Posts by Harold Adams5

restlessridge36 said:Yes, but not consciously. It merely stores "raw" emotions that haven't been processed or filtered through the neocortex (the rational brain).

👍
I suspect what was actually meant was: yeah,but not consciously🙂
The amigdala doesn't care about data from the rest of the brain.
It only remembers emotions...
In high-stakes situations—life or death, or anything remotely close to that—
it reacts via a "shortcut" if it perceives a threat, even if one isn't actually there.
It bypasses the rest of the brain entirely because, frankly, "there's no time"
(that's just the most primitive survival instinct at work)
Under normal circumstances, things take the "scenic route"
working in a much more sophisticated way, shaped by your culture and the input from your rational mind.

restlessridge36 said:They would be indifferent.

Now everyone’s going to think how incredibly "cool" that sounds.😍
If you stripped away the amigdala, we wouldn't feel a thing.
But that wouldn't even bother us, because we wouldn't even know what feelings are...
We wouldn't recognize our own mothers...
Everything would be so meaningless that we wouldn't even bother talking,
even if our speech centers were perfectly intact.

In a word: we'd be morons.
Sure, our IQ could be through the roof, but nobody would ever be able to measure it
because we wouldn't have the slightest interest in sitting through a test.😬

mistybison said:It can become an issue if it evolves into Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Otherwise, I wouldn't assume people with high IQs are inherently narcissists. A person must possess a natural predisposition toward narcissism; a high IQ simply provides them with better tools to construct an inflated self-image. To a narcissist, anything can serve as fuel to feel "superior" to others, and if they lack any actual merit, they will quite easily invent it. 😉

I'm with you on that.🙂
I don't see any direct link or cause-and-effect here...

but let's be honest, pairing a high IQ with a healthy dose of narcissism
is basically a recipe for success. 😉

Gerald Rivera60 said:So, you're suggesting animals aren't intelligent...
But let's not get bogged down in defining intelligence or discussing population numbers. Those metrics are inherently arbitrary and relative.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder is heavily influenced by cultural surroundings. This implies that in collectivist societies, the link to intelligence might not be as strong as in individualistic ones. Then again, that's debatable; if an entire society is narcissistic, or conversely, if no one is, the correlation vanishes.
Ultimately, I doubt there is any universal trend at play here, even if one exists.
Narcissists are defined by an inflated sense of their own abilities, knowledge, and achievements, regardless of whether those claims hold water. When reality contradicts their self-perception, they typically rationalize it by claiming the environment is against them or that others are intentionally sabotaging their success.
It is also possible to have a combination of narcissistic disorder and other personality disorders.
For example, consider how someone would behave if they possessed both narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders.

👍
Narcissistic disorder usually carries its own built-in dose of asocial behavior.
They only hang out with people who worship them or help them climb the ladder; everyone else is just dead weight.
Then, if they ever suffer a humiliating fall from grace, the antisocial traits kick in and completely take over.

silentnomad23;8090166 said:How would you describe yourself—sing it out, essentially—and what does the concept of "me" actually mean to you?

Consciousness plus all my various life roles:
mother, career, wife, sister, daughter,
and a sexy homemaker. 😍

Can you actually feel, promote, or explain your personality? How do you see yourself, and how do you think others perceive you?

It really just depends on my mood
and which of those roles I’m currently "playing."

And how do you think others see you?

That depends entirely on their mood and whatever role they happen to see me in at the moment.

In what ways do you observe yourself?

I don't sit around observing myself or picking myself apart. 😬 I just live in the moment.

Come back in a few days and look at what you wrote. Do you still stand by it?

😍

Do you feel like your personality is dissolving or becoming more vague as you mature—or perhaps, is it becoming more defined? Maybe "change" is a better word.

Different. And honestly, better—so far.

And what does maturing or changing even mean to you?

"Every single day, in every possible way, I am moving forward." 😍 🙂

Matthew Ruiz2 said:Then answer the question yourself. What makes you happy?

Can it be universal? Does such a concept exist, yet we simply lack the capacity to perceive it? A universal trace of sreća—something that provides that sensation to everyone, everywhere. Regardless of whether the intensity varies, the essence remains constant.

It can be.🙂
(But it isn't some dessert. You can't grab it all for yourself. There's plenty to go around.)😉

We experience it subjectively.
We only perceive and accept as much as we are willing to open ourselves up to
in the present moment...
All you have to do is exist. Just be.
Take a breath. Savor the moment.😉
Everything around us can be pure sreća
if we are at peace with ourselves right here, right now.

Most of the time, we aren't even aware of the present moment
and before you know it, it's already gone.
So we end up just living on memories of happiness.
We convince ourselves it lives somewhere else,
in some distant time or place.
Then we spend our lives stuck in the past, chasing shadows...
Or living in hope, waiting for it to show up in the future.
But even then, we won't recognize it
unless we actually learn how to live in the moment.

Happiness is always found in the "now."🙂
Right now, I'm happy because the sun is out,
the birds are singing outside my window,
and I've got a massive macchiato in my hand.😍

mistybison said:To return to the original post by swiftcobra15:



I believe we all grasp the distinction between giving and imposing, even if the line between them can feel quite blurry. For instance, consider a friend sharing a problem. Depending on countless factors—the specific situation, the friend's personality, or the nature of our relationship—our input might be seen as 'giving' or 'imposing.' It shifts based on context. I am also certain we understand what it means to receive, though that isn't always advisable either. Those who give or impose don't always offer wise counsel or accurate information. However, I am curious: what would constitute 'seizing' in a conversation between two people? 🤔 We could even look at this forum as an example. If I ask for clarification that a person hasn't provided so that I can better understand them, I am simply asking. But if I persist despite their refusal, am I then seizing? 🤔

Yes. That’s taking over.
The person told you what they wanted to tell you, or what they knew... any further questioning might just be an invasion of privacy. So, shut up.
Or maybe they don't know, and looking it up would require actual effort they aren't willing to put in right now.😁
To me, "taking over" also happens when you explain something in exhaustive detail
(at their request, mind you)
but they just don't listen, zone out, and then go off doing whatever they want.
They should be smart enough to follow along.😲
It wastes my time and drains my energy.
Those people are just communication bulimics.😬

Patrick Sullivan3 said:My main struggle is this constant feeling of being suspected of something, which leads to an endless cycle of hyper-vigilance. It’s like I’m always braced for impact, waiting for the day everything finally falls apart. He’ll complain if I don't check in for a while, but then he just goes silent himself. I honestly can't tell what's going on. Eventually, you realize he was probably harboring those same doubts about me, which is exactly why he stopped reaching out. No matter how much he tells me verbally that he appreciates my need for space, there's always this underlying layer of caution inside me. I’ve reached a point where I don't want to give myself away completely or surrender without some kind of safety net—because when I do, I lose who I am. Is this just typical for people in their 30s?

The clock is ticking, 😁
so you feel like there's no room left for making a bad call.
Just let yourself "mess up."
Take the risk.
Don't be afraid.
Everyone screws up constantly, and they just call it living.😁

normall said:I honestly wonder what Marilyn Monroe would have looked like if she hadn't been blessed with those two assets 😬

She was beautiful, sure, but man, her life was just a tragedy. 😢

Rough childhood... plus, she wasn't exactly the brightest bulb either. 😍
But hey, she still became a legend.

Natch said:I agree that self-confidence is everything. And let's be honest, people who were showered with affection as kids tend to be the most confident ones.

And let's not forget that pretty kids get even more love😍
starting from preschool...

In principle, yeah...
since people are superficial by nature and they've been taught from day one that
looking good equals being good.

Intelligence isn't actually about what you eat
it’s more about how you eat and how much you consume
People with higher IQs tend to favor healthier, more moderate diets

Donna Ruiz2 said:Oh yeah, you're a total genius, a true marvel of nature... 🙂 🙂 🙂

Or maybe he just lived too much and aged too fast, kind of like mistyrider7😬
You don't get any real insight without searching
or at least having the guts to weigh the good against the bad.

searcher said:You definitely read this somewhere... It sounds like some New York pseudo-spiritual nonsense...

But honestly? It's all just garbage.

😕 🙄
If you talk to your wife and kids with that much subtlety,
they’ll be swallowing everything you say hook, line, and sinker.
You really were born to be an educator, weren't you?😬

Nicole James said:I’m telling you, I’m way more grounded now than I ever would have been if I hadn't gone through all that.

Same here.
And honestly? I wouldn't trade a single one of those "
"failures"
for anything. They’re exactly what made me who I am today.

mistyrider7 said:I see everyone's out here pushing this big idea about "experience."

But honestly, it’s mostly pointless—especially in this context. When you strip everything away, all that talk about searching for "experience" really just boils down to one thing: people chasing a "feeling of being alive."

The only real "lesson" you get from all that nonsense? Life isn't happening over there. It's right here.

Either they fail to pull it off—and they definitely aren't going to stumble upon the "fountain of youth"—or they just get exhausted from chasing ghosts and finally decide to settle down.

I hear exactly what you're getting at.
But honestly? The journey toward the "source of life" is way more interesting than life itself.
And his to be.
And everyone wants to be the one to uncover it all by themselves.
No recipe.
Everything happens when it’s supposed to. It’s all about timing.
When you’re driven by pure instinct, there isn't really any room for debate, is there? It just happens. You don't sit around weighing the pros and cons or checking your calendar. It’s that raw, gut-level urge where the impulse takes over and everything else just fades into the background. Does anyone actually control that kind of thing, or are we all just passengers to our own impulses?
Just like birds heading south for the winter.😉

Ryan Ortiz2 said:Every year, as soon as the temperature drops even slightly, I deal with these freezing episodes—not just my hands, either. My fingers go numb, then turn purple, then they ache, then they itch... it's a total disaster.
I'm thinking it's a circulation issue, but if anyone else deals with this, or better yet, has some actual advice...

Sounds like you've got Raynaud's syndrome. (Can't quite remember the spelling myself... Raynaud's?)
It's basically a peripheral circulation disorder.
Wear gloves. All the time. And when it gets truly freezing, get those mittens that cover all your fingers at once.
Also, stay away from working in cold water.
Make sure to massage your hands and use moisturizer—even just basic lotion works—whenever they start acting up.
(The serious cases are when your fingers turn that pale, deathly white color all the way up to the knuckles.)

There isn't really a "magic pill" in medicine for this stuff.
Unless you want to look into extreme measures, like a sympathetic nerve block.

Kyle Nelson2 said:forgive...
if you don't know whether the other person is just going to pull the same stunt again—that’s just being naive or plain stupid.
if you're forgiving them just because that's how you were raised or out of habit? That's just a fancy way of saying you're too weak to handle the conflict.

In any other scenario? Yeah, that takes actual strength.

And what exactly are those "other scenarios" you're talking about? 😁

normall said:There’s another layer to fear that people often overlook: the "freeze" response. It’s that total inability to react when things go south—you know, where you get so terrified you can't even budge? Yeah, I've definitely been there myself. 😁

has
I've seen it too 😁
it falls right into that
"playing dead" category.

Harold Adams5 said:There you go. That was your choice. And I’m sure you’re feeling pretty peaceful about it.
I suppose I have a bit of a vengeful streak myself. But honestly? Why would I hold a grudge against someone who probably didn't even mean to hurt my feelings? People are clumsy with their words and impulsive in their actions all the time, usually without a single malicious thought in their heads.

Oh, I’m peaceful enough. It’s the other side that isn't.
(Sometimes leaving things unsaid is actually worse than a shouting match. You leave the other person drowning in negative energy and a million unanswered questions.)

And let's be real—being ignored hurts.
It’s just a more sophisticated kind of malice. A much classier way to get revenge.😁