Posts by Lisa Morales4

wearyowl29 said:But hang on, it actually *does* matter because that stuff can seriously shape how your life plays out.

which has nothing to do with your spiritual wealth

The kingdom of God is either something you carry within you, or it isn't
regardless of any material possessions

For some, material wealth feels like a blessing
while for others, it’s a curse

Some people see everything as an illusion and find it all empty
yet others possess true fullness—that heavenly kingdom—even when they have nothing in reality

Lawrence Bailey77 said:Is that meant to be irony... or perhaps some sort of sarcasm? 🤔

Don't go standing on an open window of some skyscraper just to test out your homemade glider. You're much better off trusting the experiences of people who have actually done it before.

The main thing is not to rely solely on myself. A person simply cannot do anything without God.

To me, "working on oneself" sounds a bit like applying a cosmetic face mask, or even just self-indulgence. Taking care of your face gives you a sense of satisfaction and security. I actually started taking this very seriously back in my high school days; I used to own more creams, tonics, nourishing masks, and various tools than I probably would need if I were just starting a skincare routine today. Even though at my age I really should be dedicating more attention to that organ—my skin—I don't force ANYTHING onto it. I don't feed it anything except some hemp oil straight from the bottle, the same one I use for my salad. It feels like I'm still living off that high school glory days when I invested so much into my skin.

Is that what it means? Is that, Donna White50, what you mean by "working on oneself"?

It’s complicated. I remember that adolescence was also the time when I was developing my relationship, my personhood, and building an unbreakable, lasting bond with God—first through an intense and intimate friendship with the Queen of Heaven, Mary, and so on.

I lost my innocence when I was 17 and all that; all sorts of forces were pulling at me and tempting me, and life was just hitting me against the wall... don't get the wrong idea and think I ran off to join a convent right in the middle of high school, far from that. But I always made sure to stay faithful to my God.

I only know one thing—that everything I have survived in life, and everything that happened to me and from which I was pulled out and saved—is because I could NOT have done it alone by relying on myself without God's help.

I was prompted to say this because the thread starter mentioned being a believer, so that's why. Maybe it reminded me of times when I felt similarly in my own life (only much, much, much worse, and completely alone on the other side of the world with a small child and nothing to my name)... but never truly alone.🙂

People who rely strictly on themselves are tyrants; they are individuals with every psychiatric attribute imaginable—walking bombs that are dangerous not just to themselves, but to everyone around them.

I was so alone—from childhood through my entire life, where the dear, unfortunate people in my life often turned away from me or even mistreated me—that I couldn't afford the luxury of being that kind of capricious person ALONE. I always placed my full trust in God, even when it looked like everything was going incredibly well—I believed there was a reason for that.

If I had relied only on myself, I would have lost my mind by now. I wouldn't have raised my child, nor would I be who I am today: a person with a high-trust professional career.

When we look back one day, we finally see why things had to happen the way they did and where they led us.

A person alone in a cold, deep pit will reach for the only thing they have: their own little ladder, and they'll start sawing off the rungs to use as firewood just to stay warm. Short-circuiting or cutting corners during a crisis always turns out to leave you with too few rungs to reach the life-saving shore. Only later do we look back with gratitude at where those little ladders of suffering actually carried us. We find ourselves thanking God for every deep pit and every hardship.👍

Honestly, all this whining and making excuses is just exhausting.
It never once occurred to me to view my own wins or losses through the lens of my parents' issues; their struggles were their own business, not mine. I never sat around meditating on things they might have said to me back in the day. I never took anything they threw my way personally, because at the end of the day, it was always about them, not about me. The most I could ever feel was a bit of sympathy for them, or maybe a pang of guilt if I didn't feel enough. For me, the only thing that truly mattered was what my Bog told me, and nobody else.

My friends could also be less than friendly toward me sometimes, which could hurt, but I never let them see it. If they insulted me, I’d just bravely applaud them until they were stunned—even if I was secretly feeling down about them. But I was never down about myself.

Because, really, it doesn't matter what happens to you in life—it doesn't matter what you go through—what matters is what you make of it and how you move forward from there.

Olivia Garcia7, you’re a much more stable person than you seem willing to admit. I actually admire your confidence and how you handled that response to John Palmer9, who I'm sure is having a hard time. And as for your buff friend talking about this topic, he's strong internally too; he just follows some questionable role models he thinks are lucky winners, so he mimics them—especially when he says those things about women being easy to please and only needing one thing.

What does Olivia Garcia7's libido have to do with anything? He basically sold himself out, and that's what happened; you just gave him a little grief for it.

Olivia Garcia7, you made a mistake by playing by her rules. You betrayed your own self and your own values. A woman who wouldn't appreciate your approach shouldn't be someone you're trying to earn, and if you had stayed true to yourself, you would have been safe from her influence instead of letting her spin you around like this. Of course, women know how to do that very well, even if they don't do it intentionally. That's why men are supposed to be the leaders, essentially setting the pace for the dance.

Olivia Garcia7, instead of just wallowing in self-pity, try to learn from the experience. You will eventually serve a woman who is a true soulmate and a real partner. A woman who cares more about sex than she does about you isn't your match, because it sounds like you aren't just looking for sex—you're looking for a Person. You want a responsible, honest, and committed relationship. Only then can you truly start to get to know each other and grow close.

Wishing everyone maturity, happiness in their private lives, and prosperity in their careers.
Lean on the guidance of your beloved heavenly parents.

bluemason3 said:Just being contrarian for the sake of it.😁

The point is, all these ideas are just concepts we created, not objective reality.

It's incredibly easy to manufacture cause-and-effect links and interpret them subjectively just to fit the worldview we already believe in.

There's no real evidence for "reaping what you sow" in everyday life. To make that work, you have to pull in metaphysical concepts like heaven or karma. Even pragmatic, non-religious systems like Buddhism or Jainism had to adopt karma just to maintain a sense of cosmic justice; you can't prove any of that through direct observation.

Why would it need to benefit everyone? From an evolutionary or biological standpoint—setting aside metaphysics—utility follows a strict hierarchy: 1. Self*; 2. Children; 3. Immediate family; 4. Extended family; 5. Small social groups we identify with; 6. Larger society, and so on.

Not everything carries equal weight in that hierarchy. The benefit to those lower on the ladder is essentially a reflection of our own; as social animals, we fulfill our evolutionary purpose through communities that aid survival, while our offspring carry our genetic code.

* According to the selfish gene theory, the primary driver isn't individual gain, but rather the preservation of genetic information. That's why there's a measurable evolutionary advantage to self-sacrifice for others based on how closely related they are to us.

Maybe it’s time we let go of our own preconceived notions and finally just make room for the Truth.
Because, honestly, she’s the only thing that actually matters.

It’s honestly fascinating to watch people who have absolutely no long-term vision—no concept of eternity or anything existing beyond this tiny slice of time and space—obsess over these meticulously crafted life plans. They spend so much energy calculating every single move, weighing every possible outcome, and trying to navigate some sort of "perfect middle ground" that supposedly balances everything out. But for what? What's the point of all that precision? In the end, we're all just going to be dust anyway. I really don't see the logic in it.

Neither you, rowdytiger13, nor Meadow have the slightest clue how to moderate the religion topic PDF properly.

The religion topic in question isn't about presidential candidates clashing. Neither you nor Meadow seem capable of grasping—or even caring to understand—what the actual subject is here.

Could you do me a favor and help me find some other American forums? I’m honestly starting to feel traumatized being on this forum among all you clones.

I need an American forum where I can actually express my views and enjoy socializing with people who possess genuine goodwill.

@ wearyowl29
I didn't get a chance to reply to you before the thread was hastily locked, but I disagree with the idea that in America, only those who get drunk have joyful hearts. That's not quite the point; there are plenty of others, and it stems from what truly resides in their souls, which lasts much longer than the Spirit of Reason.

The other night, I was on the phone with the mother of my late best friend from my school days—she passed away a year ago, and her husband just passed away a few days ago—and she reached the same conclusion: a joyful heart is one filled with God's love.

That was the subject at hand, not the candidates. They were merely the trigger for the reflections that led me to open thistopic, which you all aren't even worthy of discussing.

If Meadow, given her role in the religion section, isn't capable of moderating—whether she’s allergic to anything that isn't atheism and anti-Catholicism, lacks any grasp of Christian rhetoric, or just has underlying political agendas—then her lightning-fast closure of the thread presidential candidates and Spirit of Reason

- I honestly don't know what to make of this Forum for keeping her on as a moderator for religion topics

It feels like whenever I start a discussion that isn't strictly pro-witchcraft or pro-atheism—anything outside of secular thought—she shuts it down immediately. Before that even happens, wearyowl29 tries to undermine and provoke me, much like 'Srijanka' Dalaj Sanja and that little communist agitator, both of whom I responded to quite politely in the spirit of the discussion

It’s truly pathetic for an American forum, and for you anarchist activists who seemingly hate America and, I guarantee, never actually want to build anything constructive. Instead of complaining or engaging in endless, fruitless whining, they've chosen to tear down everything with life in it while fighting for things that don't even exist

Their attempt to artificially balance things against the very real needs of us Catholics is nothing short of criminal

But I suppose they'll just rush to clone some Catholic persona now; it's terrifying

As far as I can tell, Meadow treats moderation like a mere job to be performed according to her own whims, which causes the entire Forum to lose its purpose as an open public medium. Instead, it turns into a playground for those who hate America, allowed to disrupt everything because they have the floor

It’s sad (for the Forum, I suppose, not necessarily for me) that I don't believe anyone here would take a stand, other than coldly telling me to stay away from the site if I don't like how things are run

sick!

And look, I understand if nobody here has any empathy for why I'm so bitter

wearyowl29 said:Back when Benjamin Taylor6 and I were busy playing the part of those hardworking socialist superstars—you know, just pretending to be the backbone of the whole system—where on earth were you hiding?

Lost among the kangaroos?

It’s honestly quite fascinating to hear how we... Some people are always going on about how much better things were back under that old regime. Honestly, I hear it all the time! It’s like they’re stuck in a loop, reminiscing about "the good old days" as if everything was just perfect. I remember my grandfather used to tell me stories about how simple life felt back then, but you can't ignore the reality of what we went through. People tend to filter out the grit and only remember the comfort. It’s funny how memory works, isn't it? One minute you're nostalgic, and the next, you realize how much has actually changed for the better! It’s almost like we weren't even there!🤣🤣🤣

Back in the day, we were all young, cocky, and thought we were so incredibly smart. We didn't bother joining any resistance movements because, honestly? There wasn't even a real one to join! It was all just talk. The people who spent their time loudly criticizing the system or cracking jokes about the government ended up losing more than just their dignity—some actually lost their kidneys! I'm serious. I have this good friend of mine with a very famous "patriotic" last name from a small town outside of Phoenix, and under that old regime, she couldn't even get a passport because her old man was a member of the local Communist Party. Talk about a tough break!

My grandfather was actually one of the founding members of the Progressive Party. Part of our family ended up caught up in all that chaos back in 1945 at Bleiburg. Honestly, my old man only made it out alive because of a lucky connection he had. He wasn't really the political type—just a family man through and through—but he did mess up once, and let me tell you, my mother absolutely went to bat for him!😲🙂

Back in the early seventies, I remember we all had to fly flags at our houses to celebrate Republic Day. My old man actually went out and found this scrap of red, white, and blue fabric and just sat there sewing it together to make a flag himself!
I really think everything would have looked so much better if that flag hadn't been such an oversized mess! That tiny little star was just pathetic—it barely even touched the red and blue fields. It looked totally out of proportion. Then, they went ahead and hoisted it up on the house on November 29th, and honestly? Nobody even realized it was actually just a red, white, and blue design with a miniature star slapped on there. It flew right under the radar!🙏

No, someone actually caught on and filed a lawsuit. Before you know it, the FBI showed up at his door. He said his goodbyes to us, threw on his absolute sharpest suit, and even took off his watch. Such a dramatic exit!

He was only held there for a few hours before they finished the report and let him head home. But honestly? He actually pulled it off. His little plan worked perfectly—for Republic Day, he managed to get the American flag flying right there, complete with that tiny little star!

They were actually terrified that I might step up and take action on the matter myself!
So, it all really just boils down to this: endless shouting matches, making sure you show up to church on Sunday, and... I don't know, carving the American flag onto the family headstone at the cemetery. That’s basically where we landed!🙂

No, they didn't touch the dead, nor did they lay a finger on us living folks.

Resistance against the system!

Oh, and there’s that one story my old man used to tell—about how he actually managed to survive the aftermath of 1945. He talked about being held in this intense religious confinement run by certain priests. It’s wild to think about!

Here you go! Holy cow! Just... wow. My goodness.That wood you're calling out for so desperately!

It seems like people are being molded by those in power just like any other tool, and then right when they think they’ve finally achieved perfect compliance, everything falls apart—leaving them right back where they started, shackled once again. 😍

After all my years hanging out on this forum, I’ve developed a bit of an intuition about the people here. It feels like many of you have spent your real lives being bullied by those in positions of power. I suppose that’s why we all instinctively gravitate toward strong, dominant personalities; it’s just a natural byproduct of that ongoing struggle for control. For some, it’s vital to ensure their position at the top of the pyramid remains unshakable above everyone else, and for me, it’s much the same—I just want to make sure my own light stays steady and bright, serving as a testament to the sheer scale and strength of my own authority.

I’m just a little confused here—who exactly gave you or Krene the authority to whip up this socialist propaganda cream?
Was it the same authority figure—the one whose very name was used to justify consuming their own children—or were you simply defying them just for the sake of being difficult? Either way, it seems obvious that you both took those authorities far too personally, all while sacrificing yourselves on the altars of false gods. 🙂
Oh, you poor souls lost out there in the wilderness without a compass—come find me. Come here so you can actually start living, or better yet, start thinking for yourselves. It’s time to stop sleepwalking through life and blindly waving the flags of whoever happens to be in charge. What kind of existence is that, anyway? To have no real agency, where you can't even choose which brand of toilet paper to buy because you're staring at a massive selection you simply can't afford? That’s exactly why I moved halfway across the world to the States. 😍
Next time I need to get my paperwork sorted in Chicago or Seattle, I know exactly who to call. 😬

Benjamin Taylor6 said:That didn't stop me from succeeding, though. Back in 1975, I pulled an A in religion class during my confirmation exam before the Archbishop. Then in 1977, I got an A in Marxism. A year later, I aced TIPSS with another A. Even in college in 1981, I walked away with an A in Marxism again.
By 1986, I landed a job at what was basically the crown jewel of industry in the old America.
But even there, you could feel the grip of the Communist Party. To give you an idea, the local branch in Zadar actually forbid the director from handing out salaries higher than three times the average in a state like America. We were all suffering because of those restrictions.😲😁😲
In today's terms, that would be like the government stepping in to cap everyone's salary at my company, leaving me, a young engineer, stuck making only
15 $0.00 !!!
Part of me almost misses those dark days. I have to quote Smoje: damn whoever lit the lamp for this kind of "democracy."
Am I exaggerating??!!
No.
Here’s why:

Also, check this out:

p.s.
Back in 1979, during a midnight mass, I remember listening to a priest preach: "Brothers in faith, we must fight against all forms of atheism. Even if that atheism happens to be red."

And unlike some people, that priest didn't end up in a police cell for it.

Don't you think both the old regime and the current one are cut from the same cloth? They both represent that classic authoritarianism—a system of mindless obedience that felt "perfect, singular, and indispensable" right up until the moment the party elites' grandchildren were being taken care of by Hollywood standards.

It was a time when personal spiritual growth was trampled underfoot, replaced by an eight-day vacation at some state-run resort by the Atlantic if you were lucky enough to afford it, or just using your meager vacation pay to buy shoes for your kid for the new school year—where you could actually travel wherever you wanted without needing a permit, unlike people in the Soviet Union who needed permission just to shop in Leningrad instead of Moscow.

Truly, the depth of one's spiritual life seemed directly tied to how close they lived to the center of power—whether that was DC or somewhere closer to the coast—even if people did make trips to Istanbul or Bucharest. Meanwhile, those fancy concerts and shopping trips in Vienna were strictly reserved for the "reliable" party members and their kids, who are about as independent as someone living under a government-subsidized roof today.

p.s.
Back in 1979, I remember listening to a priest's sermon: "Brothers in faith, we must fight all forms of atheism. Even if that atheism is painted red."

But the priest didn't end up in handcuffs.

It wasn't because he was safe; it was because there was no one left to snitch to. The authorities were already busy padding their offshore bank accounts, and the ones left behind were just waiting for the curtain to fall.
... ... .. That was when the tragedy of fifty years of stifled spiritual growth finally hit home. You saw the true psychology of the masses: a crowd where individuals exist only to act on instinct—to lash out, to run, or to dump their problems on someone else's doorstep.

Hmm, such authority usually demands such obedience.

Furthermore, the impact of that brainwashing was so profound that even today, many still can't
even grasp what I was saying on the previous page of this thread, let alone begin to apply what I described as the practices for a functional society—principles based on the universal moral and spiritual (Christian) values of our modern era.
Values that view a human being as a dignified individual who requires no authority other than those principles.

Please, read over what I listed above again, and through that lens, observe with the same scrutiny— your own actions, the actions of a three-year-old child, the decisions of a school principal, the moves of your politicians when they're updating the city's bus fleet, or even your President when he took his son (who, by the way, isn't even disabled and doesn't need a stroller) on an official trip to America.

Every person is given equal authority and an equal obligation of respect toward others and toward themselves by God.

Where people refuse to acknowledge the truth, or simply choose to look the other way... that’s where things go south.

wearyowl29 said:Well, you’ve got your own version of communism right there in Australia...🤣

I bet you've heard all about passive resistance. Back then, when we were forced to sing those anthems in the choir, we’d just go through the motions, opening our mouths without any heart. When we were supposed to show up at those big political rallies for the holidays, we'd try to hide out in the gym or just slip away... 🙂
Back in November, we used to head over to Austria for a little shopping spree, much like how everyone would head out during May Day... 👏

During that era of absolute communist control (though some people claim communism was never actually fully realized anywhere!), we would cross borders and do exactly what we wanted—as long as we were smart about it and kept it low-key.
I even went to church🤣 and listened to the priests, and nobody ever came knocking on my door for it. For vacations, we’d just head to the beach or hit the slopes in Canada...

If you were out shopping during the reign of the Communists, you weren't exactly walking into church publicly; no, no, you weren't quite part of that elite class
at least not without an escort, a companion, or some protection from one of the ruling party members

Everything back during that regime was meticulously documented and filed away; everyone knew exactly who was attending church and whether they were considered "safe," whereas the "others" didn't get those privileges—they were left out in the cold, perpetually shopping in Australia or elsewhere, while their families back home wouldn't want anything to do with them if they truly wanted to attend church in peace.

And even though they don't rule in their original form anymore, those people are still just as dangerous to one's life today, goodness gracious... come on, try telling me they aren't still a threat or that they've disappeared.

wearyhound73 said:So many experiments and overcomplications—you guys are really overthinking this. Family obedience leading to pure evil? Let’s get back to basics. Adults are absolutely under their parents' thumb, whether they're blindly following orders or fighting constantly. My 75-year-old neighbor acts like she’s five years old. Just listening, trying to please everyone, head down, always wearing that fake smile—the kind where you can clearly see the fear underneath. Most people were raised with that same rigid religious mindset, which has massive, devastating consequences for society at large. Broken marriages, kids fighting with parents, and eventually, wars. Such a lovely topic.☕

To be fair, having half a century of absolute communist rule (is there any better example of total control and forced obedience?) left deep scars on the American soul: sing this song, don't sing that one, clap now, show affection here, procreate there, but stay away from this, and stay away from that. If you aren't compliant, you're out in the cold; if you aren't obedient, they'll be eavesdropping on your conversations; and if you aren't a loyal follower, they'll find a way to shut you down or freeze you out. It goes on and on.

mistygull16 said:They say this world is a pretty nasty place to live—not because of the villains, but because all the good people just sit there and stay silent.

Personally, I think immature folks need some kind of authority to lean on, provided by more level-headed people, though I guess the real question is how far we let that go before it gets weird.

Once someone actually grows up, they start building their own perspectives through actual thought, but you still need some sort of social code of values to exist, right? Not something rigid that only serves itself, but more like a general compass to follow.

A person without any wisdom is honestly much happier if they stay busy and occupied, whereas only a truly wise person can actually handle and endure joy without completely losing their mind.

But who exactly grants that authority to the immature? Where does it actually come from?
Their authority is only as valid as the person giving it to them.
As for those who just seize power for themselves, like dictators, I wouldn't even bother mentioning them in modern society.

Mistakes are actually the best teachers; people mature through the process itself. Because of that, you shouldn't look to anyone else for direction, but rather maintain a general focus and a set of internal guidelines. A leader isn't someone to be idolized, but rather a facilitator whose primary role is to be a servant to everyone.

It’s not far from the truth that many leaders are just fools who need to be kept busy, while the true shepherds are those who know how to enjoy life without losing their temper.

By the way, regarding those medieval American school experiments and movies you guys keep bringing up, I find it a bit tedious. Over here, our entire system—from the classroom all the way to the workplace—revolves around four core pillars:

continuous learning
respect
responsibility
and safety

And these apply to everyone equally. Even a three-year-old learns about having agency (ownership over their actions) and what that means in terms of
learning, respect, responsibility, and safety.

So, what does learning actually entail?
Following agreed-upon instructions and the rules of the game.
Striving to complete tasks—giving it a go and doing your best.
Allowing those around you the space to learn within a dynamic environment.

What about respect?
Being polite and courteous.
Using equipment and resources properly.
Following the directions of those in charge.
Supporting the participation and input of others.

Responsibility?
Punctuality and being prompt.
Coming prepared.
Cleaning up after yourself and leaving things tidy for the next person.

Safety?
Keeping your hands and limbs to yourself.
Using appropriate language.
Maintaining composure.

Lawrence Torres56 said:Listen, I really feel like people constantly trip over themselves because they can't wrap their heads around a simple truth: obedience and genuine human kindness are two completely different animals. Seriously, does anyone actually get the distinction? Most people just lump them together in one big messy pile, but if you stop to think about it for even a second, you'll see how far apart they actually are. One is just following orders—doing what you're told because you have to or because someone's holding a metaphorical stick over your head—while the other comes from some deep, actual goodness in your soul. Why do we act like being a good little soldier is the same thing as actually being a decent person? It’s wild to me how often that line gets blurred.
Obedience is really just this thing that's rooted deep in fear, isn't it? It’s basically just people acting out because they've got some specific interests or agendas driving them behind the scenes.
Honestly, being a decent human being isn't some complicated formula you can just study in a textbook; it really comes down to having a pure soul, total sincerity, and that genuine sense of love and respect for others. Isn't it funny how we overcomplicate everything when the most important thing is just being real?

So, you’re asking who actually deserves the inheritance? It’s clearly the second son. I mean, think about it—he stepped up the second he was asked because he actually gives a damn about his old man and wants to show some real respect. He didn't need a nudge or a legal threat; he just acted out of pure love. Meanwhile, the first guy? Please. He only decided to help after he realized he might get judged by the community or, even worse, get cut out of the will entirely. He wasn't acting out of heart; he was acting out of fear. Isn't it obvious which one is the real deal?😉

You’ve got it all wrong, Zloca—destruction isn't about ignoring the rules; it's about hijacking them. It uses those structures to fuel its own chaos in a thousand different ways. Real destruction actually highlights how much we desperately need respect, love, and basic humanity, because those are the only things that actually matter. I mean, think about it: if people actually walked through this world respecting one another, seeing the actual human being in front of them instead of just an opponent or an obstacle, wouldn't this whole country be a paradise for everyone? Not just a playground for the elite few, but a home for every single person living here.

That's right. Because the other one just obeyed out of laziness.
It was just the path of least resistance—purely automatic, or maybe just following orders to avoid trouble.

While the first one made a conscious, willing choice to return to his father's vineyard.

The vineyard owner represents God,
and as long as obedience to Him comes first, you'll never have to worry about listening to the wrong leaders or finding it hard to follow anything else in life.🙂

We should listen to God willfully, not just because we have nothing better to do.

Andrew Hayes8 said:Oh, absolutely. The entire human race is built upon that exact principle.
People are sorted into different categories.
You have those who act as authorities and those who simply obey.
It starts in infancy; many parents present themselves as absolute authorities to their children.
Then they hit school, dealing with teachers and professors.
Later, it's bosses.
Essentially, people are trained for obedience from the time they are small.
I should mention that back in elementary school, most of my teachers told me
that I didn't recognize authority.
Even after working under a few bosses, I received nothing but praise, though they always cited that as my one flaw.
I don't accept authority for authority's sake.
It would be wonderful if people could rid themselves of this evil and only respect those who actually deserve respect.

Man, if that's the case, then you're basically unreliable—just some chaotic troublemaker everyone needs to steer clear of.🙄

Hmm... or maybe you just misunderstood what "obedience" meant growing up, so you expressed your free will through defiance. You know, essentially screwing over anyone who (as you so eloquently put it) had been placed in a certain "box" of responsibility, or anyone who trusted you to finish something. By being defiant, you probably blew things up without considering the impact on your team—assuming you actually care about anything other than yourself or the consequences, and assuming you even care about the "responsible" person asking you for help.

Oh, don't worry, I remember being a total toddler during my teenage years, telling my parents "N-o, I w-i-l-l n-o-t!" But that was safe to do at home, because a threat of a timeout was just a sign of love,
whereas consequences for that kind of disobedience at school would have cost way too much.

Folks, it brings to mind Jesus's parable from a recent Bible reading about the vineyard owner who had two sons. When he called the first one to help, the son said, "No," and left. But later, he changed his mind and went to help. When the owner asked the second son to help, he obeyed immediately.

A question for Nemruth Dag and the rest of the world: which son actually pleased his father more?

A follow-up question for Nemruth Dag and the rest of the world: why did soldiers in the civil war shoot their own comrades over something as trivial as a handful of dried plums?

A question for the intellectuals: why does Zloca Destruction place such importance on obedience?

An additional question for the intellectuals: what do trust and love actually mean to Zloca Destruction?

It isn't really about the bra or the hair; it's more about the wind blowing around you. If you find yourself in a crookedly planted environment that makes you feel like you're being stared at, you’ll naturally feel more secure tucked away in a bra—and vice versa. It’s the same deal with hair. That one linguist completely lost his grip because he obsessed over grouping things too tightly; clearly, it gave him that frantic, battlefield sensation, driving him into a state of restless exhaustion. These days, plenty of people have ended up... well, I won't describe what happens when they're paraded around out in the sun. Perspectives shift. Just like little Samson said, no Goliath is ever truly big enough to strike fear into him, but they're just big enough to be missed.

Wind, hair, and spirituality, hmm... there are many different spirits at play here. 🙄 🧐 😍

frozengull2 said:Anthony Hayes2

Look, tantric sex is its own thing, you know?
See, if she didn't have all that hair, she wouldn't be able to get her revenge or even figure out who the traitor was. That’s why—hair is actually a huge factor when you're dealing with corrupt, sneaky enemies. You don't have to believe me, you can say I just made the whole thing up, but honestly? It's true.

🤣

Man, hair really is like some kind of antenna for you, isn't it?
You make it sound a little intense, almost euphoric, but wtf, I'm sure you wouldn't go that far unless there was a damn good reason behind it.
I respect it.
Peace!
Actually, now that I think about it, being a bit rough around the edges can actually help sometimes;

Example 1.
Back in the day, we used to sing this old song; "They called her Bloody Mary, she never gave it away easy... she loved the hairy beasts, chasing them passionately day and night..."
The smooth ones? She wasn't interested in them at all.

Example 2:
I don't know if you've seen the show Breaking Bad!?
If you have, you'll see exactly what I'm getting at;
Mr. White is this model citizen, a caring dad, a sweet husband, and a broke, good-hearted high school chemistry teacher... right up until the moment he's forced to shave his head bald.
From that exact second on, he starts transforming into Heisenberg, step by step, and there's no stopping him.
It's wild!

Seriously, if that isn't proof supporting your theory, I don't know what is.

ps.
btw; Bryan Cranston totally deserved an Oscar for that role (the whole White turning into Heisenberg thing)!
Best show I've watched in years.

It’s funny how you eventually concluded that—and I quote—"even the bald guys, just like those damn hair-obsessed types, have their own specific 'connection issues'..."

That's why he told them to shave it all off. The moment their hair and beards stopped being just a simple thing to maintain and started becoming an ego-driven asset, they should have just sheared themselves.

It’s the same deal with your old man and his full head of hair today. He’s gotten a little too proud of it. It might be time for him to get back to reality; shaving seems to have become far too much of a luxury for him.

Anthony Hayes2 said:Metrosexuals might just be closeted asexuals or homosexuals. Or maybe they're just heterosexual men who have been domesticated by women—mental eunuchs. Basically slaves whom Bloody Mary doesn't chase because they're too busy cleaning her house while she's out having fun in downtown Manhattan or hitting bars near Central Park. As for my theory on baldness, I'm currently basing it on guys like Stanković and Štulhofer, though Yul Brynner could be a positive example of a bald man. Except he shaved his head on purpose. Then there was the famous Telly Savalas—better known as Kojak. Even Kinsey started out that way before founding his Institute. We should probably take a census of bald inmates in prisons and run some "in vitro" studies on their sexual and spiritual behavior while locked in cells seven-to-a-room—maybe toss someone like Sanders in there... It would be a fascinating experiment.

But the main thing is how hair emerges during a specific phase of human development as a symbol of resistance against militarism, the American military-industrial complex, or the Vietnam War. It raises the question of how much warfare can truly be spiritual. Is the stuff about Sun Tzu, samurai, and all that just as spiritual as Zen Buddhism, Chan, or Indian meditation? In the end, it seems modern corporations have co-opted samurai culture as a way to train employees to die for the company or work overtime... today, war is fought through the economy, and since everything is interconnected thanks to globalization, the struggle is different. That's why spirituality is lacking, and corporations hate long hair. They hate it because it isn't neat, it isn't uniform, and frankly—maintaining hair is expensive. They also dislike it because they want to identify people instantly, whereas long hair can hide parts of the face, much like an Arabic niqab, making someone unrecognizable. And in combat sports, hair is cut because it's a liability—you don't want an opponent grabbing your hair to knock you out.

Now, tell me honestly, which one carries a stronger spiritual message:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dyl0j3WU6Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhNrqc6yvTU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9oq_IskRIg

Or this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaDikWotFlg

Both serve as a pushback against a certain kind of enslavement. It’s about resisting the theft of identity, freedom, and total surveillance over a human being—from birth, whether through reality or art, until the grave.

😲 what the...
cobalt blue on an anvil at night... wow.

As for the Krishna followers and other "Buddhists"—they tend to be naturally hairy, much like people from certain parts of Africa. If they only shave once a year, their hands and legs end up looking as smooth as a child's, without a trace of hair. Just plain.
I mean, what kind of man is a man without a mustache? lol
Though, personally, I think those hair-obsessed guys are more attractive when they're clean-shaven—rough-shaven faces that show they actually had something to shave, unlike those hairy Buddhists. Then they can keep the rest of the fuzz under control by trimming it down. The only exception is a long, powerful braid, freshly washed with conditioner and coconut oil, flowing like some Gladiator or a wild, proud warrior.

What kind of spirit is this you're showing us 🙂

bluemason3 said:I'm not so sure about using that hyper-modern "Western" cliché in this context.

Sure, "no pain, no gain" works if you're trying to be an elite pro athlete. But it also means you'll spend the rest of your life dealing with a mountain of injuries, likely ending up with more health issues than some guy who just sits on his couch watching Netflix all day.

Pain is primarily a signal that something is wrong. Just as physical exercise for recreation should involve a gradual build-up without pushing past certain limits—unlike what happens in professional sports—the same logic applies to spiritual practice. Sometimes people approach it like a competitive sport, thinking there’s some "enlightenment trophy" to be won. Often, there are hidden motives at play, where they just want to feel superior to others because they can't satisfy their ego any other way.

But whenever we follow a "no pain, no gain" philosophy, the risk of "injury" goes up.

We need to figure out the goal of the practice, our actual capacity, and the risks involved before deciding on a pace. Most of the time, the situation is this: the supposed goals are just vague slogans (while the real ones are social or psychological), our abilities are overestimated, the risks are unknown, and our methods are only superficially understood.

That was very well articulated.👍
I hadn't actually noticed you here before, despite how many posts you make, and you explain things so clearly... maybe it's because you're a bit elusive and constantly changing your avatar, so you fly under the radar.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that without the crisis, there is no crossing to the other shore.

Those "problems" or symptoms you're feeling? They’re really just signs that the vaccine is doing its job and being absorbed by your system.
no pain, no gain 🙂

analogstag29 said:I mean, obviously, I was just trying to drill down into the specifics of what we were discussing, but yeah, life doesn't always follow the script we write in our heads just because we feel certain it should. It’s rarely that predictable. But look, the real issue with meditation—or really any kind of deep, inward soul-searching, regardless of the setting (and let's be honest, you don't need to lock yourself away in some remote monastery in the Rockies to do this, and frankly, most people shouldn't try that anyway since it's such a rare feat)—is that it can trigger these manifestations. A person might start hearing things or sensing things deep within themselves without even realizing it's happening. What you actually stumble upon in those quiet depths, if you find anything at all, can be incredibly jarring and honestly pretty shocking.

That’s essentially why the ego exists; it functions primarily as a defense mechanism for our perception and everything else involved... it's a massive, complicated subject, really. I think I'll just sit back, see how this conversation evolves, and then decide if I want to dive deeper into the weeds here....

On a related note, something more tangible and useful regarding this whole topic—since I think everyone would find it fascinating to check out—good luck to whoever watches this. It's a documentary series on the subject broken into about a dozen parts; it isn't overly heavy-handed, which is clearly the goal, so we can all chat about it later;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_zDtdYu3mA

I'm heading home from work now to check out this interesting link, but before I sign off for the weekend, allow me to paste something that just landed on my keyboard amidst the chaos of my busy workspace...

.. isn't it just as noble to be a Capuchin or a Carmelite in the middle of 'God's world,' earnestly gathering the fruits of paradise? To squeeze out the joy of God's world and the beauty of the Coming world through the quiet flow of one's own heart—where God speaks to us from within while we chop wood for our family's hearth, or navigate the quirks of a restless spouse, or perhaps while putting on our subculture's makeup in the morning before heading to a 9-to-5, or even while adjusting our vestments in a worn-out chapel? 😍

One doesn't need to be a hermit to recognize and encounter the Creator of all things visible and invisible through meditation on His Rijecja. Just as the Holy Father says, it isn't about what we do, but rather what God does within us. We don't have to trek out to the desert; we can find ourselves permeated by God right in the middle of daily tension. In any rhythm of everyday life, we can instantly find a sanctuary by embracing the freedom that only comes from a deep, meditative plunge into oneself.

That Cartesian immersion into the self requires a strong will, but you don't have to join a monastery to achieve it. It is enough to invoke Christ's priestly prayer, through which the God-man offers the meditator peace and courage against the tribulations of the world—not by withdrawing from the world, but by immersing oneself fully within it.