Posts by Lawrence Bailey77

Arthur Young4 said:I agree. It seems if you happen to be calm and reserved, people label you as mute, a freak, or less valuable. They assume you can't defend yourself and that you're an easy target.
Never let anyone walk over you; if you don't value yourself, no one else will. A person's worth is found in their actions, not in constant chatter or projecting their own complexes onto someone they perceive as weak.

I suspect it might be equally important to direct our "attention" toward those who do the trampling, rather than scrutinizing the actions of those who simply endure it... just because they happen to be enduring it.

I mean... I don't know... I've been through enough life-and-death situations to realize I should probably listen more, I guess.



I want to emphasize the absolute necessity of having social morals and clear criteria to condemn bullying and disrespect, rather than relying on the usual conformist reactions and idle commentary we see all the time.

In reality, victims aren't at fault for being victims. Period.☕

Practically speaking, if I were to punch you in the shoulder, what would you actually do? You got hit. The blow landed. You feel the consequences. What's your move?😉

Bryan Edwards83 said:Why do people feel this need to be so mean to one another? Like, why the constant urge to belittle others or hide behind all that irony and sarcasm?

Is it just some kind of defense mechanism, I guess? Or do you think it’s just how people are wired, or maybe it's caused by something else entirely?

I suppose my perspective tends to run afoul of the forum rules—I seem to pick up a warning every time I attempt to weigh in on these sorts of inquiries—so I will try to frame this differently. Perhaps, given enough time and experience (unfortunate experiences included), one might begin to recognize irony and sarcasm as mere stylistic choices rather than inherently malicious traits used by "bad people."👍

Then again, there are those who refuse to believe "bad people" exist at all; they cling to the idea that humans are fundamentally good, and that circumstances merely nudge them toward certain actions, whether righteous or otherwise.☕

Is that some kind of defense mechanism, perhaps?

If you ask them, you'll likely just be adding fuel to the fire, though I suppose there is no substitute for learning the hard way.😵 There isn't a painless route to facing harsh truths or life's realities; one simply has to be brave. I sometimes think about how much harder it must have been for people in the past, when even appearing to think for oneself was forbidden, let alone voicing an opinion publicly. And here I am, fretting over potential warnings or bans... I feel somewhat pathetic realizing that.😢 I suppose I shall have to spend tonight working on myself again.🕺🙂

And do you believe this is normal human behavior, or is it the result of something else?

Your concept of "normal" feels a bit like a dogma to me. It might be easier if you discarded that term altogether and simply accepted reality. Facts. I would suggest looking toward science—specifically philosophy, psychology, or literature—as reliable systems of understanding; they aren't just arts to be ignored.😉

As for the first part of your question:

Humanitarian vs. The Heartless Mayor Who Isn't Really


I hope you grasp the underlying point regarding "liberation" from the "majority," which applies to many elements of your inquiry, including your use of the word "normal."👍

Larry Turner7 said:In my estimation, working within the judicial system offers a far more comfortable existence than pursuing a career as a psychologist.
Furthermore, life in France is prohibitively expensive, and one finds it only truly tolerable if they happen to belong to the upper crust of society.

🙄 .. but then again, where else would you go?

p.s. I suppose all wealth is built on someone else's struggle... for every luxury enjoyed, someone, somewhere, is footing the bill.🙂

I certainly grasp the opposing viewpoint, though perhaps my rather pragmatic approach might offer a potential solution to your dilemma 👍

As for myself, I managed to resolve my insomnia by simply switching to the night shift at 😵 .. well, let's just say it happens occasionally when sleep eludes me even after finishing a late shift 🙂 .. though that is quite rare 😉

Physical activity definitely helps, as does finding some romantic connection 🕺

wanderingangler13 said:What I was trying to say is that this feels like a much deeper issue than just—you know—having someone else pay your bills so you feel like you can just quit. But you already hit the nail on the head yourself... When I was talking to a psychotherapist here in San Diego (she was running a seminar once)—Vesna Gračner, most of you probably know her... she explained that giving up on life (and all those attempts to actually fight for something) goes way deeper than people realize. It isn't some surface-level thing where you're just lazy and decide to throw in the towel. Your comment about being "scared of certain situations" makes me think there's something more significant going on. Honestly? Go talk to a psychologist. That's my advice.

True... life itself isn't exactly a shallow thing, either. I suppose how one perceives reality depends heavily on their own perspective. It’s quite kind of you to adopt her viewpoint so readily; thank you for that. 👍

brighteagle39 said:Personally, I tend to lean toward an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth approach. I wouldn't advise you to let anyone walk away with the upper hand by leaving them owed.

👍 I have always been in favor of raising the bar, so;

an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. 😈

neonsailor26 said:So, what exactly is the deal with people like that? Is it just plain old rudeness, or is there something deeper going on under the surface? For those who might not be familiar with the slang, basically, we're talking about people who love to get physical—to strike someone or hit things... specifically, I’m talking about those types who just can't help themselves when it comes to hitting people on the head or swinging clubs around and stuff like that. Why do they even do it? Is it—and I really want to emphasize this—is it just pure, unadulterated disrespect, or is it something else entirely? Because from where I'm standing, it feels like a genuine form of abuse (something I've actually had to deal with myself)...

And I'm also wondering, how should one even handle people like this? They always try to brush it off as just "messing around," but in my book, there is absolutely nothing funny about it—though, of course, you can never truly make those "people" see your side of things. Should I respond with something even stronger to show them they can't do that, or is it better to just steer clear of them altogether?

Thanks so much in advance for any insight you all can share!

It seems to be a cocktail of deep-seated inferiority complexes and an utter inability to navigate even the most trivial life hurdles... essentially, they are victims of psychological manipulation or perhaps latent schizophrenics.☕

My prognosis? If you give them an inch, they’ll take a mile—and then they'll just develop even more hang-ups. They eventually lash out at someone weaker than themselves; if there isn't anyone else available, they'll target their own children. Kids are always such easy targets because even if they tried to speak up, I suppose nobody would believe them anyway.🙂 )

As for prevention: just stay away. They will hunt you down until they find you, so I'd suggest retreating quickly and tactically. One shouldn't succumb to panic, as that only serves to fuel them.😒 You have to maintain self-control and suppress any visible emotion... well, maybe not entirely, but caution is paramount. Prevention borders on dealing with chronic zombie-ism, so one really ought to use their head.👍

Therapy: Unknown.☕

William Gonzalez3 said:On one thread recently, the conversation drifted toward how my own cognitive settings might be somewhat... lacking.

Having been shaken out of my usual comfort zone—and my misplaced confidence in my own absolute intellect (I managed a solid 62 on an IQ test, after all)—I’ve started questioning things.

And I mean the worst kind of questions.

Why?

What is the point of intelligence, anyway?

Why does being smart even matter?

Does any value hold up when faced with mistakes? Or rather, can someone who never makes a mistake truly be considered intelligent?

What does it actually mean to "be smart"?

And there's one last question, which feels a bit more personal: who is the one who possesses this intelligence? (Feel free to share whether you consider yourself intelligent, or if you think someone else is—though please, let's stick to public figures, like an unnamed politician or a former President, rather than calling each other names here.)

If you ask me, that really is the question of all questions.😬

Quincy:

what is the point of intelligence, anyway?

In my estimation... perhaps an evolutionary experiment... pure coincidence... it just happened... regardless of how slim the odds were—an exception that proves the rule, I suppose.☕

Simply put, it's incredible.🤣

casualharbor9 said:Anyway, that’s probably a conversation for a different thread. 😉
The issue at hand here seems to be the subjective perception of evil.

You make a fair point, colleague; my apologies to the original poster 🙏

God forbid any greater evil occurs 😉

casualharbor9 said:Heh... funny thing is, "reality" existed back in the Roman Empire and during the Mongol Empire too, even if they didn't have much use for ethics either...

Here’s a solid thread from back in the day:

🙄 ... but I suppose what isn't understood today will eventually be understood in due time, right?

I mean, ethics, morality, logic, philosophy—none of that really matters when you're dealing with a state of total schizophrenia... ☕

casualharbor9 said:Everything is relative and illusory, though in ethics, people tend to view evil through the lens of Hitler's principle.

Forgive me, but I tend to live in reality rather than in the realm of abstract ethics... there are far too many various concepts and principles to account for, I suppose... it really comes down to free choice.👍

Andrew Price3 said:Let fear take hold. Lean into it. Scared out of your mind? Good. Double down on that anxiety.

.. then you might actually learn something.

Respect. 👍

Evil is merely a symptom of schizophrenia ☕

It’s an illusion... a fabricated concept... nothing more than a dogma

much like the myth of Santa Claus 😍

Nicholas Gonzalez8 said:Look, you’ve gotta try talking to your brother through different angles—different approaches, whatever works. But if you exhaust every single option and nothing actually changes? Then just tune him out and live your life. At least do that until you're finally in a position to move out and have your own space.

What year are you in at college? If you're already halfway through—or even further along—just grit your teeth and finish the damn thing. Seriously, having that degree might make your life a hell of a lot easier down the road. But if you're just starting out, you're going to have to sit your parents down for a real talk. There isn't some magic phrase to make this easy, so honestly, expect them to lose their minds a bit. Your only real shot at justifying it is showing them a solid, better plan. Like, maybe moving out to a bigger city to land a higher-paying job, or taking some specialized certification courses, or even starting your own small business or something. You need a roadmap, not just an exit strategy.

Good luck 🙂

I suppose I spent roughly twenty years doing pretty much the same thing just to get by.👍

Channel all your energy into achieving true independence and moving out on your own

Plan this carefully... you don't want to "relocate" straight into an even bigger mess

And let's be realistic here... until you are truly your own boss, you're essentially at the mercy of your surroundings, which—if I'm being honest—are rarely kind😬

You have a solid foundation to work with... just be smart about it👍

A-ha... I wouldn't advise leaning on those kinds of illusions or self-convincing theories. Everyone acts like they're the one calling the shots, as if nobody ever gets screwed over. It’s always "there are no victims," and "everything happens according to plan"—as if it's all just some grand design and the only problem is that certain individuals are too dim-witted to grasp the scheme. You end up down a dark path where you start rationalizing murder or whatever other civilizational atrocities occur just to make sense of it all.

No, no, my friend, you aren't some kind of outlaw.😁



Give me a break... nobody ever claimed this was going to be easy.😬

It’s all rather absurd, really... much like asking

how one might come to terms with being an atheist?

🙂 I suppose you might actually need some professional guidance on that matter.☕

Michael Hill2 said:Count me in, too. 🙂

It's not like I have tons of free time, but whatever I do have, I'd love to use it to help someone out if I can—even if I'm still looking for a little help myself.

Anyway, I'm pretty big on being altruistic. I'm doing CBT right now, so I've picked up a few things that might actually be useful to someone else. 🙂

👋 Perhaps we could move this over to private messages, one step at a time... there is certainly no need to rush. Eventually, if the opportunity presents itself, we might manage to get everyone together. It would be entirely voluntary, of course—no obligations whatsoever.

Do reach out to me if you are interested. 🙂

Find another guy you can absolutely loathe and just marry him instead.😬

I suppose I couldn't help myself... I have to vent a little bit.🙂

What can one even say? Life is a bit of a mess... honestly, it really is. And even when things seem to be at their absolute peak—well, even then, nothing lasts forever. Even during the low points, there's always the possibility that things might take an even sharper turn for the worse.😵

I guess the best policy is to hope for the best, while simultaneously bracing yourself for the worst.🧐

Larry Lewis said:After navigating four long-term relationships, I’ve come to the weary conclusion that we’re all just incredibly spoiled—stunted, really, in our emotional development.

Sure, love can foster empathy and all those other lofty ideals that supposedly come with sharing a life together, but let’s be real—when she spent every single waking moment venting to me about her job, it drove me absolutely insane, if you catch my drift. 😉

I figured out a long time ago that making sweeping generalizations is complete garbage😬 and, looking back after more than 30 years on this planet, I suppose it's really the worst way to draw any kind of conclusion😛 (if you'll excuse my tendency to push back against that tired old "we" mentality)

Love can certainly foster understanding and all the nuances of living together, but if you really want to know, the constant venting about her job every single day used to drive me absolutely insane.😉

In my view, based on what I've been through, love is comprised of understanding and respect, among many other things. As I've mentioned quite often... love is much easier to demonstrate than it is to define. Someone once said something—I think I heard it somewhere—that strikes me as the most accurate description possible.

Ultimately, I believe anything is better than relying on broad generalizations.👍