Posts by crimsonhound80

tinna said:It just bothers me—you know?—to feel like I can't just go out and live my life. You get what I mean? 🙂

Oh, I get it—believe me, I get it perfectly well 😁

So, why don't you just take a long, hard look at what you actually wrote to me and then go ahead and act on your own little whims. Be my guest. 😉

Why is it that you girls always manage to take casual flings and turn them into full-blown, heavy commitments? 😎

Seriously, just let the guy breathe—let him go through his little "finding himself" phase—and maybe you should actually go out and live your own life for a bit, too. That way, he might finally get a taste of what it’s like to be 🙂

crimsonhound80 said:''Spend just 20 minutes a day on anything you're interested in, and eventually, you'll be an expert.''

I’d just—if I may—tweak that whole concept of "willpower" and swap it for "passion." Because, honestly, if you actually love something, you don't need willpower. And if you don't love it... well, what's the point?

That twenty-minute rule? It doesn't hold water if you're just fundamentally incapable—I mean, you could grind away for four hours a day, really put in the hours, and still achieve absolutely nothing. So, we end up circling right back to the idea of talent, which, if you think about it, is really just a specific type of intelligence anyway.

Now, that bit about willpower versus passion—that's actually onto something. 👍

crimsonhound80 asks:
Why was he drawn to that specific thing in the first place? Was his interest a conscious choice—was it his "will"?

True. If you have this intense, almost irrational fascination with something, you're going to master it way faster—which makes the whole "talent" argument pretty questionable, I suppose. 🤔

It brings us back to the core question: what even *is* talent, and where does it actually come from? 😕

I've noticed it in my own life, too—whenever I've been truly, deeply obsessed with something, I seem to wrap my head around it so much quicker than when I'm just forcing myself through a task I don't care about. 😛

Is it possible that we all possess some level of talent for everything, and it's really just a matter of finding that "passion"? 😕

Man, you really know how to make a person's head spin!!??

ironhawk36 said:people are basically BORN incapable of anything beyond those primal survival instincts—you know, breathing, swallowing, the whole bit. 😉 Kids turn out "selfish and self-centered" because that’s just how they develop—they observe other kids or pick up on certain "inputs" from their parents.

Wait, so... they just "develop" that way? !!??
If we're following your logic, why does one kid soak up all the good traits from their peers while another kid picks up all the bad habits under the exact same circumstances!!?? It makes zero sense to me.

There’s also the whole hereditary factor—genes, obviously—and then you have actual damage to specific neural structures in the brain that can dictate maladaptive behavior, or even biochemical imbalances that can start forming while a baby is still in the womb... and so on. 😎

Lawrence Wells said:Honestly, nobody is born inherently malicious. If everyone around you treats you like some kind of monster from the very start, eventually, you’re going to turn into one.

I can't say I really agree with that perspective, 😛

Take two boys I know—they're sons of my close friends, only about two years apart, maybe 12 and 10 years old.
They grew up under the exact same roof, in the same environment, with parents who treated them both identically... yet the older one is this perfectly polite, well-adjusted kid, while the younger one is a total demon 😠
From the time he could barely walk, he's been displaying this raw rage, this destructiveness—and I don't just mean the typical hyperactive stuff people try to label everything as these days—no, he's a genuine little savage in a child's body.

So, how do you actually explain that kind of gap? 🤔

So, here’s a little piece of solid, straightforward advice coming all the way from Italy 😬 😬

dreaming of RL said:...it’s possible they realize nobody’s going to mess with them if they play nice with everyone else—so maybe it’s just some kind of defense mechanism, I guess.

There goes Angst again, getting worked up because things don't fit into some perfectly curated, calculated little box... though, I suppose you don't necessarily have to be a total suck-up to get by.

crimsonhound80 said:so, if I were to employ some sort of mathematical resolve and—well, let's call it rhetoric—
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😂 😂 😂 And honestly, this one is absolutely spot on. 😬 😬

Rebecca Sharp said:how is it even possible for someone to be kind to absolutely everyone, constantly chasing after people's approval, and just laughing off any insults thrown their way?

Asshole, hypocrite, narcissist, suck-up, creep, yes-man... honestly, the list of labels for people like that goes on forever.

It’s all just an act—pure theater—until they finally hit whatever goal they're aiming for. Once they get what they want, they’ll start ghosting anyone they deem "useless" and suddenly become the best friend to anyone who can actually do something for them. It's a classic move.
We've seen this movie a thousand times before, yet somehow, it still happens everywhere. 🙂

jigsaw said:Yeah, that’s just how we’re wired... we’re explorers. But even explorers have to know when to stop—there are limits, you know? I mean, what if Columbo decided he had to personally stomp over every single inch of newly discovered territory? He’d probably drop dead or lose his mind trying to pull that off. And honestly? That’s kind of what I’m doing... metaphorically speaking, obviously. 🙂

You might actually go crazy, non-metaphorically too.😲

I remember being younger—way younger—and getting totally haunted by the thought of what lies beyond the edge of the universe.

Just this void... okay, but how far does the void go? It’s infinite, right? But how can something be infinite? Everything is contained within something else, which is inside something else, which is infinite because it's nothingness, which is infinite... god, it's enough to make you lose your grip, but somehow, you don't.

It's just that, eventually, the years pass and everything starts to click into place—sort of like a Rubik's Cube finally solving itself after a long time. 😛

Hey there, fellow philosopher 😬 over here
.
You haven't really clarified things—do you mean we're looking at this through a scientific-materialist lens regarding the actual substance of the bread, or is it more of an idealistic 🙄 😬 😬 😬 😬 😬
approach? I guess it depends on how one views the essence of reality itself... maybe?

soul_of_sidartha said:I’ve reached a stage where I can score sex, but love just isn't happening. Why is that?

Once you reach total "enlightenment," things flip—you'll be surrounded by LOVE, but there'll be damn little sex left for you.😁

Look, man, you're young—and if what you say is true, you've clearly got plenty of drive—so just enjoy the ride and go after those girls👍. You're overthinking everything, worrying way too much about everyone else's opinion and trying—in a weird, exhausting way—to perfectly sync up your mental state with the rest of society.

Honestly, this is one of those incredibly heavy topics where it feels like anyone trying to give a meaningful explanation or actual advice is just grasping at straws. It's tough.

You know what I mean!!?? 😉

"For everyone else out there—please, seriously, go talk to your own doctor or pharmacist about any side effects or contraindications"🙂

crimsonhound80 said:Look, would you actually feel good about it, or is it just this burning desire for revenge making you think that?

Well, I know myself pretty well—I’ve spent enough time digging through my own head—and I’d feel COMFORTABLE (exactly like I said before), not necessarily "good."
The distinction matters, I guess... "comfort" is just a momentary sensation that wouldn't leave any lasting scars on my psyche or mess with my overall sense of WELL-BEING as a whole person 🙄

labellina said:animals in a state of panic or fear react in three ways:
-playing dead
-attacking
-fleeing
and humans are much the same, depending on who they're up against and what they're capable of

Actually, with people, there’s this other layer to fear—this "freezing" thing—where you just become completely incapable of reacting to a stressful situation (you know, that moment where you get so terrified you can't even move an inch? Yeah, I've definitely been there.) 😁

mistybison said:But who actually gets hit? In situations like this—and we see this all the time in history—the people truly responsible for the crimes are almost always untouchable. So, revenge ends up targeting whoever is actually within reach, which usually means innocent bystanders or even the very people the initial crime was committed against. Then, those same innocent folks end up retaliating against other innocents, and you just get caught in this endless, vicious cycle of violence that’s nearly impossible to break. On top of that, justice rarely finds the people who actually deserve it, which I think just fuels more resentment because people feel completely powerless to actually hold the guilty parties accountable...

Let me lay it out for you!

Look, I’m just not the kind of person who carries misplaced rage—you know, getting mad at one thing or one person and then taking it out on some random third party. That’s just not how my brain works.
I don't harbor hatred for an entire nation just because certain individuals were raining down thousands of shells a day on civilians in Indianapolis. I’m just built differently, I guess; I can't bring myself to hate everyone or seek vengeance against people who had nothing to do with it.

But believe me, there are specific individuals I’d love to run into in a dark alleyway somewhere today
and I’d feel pretty damn satisfied 😎

crimsonhound80 said:Well, if forgiveness isn't what's required, then what on earth is?

PS: And how exactly do you picture these incarnations working? Are you suggesting people wander through hundreds of thousands of lifetimes just doing bad things, while others—like you, most likely—stay exclusively on the "good side" the whole way through?

Look! I’m a Scorpio, and let me tell you—we don't do "forgiveness" very well. We feel much better when we get our revenge; otherwise, we end up dealing with some pretty intense neurotic episodes. 🙄

As for reincarnation, you're the one who insisted it was such a central point in this whole discussion.

About fifteen years ago, I went through most of the "chants" by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and read his book, "Self-knowledge."
"It's actually quite fascinating how truly GREAT men like him are so tolerant—they don't force their religious beliefs or philosophies on anyone—which is a far cry from you FOLLOWERS, who seem completely merciless toward anyone who doesn't subscribe to your specific teachings.

Listen, when you're in a war and your friend is slaughtered, your grandmother is violated, and your parents are dragged off to a concentration camp... it's a little harder to just "FORGIVE," okay? You might actually feel better—both in this life and whatever comes next (if there even is one)—if you just take your revenge.
I was raised Catholic, sure, but I’ve always found the teachings of the Old Testament more compelling, where God is depicted as a relentless avenger rather than some pushover who forgives everything.👍

Goranbo said:Actually, if someone forgives the person who wronged them, the karmic consequences that individual has to face will be lessened—that’s what esotericist Benjamin Creme claims, anyway. So, forgiving someone is actually a good thing for the person doing the forgiving, in several different ways.

Well, thanks a million, Goranbo!

So, now I finally get it—if we decide NOT to forgive some absolute psychopath who spends his days killing and slaughtering, then he'll just have to come back around again. But since we've all gone ahead and forgiven him over the course of countless lifetimes, he gets this lovely little karmic "clean slate" thanks to our generosity, allowing him to just keep on swinging his axe and murdering people like nothing ever happened.
I mean, I guess you probably thought that by us being forgiving, that same person would somehow become a better human being in their next incarnation—maybe even save them from being reborn at all? Hmm... interesting theory. Not bad, I suppose... 🙏

urbannomad12 said:The people churning out those mainstream country hits—they're geniuses, really. They can turn two measly notes and four lines of lyrics into a massive anthem.

😁 😁 sorry, but I haven't actually heard a musical HIT that was built on just two notes versus two tones. 🤣 🤣
:klap:
They’re absolute masterminds when they manage to pull a melody out of thin air using just two tiny little notes...🙂 🙂

analogwolf63 said:but honestly, shy people always seem to be using it as some kind of excuse or justification...

Well... I mean, isn't that just another way of acting? It's basically just performing—trying to reach a goal, just through a "different" kind of manipulation than what most people use 😁

you actually end up concluding that self-humiliation doesn't even exist; it all just comes down to how you perceive yourself

..and, I suppose, how everyone else perceives you, too 😬