even meditation will hit challenges, sitting there in a quiet room, there'll be things that challenge it. Its just how this reality works. As a side note, the future as you describe doesn't exist, no, but all things are being created now before you see them, we see them after they happen. You get spiritual messages of what's coming, intuition, then dreams, and then you hit the physical manifestation of it, because its an ongoing pattern created in each moment.

From my own experience of some of these, this was excellently articulated. Paired with: