Posts by Dana Brooks3

I could probably make the same argument—that all those women with short hair are just older ladies whose hair has thinned out from a lack of estrogen and collagen, so they cut it short to try and look more serious.

But you won't. Even if you haven't realized I'm just caricaturing certain female stereotypes and shifting my tone to provoke both the worst in myself and the best in you... which is actually what I've developed a weakness for in your vividness, to the point where I don't care if I embarrass myself publicly : o

Interesting, I'm actually quite a bit taller than 5'11". : D
I heard this whole story about long-haired idealists and emotional types from younger women back when they were in their early twenties. Once they hit their thirties, they start feeling like they need someone mature, because the immature guys are unreliable and won't take care of a family or provide stability. But by their forties, they flip the script and go right back to those sensitive boys and revolutionaries—especially after they've spent years with a "mature" guy who built a career on their back, only to dump them for a younger version of himself. By then, they've usually tucked away enough of a nest egg to afford any "revolutionary" they want. Ugh, I think I've become too cynical, bordering on outright sarcasm, so I'll stop...

Well, it's fine. You have to clear those kinds of images from your head sometimes, just like I do with old, weathered things and stuff like that.
Otherwise, they just stay stuck in some corner of your consciousness, making real self-reflection impossible.
Nobody is immune to those weaknesses. Not even really tall people.😳

I like it too. Even on women. They don't grow beards, obviously, but a little three-day stubble... : o

I know you shared that sincerely with me... but my brain just isn't capable of processing that information at all. 😳

This is certainly an "interesting" artist... Back when I was in college, I used to be drawn to writers who essentially wrote pornography but could still be studied from a literary perspective. It's all fine until it becomes its own end goal. Tubuloalveolar dominance... reminds me of "Tubular Bells," rings a bell... Mike Oldfield. Just don't go thinking I'm as old as Richard Branson and used to listen to that back in the day...

Seriously, it does remind me :-) The bells immediately bring to mind
I won't think anything. Besides, I can see you're young at heart, and that's what matters.

Sexy 😬

Yeah. It’s just that we... really need those eggs. : o

(Anthony Hayes2 😍 )
Such a romantic, I knew you 😳

Women love brooms too. When they're young, they fly on them like untouchable little stars, but once they get older and worn out, they'll whack you over the head with them if you tell them they missed a spot while cleaning the house. : zubo:

Modern women don't even keep brooms in the house 😬

True, a broom isn't a requirement... But it's interesting how they try to shove it down your throat while you're young, just so they can control you more easily. That's the tactic. Older women stay in the background scooping up the cream, while they push the broom at the younger guys and send them off to act like big shots. Only after you pull that broom out can you actually become a man. Of course, there's always the chance you didn't even let them shove it in "in the first place." : cerek:

😁 This is clearly some guy thing that I just don't get 😬

So you're an emo too... I could have guessed.
Glad to know I haven't become too honest and serious yet. : o
Thanks for making amends. Sweet dreams (if you're even sleeping since it's the weekend); they say the REM phase right before waking up is the most intense... : cerek:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LEWkwvaNcs

Truly, thank you too 🙂

Anthony Hayes2 said:I find women with short hair—especially that "emo" look—to be more delicate. To me, short hair suggests a willingness to show vulnerability in areas where women are traditionally strongest, refusing to rely solely on traditional feminine charms. A woman with short hair might lead with something else: intellect, talent, or raw emotion. I know it sounds stereotypical, but that’s the first impression. Later, once they realize it works, they start copying each other, leaving us with a crowd of short-haired types pretending to be deep "indie" souls when they're really just copies of copies. Men with long hair might follow a similar pattern, trying to appear less intellectual and more emotional. Some women find a high-functioning tech expert intimidating—someone who eats organic, plays tennis, counts calories, hits the gym daily, plays in a band, teaches himself languages in an afternoon, and pulls a massive salary at Google or some MIT-level institute. Like a machine. But it's just a guess; for most, it's probably just emotional immaturity. 🤷

😁 🙂
Another way to see it is as an infantile attempt at a power trip, reflecting a lack of adjustment and a potential barrier to reaching full emotional maturity. Still, such a person can achieve many things in life and remain interesting or good company.
It would bother me if they went to a barber, since I'm actually quite good with the shears. 🙂

I respect anyone who does their job professionally, even if it's just cutting hair. It seems to me you have a drive for order; everything needs to be organized like a pharmacy. Shaven men, trimmed up, perfectly styled. I have some relatives who are total perfectionists about these things. It can be exhausting, but you have to admit that when it's done that way, everything runs like a Swiss watch—none of that chaotic "just wing it" approach we sometimes see. 😍

Bras are an element of inhumane societal coercion and serve as proof that breasts aren't purely functional, because they can't function properly while packed away in them.
Good grief. A woman isn't naked just because she isn't wearing a bra. I feel for those forced into constant, tight constriction for practical reasons. Personally, I find a natural silhouette much more pleasant—perfectly decent, provided there’s no excessive jumping or transparent fabric involved.

Technology will eventually solve this. I can already see some entrepreneur inventing a "smart bra" that monitors temperature, adjusts humidity, and uses neural networks woven into the fabric to sync with nerve endings. It would basically become a second skin. Built-in microprocessors would feed data to a central hub, which then triggers tiny motors in the seams to adjust lift and shape for maximum comfort. Women would love them so much they'd never take them off. Some Silicon Valley tech mogul would make a fortune, funneling those profits into a smartphone app called TitBook, creating a global network of data—a massive, interconnected "tit pool." Eventually, the US might finally achieve true unity, not through federal legislation, but when every woman's silhouette is networked into one singular Acquis Rotoplotaire. Honestly, I'm starting to sound like Woody Allen in one of his old movies... But one needs motivation to get through life, even if it's just the unification of humanity's collective mammary potential. Marx started with the proletariat and saw how far that went.

😁
Maturity requires balance, not a broomstick up the ass. 😳

By the time you reach maturity and pull the broomstick out, you're old enough to use it as a cane. 🧐

Ultimately, what you perceive as "balance" might just be a lack of drive or physical weakness preventing you from challenging the status quo. A man with high blood pressure can't afford to get worked up, but that doesn't mean he's attained spiritual enlightenment. He's just afraid of dropping dead. 🤣

That's an interesting perspective. As a woman, I never would have thought of it that way or made those connections...
Maybe it’s just my own bias, but it feels like men find it much easier to step into a hero archetype they can actually relate to—or one that lets others project onto them. Those roles are just clearer, more straightforward to present. For women with long hair over thirty, though, it seems like the options mostly boil down to being either a washed-up rocker or a total troublemaker...

Maybe long-haired guys are trying to look less intelligent and more emotional on purpose. It’s like they think women might find a high-functioning tech expert too intimidating—someone who eats perfectly, plays tennis, tracks every calorie, hits the gym daily, plays in a band, and picks up new languages just by skimming a grammar book in an afternoon. Someone working a massive paycheck at a place like Google or a research lab at MIT... almost like a robot. But I could be wrong. Maybe for most of them, it's really just about being emotionally immature and unkempt...

Yeah, for a woman, a man like that can be genuinely intimidating. Especially if he stands over 6 feet tall...
Long hair tends to attract women more during their younger years. When they're still driven by their hearts, they go for the idealists, the revolutionaries, the sensitive types, and the creative souls who just won't conform... that kind of guy usually has long hair... 🙂

I have a lot of respect for anyone who does their job with true professionalism, even if it’s just cutting hair. It seems like you have this deep drive for order... everything has to be perfectly organized, like a high-end pharmacy. Men walking out clean-shaven, groomed, and perfectly styled. I have some relatives with Virgo placements, and it feels like that exact brand of perfectionism. It can be exhausting at times, but you have to admit that when it's done that way, everything runs like a Swiss watch. There's no room for that sloppy, "wing it as you go" attitude you see in some parts of the country... everything just works exactly the way it should.

What do you think...? 🤔 Look, I’m a fan of the three-day stubble. I’ve always been a bit wary of perfect symmetry, sharp angles, or hair that looks too polished. But this isn't about me, so... 😳

Technology will eventually catch up to this too. I can already see someone inventing—or maybe they already have—a smart bra that monitors temperature, adjusts humidity and warmth based on the surroundings, and transmits environmental impulses directly to nerve endings, essentially becoming a second skin. It’ll have built-in computers or some kind of neural network woven into the fabric to collect data and beam it via an antenna to a central computer. That computer would then send signals to tiny micro-motors hidden in the seams to lift or lower everything for the perfect look and feel. Women will love them so much they won't even take them off at night, and some tech entrepreneur with his Silicon Valley startup will make a fortune, reinvesting it into a smartphone app called Titbook, where women's chests across the globe become networked into one massive cyber-entity with the world's largest database of the global Acquis Rotoplotaire.

I think women are already networked in far more sophisticated ways. And it seems that network is a huge motivator for the other side...
You finally helped me clarify the vision of an artist I thought was just obsessed with breasts but now it feels like there's much more to it...

It's sad that we'd want to shear you, while you're busy dreaming of tubular-alveolar dominance...

Uhm, now I'm starting to sound like Woody Allen in one of his movies... But, it matters that a man has something to motivate him in life, even if it's the unification of all of humanity's mammary potential. Marx started with the proletariat and he went quite far.

Exactly...
Woody is always welcome 🥳

Just when you reach maturity and pull the broom out of your backside, you're old enough to use it as a cane. : wisdom:

Having a broom in an awkward place isn't exactly a prerequisite for reaching maturity.
But whatever. Sounds wise 🙂

In the end, maybe what looks like balance from your perspective is actually just weak motivation or physical frailty preventing someone from breaking their status quo. For instance, a man with high blood pressure can't afford to get worked up because he might pop a vessel, but that doesn't mean he's become spiritually enlightened. He's just afraid of dying. : rofl:

🤣
I’m certain that wasn't the kind of balance I was talking about.
I meant the kind where you don't need a stick up your ass just to get things done...

🤔 Almost everything I said was just me poking fun at my own thoughts. Even my replies go through that same mental loop, filtered through your associations. I thought we could just laugh at the whole thing and play around for a bit, but we've both become way too serious and sincere... if we keep this up, you'll lose all your hair, and I'll be stuck tying mine back in pigtails...

I drifted a little too far off-topic.
My apologies for that.

I'm not sure how to make it up to you, and I'm pretty exhausted, so I'll just leave this here:


👋

Quote...

Anthony Hayes2 said:I remember the late linguist Ladan mentioning he shaved his head bald just to stop thinking about sex while studying for college. It helped him redirect those impulses toward higher cognitive functions, which ties back to this whole discussion. Maybe it’s the same with religiousness; hair is a sensory thing, as frozengull2 once noted in her anecdote, and one can either be aroused by it or let it stimulate physical urges. It reminds you of immaturity, because apparently a "mature" man is just someone burdened by obligations—firmly planted in the material world, grounded, focused on family and society. Why would he bother with things like hair, shampooing, or combing, when he could just shave it all off? Assuming, of course, he has the cash for a barber, but even that is a marker of maturity, I suppose...

In that same vein, bras are a sign of maturity—proof that breasts serve their actual purpose, whether that's nursing or maintaining body balance alongside the glutes, rather than just being used for flirting or attracting curious stares. 😳

Maturity implies control, the triumph of will and intellect over emotion and sensation. When emotions override reason, that's immaturity. A mature man, that hypothetical Z. Č., maintains a stiff upper lip, as the famously composed Englishmen say, but he doesn't have uncontrolled nipples or some other cluster of sensory nerve endings distracting him. He doesn't deal with nonsense; he deals with the Dow Jones and political economy.

🙂
It’s true, long hair is really just a medium for channeling those autocsexual impulses into different outlets... ways to simulate "scoring" in various areas of life...
You missed just one word...

Quote...

Anthony Hayes2 said:I remember the late linguist Ladan mentioning he shaved his head bald just to stop thinking about sex while studying for college. It helped him redirect those impulses toward higher cognitive functions, which ties back to this whole discussion. Maybe it’s the same with religiousness; hair is a sensory thing, as frozengull2 once noted in her anecdote, and one can either be aroused by it or let it stimulate physical urges. It reminds you of immaturity, because apparently a "mature" man is just someone burdened by obligations—firmly planted in the material world, grounded, focused on family and society. Why would he bother with things like hair, shampooing, or combing, when he could just shave it all off? Assuming, of course, he has the cash for a barber, but even that is a marker of maturity, I suppose...

In that same vein, bras are a sign of maturity—proof that breasts serve their actual purpose, whether that's nursing or maintaining body balance alongside the glutes, rather than just being used for flirting or attracting curious stares. 😳

Maturity implies control, the triumph of will and intellect over emotion and sensation. When emotions override reason, that's immaturity. A mature man, that hypothetical Z. Č., maintains a stiff upper lip, as the famously composed Englishmen say, but he doesn't have uncontrolled nipples or some other cluster of sensory nerve endings distracting him. He doesn't deal with nonsense; he deals with the Dow Jones and political economy.

😁 🙂
You could also look at it as a childish attempt at a power trip, which really just shows a lack of adjustment and could get in the way of reaching true emotional maturity... Still, that person can go on to achieve plenty of different peaks in life, be interesting, and make a great friend...
I wouldn't want him going to Brice... I can give him a much better haircut... 🙂

Anthony Hayes2 said:I remember the late linguist Ladan mentioning he shaved his head bald just to stop thinking about sex while studying for college. It helped him redirect those impulses toward higher cognitive functions, which ties back to this whole discussion. Maybe it’s the same with religiousness; hair is a sensory thing, as frozengull2 once noted in her anecdote, and one can either be aroused by it or let it stimulate physical urges. It reminds you of immaturity, because apparently a "mature" man is just someone burdened by obligations—firmly planted in the material world, grounded, focused on family and society. Why would he bother with things like hair, shampooing, or combing, when he could just shave it all off? Assuming, of course, he has the cash for a barber, but even that is a marker of maturity, I suppose...

In that same vein, bras are a sign of maturity—proof that breasts serve their actual purpose, whether that's nursing or maintaining body balance alongside the glutes, rather than just being used for flirting or attracting curious stares. 😳

Maturity implies control, the triumph of will and intellect over emotion and sensation. When emotions override reason, that's immaturity. A mature man, that hypothetical Z. Č., maintains a stiff upper lip, as the famously composed Englishmen say, but he doesn't have uncontrolled nipples or some other cluster of sensory nerve endings distracting him. He doesn't deal with nonsense; he deals with the Dow Jones and political economy.

Bras wearing is just another layer of inhumane societal pressure... It goes against everything we know about biology, because they actually prevent a woman from functioning naturally...
Good grief, a woman isn't naked just because she isn't wearing a bra. I honestly feel for women who have to squeeze themselves into them constantly for practical reasons... As a woman myself, I think it’s much more beautiful and natural to see someone without those things. It's perfectly decent, as long as they aren't jumping around or wearing something overly transparent...

Anthony Hayes2 said:I remember the late linguist Ladan mentioning he shaved his head bald just to stop thinking about sex while studying for college. It helped him redirect those impulses toward higher cognitive functions, which ties back to this whole discussion. Maybe it’s the same with religiousness; hair is a sensory thing, as frozengull2 once noted in her anecdote, and one can either be aroused by it or let it stimulate physical urges. It reminds you of immaturity, because apparently a "mature" man is just someone burdened by obligations—firmly planted in the material world, grounded, focused on family and society. Why would he bother with things like hair, shampooing, or combing, when he could just shave it all off? Assuming, of course, he has the cash for a barber, but even that is a marker of maturity, I suppose...

In that same vein, bras are a sign of maturity—proof that breasts serve their actual purpose, whether that's nursing or maintaining body balance alongside the glutes, rather than just being used for flirting or attracting curious stares. 😳

Maturity implies control, the triumph of will and intellect over emotion and sensation. When emotions override reason, that's immaturity. A mature man, that hypothetical Z. Č., maintains a stiff upper lip, as the famously composed Englishmen say, but he doesn't have uncontrolled nipples or some other cluster of sensory nerve endings distracting him. He doesn't deal with nonsense; he deals with the Dow Jones and political economy.

😁
Maturity is about balance, not just being a total hardass...😳

I've seen plenty of examples where women dealing with mental health crises feel an intense urge to cut their hair during acute phases.

I know long-haired men who, during periods of heightened religious fervor, feel the need to shave it all off...

For some, hair is just a heavy burden. Maybe they're struggling with information overload.🙄

Anthony Hayes2 said:US military studies conducted on Native American scouts revealed that cutting their hair strips them of extrasensory abilities, leaving them vulnerable to ambush. Those who maintain long hair retain their intuition, using a sort of "sixth sense" to detect approaching enemies before they strike.

Does hair length dictate spirituality? Baldness often correlates with weak spiritual depth. Take Johannes Kepler, Stravinsky, or Lyndon B. Johnson, for instance. They possessed sharp intellects, certainly, but lacked intuitive strength. Great spiritual icons are rarely depicted as bald. Look at Jesus.

http://vataworld.wordpress.com/2013/...ervous-system/

It's because hair acts as an extension of the nervous system, feeding constant data back to the brain. Some women claim their nipples serve a similar sensory purpose, noting that bras actually hinder their intuitive perception. If anyone has had similar experiences, I'm listening.

🤣 I don't know any woman who genuinely enjoys being constricted around her chest. Without that pressure, you feel lighter, freer, more comfortable... so maybe for some, those sensations are being disrupted.🤷 Try wearing something like armor—say, heavy gear—every single day while you're out, then try going without it after a while and compare. It would probably create a similar sensation, but that doesn't mean it makes sense to claim it's an antenna for receiving info from higher dimensions...🤷

Any part of the body that is sensitive or highly innervated will feel like a vital channel is being blocked if you physically cover it up. That might actually be the opposite of spiritual achievement, because all the sensations we experience and the various dimensions of our existence are processed in the brain. Fundamentally, someone who relies on those types of—actually physical—sensations ends up appearing low on the scale of spiritual progress...
But still, we are heavily influenced by the impressions we receive, both physical and otherwise. It all plays into how the brain generates images of ourselves, the world, and our place in it... and how we classify experiences as mundane versus "spiritual." In that sense, hair or even physical sensations can truly matter to certain people...

Regarding the Native Americans... if you took a culture where people traditionally grow long nails and dropped them into a place where they were forced to clip them short, they would certainly feel as though a vital part of themselves had been stripped away. They'd feel they were losing something that, in their culture, acts as a tool for maintaining a connection to themselves—a form of spirituality.

It seems to me that hair is primarily tied to identity...🤷
The most basic example is when people feel the need to make a life change; they go get a haircut or change their style to alter their look and feel physically unburdened... ready to turn a new leaf.

There are probably just as many bald people as long-haired people among the spiritual crowd. Personally, I prefer short hair, because I tend to view long hair as looking immature, unserious, unreliable, or neglected. Whenever a friend of mine cuts their hair short, I feel happy knowing they've entered a new, more serious phase of life...🙂

As for those with long hair who lack common sense, obviously you need intelligence for spirituality. People lacking discernment don't stand a chance at any kind of spiritual advancement. Long hair, empty head...😳
None of that applies to women 🥳 (just more proof it isn't about hair texture itself, aside from the obvious fact that hair is just dead tissue).
And then there are cultures where men traditionally wear their hair long :-) They tend to be particularly strong and we perceive them as such, because despite the long hair, they still manage to reach maturity 🙂
...

ruggednomad5 said:Hi,
I started doing Yoga just to loosen up and stretch my muscles—strictly for health reasons. I feel incredibly stiff lately and desperately need the stretching... though if I pick up some spiritual benefits along the way, well, why not? 🙂

The real question is: how long does it actually take to build muscle or see physical results from Yoga? I'm only going once a week because my schedule is packed and I can't manage more right now...

Thanks!!

If you're doing a dynamic style, you'll see progress fast 😁 (though it depends on your body type). You'll see results even if you go twice a week—once a week is tough, but better than nothing. You'll actually break a sweat, which helps detox, and you'll build the strength needed to advance... plus flexibility and everything else that matters.
Classic style is different... It'll help you "unstick," get a good stretch, and it's great for your physical and mental health... (as for the spiritual side, 😁 there's a bit of everything), but you won't be sweating much, and you don't need intense strength for what it focuses on... muscle building isn't the main goal, though you'll certainly improve your overall fitness and endurance.

bluemason3, even with dynamic styles (like the Vinyasa I've done), breathing is everything. The principle is just different from the classic style, but the impact is still there—for me, focusing on breath actually creates a stronger connection to the movements and the body. It really depends on what you're looking for and who your instructor is... every style has its perks... but like you said... you gain something here and miss something there (loss is too strong a word; it just depends on how a practitioner organizes their practice to balance their needs). After trying various styles, I realized you have to explore. The field of Yoga is too vast for anyone to claim one single system provides everything for everyone... it might be everything someone needs, but it will never be everything for everyone...

There it is, I missed it too.

http://www.pbs.org/new/science/b18081143c

jadewalker51 said:And here is a direct translation from the Sanskrit into English—authoritative, verse-based, and hopefully free from too many interpretive flourishes (though, let's be honest, how much can any translation ever really be free of them?):
By rare chance, some catch sight of Him,
Others, perhaps, rarely speak of Him,
And a third group rarely hears of Him:
And though they have heard, no one truly knows Him.

Kardashev 🙂

Someone translated Jevtić's version into English:

Someone looks at Him as a wonder, others speak of Him as a wonder, a third hears of Him as a wonder, and though they
hear of Him as a wonder, no one actually knows Him.

The same passage, in Miroslav Marković's translation:

By rare luck, some behold Him,
By luck, some speak of Him,
Or someone hears of Him by luck:
They hear, but have no knowledge of Him.

These are the authoritative translations.

That quote doesn't make sense when taken out of context.

Here is the lesson regarding saMkhya (the Kardashev translation):

II. 12-30

12. Never would I not be,
You, or these kings;
Nor shall there ever cease to be,
Any of us hereafter.

13. Beings walk with those bodies,
Through childhood, youth, and age;
And others walk similarly:
Wise people are not confused by this.

14. The touches of matter create
Heat and cold, pain and pleasure;
They are fleeting, coming and going:
Endure them, Arjuna!

15. But for the wise man, Bičino,
Who is not led astray by them,
Pain and pleasure are the same,
He retreats toward immortality.

16. From non-existence, being never comes,
Nor from being, non-existence:
Between these two, they see
Those who perceive the truth.

17. It is indestructible, know this,
Everything that this encompasses;
To destroy this incorruptible,
No one has the power.

18. Bodies reach their end,
But the ownership, they say, is everlasting,
Indestructible and immeasurable:
Therefore fight, Arjuna!

19. If anyone thinks me a killer,
Or that I can be killed,
Both are mistaken:
I neither kill, nor die.

20. Neither is He born, nor does He die,
Nor will He, having become, cease to be;
Unborn, permanent, eternal, and ancient,
The body is slain, but He is not.

21. He who knows the indestructible,
The unborn, the incorruptible,
How could he kill anyone,
Or be the cause of it?

22. Just as a man discards worn-out
Clothes, then reaches for others,
And casting off old bodies,
He joins with new ones, his ownership.

23. Swords cannot cut Him,
Nor can fire burn Him,
Nor can water moisten Him,
Nor can winds dry Him.

24. Indivisible, unsleeping,
Moistening and drying, elusive,
Omnipresent, permanent, firm,
He is unmoving, always the same.

25. Unmanifest, unthinkable,
Unchanging, they say;
If you know Him as such,
You should not grieve.

26. If you think that He is born,
And that He dies again and again,
Even then, O Mighty-Armed One,
You should not mourn Him.

27. Death is certain for the born,
And birth for the dead, likewise;
Over the inevitable, Arjuna,
Therefore you should not grieve.

28. The beginnings of beings are hidden,
Their middles are obvious;
And their ends are hidden too:
Why then should there be sorrow?

29. By rare chance some see Him,
Others rarely speak of him,
And the third group seldom listens to his word:
They have heard, yet he remains unknown to them.

30. The ownership within every soul,
Is eternal and everlasting:
No living being, Arjuna,
Can ever truly destroy it.

Miroslav Marković's:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/82076775/Bhagavad-Gita-CRO (6-7)

😍🙏🙏🎉

Long live Mexico!😍

My dentist told me they shouldn't keep amalgam in your mouth for more than five years🤔 and that hardly anyone uses them anymore. It’s super rare now. Unless you're using $30 Medicaid, then maybe.(
)
I've had mine for a long time, and they only ever used amalgams on me... so I'm replacing everything. I just show up, they swap them out for composite, and that's it. Takes about 10 minutes.
No need for all those complicated procedures people talk about.🤷

I really trust her. I've gone through about 15 different dentists in my life due to moving around😁, all kinds of doctors, but this one is 👍 just right.

Based on everything I've heard, I should have been falling apart by now...🤔

Hopefully, the consequences don't catch up to me retroactively...🤷 😁

Lawrence Robinson5 said:Humans exploit everything: other people, different species, the entire planet...
We’re inherently selfish, and even when we try to be selfless, it’s usually just a thinly veiled way to feed our own egos.
Humanity is the root cause of ecological imbalance; we're the only species actively fighting against the very system we belong to...

And then you have the complete opposite:
"Man is a noble creature, the measure of all things," and so on and so forth.

I’ve been feeling a bit lost lately navigating the constant contradictions in how we judge our own species. I see so many posts on this forum where the tone is heavy with disappointment and condemnation, even when people are trying their hardest to sound objective... and I can't help but wonder why.

It feels like there are really only two ways to look at this:

1) Humans are simply part of nature—which means we aren't inherently "good" or "bad," we're just biological facts. Everything we do happens because the environment we inhabit allows us to do it, so the evolution of our species—including all those messy mistakes we make while learning—is still just evolution, not some kind of cosmic destruction.

2) Humans are not part of nature—we've broken away, warped ourselves, and now we're just a burden to ourselves and everyone else. Our society is unnatural, our thoughts are unnatural, our very feelings are unnatural...

Since the second option clearly doesn't hold water, isn't it a total rookie mistake for a thinker to claim that a human action is wrong *a priori*?
Human civilization is a natural phenomenon precisely because we are a product of nature. That doesn't mean we aren't responsible for what we do—but responsibility can only lie with the individual, because the individual is the only one actually acting. Society, as an abstract concept, can't take the blame for the things that make us feel guilty; blaming "society" is often just a psychological trick to scrub our own consciences clean of actions we aren't proud of...

Conscience is also a natural phenomenon, just like accountability. A dog doesn't run from a crime scene—not because it's incapable of doing something "wrong," but because it doesn't view its actions through that lens. That doesn't make humans unnatural; it just makes us different... and honestly, animals do show a sense of conscience; it's almost funny, like watching a toddler who knows they did something they weren't supposed to and tries to hide so they won't get grounded... but we only really see animal consciousness when we use punishment to train them—which is a fundamentally flawed (and unfortunately common) way to link those two ideas together...
Every person, like every living thing, knows when they aren't doing the "right" thing—because that's when they are acting against what they actually want. A dog knows it shouldn't swipe a steak off the dinner table, but sometimes it does it anyway because it wants that steak—and we do the exact same thing, just in much more complex ways.

Our true nature hasn't been corrupted; it's just buried under layers of "civilized" behavior. We've adopted hundreds of social rules about what's allowed and what isn't, spent lifetimes inventing justifications for them, and ended up in a place where there's no room left for honest, natural desire.
The real irony is that these rules were born out of distrust toward our own natural impulses. It was a lack of faith in our own correct judgment that led us to outsource our decision-making to others, and eventually, to dump all responsibility onto an abstract entity: society.

Society isn't some freakish mutation; it's just the physical manifestation of the human idea of itself—as a being that isn't allowed to, doesn't know how to, and shouldn't... it's the natural expression of a natural mental capacity: the ability to doubt, even our own selves. And if we don't like it, it's only because we are all participants in that doubt.

What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how
infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and
admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like
a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—and yet,
to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me—
nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.

Shakespeare definitely saw it coming...

It’s either one or the other...😁

Destruction itself isn't inherently "distorted." In my opinion, it's just the fulfillment of basic instincts at various levels.
On an individual level, you can find plenty of distortion if you look for it.
But that’s just what happens when you have human consciousness compared to an animal. We think we're free before we actually are, and along the way, we might mess up by misinterpreting reality... twisting our true potential to align with the world around us...

Casey Morgan26 said:The tricky thing about TM is how they lure you in. They claim it’s just this "relaxation technique" that has absolutely nothing to do with religion and won't require you to overhaul your lifestyle or habits... and then, before you know it, they’re lecturing you on mantra chanting and all that Maharishi nonsense and philosophy...
I actually ended up feeling worse after just five days of TM. My tension, anxiety, and depression spiked, and I felt completely disoriented. It was a total shock to my system; it took me nearly twenty days just to feel steady again...
I originally signed up for the course because I couldn't sleep and was becoming dependent on sleeping pills, but instead, TM just triggered more psychological issues for me...
So, I decided to try practicing it again, but only for five minutes instead of the full twenty... I did that for about nine days. I can't even say what the effects were, really. At times, it would calm me down and quiet my thoughts, but other times it would leave me in this state of lethargy and apathy, or occasionally, it would just irritate my psyche again...
I suppose doing a minute or two of TM before bed helped me fall asleep for a couple of nights...
But my overall impression? TM just stirs up negative emotions in me. It feels like it numbs me out or makes me indifferent to everything around me, giving off this fake sense of peace...
At least, that's how it felt to me...
People say you have to stick with it for at least twenty or thirty days to see the actual results, but honestly, I'm afraid that continuing might just make my mental health even worse...

What I’m specifically wondering about is: why is TM the only one that gets all this scientific scrutiny? They spout all this fluff about a "fourth state of consciousness" and similar nonsense, when in reality, the technique just triggers alpha waves in the brain which induces relaxation, slows down breathing, and lowers metabolism—basically just a way to release some stress...
Apparently, that helps some people resolve health issues, while for others, it creates even bigger problems...

So, I want to know, does only TM have this kind of effect, or do all other forms of meditation work this way?
Is there anything else that could help with insomnia and anxiety?
Maybe some milder meditation or something?
Because clearly, the pills aren't solving the problem, lol...

It doesn't take 20 days to feel something. For me, the change happened during my first group session, and within those first few days, I was feeling extremely... wild😁 in a positive way, mostly. I talked about it with the instructor; it's not like you won't feel anything at all during those initial days😉
After 3 years, I quit, though I can't really explain why...😁
I just don't know what constitutes "actual results." I didn't view progress as some movie-edited projection of what they measured as being "good for me" or what "should" happen... physically, mentally, or whatever plane you look at. It’s great when you watch videos showing all that "scientific" data, but people have other motives...
Your motive is getting rid of insomnia. And if it isn't helping, it’s making things worse.

Casey Morgan26 said:The tricky thing about TM is how they lure you in. They claim it’s just this "relaxation technique" that has absolutely nothing to do with religion and won't require you to overhaul your lifestyle or habits... and then, before you know it, they’re lecturing you on mantra chanting and all that Maharishi nonsense and philosophy...
I actually ended up feeling worse after just five days of TM. My tension, anxiety, and depression spiked, and I felt completely disoriented. It was a total shock to my system; it took me nearly twenty days just to feel steady again...
I originally signed up for the course because I couldn't sleep and was becoming dependent on sleeping pills, but instead, TM just triggered more psychological issues for me...
So, I decided to try practicing it again, but only for five minutes instead of the full twenty... I did that for about nine days. I can't even say what the effects were, really. At times, it would calm me down and quiet my thoughts, but other times it would leave me in this state of lethargy and apathy, or occasionally, it would just irritate my psyche again...
I suppose doing a minute or two of TM before bed helped me fall asleep for a couple of nights...
But my overall impression? TM just stirs up negative emotions in me. It feels like it numbs me out or makes me indifferent to everything around me, giving off this fake sense of peace...
At least, that's how it felt to me...
People say you have to stick with it for at least twenty or thirty days to see the actual results, but honestly, I'm afraid that continuing might just make my mental health even worse...

What I’m specifically wondering about is: why is TM the only one that gets all this scientific scrutiny? They spout all this fluff about a "fourth state of consciousness" and similar nonsense, when in reality, the technique just triggers alpha waves in the brain which induces relaxation, slows down breathing, and lowers metabolism—basically just a way to release some stress...
Apparently, that helps some people resolve health issues, while for others, it creates even bigger problems...

So, I want to know, does only TM have this kind of effect, or do all other forms of meditation work this way?
Is there anything else that could help with insomnia and anxiety?
Maybe some milder meditation or something?
Because clearly, the pills aren't solving the problem, lol...

Pills don't solve it, Casey Morgan26, nor are they meant to. Meditation isn't a medication either. Forget their sales pitch and presentations for a second. You have a specific, real problem😉
At the same time, the fact that you're dealing with extra troubles right now is a kind of alarm or warning; you need to recognize it. That's why it's okay. If you see it—that something is wrong at the root and you need to change on a different level, like approaching it from a different angle.

Pills create dependency; over time they work less and less and you fall into a vicious cycle... and other shit. Believe me, I've taken enough of them😁
They can be a tool, for a little while, but they won't solve the problem.

Start taking action on yourself.
Like... what would you lose by going for a walk in the fresh air instead of hanging out in front of a computer or online, which (from experience) can easily irritate the mind and nerves and cause major sleep issues, especially if you're prone to that.

You have to get to know yourself and get rid of the habits that hurt you.
Acquire the ones that do you good.
It's just a matter of deciding.
Move.😁

Larry Lewis2 said:I have to agree,🙂 it really is wonderful.🙂

A close friend I used to live with really struggled because he couldn't experience what we go through.😬
He’d pace around the apartment, totally frantic, yelling, "Why? Why can't I have a period?" 🤣

Or when I—or my sister—would be doubled over in pain, skin turning pale from the cramps... he’d just stare there in this trance, not even noticing how sick we looked, and walk up all sadly and say, "Must be nice."😢"

It felt unfair to him since he was being denied what he called a "deeply mystical experience"😬

Just adding another male perspective to the conversation...🤣

😍

Arthur Grant4 said:Character is basically just part of the ego.
It’s the role we’ve decided to play. Look, Dana Brooks3, beyond the ego lies the true self—authentic, spontaneous, just *there*. It never actually leaves.
But seriously, is it even possible to be without an ego RIGHT NOW? To just exist unconditionally?
That’s my question. Or is this whole process of social conditioning actually necessary for growth?
And I mean real growth—the natural flow of change... like a seed becoming a plant, or an embryo becoming a baby.
bluemason3 made a pretty interesting point... there's a surface layer of the ego shaped by society, and then there's a deeper layer... but then again... what exactly is that deeper part?
I’ve felt the ego slip away a few times—that total detachment from the idea of "me"... and it was great. Actually, "great" isn't the right word... it's hard to explain looking back. It happened to me once while I was drinking a cup of bitter coffee, which I usually hate... I was frustrated with everything, especially since I had to head into work and the day was just going south... I don't know exactly what triggered the ego-dissolution, maybe it was some thought I kept looping in my head... something about how I already am who I am, that I don't need to change, that I'm already just a passive version of ME... something like that hit a switch and BAM.
I was in this totally new state of mental alertness and balance... and that cup of coffee ended up being the best experience of my life... hahaha... weird, but I was completely awake and all those egoic patterns just seemed hilarious. Man, that was my experience.

Those are moments. And I think Ivan explained what it actually is a bit more precisely.
Thanks for sharing; I respect your experience😉 and I get it.
Mine was roughly like... I can't quite recount it, but I'll try, since I started this myself, so I won't stay silent... If I mention some of the things leading up to it, maybe Belki would know what I mean, because they had someone nearby going through something similar.
In the final stage, let's say... when the "I" dissolved... at least that's how I realized it later... there just wasn't one... and consciousness wasn't able to hold me together anymore. There was no... spiritual balance like Ivan talks about.
As for consciousness... it's like... I don't know how to describe it... it wasn't the kind of consciousness that lets me talk to you or type on a forum. It was a consciousness where... without words... you communicate with everything. There are no boundaries. You and everything else... you become one... it merges. I can't explain it, really.
But I didn't know about ME. There was no "I." I didn't even know where I was. Or what people were doing to me.
It is literally being "out of yourself." And on one hand, for a moment, people might see you as a saint... and what I was doing and capable of then... wasn't for everyone.
On the other hand, you're a total lunatic who needs to be calmed down the only way they know how. Like being sent to a psych ward in a big city to get hit with horse tranquilizers just to burn out your brain enough so that, eventually... you come back.
Thirdly, if you are one with everything and lose the "I"... you feel everything that is contained within "everything." And I don't just mean divine beauty, peace, and wonder... I mean the pain, the suffering, the horror. When all of that starts flowing through your physical body... there isn't much room... for idealizing certain states.
That’s how I understood losing the Ego.
And yeah, I think I went through some things unprepared, and my experience certainly isn't a standard, nor do I want to claim things are exactly as I perceive them. I'm probably being subjective. It's not like I've... talked to anyone about this. Not that I could, wanted to, or knew how. Nor is it easy to write something in a post now... and trivialize it all... but still, I want to, at least a little. Generally... I try in life... though that seems to be the hardest thing to do...
I I want to laugh as much as I possibly can. Laughter is my way out. Society, constraints, limitations, people, all that "smallness"... it actually makes sense. There’s love and acceptance—and knowing when to reject things—all tucked inside it. It opens me up... on every level.
I just needed a little more to get there😁
I'm a pretty cheerful guy🙂

Arthur Grant4 said:Look at any random guy walking down the street or someone in your own neighborhood. There’s a massive chance that person is basically just a collection of social labels and a self-image they've built up over time. They’re a product of their environment... waking up really means grasping your true nature and finally snapping those ego chains.
But wait—could adopting that identity actually be a necessary stage of growth? Like, maybe you have to play the part before you can move past the ego toward actual consciousness?
Or is our modern civilization just designed to brainwash us? Is it possible we're spiritually regressing compared to those who came before us, meaning this whole spiritual movement sweeping the nation is actually just a collective attempt to remember what we lost and find our way back?
Which one is it?

The terminology trips me up a bit—social identity, societal identity, self-image... it's all a little confusing. I don't quite follow you...😳
Adopting which identity?
It feels more like we're just taking on roles. To me, identity means something else entirely...
As time goes on, I don't think growth follows a steady upward curve where you move through stages without ever slipping back. That might happen in tiny increments, but mostly, our limited perception and learned ways of thinking block us from truly seeing our "self-image" or this whole idea of "growth."
What exactly is egoism?
I’d ask everyone that. And what does it mean to be beyond the ego? I'm genuinely curious how others see it...
People mess with the concept of "ego" so much that it seems everyone has a different definition.
In the most basic sense, based on my experience... you can't stay sane without some kind of ego. Without it, you might end up in a psych ward. Maybe it's society's fault. Or maybe it's just the wilderness...🙄
When someone claims they've "lost their ego," do they even know what that means? Do they have the actual experience? It was probably both incredibly pleasant and incredibly terrifying...

I don't buy into this idea of linear steps.
Sure, it happens... but on a completely different level...
And spirituality feels more like a challenge... dealing with the "now," the "us," and "society"... that kind of work...
Growth... I find myself associating that word with nothing but baking pies. When you say "development," all I can think about is making dough. It's a silly association, probably, but... it's how I feel...😢

Consciousness doesn't develop.

Jesse Wright24 said:Laughter is the best medicine 😉

👍

But you have to get there first.

YOU can't just do it alone—meaning, someone gives you advice and you try this or that... it doesn't work. You have to plug yourself into a system that starts building the coping mechanisms you currently lack, and then mastering them. That takes time.
THOSE are the mechanisms developed in early childhood. Yours were missed. So you struggle with boundaries, meaning you either don't have them or find it hard to set them with others. Everything and everyone around you drifts into your system along with all the clutter you don't know how to process or put away. It piles up inside you, and while you might just feel bad in a specific moment, eventually that pile can bury you... until you lose track of who you are or where you stand.
And then that feeling you're describing intensifies. You can't stand talking to people anymore. It’s not just empathy. You have a natural predisposition toward compassion, but a systemic glitch is causing you trouble.
Your perception of the world shifts. Look, when people talk, they rarely say everything; they only share a fraction of what they think. You might only hear the truly crazy ones because they're the only ones uncensoring their thoughts. Most people shape their thoughts to sound more acceptable, and even when being honest, they process it before it comes out. And of course, there are those who lie, or are insincere, or manipulate themselves—consciously or not—or manipulate others, blah blah... but once you (gradually and subconsciously) tune your antenna, because that's what you do, and you catch that tone of voice, that slight hesitation, that look... things you can't stand because they don't match what you sense is true inside... you start living in a version of reality that slowly turns black and white, becoming darker for you. You lose your way. Essentially, over time, that's all you see. You lose the big picture. Your reality testing fails. And you can't function.
Besides, almost nobody is purely suffering, and very few are complete lies.
For some reason, you chose to ask on this subforum instead of asking a psychologist how to solve this, so I can't really offer any further advice since I don't practice any specific, official spiritual techniques, but I hope someone else can suggest something that will actually help you in the long run.
Eventually, that ability inherent to your nature can become an advantage, and then a shift happens that gives you a much more beautiful approach to daily life whenever it's needed. That's what King was saying at the beginning.

Melissa Rivera5 said:Look, hate is just part of being human. I’m not out here suggesting we wipe out everyone who has undesirable traits—because, honestly, let's be real, nobody is perfect. I'm just wondering... what if we euthanized, or just didn't allow the birth of, people who will never have even a theoretical chance at contributing anything to society? If you actually care about the community, then every single member matters. But if someone is just draining resources without giving anything back, they're basically hurting the group. So, I guess their existence only makes sense from an individual standpoint, but it comes at the expense of everyone else.

That isn't quite right.
A community is made of individuals.
Some are capable, and some aren't.
Those categories are hard to define... things aren't always clear-cut.
But being "capable" doesn't always mean physical ability, and contribution isn't just about material output.
You have to realize these are people, and a human being is much more than just money, hands, and feet (it hurts to even type this).
Go look at the R&D forums regarding children with Down syndrome, and you'll see how much those kids fulfill their parents' lives and make you a better person... which ultimately makes you a more productive individual and community member, doesn't it?
Shouldn't people work on developing qualities and skills that go far beyond mere physical productivity?
Society is built by individuals. And those individuals aren't robots.
If everything worked the way you're describing, we wouldn't be talking about a society at all.
It would just be a pile of robots... or something like that.

I'm tired, heading to bed.

That's all for now...

I’ve been thinking lately... there are so many people walking around today who seem perfectly fine on the surface, physically healthy, yet they contribute absolutely nothing positive to society. Honestly, they just take up space and consume resources. They lie, steal, manipulate, hurt others... the list goes on. Don't you think forced euthanasia would be better for everyone in those cases? Let's look at this from both an individual and a collective standpoint—strictly through logic, not emotion. For the group, it would objectively be better to have fewer bad actors, whether it's due to flawed DNA or just unfortunate circumstances like how they were raised. But from the individual's perspective, is that perhaps... a crime?

In that case, I'd wipe them all out.
The damn problem is that these defects aren't easy to spot. That's why I'm proposing a psychological police force. It would consist of highly trained, highly moral individuals who monitor behavior and, based on reports, investigate specific cases to make a final decision on eliminating the blight and freeing us from the nuisance.

🙄

Melissa Rivera5 said:DISCLAIMER
This is strictly a theoretical discussion. I’m not trying to promote racism, sexism, or any of that other stuff. I'm just curious...

POINT IS
So, I was thinking, maybe Hitler wasn't totally off base. Like, looking at people living with Down syndrome today, or those with severe disabilities and terminal illnesses... they aren't really contributing anything positive to society. Honestly, they just end up draining resources that we never see a return on. Don't you think forced euthanasia might actually be better for everyone in those cases? Let's try to look at this from both an individual and a group perspective—and let's try to stay STRICTLY logical here, instead of getting all emotional. From a group standpoint, it would probably be better to have fewer "weak links" due to bad DNA, but from an individual's view, I guess it's a ? maybe significant? crime.

Thinking?
Or just trolling?

Or have you just completely lost your mind?

I can't believe anyone is actually responding to you and treating this like a debate.
Am I crazy?🤔

Now you're trying to prove they are valuable members of society.
Google!
From one absurdity to the next.

I can't even begin to discuss the merits of coexisting with those people.
What I will say is, if you want to talk, start from square one.
Think about
-society
-the individual
-that relationship (qualitatively)
and above all, deal with your creative use of terms like "good," "bad," and "evil." When you say "bad," I read "waste"... and I don't even have to be creative to see it. How is that "good"?

And don't bother with the disclaimers. Nothing softens this. You can't distance yourself. You can't. Just read what you wrote.

If you're just looking for a reaction, there are much more creative ways to provoke thought, consider extremes and their consequences, and reach meaningful conclusions.

I find myself feeling a bit weary too.
A moderate sense of fatigue.
But nothing quite infuriating enough to trigger me—he isn't exactly being pretentious...

It wasn't a constant annoyance for me, just certain moments where what you were saying really grated on my nerves.
And that sensation—that feeling that someone is trying to program you—is something I’ve felt before, though I usually just chalked it up to my own usual paranoia🤣
I wouldn't go so far as to say he's intentionally avoiding criticism; it feels more like a lack of depth and amateurism.

Still, it wasn't so exhausting that I couldn't follow along, and there’s always that time afterward to sit and reflect.

But, yeah... overall, I'm glad I watched it.

Plus, we ended up having a good talk about it.😉

It’s actually quite nice when someone takes these kinds of attempts so seriously. They’re speaking highly of you, of course, but also about the work itself. 😉

Maybe the idea transcends the scientific facts or half-truths presented in the movie?

And at the end of the day, we’re talking about a film, casualtiger2. It’s a specific medium with its own reception and its own set of challenges regarding how content is organized within the frame... It's not a book.
It won't change anyone's life, but it might nudge people who haven't considered certain things to give them a second thought. Besides, if someone decides to dig deeper, they'll discover things on their own based on their own interests and abilities. People aren't children... 😉

Thank God, like you said, there's plenty of literature out there... etc. etc.