eos_nyxia

I was 14 the last time I truly, wholeheartedly felt this way. I was really angry too. I saw very clearly, for the first time, without being able to excuse it by exercising plausible deniability, how full of shit adults were in so many ways. The ways in which people were lying to themselves, but then also imposing their worldview onto me as truth. Including many "smart", accomplished, respected adults. Unfortunately for us, the only person who dines on our own contempt is usually ourselves and sometimes those who were predisposed to think that way anyway. That is both a circle jerk and an echo chamber -- each thing reinforces the other. It's in the same category as anger which calcifies into bitterness; it poisons you first and foremost. Best not to make that into habit, and then to make that habit into a whole ass institution. This is how it gets even harder, more inconvenient, and maybe it feels even impossible to leave as a result. Like you are leaving everything, because you are losing an attached social identity -- a karma. Since then, I have held the attitude that a cynical attitude is a dime a dozen because so often it's just easy and convenient to be cynical. It requires no special effort or grace and it helps no one in the long run. So its not just that it is "wrong" or "lesser" to be angry (which is just more moralization), but rather that it serves no real constructive value unless you thing is that you also like to play in the pig pen of negative emotions (actually no personal judgement here, it is what it is). If part of you wants to be cynical as a predisposition, it is easy enough to measure the world by your own standards and values (which may in fact be something that is worth being a more universal human value, but that is besides the point here) and then create an inventory by which other people are failing to measure up. How could it be any other way when you're the person making the ruler and doing the measuring? Consider the ways in which this could be done to you (you measured by other people's standards and then failing to measure up) and the ways in the ways in which maybe, just maybe, there might also be some truth to this too. Sometimes people need to vent (which I get), but it's worth considering what made you feel like you needed to release steam in the first place. And by that, I don't mean consider what other people did wrong in order to deserve judgement, I mean ask what it is within yourself that causes you want to react in that way. What are you trying to protect yourself from or exorcise out of your system, for example, beyond the obvious? (E.g. I don't want to be like these people and I am not like these people.) What are you rejecting in them that may also exist in yourself in some form already that you might have missed? Or alternatively, what if your contempt is a barrier to really understanding people properly, if that is something that you're interested in? You don't have to endorse their behaviour, their intentions, and the way they live, and accept what they accept, but you also don't have to have contempt either. It's in your hands.

How are guys still using this phrase in this way, unironically, in 2026?

I mostly do just this, but I'm also a pretty fast read and treat it casually. If it's not interesting, instructive, purposeful, or at least amusing, you don't have to bother... you know? I myself have the habit of writing really long, thorough comments not knowing who is even bothering to read them at all, let alone knowing who has the attention span and/or inclination to understand whatever it is I'm putting into words. Posting on any kind of social media has always felt a bit like shooting a canon into a void and then seeing if anything happens. Also agree with everything @LastThursday said, especially about the topics I ignore too lol.

I've never had a dog before, just a cat and rabbits. Some cats are really clingy. This doesn't necessarily always mean cuddly, but rather than they don't like to be alone and won't leave you alone! Just something to keep in mind if you're getting a cat and expect a super low maintenance animal. I'm not sure how uncommon it is, but it's really not unheard of. I think it depends heavily on the breed as well. My cat was like this, but less cuddly: He absolutely hated being alone, and if my dad was out of the house, he would yowl by the door for hours until he came back. I don't think he could even sleep properly if my dad wasn't there lol. He hated being left alone overnight as well. (Rabbits aren't even low maintenance animals either, up until pretty recently people tended to neglect them physically and in other ways because they weren't that well understood. The "starter pet" phenomenon should really just go away already.)

You can have all the standards and expectations you want. But if you don't like it and they're not interested? Leave. Find someone else more compatible. This is perhaps a bit different if you are in a very long term relationship or a marriage though. But how many people here are? If someone wants to change and they truly agree with your standards and expectations, that's one thing. Coercing someone who actually isn't interested is a very different thing. Also, someone can technically agree your demands and still feel coerced. This is just asking for bad blood.

Me too. Though lately I've been watching more of his videos on Hermeticism which I view as occult-adjacent itself, but the subject is also important if you want to understand how modern science came about. I've also have been watching his videos on Gnosticism. Before that I was mostly watching his many videos on Jewish mysticism and occultism, though honestly I don't find it as interesting. (He has a ton of content about it though! I think it might be his main sub-specialization (or one of them).)

I interpreted your word choice quite literally. Perhaps phrase it differently if you meant something else and other people don't get your specific usage of it.

Boundaries are for your behaviour and how you will react to things (for example, if you find something intolerable, you leave), not for attempting to control others.

Nice! Any particular sub-topics of interest for you?

@Leo Gura Not sure if this is up your alley (or anyone else's), but Dr. Justin Sledge's channel covers Western mysticism/ occultism in a scholarly way. Some topics are more general and some are very niche with difficult to track down information (like even if you scoured a few decently-sized university libraries, you would still have your work cut out for you). I really wish that this type of information was more easily available when I was younger, esoteric circles tend to be like the New Age when it comes to interpreting history lol. https://www.youtube.com/@TheEsotericaChannel/

Nice! That's a very practical way to use your imagination. In spirit, it reminds me of that technique (I forgot what it's called) to overcome the fear of public speaking, where you imagine the audience members looking or acting really goofy, like wearing a clown suit or something.

Everything is more expensive here, especially in the last 5-10 years. Buying things bulk/ wholesale helps a lot; here in North America we have Costco:

Yea, those are usually expensive here too. Greenhouse produce is cheaper and usually available year round, but it tends to not be my favourite though. It's on the flavourless and watery side. Berries I usually buy frozen (cheaper and usually frozen at their peak ripeness and freshness) unless they're in season, and I try to pick it fresh here and there if I can.

I've worked a lot of my reactive anger as well, but the 14 year old in me wants to tell him that HE is not sentient and then to shove him in the dryer, see how he likes it, lol. A good example of why I prefer being around animals over a great many number of people. Funny how this often only goes one way, like they're not being judgemental.

Oof. I really feel for all of you who have to deal with family members like this; my immediate family are all too educated and urbane for this particular flavour of BS. The worst I've had to hear about in my family is my Catholic paternal grandfather ranting about homeless and gay people, but my dad suspects it was due to dementia in the last couple of years before his death. Risk-reward analysis -- is it really worth the time and energy spent? Do you have any realistic chance of shifting or at least softening their views? Do you want this, or do you simply want to be heard for once? I tend to be optimistic that in general this is technically possible. But in reality, I am a pessimist too when it comes to my own family (separate issues) and I prefer to conserve my time and energy for other purposes. My experience has often been that if you into a situation and approach it and other people with lack or wanting something specific from them, that lack tends to be reflected right back at you, and that retriggers the wound, whether it is still very much an active wound or even just the lingering muscle memory of how it made you feel to grow up and be around such people. It's important to go into these situations with your eyes open and your expectations and attachment to outcome tempered, I think.