The Don

Hello. Right after you embark on the self-actualization journey, feelings of hopelessness and discouragement start to bubble up. It's like a non-ending stream of negative emotions. If you don't manage those emotions, you give up and live in a state of misery for the rest of your life. If you find a way to manage them, you blindly continue the work until you get a glimpse of progress, reaching a point where you no longer give up. That's how I got here. In the past month, I've been able to identify how the mind works. Before that, I didn't fully understand how deceptive the mind can be. Many people fall into the trap of thinking that they know how their mind works, without actually knowing the deceptive mechanisms of the mind. I was tricked by the mind for a long time... With that being said, you get to understand the mind only by observing it on a daily basis. I did that even when I was working. Just by looking at a simple object, the mind can start ruminating about it and link that object with old and uncontrolled thoughts. Just by seeing a person you don't like, the mind can autonomously trigger an episode of rumination, without you being aware of it. Just by being aware that you are aware, the mind can seduce you into thinking without being able to stay conscious of that deceptive process. It's mindboggling and amazing at the same time. It takes you at least six months of mindfulness and observation just to get a glimpse of understanding of the deceptive nature of the mind. Observation alone is the best tool to develop your consciousness. Don't depreciate its power.

Hello guys. According to the Washington Post: It's so frustrating knowing that I have this virus. I can't stop thinking about it. How do you feel about this?

Hi. I don't even know how to start but I'll try to put my thoughts into words. In the last year, I've made tremendous progress. How do I know that? I know it because I'm comparing my old self with the person I'm becoming. I'm no longer depressed and anxious about the future. I'm more present in everyday life. I'm satisfied with the present moment. I'm truly aware of my emotions. I eat healthily. And so forth. The bottom line is that I'm conscious than ever before. And I didn't even meditate at home. I was doing it at work. I like to meditate in every situation, even when I'm getting rid of the food tray while I see myself working. The only problem I have is that I'm not grateful enough for the progress I've made. I'm blind to it. I understand it superficially. It is like an unconscious ungratefulness. Should I start to contemplate the progress I'm making? Would that motivate me to continue this work? What are you guys doing when you're not thankful enough for the progress you've made?

Hello. I don't find socializing interesting at all. I'm just not tempted to go outside and socialize with people. I'm having an aversion when it comes to socialization. Two years ago I was socially anxious and awkward around people and I still am sometimes. It rarely happens, just not as bad as before. Having a job for over a year and a half, the surrounding environment forced me to interact with people and my social skills grew exponentially. I could see myself getting better with people. And most of the time I have great conversations with people, but I still don't find them interesting. What's strange is that I'm the one who leads a conversation. On the other hand, when my phone rings, I hope that it doesn't. Going out with friends seems boring to me. I'm not interested in girls either, although I'm straight and find them sexually attractive. Some of them are turning me on in an instant, but besides the turn-on phase, I'm just not interested in having relationships with them. I don't pursue them. I don't talk to them. When I think about marriage, I'm imagining a moment when I have to live with that person on a daily basis for the rest of my life. This idea alone makes me... I don't know how to say it. I just can't stand the idea of living with a person. I truly enjoy my time being alone. And I don't feel lonely. The downside of this is that I won't have a family in the future. It doesn't bother me, personally, but no family, no kids. No kids, no social stability in society. I'm conscious that the family unit is essential for societies to evolve. At a family gathering, I was told that I'm selfish for not wanting to get married and have kids. I told them why but they didn't care. All they understood is that I'm selfish. If I were to have a family, I would have it for the common good, to have kids that contribute to society in good ways. Other than that, I'm just not interested. Anyone in this situation?

I remember being judged by others. A so-called friend told me that I'm not a real man. He even compared me to a teenage girl. I was so offended. My world crumbled. Then I became depressed and I understood that I need to change myself to the point of becoming a highly actualized human being. I started to search on YouTube for clips like "How To Be A Man" and I've found @Leo Gura's videos. I was so excited by the way he was articulating understanding. I watched lots of his videos and became inspired. I started to meditate for a few months. Then I stopped. Then I started to meditate again. After a year, I noticed a little glimpse of progress which made me really motivated to do the work. As of today, I'm still doing the necessary work. I practice mindfulness, write, read, meditate, and so forth. Life is really beautiful when you're passionate about it. Your youth matters. Don't take life for granted and don't waste your youth. Feel more. Be aligned with your emotions. Be confident. Live in the moment. Experience reality from other's points of view. Be creative. This is a flash of how my life is looking right now in comparison to the miserable life I was living two years ago. I'm grateful to Leo.

Go out and approach the guys who seem interesting to you. Just do it. Ask for their phone numbers. Most of them would gladly give it to you. If you're anxious about asking for numbers, practice by approach as many guys as possible.

Don't try to seduce a guy over text. It's not a good strategy and it doesn't work. The only way you could seduce a guy over text is by sending him sexy pictures with you but who does that? You have to go out and analyze regular guys and see how you feel about them. That's how you'll know what type of guy is perfect for you. There's no other way. Just interact with those who seem interesting to you. You could even approach guys and ask for their numbers; they'll be surprised and give it to you.

It's not that hard to approach women. You need to fully develop yourself into an ALPHA male. A mature human being has little fears. By constantly confronting your fears you'll be less anxious and become familiar with stillness, a crystal-clear state of mind where you can do basically anything. It took me about two years to almost get rid of my social anxiety problem. I was among people all the time. That helped me confront my fears and forced me to interact with those around me. By regularly exposing yourself to the things you fear, you'll be able to get rid of the fear. There's no shortcut. Do it. If it gets awkward when approaching women, no problem. Don't judge yourself. Just keep going even when you'll have feelings of doubt and despair. After a while, you'll feel more comfortable in your own skin. Your levels of confidence will spike. You'll be less of a creep. Women will start noticing you. You gotta do it, buddy.

Hello. I've been watching @Leo Gura's video about his health problems. At some point in the video, Leo talked about spending thousands of dollars on blood tests and medication. With that being said, I'll explain the problem with blood tests when it comes to checking your levels of nutrients. A simple blood test can't show if you're deficient in nutrients because most of your nutrients are in the tissues, meaning in your cells. 99% of your Magnesium or Potassium for that matter is in your cells. So a blood test is irrelevant when you want to find out if you have enough nutrients in the body. Here's a good video for all those people who have a hypothyroidism problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvUthITs4oI And what's the solution? Vitamin D3, Zinc, and Selenium. You'll thank me later.

@Leo Gura, can I do that on a date? Is it OK if I'm talking about my passions?

I think about that as well. Today I talked with a girl. The conversation went OK but I couldn't enjoy it. It didn't impress me whatsoever. I like deep topics like talking about the most interesting things I've found in psychology books or about the progress I'm making on this journey. But finding a girl to talk about this stuff is almost (if not) impossible. When I read articles about dating and what to talk about, they recommend fun conversations. It's all nonsense, of course. They say you can't discuss serious topics with girls on a date, so how am I supposed to enjoy any conversation then? Maybe I'm hollow inside. I don't know.

Thank you for sharing such a great video. I have to admit, I once was an "idiot" but I finally awakened from the victim mentality. I no longer blame other people or society for my own problems. America is the greatest country on Earth because it guarantees everyone the freedom you need to be able to excel at virtually anything. It's insane not to see that. Deciding to bite the bullet and work hard puts you in a great place, devoided from victimization. Your duty is not to blame society or Trump, but to develop yourself on a daily basis. My parents lived through communism. Most Romanians are moderately depressed because they lived under Ceaușescu, an evil individual. When it comes to politics, we have to think critically.

Yes. He does. I'm careful about stating the facts because I don't wanna get banned here. I love this community. On the other hand, it's true that Trump supports free speech. He signed an executive order supporting free speech. If Trump would have been against free speech, he would try to get rid of the 1st amendment. According to CS Daily: “Free speech is the bedrock of American democracy. Our Founding Fathers protected this sacred right with the First Amendment to the Constitution. The freedom to express and debate ideas is the foundation for all of our rights as free people.” These are the opening words of Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship, signed by President Trump on May 28, 2020. You can verify this information (The Washington Post) if you don't believe me.

I believe Donald Trump is going to win again in November because his administration is the only one who stands up to communist China. According to ForeignPolicy.com: Since March alone, China has threatened to withhold medical equipment from the United States and Europe during the coronavirus pandemic; launched the biggest cyberattack against Australia in the country’s history; hacked U.S. firms to acquire secrets related to the coronavirus vaccine, and engaged in massive disinformation campaigns on a global scale. China even hacked the Vatican. These incidents reflect the power China wields through its control of supply chains and information hardware. They show the peril of ceding control of vast swaths of the world’s manufacturing to a regime that builds at home, and exports abroad, a model of governance that is fundamentally in conflict with American values and democracies everywhere. And they pale in comparison to what China will have the capacity to do as its confrontation with the United States sharpens. As FBI Director Christopher Wray recently pointed out, China does not seek a world where its companies lead alongside other global companies but one where its companies exploit a domestic monopoly at home to drive other companies out of business everywhere else. This is nothing compared to the history of intellectual theft China has engaged in towards the USA. Communism is a real danger, that's why I'm advocating for candidates who support democratic norms, including free speech.

True.

Hi. We're always wrong on politics. If you say something is right, that's relative to you. Over the next years or decades, you'll see that. The only things that matter are the objective ones. And we definitely should agree on some objective points of view, because they're real and they exist. When we think a certain candidate is better than the other, it's because of our own bias. We're not discussing objective points of view that we should all agree on. Do people need good values to function effectively in life? What are the best values a person can have? I always emphasize that people are not basically good. History tells me that. That's why having good values means a lot to me. What are the things that we can all agree on?

My post isn't meant to invoke anything other than what's true. For example, the truth can't be relative. "Your truth" can be relative, but it's not an objective truth as long as you claim it to be yours. In reality (the one we experience right now), expressions like "there's no objective truth" are pure fantasy. We embrace the materialistic paradigm because it servers us in so many way, yet we claim it to be wrong.

I am grateful for the fact that I'm 100% percent healthy. I should cultivate gratitude for being healthy.

Hello. Every time I take a small dose of Magic Mushrooms (Golden Teacher), about 0.2 or 0.3 grams, I notice that my ability to concentrate is significantly higher and that I feel much better, without being hyperactive because of my ADHD problem. It just works. Is it OK to take a microdose twice a week to reap the benefits? Or should I force myself to learn without taking a microdose? Thank you.

Hello. Out of nowhere, I got an insight. It came to me after I started to think about my writing skills. I must admit, I'm obsessed with writing because it improves my ability to articulate understanding. In today's world, it's crucial to have this skill. So I thought about asking this question to see what you guys think, including @Leo Gura: when we write on this forum, can we consider this to be writing "practice"? The fact that we share knowledge here through the means of writing, can we consider it to be a practice? What do you guys think?

Thanks. I'll do it. Only by testing what works and what doesn't, only then I can see what's really true.

Yes.

Thank you! I'll do that.

So writing on forums helps. That's what I wanted to find out. I'll engage more here.

Hello. A few days ago I was thinking about trying something new. My thoughts led me to solve logic problems on Brilliant.org. After I started the quiz, the exercises got more difficult to a point where I couldn't even concentrate. When I forced myself to fully concentrate, I felt a rush of extreme frustration. It felt like I wanted to break something. I just couldn't sit still. Is this normal? And has this happened to anyone here?