Posts by George Wood2

@Donna White50, a medal for bravery? 🏅 You certainly are a genius.
Nobody actually wants to be perceived as insane. 🙂 That is perfectly fine by me. It is quite reasonable and adaptive behavior.
Rather than descending into a destructive cycle of one-upmanship and intellectual posturing, I would prefer we engage in a more casual, colloquial dialogue. This brings me to a question: why is there such madness surrounding the idea that the majority of the population possesses some semblance of a moral and common-sense compass? Are those labeled as "crazy" actually truly deranged?
I should have clarified my point earlier; I am not merely referring to explicit, extreme insanity, but also to those "crazy" little eccentricities found in everyday human behavior.

The costs of consultations, the fees, the waiting periods—whether dealing with those deemed "insane" or just navigating the system—are staggeringly high in our part of the country. It makes me wonder: what is the exact reason, or perhaps some hidden industry secret, behind why medications and consultations aimed at achieving universal health are so prohibitively expensive? Is it simply because not everyone can afford to seek treatment when they need it?
Must someone be enriched every single hour by charging hundreds of dollars per hour for things that seem so obvious?!$167
It is pure curiosity regarding these strange extremes.

quietbison86 said:

Donna Gonzalez5 I can't even begin to describe the sheer level of nonsense I just read—it’s like someone took a handful of chaos and decided to make it their entire personality. Honestly, how does anyone deal with this kind of energy? It’s exhausting just thinking about it! Is it just me, or is everything getting weirder by the second? I feel like I need a drink just to process the absurdity of it all. Seriously, what are we even doing here? Anyway, where was I? Oh right—this absolute mess of a situation. Let me get this straight...
Have you ever been having a perfectly fine day—just cruising along, feeling good—and then you run into someone who’s basically a walking thunderstorm of emotional baggage? They start dumping all their drama on you, and before you know it, you're caught in the blast zone. And here's the kicker: the more they vent, the more you find yourself drowning in sympathy for them. It’s like this weird, exhausting phenomenon where instead of just feeling bad *for* them, you actually start feeling their problems as if they were your own. It’s not even just "worrying" anymore—it’s like their chaos becomes your reality. Ever felt that? It's freaking draining.
So, quick question for the group—have you ever finished a cup of coffee and just felt... off? Like, totally wired but in the worst way possible? I’m talking that restless, pacing-around-the-room energy, breaking out in a cold sweat, or that sudden, sharp spike of anxiety that hits you out of nowhere. Is it just me, or does caffeine sometimes feel less like a "pick-me-up" and more like a direct attack on your nervous system? Anyone else deal with this?
Is it actually hard for you guys to set healthy boundaries in your relationships, or am I just out here fighting ghosts alone? Seriously—is it just me, or does even saying "no" feel like you’re committing some kind of federal crime? I mean, come on. Why does it feel so heavy? You try to draw a line in the sand, and suddenly everyone is acting like you've personally insulted their entire lineage. It’s exhausting. Is it a lack of willpower? A fear of being the "bad guy"? Or are we all just collectively terrified of a little bit of friction? I want to know if anyone else struggles with this constant internal tug-of-war between wanting to be a decent human being and needing to protect your own sanity before you completely lose it.
Do you guys ever find yourselves just... swinging wildly between extremes when it comes to relationships? Like, it’s either all or nothing—you’re diving headfirst into the deep end, giving this person absolutely everything you've got, or the second you pick up on even a tiny bit of negative energy, you just slam the door shut and retreat entirely into your own shell. It’s like there is no middle ground, right? You're either all in or you're completely gone. Does anyone else do this?
Does anyone else feel like watching the news—or even just scrolling through some toxic garbage online—completely tanks your mood? Like, I’ll be having a decent day, minding my own business, and then boom, one headline about some disaster or political nonsense hits, and suddenly I’m just... drained. It’s exhausting, right? Does that negativity just seep into your bones and ruin your whole vibe?
Do you ever get that weird, nagging feeling that you just don't fit in anywhere? Like, at all? I’m talking about that deep-seated lack of belonging—whether it's with a religion, a nationality, or just whatever group you're supposed to be "part" of. Does anyone else feel like a total outsider looking in?

So, basically, what I’m trying to get at here is—are there any actual highly sensitive people hanging out on this forum? Like, real ones? And have you guys figured out some kind of mechanism to actually balance out all that empathy? I mean, specifically how to stop feeling so much for negative people... you know, like learning to recognize them and just... shut the door? Is it even possible to refuse to empathize when someone starts dumping their complaints or whatever negativity on you? How do you even spot it when you're starting to soak up someone else's toxic energy?

That's me! I'm talking about myself here—every single bit of it!

So, I just got off the phone with my neurologist—total whirlwind of a conversation, honestly—and apparently, my brain is running on empty. She’s telling me there's this chronic chemical deficit going on in my head. Specifically, a massive shortage of serotonin. She thinks it’s probably baked into my DNA—you know, genetic—but then she follows that up with the classic "but it doesn't have to be" line. Typical, right? One minute everything is hardwired, and the next, we're looking at possibilities. It's enough to make your head spin!

So, I’ve been going down this endless rabbit hole of medical tests—just constant, exhausting searching—because I can't shake these intense pressures in my head, weird numbness in parts of my body, and just general, nagging pain everywhere. It’s driving me nuts! And get this: the neurologists say everything is fine. The cardiologists? They say I'm perfectly healthy too. So, naturally, after all that digging, they basically brushed me off and pinned the whole thing on my mental state and some psychiatrist's evaluation. Isn't that just great?

So, I finally went through it—got hit with a diagnosis of anxiety disorders and somatic symptom disorder. Yeah, it’s a mouthful. Basically, my brain and my body have decided to team up against me in the worst way possible. Now, instead of just dealing with the mental loop, everything is manifesting physically too. It's a trip, honestly. To make matters worse, the plan is to tackle this whole mess through psychotherapy. So, I'm officially diving into the deep end of talk therapy to try and untangle this knot. Wish me luck, because it sounds like going to be a hell of a ride.

So, my neurologist gave me some advice—and honestly, I’m still processing it—about ramping up the physical activity. And I don't mean a casual stroll through Central Park, either. She was talking about serious, high-intensity workouts—the kind where your heart is absolutely hammering in your chest. The logic? Apparently, if I can get my heart rate high enough, it'll force enough oxygen and serotonin into my brain to actually get everything back in balance. It's like a biological reset button or something. But then—and here's the kicker—she dropped the other half of the deal: if the intense exercise doesn't do the trick, she says we're looking at moving straight to an AD. So, it's basically "hit the gym hard or start the meds." What do you guys think? Is this a legit strategy or just a way to avoid the prescription?

It’s actually pretty wild how my psychiatrist zeroed in on my anxiety—she saw it loud and clear—but she didn't flag me for depression. I mean, it's funny, right? Because I wouldn't exactly call myself a depressive person, even if I do get hit with those periodic low moods every now and then. It's like, okay, you caught the jittery part, but don't go putting me in that whole "depressed" box just yet!
Look, from the outside, I don't look depressed at all—not even a little bit. Seriously. If you saw me out and about, you wouldn't think twice. The thing is, I’m usually the one driving everything—I’m the initiator, the one making the plans, the one pushing the ball down the field. But honestly? It’s exhausting. It wears me out because I constantly feel like I’m pouring way more into the world than I’m ever getting back. Is it just me, or does it feel like I'm doing all the heavy lifting while everyone else just watches?

And now we’re diving headfirst into the deep end—human relationships. Whether we're talking about the friends who drive you crazy or the romantic interests that leave you questioning your sanity—it’s all part of the mess, isn't it?
Look, let’s be real—that field isn't exactly some perfect paradise either, and honestly? It’s all because of the exact same mess I just laid out above.
My relationships? Yeah, they’ve mostly been short, intense bursts of chaos—mostly because I have this habit of getting absolutely hooked on "emotional vampires." It’s like a magnet or something. I end up pouring everything I have into these people, feeling completely drained and wiped out every single day, while they just sit there taking, taking, taking. Why do I always end up being the one doing all the heavy lifting? It’s exhausting, honestly. I’m basically running on empty while they just exploit the effort I put in. What am I even doing?
Look, because of all that mess, I’ve got serious attachment issues now—like, majorly complicated. Honestly? I’ve become incredibly picky about who I let into my life. I’m hyper-vigilant and super selective when it comes to choosing a partner because, let’s be real, I am absolutely NOT interested in going through that level of agony again. I refuse to deal with that much suffering during a relationship, and I definitely won't be doing it once it inevitably crashes and burns. Why would I even sign up for that kind of heartbreak twice? Not happening.
Look, I’ve burned through plenty of friendships myself—I mean, quite a few—mostly because the whole "give and take" thing just wasn't adding up. It was always that one-sided energy, you know? Most of the time, my move is just to quietly fade out—just pull back, stop responding, and let them drift away into nothingness. But honestly? Every once in a while, I just can't deal with the games and I'll end things much more directly. Sometimes you just have to cut the cord.
So, plenty of my friends have been claiming—or used to claim—that I’m "needy." Even my family members have thrown that one in my face, which, honestly? Total nonsense. If you want to get technical, sure, maybe I’m "needy" when it comes to wanting a little more attention than I actually seem to be getting sometimes—but that’s about it! Is it really being needy to just want people to actually show up? Or am I just being labeled because I have expectations? Honestly, it feels like a reach.

Honestly, I almost threw my coffee right out the window this morning—seriously, it was that close. It just hits me with such a massive dose of pure, unadulterated nerves, you know? Like, my heart starts racing and I can't settle down. But then I look around and realize everyone else seems totally fine with it. They’re just sipping away like nothing's happening while I’m over here vibrating out of my skin. Is it just me, or does caffeine turn some people into total wrecks?
I only ever manage to actually lie down when I’m feeling totally, completely at peace—which, let's be honest, happens about once every blue moon.
Matcha and other teas work perfectly for me, though they just don't give me that kick I get from coffee 🤔

Yeah, the news absolutely wrecks my mental state—especially lately with all this COVID stuff that, honestly, I don't even buy... but there's always that nagging seed of doubt because of my anxiety
Ever since I was a kid, I was glued to those true crime segments in the paper and obsessed with gritty crime shows, and I truly believe that’s where the root of my anxiety lies. It makes me afraid of so much today—I mean, I have my driver's license, but I barely touch the wheel because seeing all those endless car accidents on the highway just freaks me out

And it's not just that I don't feel any sense of national pride; I actually feel a bit of a distaste for it. Having lived in such an international environment, I can tell you straight up: you find way higher quality people out there. Sure, there's trash everywhere, but generally speaking, the mindset abroad just clicks with me more
That's why I'm constantly daydreaming about moving overseas, but I'm stuck because my career path isn't exactly a gold mine—I studied sociology, and being in my late 20s with zero momentum makes it impossible to land anything real. I feel like I've been sentenced to these dead-end agency jobs with absolutely no future

Anyway, I'd say constant mood swings and just being generally dissatisfied with life is pretty much the hallmark of people like us

🤣
Everything about you is perfectly fine! Because you embody all of those things, including the erratic shifts.

Greetings,
I am currently unearthing various concepts, and I find myself compelled to investigate a specific matter to complete my current line of thought. When we assert that an individual is insane, or observe how utterly irrational someone is behaving... 🙂
What is the true essence of madness?
How do you approach this through the lens of intellect, intuition, lived experience, your own established paradigms, or your particular framework of knowledge and mindset?
What specific criteria must be met for one person to label another as mad—or perhaps for an individual to declare themselves insane simply because they have attained a state of lucidity that others cannot grasp?
Let us begin... who among us is truly the mad one 🤣 and by what logic would you deem such a thing to be insanity?
Perhaps this inquiry is better suited for psychiatry or counseling 🤣? Or perhaps philosophy...

wearyowl29 said:I’m one step ahead! I’ve got everything I need and I am absolutely loving the grind. Right now, I’m just perched up here on a hill, looking out over the state, breathing in that intoxicating scent of lavender while the forest stretches out behind me. It's pure bliss.

You could totally come work here! Seriously, I mean it. It’s such a vibe. I was just thinking about how much fun it would be to have you around the office. We definitely need more bright energy in the mix!

I’ve finally realized it—true happiness isn't some prize waiting for me out there in the world. It’s not something I can go out and grab from a store shelf or find sitting on a porch in Chicago. It’s actually inside me all along! It's an internal thing. Always has been, really. Just had to stop looking outward and start looking inward. What a relief!
At the end of the day, I just love sinking into my lounge chair, watching the embers glow in the backyard grill, and feeling genuinely happy. It’s all about that carpe diem spirit for me!

There is just something absolutely magical about a night sky when you get far away from all those blinding city lights. You haven't truly lived until you've stood out in the middle of nowhere—maybe somewhere like the high desert in Nevada or up in the mountains of Montana—and looked up to see the Milky Way stretching out right above your head. It’s breathtaking! Honestly, it makes all our little daily stresses feel so tiny. I remember one time camping out near Big Sky, and I just sat there for hours, completely mesmerized by the sheer scale of it all. Pure magic!😉

That is quite beautiful, particularly the realization that happiness truly does stem from within.

Chris Williams said:I suppose normalcy is essentially just sleepwalking. If one pays even the slightest attention to that background chatter in the mind, it becomes apparent that it is just an unrelenting stream of associations—one that is, at its core, just as fragmented and unpredictable as a dream. No one can truly predict their next thought. Those thoughts trigger emotional responses within us, and those reactions, in turn, produce either pleasure or suffering. That is our version of normalcy. It is sleep.

Speaking of solitude...

It might manifest as art, or perhaps spirituality, or even religion acting as a channel for the sublimation of normalcy. I personally prefer a sort of alchemy.

My view is that anything capable of jolting us out of that slumber is useful, provided we actually desire that kind of evolutionary leap for ourselves.

Regarding art, I suspect that when we are genuinely creative, it brings us to the same state as meditation. In those moments, everything else ceases to exist except the act of creation itself; once all that compulsive mental noise settles, we enter "the zone." We become a mere conduit—in that state, we are truly awake, an ecstatic observer of whatever the universe is manifesting through us. Many artists experience this... though, I suppose, entering that zone isn't always easy. Then again, you can find that same flow while just peeling potatoes.

I find myself agreeing with you.
If one is able to perceive this, then it becomes a state of conscious "sleepwalking," or perhaps true experiencing. I recall a recent incident where certain thoughts essentially hijacked my conscious space, triggering an intense sense of anxiety. This, in turn, manufactured an irrational perception of reality, leading to a distressing experience—which, by any standard metric, could be classified as "reality" because it concerned perfectly ordinary, everyday worries. Fortunately, however, I remained positioned within the space of awareness rather than getting lost in the content of that awareness. Consequently, that temporarily constructed, colored reality simply evaporated without the need for any deliberate technique, positive thinking, or denial. It appeared hollow and devoid of energy. How can one place faith in mirages? Thoughts drift incessantly; if left untouched, they simply float away.

It strikes me as peculiar when someone claims they are not in the present moment. Where, precisely, are they? In what moment are they experiencing this "not being" in the present, if not in the present itself?? 😬
Must the present moment always be filled with blissful sensations or some sort of transcendent experience?

Chris Williams said:I suppose normalcy is essentially just sleepwalking. If one pays even the slightest attention to that background chatter in the mind, it becomes apparent that it is just an unrelenting stream of associations—one that is, at its core, just as fragmented and unpredictable as a dream. No one can truly predict their next thought. Those thoughts trigger emotional responses within us, and those reactions, in turn, produce either pleasure or suffering. That is our version of normalcy. It is sleep.

Speaking of solitude...

It might manifest as art, or perhaps spirituality, or even religion acting as a channel for the sublimation of normalcy. I personally prefer a sort of alchemy.

My view is that anything capable of jolting us out of that slumber is useful, provided we actually desire that kind of evolutionary leap for ourselves.

Regarding art, I suspect that when we are genuinely creative, it brings us to the same state as meditation. In those moments, everything else ceases to exist except the act of creation itself; once all that compulsive mental noise settles, we enter "the zone." We become a mere conduit—in that state, we are truly awake, an ecstatic observer of whatever the universe is manifesting through us. Many artists experience this... though, I suppose, entering that zone isn't always easy. Then again, you can find that same flow while just peeling potatoes.

🙂 or even when a hot french fry burns your lip—and potentially even in your dreams. 🙂

Quincy:

Justin Garcia7 As specified by: .... What is the actual solution here? How does one ever truly achieve tolerance? Or is it an impossible ideal, doomed from the start because every individual is inherently trapped within their own narrow perspective?

That question—and its subsequent solution—is fundamentally flawed because it has been posed far too early in our evolution. We are attempting to address it within the wrong framework entirely. The current mindset is trapped in a field of perception that views this as a problem to begin with, when in reality, there is no issue at all. The question exists solely within the realm of duality, whereas the answer lies in non-duality, which serves as nothing more than a reflection of that very duality. Is it not a mistake to seek a remedy in the same distorted dimension that created the perceived conflict?
I would be far too optimistic if I were to suggest that anyone could provide even a shred of an answer to that question—not even a billion years from now, while trapped within the constraints of duality.
Within the realm of duality, this question will never truly be resolved, primarily because the very nature of duality is inherently irreconcilable within its own field. Once one moves beyond duality, the need for resolution—for the pursuit of achieving anything at all—simply ceases to exist. Everything just Is.

darkcanyon10 said:Great topic. Fits right in with the spirituality stuff. People clearly misunderstand what spirituality even is, or they think it's just some niche hobby. Most folks think being spiritual means finding some deep insight into consciousness to escape the grind of daily life.
Yeah, right. Think again. 😁

The solution? There isn't one. None.
Because if you suggest a solution, someone else is gonna lose their mind over it.

The heavens. They simply will not be. 🙂

Quincy:

casualtiger2 As stated by: What would actually happen if the fundamental impulse for drugs simply vanished? If the craving for violence, theft, and deception evaporated overnight? It’s a question worth weighing with some deliberation. We often speak of crime as a systemic failure, but isn't there an inherent, darker element within the individual that drives these impulses? If you remove the chemical dependency and the predatory urge to deceive, what remains of our social fabric? Would we finally achieve a state of true stability, or would we merely find ourselves staring into a void, wondering what purpose fills the space where those vices once lived? One has to wonder: is civilization built upon the management of these urges, or would it flourish only once they were gone entirely?

I am genuinely curious to hear the response to this particular question. 🙂

🤣

I find myself thinking that someone here urgently needs a much-needed reality check. 🙂

on topic: I believe that through experimental suicide, one loses a vast number of opportunities to actually improve life and discover a more beautiful way of living through active experimentation.

Joseph Bailey41 said:There’s an old Zen story about a warrior Samurai who once impulsively approached Zen Master Hakuin, demanding an explanation of the true nature of heaven and hell.

The master gave him a pretty dismissive response:
"You call yourself a Samurai? Please, I wouldn't even trust someone as unrefined as you to watch my sheep!"

The Samurai's pride was wounded. He flew into a rage, drew his sword from its sheath, and shouted:
"Your arrogance is enough to make me kill you right here!"

"That," the master replied calmly, "is hell."

Stunned by the sudden realization of how much anger had taken hold of him, the Samurai calmed down, sheathed his blade, and bowed to the master in gratitude for the lesson.

"And that," said the master, "is heaven."

How does one... who stands against whom... how can anyone defend themselves in such a state... or

I am of the opinion that "heaven" is merely a state of consciousness where one simply becomes everything that Is.

That whole concept of "Love
".

Should we strive to be devoid of emotion?

Until now, I had assumed this particular dilemma was reserved solely for Mr. Spock and the inhabitants of the planet Vulcan. What manner of individual could possibly exist entirely untouched by feeling? Perhaps some sort of mutant hybrid, a mere android masquerading as a man?