Posts by casualeagle82

Why does everyone assume all problems stem from unemployment or a lack of cash? And why do you think landing a job magically fixes everything for someone who's struggling? I wasn't talking about work or bank accounts. Not even close. I was talking about the deep stuff—the questions about the point of my life and where it goes from here... Whether I should just drown myself in the crowd of "normal" people, or try to find happiness on some other path. A path that only makes sense to me, even if everyone else judges me for it.

Reading this thread, I see myself in way too many parts. I’m 29, got a solid career, my own house, good friends, and an amazing girlfriend of five years—we're headed toward marriage eventually.

I honestly don't know what I want from life. All my friends are getting married and starting families under the assumption that it's just the natural order of things, the whole point of existence, the only way to be. I don't know if that's actually the point. Work, live, kids, settle down, routine, industrial automation, 1 2 1 2 1 2, summer vacation at the beach, winter trips to the mountains—it’s all fine. We do it so we look successful to everyone else, so we follow the rules and get respected.

Like someone mentioned at the start of this thread, part of me just wants to take out a loan and vanish. Just disappear. It's a radical thought, but it hits me constantly. What is life if we're just living up to everyone else's expectations? Where does the mainstream end and the alternative begin? Part of me wants to head up to Alaska and sign onto a fishing boat. I want to feel the adrenaline when a five-meter wave crashes toward you in 40-degree water. I want to live in a cabin without electricity, internet, or anything else with "LCD" in its description.

Maybe I'm wrong. There are plenty of people wealthier than me, but there are also tons of people much poorer who would kill for the life I have. Yet here I am, dreaming about sunsets over the Appalachian Mountains, the Canadian North, Alaska, or the Midwest. No computers, no phones, no cable news, no reality TV, no Champions League, no pop stars, no interest rates, no celebrating new gadgets, TVs, or phones. Just a pile of tech junk I'll eventually gather up and toss to some poor soul who hasn't yet felt the suffocating grip of this high-tech society.

You guys probably saw that movie about the guy—*Into the Wild*, I think—who just "left." He said his piece, ended everything he knew to start something new. It didn't end well for him, but you get the point.

I’m just standing up for common sense here. It just so happens that my logic aligns with what I believe...

quote Paul Jones7: your take sucks because you're just wishful thinking. - what on earth was the poet trying to say there?div>

Quote: The 500th time!!
I never claimed to be some spiritual guru or said I’d already reached enlightenment.
I’m just saying I’m at the starting line.
Do you really think you've got it all figured out?
What’s your solution then? Just stare at a computer screen all day and nothing else??
My point was, if I actually focus on spiritual growth, then material stuff won't carry nearly as much weight.

This conversation drifted away from the actual topic a long time ago. Nobody is telling you to *only* play games. Even if you don't play at all, you aren't missing much in life. Your question was whether gaming destroys spirituality (whatever version of that you're trying to find, learn, or buy). My answer is NO—and I think that's the third time I've said it, so I'm nowhere near my 500th attempt. Games provide one way to interact with a medium. It's up to you whether you take it too far and neglect everything else. My posts are just pointing out that, first and foremost, we exist in the PHYSICAL world. We eat physical food, drink physical liquids, trade physical goods for other physical goods, wear physical clothes, and drive vehicles made of matter—you know, substance and physical fields.
You claim that once you develop spirituality, the material world won't matter. Well, try depriving yourself of any of those basics and see how much "spirituality" helps when you're starving or trying not to freeze to death in a Chicago winter.

Look, my bad, maybe I went too far. But you're basically contradicting yourself here: you claim life has no meaning, yet you act like you’ve actually found some. If there's truly no point to any of this, then how—and why on earth do you think you've stumbled upon one?

Quote: I wrote my post from the perspective that there is no point to existence, which is just my personal take. Most people don't get it.

Are you kidding me with this sentence???? Are you guys actually trying this hard to sound deep, or are you just illiterate? "The nonexistence of the point of existence." Seriously, you're starting to overdo it with this stuff (if I can even call it a thesis)...

Just talk like a normal person. Stop acting so high and mighty.

You guys talk about spirituality like it’s some trendy fad you pick up over a weekend—one day we’re all Zen, the next we’re heading to a Lakers game.
Spirituality—since it's such a vague concept anyway—isn't something you achieve by trying. You live it. It’s easy to just sit here and churn out endless sentences like Larry Wilson5 and Gregory Jackson do, acting like the rest of us should think you're somehow enlightened.

But honestly, the whole "guru" thing? Ridiculous. This guy’s been "spiritual" for 20 years? A "powerful figure"? What does that even mean? Did he play Lines? Who is he going to be a guru to? Does someone need to tell you when you're actually satisfied with your life or not? Is a guru just a coach? And that "powerful figure" bit... please.

Spirituality, however you want to label it, is just how you see the world and interact with it. We’re all spiritual in our own way, and no guru is ever going to teach you that. For me, fulfillment comes during the rough patches. When things go sideways, I don't sit around crying; I head out for a long run outside the city limits until I've worked every bit of tension out of my system. My head clears, the world's problems vanish for a few hours, and those moments define who I am. I didn't "develop" that, and some "FRAUDULENT GURU" didn't lecture me on how to do it. It’s just part of being me. It’s part of our nature. You don't learn it; you just are.

quote: I want to develop my spirituality so much that I won't even need a computer.

How can you even know if you've actually reached that level or not? And what's your definition of spirituality anyway?

Here’s an old story for you—my former mentor once spent four days and nights straight grinding Lines, that simple game where you line up five colored beads. All they did was drop food and water off to him. This guy has been enlightened for twenty years; he's a heavy hitter. When he noticed the question mark I had floating over my head, he made a point similar to a post above. He said it’s about the actual quality and integrity of your consciousness—your awareness—not the specific act itself. You could be totally meditative while standing in line at a Walmart, or in total chaos while trying to "meditate." Bottom line: whether you’re playing Lines or whatever else doesn't matter. It’s the caliber of your consciousness while you do it that determines if you're actually spiritual or just posing.

I have to say something here: how does such a massive pile of nonsense fit into so few sentences? 🤷🤣

quote: Just because someone lives off the grid, stays awake 24/7, and spends their time on things most people would call useless, doesn't mean they aren't spiritual or following what others call "the heart." You have to separate the essentials from the noise. It's about knowing the right time, the right place, and the right way to act.

I’m 100% with this. If our quirks—no matter how weird, pointless, or even messy they seem to outsiders—are what actually make us happy and fulfilled, why shouldn't we lean into them? Ignore the judgment and the confusion from everyone else. The whole point of being alive isn't just existing; it's finding the stuff that actually makes life worth living.

Look, I never said all games are the same, nor that some (like UT) have even a shred of educational value. Could you learn anything from Civilization or Europa Universalis? Maybe.

I’m not claiming gaming has extreme psychological effects on everyone—like those kids in South Korea who take their lives over game events—but those individuals usually have much deeper issues. Gaming was just the spark that lit an already existing powder keg...

Regarding your previous post where you basically implied I’m crazy twice: I'll say it again. The virtual world (your term) had this specific impact on my life. Judge for yourself if it's real or not...

I was born in America, but the war forced me to move to a different state. My parents had me late in life, so they were pretty old by the time I was growing up. They were conservative, practical people—and broke, I forgot to mention that—so I had zero support for self-improvement. Whenever I brought up learning something advanced, like a new language, programming, or design, my late father would just shake his head and yell: "Forget that nonsense." I think you get what I mean.

I somehow managed to scrape together enough for a computer back in '92 or '93. It was my window to the modern world. Through games (and movies, to be fair) I actually got my English to a high level. Games and computers in general built my sense of improvisation, tactics, creativity, math, and mechanics—not literal mechanics, but understanding how systems work and the cause-and-effect within them. All of this sparked a curiosity about the world. Not just computers, but history, geography, art, politics, economics, biology. It gave me the tools to land a great job, to earn respect in my circle, and to make sure my word carries weight when talking to executives. It taught me not to flinch at responsibilities involving millions of dollars. It let me view the world through a lens I never could have chosen otherwise. If I'd gone with the "go with the flow" option most of my peers took, I'd be stuck in dive bars right now, with no ambition or purpose. I credit virtual worlds for helping me navigate this brutal real world. So don't act like a smart-ass and tell me playing UT didn't change my life. I think your life might be more affected than mine. Games were just the catalyst for interests that wouldn't have surfaced if it weren't for virtual triumphs and defeats—fallen kingdoms, racing victories, street fights in American capitals, slain dragons, and scored goals.

I owe a lot of the good things in my life to these virtual worlds that you guys constantly belittle and dismiss...

Look, here’s my take: NO. I’m just helping you see life from different angles. I’m helping you develop qualities that school and teachers can't touch. Whether someone plays a round of Counter-Strike and then decides to go out and throw a bomb at someone has zero to do with gaming. They’d do that after watching a gritty action movie anyway, which just means they aren't right in the head to begin with. Games are just an interactive medium. A crazy person is going to be crazy regardless...

Here's a quick example regarding escaping into the virtual world: Imagine a kid from some tiny rural town in the Midwest, surrounded by a super conservative crowd. There’s nobody there to talk to on their level. Everyone is just talking about cattle, the farm on TV, the latest country music album, or who slept with whom in the hayloft. So, they start playing something like World of Warcraft. They make friends with people just like them. They actually have things to talk about. They feel accepted, fulfilled. They eventually meet up in person, stay friends, fall in love—that kid basically escaped the bubble of their hometown, found purpose, found love, found life itself. They win...

Does a scenario like that break your logic that gaming stifles spirituality???????

Quote: Don't try to silence me just because I'm saying what people don't want to hear. I have as much right to be respected here as you do. I'm not insulting anyone; I'm just part of the conversation.

Everyone's fighting over games, yet most of you haven't a clue what you're talking about. You call them "little games"—that's like calling *The Godfather* a "short flick." It’s the first sign you don't get the subject. To most, Tetris and BioShock are just "games." One is simple but revolutionary; the other is a masterpiece that could sweep ten Oscars. A decade of a person's life poured into pure, unadulterated art.

Fine, go ahead. Meditate or whatever Zen nonsense you think you're experiencing. Just stop sticking your nose into things you don't understand. Go find some gaming forum and start this debate there—you'll be buried under a flood of posts you won't even be able to finish reading.

Citat:
If you're playing games professionally but it isn't paying your bills, you're just burning daylight. No real ROI. Period. And don't forget what I said before—we're talking about addiction and doing too much. That’s the reality.

If someone isn't getting paid to play games, they aren't a professional. Period. Millions of people play. A few hundred, maybe a thousand, actually make a living at it. It’s just like pro football. Everyone kicks a ball around in middle school, but how many of us actually make a career out of it? Barely any.
Selection is brutal. Look at Johnathan Wendell—better known as Fatal1ty. He built a fortune just by being the absolute best at what he does. Honestly, the cutthroat nature of pro gaming is even more ruthless than traditional sports. In soccer, you might have twenty or thirty elite players on the planet. In gaming? You’re lucky if there are ten.

This is pure nonsense.
quote🙏Tina, you're spot on. Older folks didn't grow up with this stuff, so they think it's just extra noise for idiots. Personally? I learned a ton from it.
The real question is whether what you learn actually matters. Sure, it’s useful for navigating the physical world. But if you're looking for spiritual growth? Don't get bogged down by materialism. It's a distraction.
That's just how I see it.

What world are you living in? Physical? Or what? What do you eat? What do you wear? Who pays the bills while you’re busy chasing "spiritual enlightenment" without a single thought for material reality? Do you have a wife? Kids? Who’s looking after their existence while you play around with your "spirituality"?

It’s easy to play the martyr. "Oh, I'll just quit my job to focus on my spiritual awakening and starve myself in the process." Fine. Die enlightened. Whatever. What world are you people living in? A seven-year-old has a better grasp on reality than this. Here is one simple fact, just a footnote for you: Humans are born, we live, and we die. Everything in between is just a messy mix of our own choices and whatever luck we stumble into. No amount of meditation is going to turn us into gods. We’re just slightly smarter animals that used tech and science to compensate for our physical flaws. There is no higher sphere. No transcendence. We’re born in blood and pain—mostly pain—and we die. Sure, enjoy the little things. But wanting more is human nature. You get maybe 70 years on this planet. One shot. One try. Will you die a small, happy person who actually left something behind? Or will you leave this world like a giant—think Einstein, Mozart, or Vince Carter? Or will you end up as nothing at all? Just some drunk in a dumpster while stray dogs pee on you? That choice is entirely yours. No higher powers, no cosmic nonsense. Unless, of course, a meteorite hits us and ends the whole thing prematurely while we're sitting on that third rock from the sun.

Adam Ross6 said:I guess it really depends on who you ask... video games can be this amazing way to escape reality, basically just one massive brain melt if you let them

It’s all about moderation on your part. Honestly, anything that's too much of a good thing eventually turns sour
Too much medicine will kill you, right?
It's the same deal with gaming: you go from just chilling out to totally burning out and losing your edge, or just letting your brain turn to mush

Even top-tier tennis pros like Rafael Nadal use gaming as part of their mental prep before those huge matches

My son actually plays FIFA before he heads out to a soccer match. If he doesn't hit his goal in the game, he won't leave the house... or at least, he won't head out until he finally hits that score he set for himself😂 😂 😍

TOTAL BRAINWASHING??????

Only a clueless idiot could say that. Video games are the ultimate fusion of art forms—music, graphics, AI programming, optimization, environmental storytelling—it’s all there. I haven't met a single player in my life who was actually stupid or limited (and by player, I mean real players, not the people who mess around with mobile games for twenty minutes on a Sunday). Since I was a kid, gaming has shaped me. It built my sense of economics, strategy, and tactics. It pushed my English to an academic level. It gave me a grasp of mechanics and automation—which is exactly how I pay my bills. Most importantly, it taught me logical deduction and problem-solving. That's stuff no school is ever going to teach you.

Some people only see violence and toxicity in gaming—that’s just a narrow-minded way of looking at things. An intelligent person doesn't use games to escape reality; they use them to sharpen skills they didn't even know they had. Sure, you’ve got people grinding WoW for 25 hours a day, but that isn't because the game is trash. It's because it's an art form that someone stuck on reality TV or soap operas couldn't possibly wrap their head around. The sheer amount of effort, money, and talent poured into this medium has long since surpassed Hollywood. It’s become a massive pillar of global culture. We're talking about an interactive phenomenon never before seen in human history—and the absolute primary driver of the entire computer industry.

When it comes to spirituality, those games can actually deepen it. Don't go playing GTA and thinking you're some kind of mobster. Play Black & White instead—then you'll see what it's really like to be a god.

There are so many creative games out there that demand way more than just mindless clicking. Someone who can't see past Zuma or Warblade will never get it. They'll just dismiss them as antisocial garbage designed to rot your brain.

I've been gaming since I was six. Never let it ruin my life. Played sports, stayed social, did well in school—all while knowing exactly when to shut the computer off and step away.

Gaming has shown me just about every way different entities interact—war, peace, production, trade, supply and demand. I’ve even seen some of that play out in real life a few times. In school, kids spend ten years trying to lead civilizations through history, memorizing stuff like Hammurabi, Sun Tzu, phalanxes, or the Praetorian Guard. They learn the specs on an USS Nimitz class carrier, how fast an SR-71 can fly, and exactly how much acceleration you need to break atmosphere and hit space. Think about it. You’re sitting here judging things you clearly know nothing about. Why even bother?

There's a decent amount of indie disaster movies out there dealing with cataclysms that are worth a watch: Supervolcano (it's shot like a pseudo-documentary), that one where the USA splits in two, or the F6 tornado flick—I can't recall the exact titles. One of the more unique ones is Deep Impact, where a white dwarf hits the moon and pulls it toward Earth. The Core is also interesting and pretty original, plus they had a solid cast.

Watched The Road last night and posted about it in the thread. A few days before that, I caught Book of Eli. My collection currently includes: The Postman, Waterworld, The Day After Tomorrow, Impact (that one with the comet), Armageddon, Deep Impact, and more recently, Eli and The Road. Very few movies have hit me with the level of hopelessness and melancholy found in The Road. If anyone’s seen the remake of On the Beach (the Armand Assante version)—and I haven't seen the original—then you know exactly what I mean. Minus the cannibalism and the gray forests, it’s an incredibly heavy, grueling watch. Saw it back when it first came out; I was younger then. Couldn't shake this specific sense of sadness for days. Everyone who watched it said the same thing: "What kind of torture did you just put us through?" I was depressed for three days straight and couldn't sleep. Anyone who's seen it probably remembers the scene where one of the main characters' families lies down in bed to commit suicide because of the radiation. It's a brutal scene. Right up there with The Road. Compared to those, movies like Armageddon, 2012, or Deep Impact are just mindless popcorn flicks for kids screaming "YAYYYY TSUNAMIIIII!!"

Plus, there's basically a prologue in that movie: The Hangover starts right before they head to Guantanamo..