Steph1988

I just voted a few weeks ago in the dutch election but i only did for very specific reasons. I know damn well that we can not really count on politicians, also they never mention a few things that are so big and important and pervasive but they never talk about it and don't acknowledge them. - I never hear something really philosophical - they never talk about the fractional reserve banking system and believe me if u don't know what that is u have been missing out on one of the biggest scams in history - they talk about global warming but not of a more immediate threat and that is the dwindling resources this is so important and gets so little attention is insane And yet i voted on what here in the Netherlands is regarded as extreme right wing. Why? because first of all the refugee problem is getting out of hand and second the media is horribly political correct about it and that bothers me so we need some balance thats all. If u vote that u risk the chance of being called a racist and whatnot i had arguments in my family about it and that is exactly why i vote right wing.

@Loreena Oh that sucks indeed i can relate to depression but tragedy is something else i only have seen people like that for example a young person who lost both their parents in quick succession and i guess very few people can relate to you i mean really relate and i can understand in that case u do not want to hear things as the world is perfect and all is love because it isn't, life is simply not fair and will never be. The one thing you might have that others don't is that you once u get better u are tougher then most other people and have more real empathy as i never seen a person with true empathy up this point who had everything going for them. so all best to you.

@Loreena i almost can´t believe it. Can you maybe tell why that is? And for the topic, I think what helped me a little bit is watching a LOT of comedy all kinds as long as it is a bit anarchistic and absurd. I think i watch some comedic stuff every day right before sleeping could be anything stand up comedy,old jackass episodes,stuff on YouTube etc Maybe not the most original tip but whatever works and seriously play a prank on someone or do something stupid, say unpredictable stuff just because u can .

- That only you can ultimately help yourself you can seek help and get inspired but you have to do it ultimately and if you don't the guilt will destroy your soul. - How poor lots of rich ( in money ) people are i've seen that a lot. - That you can have all the good habits installed but if you don't have a goal to work towards you will not keep them up this needs to go hand in hand the habits themselves are not the end goal they are there to serve it and i made that mistake although it was good mistake to make maybe. - That language is used as indoctrination ALL THE TIME even by well meaning people for example what is money? people will answer probably a store of value or something to get stuff with but it can be a million things it can be a store of value/an addiction/a religion ( it is today's main religion i would argue )/slavery/freedom/a way of distributing labor/ and countless others other nice words you can do this with are education/work/intelligence/society/the economy/love/friendship seriously contemplate there are consensus on all these words but its all an illusion so to complete this point come up with your own definitions for these things drawn from contemplating/reading/seeing etc - that the at first glance nice people can be the most boring,horrible,dangerous so be careful with overly nice people. - that religion does not HAVE to be bullshit i have come back from seeing myself as an atheist, there is more to it you have to look for the essence and the origins that is where it gets interesting. - starting to learn to play an instrument is one of the most worthwhile things you can do it is a lifetime challenge/pleasure and commitment and it makes you smarter. I have to add other passions and hobbies can fulfill this of course - that at first glance the worst people do not have to be that bad do not judge them to fast and listen to their stories with sincere interest. - That bars and clubs are one of the biggest widely ignored scams ever i think funny one to think about for less important stuff - kid's shows from the nineties were much better then the current ones. - that having watched every episode of married with children with my dad at least 3 times at the age of 12 may have shaped my worldview in unknown ways . - That baldurs gate as RPG will probably never be surpassed in brilliance. - That no Michelin star restaurant can compare to a good BBQ. - That downing a full glass of jack Daniels after being already drunk is a bad idea. - That purchasing two cats improved the quality of life by about 12%. - That the best humor will always be dark and or absurd. - That Chinese people can eat insane amounts of food - That attempts at getting a nostalgic feeling trying to watch police academy fail because it simply sucks. - That the best pizza i ever ate was in an obscure restaurant in a dark alley in Palermo i swear it was run by the Mafia. - That smoking cigarettes is one of the most irrational yet accepted thing you can do ( is it a nice break from work or an expensive effort to try to get lung cancer?) - That i have a strange fascination for ghosts and haunting s and everyone else thinks that is stupid and i don't understand that. - That sometimes you start to watch YouTube for serious stuff about self development and sometimes 10 minutes later you are watching a documentary about sharks. - That i don't understand i am scared of the smallest spider but huge lobsters are ok. - That this post is all ready too long i'm off till another time.

@jasonjp1016 Thx a lot for the inspiring story i am in the same situation. It feels like the hardest thing in my entire life it probably is not but it somehow feels that way. I've come from almost rock bottom overcame depression, solved most of my video game addiction,stabilized my finances and got in decent shape but this one still kind of haunts me because i took too little action and i feel a little bit guilty. Oh and the missed opportunity's haha they hurt! I can't put the finger on it why i have lack of confidence in this i am not shy i am generally confident and i'm not dumb. I am 28 now this story gives me hope but that is not enough i must overcome it like i overcame the rest of my problems with much determination. thx again!

@Lai haha so long ago since i heard that one jeugdsentiment!

@tashawoodfall haha why can't i find girls like you on tinder ! maybe i need to train a six pack and put that as the first photo maybe that would work. If you are trolling you are doing great .

@Peace and Love No don't leave u made great posts! But consider we are simply animals with our DNA hardwired from 100.000's years evolution and yes you can transcend stuff i guess but to say that looks are not important is delusional, accept the cold hard reality there is no such thing as unconditional love ( at least i never seen that ) but that is no big deal it is what it is. If you think that men are just after looks are bad ( and i don't think they are BTW ). What do we have to think about all the woman who reject men for the most obscure reasons. there is a whole industry set up to help men pierce the chinks in the armor ( RSD for example and countless others ). I'm sorry but the world is not fair. Contemplate this and unconditional love is a fairy tale for now ( i hope someone can debunk me on this one but i never saw evidence for it ). Accept the painful truth and from there it can only get better. But i don't think you should leave because u will be hurt again on another forum or in real life no matter where you go you cannot escape it you can only try to understand where things come from and why they happen and that will be hugely relieving. I wish you the best

@Key Elements Ty will at least check it out and read a summary as i am busy on 2 other books atm but gonna check it

@Key Elements iv'e read it good job that is a clear example. actually a good question what do you tend to do in free time but the answer might not be something you are able to monetize within less then 10 years or at all. I notice myself for example endlessly researching all kinds of topics i guess i just want to know everything. @Shin hahaha you should totally do that forget the enlightenment for now that can come later.

That life purpose thing is hard i think because what is asked of you is to specialize, to put most of your time into one thing that means automatically you can't do something else and without this sacrifice you will not be good enough to compete with the others who do it. Then we live in an information age with also the possibility of endless cheap entertainment and distraction which makes it even harder to make a choice and stick to it. Sometimes i am jealous of a medieval peasant or artisan their small world was much more clear. Maybe the calling/life purpose whatever you want to call it is seeking you instead and all you can do is to solve short term problems which you think need attention that gives you at least a reason to get out of bed early and some meaning to your life and then hope for the best. so i am voting interpersonal for now with the life purpose being some kind of holy grail. @Key Elements that is perfect logic but what if you just cannot nail it down you will be in purgatory forever .

That despite working hard and doing everything right i will still not make my goals because i am somehow cursed. I am dead serious that is in the back of my mind and i am aware how irrational that sounds. Oh and spiders ...

@Lai interesting how so? i am curious what did you learn there? how long did you go? what attracted you to this particular country? I am asking because i want to see more of the world myself in the future and you did go alone i find that brave and it kinda intrigues me.

Yes you have to be honest at least to yourself at all times if you're not u are harming yourself and others in sneaky indirect ways i experienced. Actually u can't even begin to comprehend the evil and damage done with with lying to yourself and u can argue that it is the source of all evil that sounds over the top maybe but i think there is some truth to it. it is bad really bad that i hear adults in their forties say these little lies and fooling themselves but no surprise in a culture that by default does not offer any guidance. I catch my parents on these things all the times and i sometimes wonder how much did it indirectly damage my early development all tough i forgive them. i think it is very good to take that vow.

Very good question yes i have seen that often that lots of bosses and managers are actually simpletons ( generalizing of course here ). I don't have answer ready for it either i would like to know why that seems to be a trend.

@Lai U did go there awesome. did you go alone? how did you spend time there?

Can you explain more?

Incredibly intense guitar solo. Gary Moore is probably the greatest inspiration for my playing. Such emotional playing totally inspires me.

I play path of exile i find that somehow incredibly relaxing not meditative but just relaxing. And strategy games like i am a huge fan of the total war series it relaxes me completely. if i don't play too much that is because i had and still sometimes have a little bit of a video game addiction alltough i have it more under control now because then it will not relax me but tire me.

Conformity/dishonesty/false politeness/fake people who hide behind a facade/cowardice and clubs and bars! sorry i just could not name one thing

@Socrates Lots of people have at least the potential of something positive in a conversation or whatever u can connect with them by indeed playing games watching football etc there is nothing wrong with that i enjoy some friendships just for the doing part and it is important to be able to appreciate that on some level. I am still young but in my experience if u begin to read philosophy,religion, watch debates etc after a few years and thousands of hours in u will be so ( sorry i have to say it) superior in your reasoning and thinking probably so that the people you can connect with in that regard will be very rare But that is unlivable so u will have to be willing to lead a slightly schizophrenic life so you simply try to have fun again like a child has pure fun and no other worries u will have to switch mindsets sometimes u just have to find the right balance. yesterday i was drinking beers and joking around for example and today i watched a discussion on religion vs atheism The reason it is worth it for me is that i would just be unhappy without people around me although i am an introvert we are made to be around people i think and to have an intimate relationship. some people may try to transcend it in some way but i do not want to short circuit the system like that it is a huge gamble to me to put an immense effort into transcending so many desires but perhaps i'm wrong. So i guess adjust just enough but be completely free in your own mind and aware. these are my 2 cents. excuse my English

Never i feel i have to lower my standards for conversation most of the times anyway so this self improvement thing is almost a secret schizophrenia

Maybe it is part of a realization that we don't know why we are here and what the hell we are ultimately doing and thus seeing the potential absurdity in everything.

@Loreena I agree although the situation may be more nuanced this a good guideline to live by.