Can we just get straight to the point instead of rambling?

ironrider11 said:It's always "us" vs "them." Such a tired cliché (just a sticky note stuck in my brain). Why do we let "them" decide who "we" are? Defining ourselves based on who they aren't. Where do "we" actually exist, or even who are "we," without "them" to push against? And what are "they" without "us"? Crystal ball is looking pretty clear on that one...

Blame externalization? Honestly, every single time I found myself pointing the finger at someone else for my own mess, that "other person" just ended up being a mirror... reflecting exactly what I was lacking or what I desperately needed to fix in myself. So, yeah, I totally get where you're coming from...
If I were actually capable of living in a state of blissful ignorance—about myself or anyone else—I’d probably be sitting here feeling cheated out of meeting "The Other." But from where I’m standing? I just feel cheated out of that blissful ignorance. Never quite on the right side of things... 😬

Roger Kern16 said:Blame externalization? Honestly, every single time I found myself pointing the finger at someone else for my own mess, that "other person" just ended up being a mirror... reflecting exactly what I was lacking or what I desperately needed to fix in myself. So, yeah, I totally get where you're coming from...
If I were actually capable of living in a state of blissful ignorance—about myself or anyone else—I’d probably be sitting here feeling cheated out of meeting "The Other." But from where I’m standing? I just feel cheated out of that blissful ignorance. Never quite on the right side of things... 😬

Totally. Always landing on the bright side? Yeah, that's a tall order. A few years of practice and a little bit of luck—just enough to keep my head straight—helps. As long as there are branches to land on, it's fine. The color or whether I have to crouch to stay on one... doesn't really matter much. 😬

wearyrider16 said:@ wanderingmoose13

I don't think we should label how other people think as "brainless" patterns. We can't really know what's going on inside someone else's head, and honestly, we might look just as bad to them.
But yeah, there are definitely simple and complex personalities out there that just struggle to connect.

I think you missed my point, but it doesn't really matter.
There are definitely people living at a tribal level of consciousness—that's pretty much why the world is such a mess right now.

That’s just your take on me underestimating or judging people by putting them into "simple" or "complex" boxes... and so on.

I'm not sure how much you know about this—it's a huge topic—but it's crystal clear to me: we live in a society run by psychopaths and sociopaths. Are you actually aware of that? Because they impact every single one of us, whether directly or indirectly.

Getting into the background of all that doesn't make sense in this thread.

It’s not quite as simple as it looks.

I don't have some preconceived notion of you in my head since we haven't met. I can only guess at things, vaguely. Sometimes words just get twisted in transit.
But, when you throw around a phrase like "pig brain" (and I know you're quite the wordsmith), how am I supposed to *not* feel like you're being condescending? Words carry weight, don't they?

In my view, we're the ones who decide how much influence others have on us (including those psychopaths or sociopaths we were talking about).
The more attention we give them, the more power they hold over us.
Nobody can touch me unless I personally hand them the keys.

So, you're saying there's absolutely zero leverage here?

Sure, we can influence things, but I suppose it’s really about how we choose to let those experiences shape us.
And honestly, I think that’s where the whole point lies.
Sometimes someone goes through a tragedy because of a force beyond their control, or maybe just because of a truly malicious person.
One person might let it consume them, letting that darkness, that need for revenge or hatred, settle deep inside.
But another person? They might take that same energy and channel it into something productive—like a driving force to do good and actually build something meaningful.
We essentially decide how we receive that energy and what we turn it into. In doing so, I guess we either amplify or dampen the power of whatever caused the harm in the first place.

mistylynx said:Sure, we can influence things, but I suppose it’s really about how we choose to let those experiences shape us.
And honestly, I think that’s where the whole point lies.
Sometimes someone goes through a tragedy because of a force beyond their control, or maybe just because of a truly malicious person.
One person might let it consume them, letting that darkness, that need for revenge or hatred, settle deep inside.
But another person? They might take that same energy and channel it into something productive—like a driving force to do good and actually build something meaningful.
We essentially decide how we receive that energy and what we turn it into. In doing so, I guess we either amplify or dampen the power of whatever caused the harm in the first place.

Take two kids from the same parents. Identical twins, even. Sometimes Mom and Dad can barely tell who’s who just by looking at them. But luckily, they don't have to worry about telling their personalities apart. One kid is an absolute sweetheart—gentle, happy, always smiling... a total angel, anyone would say. Then you've got the other one, constantly screaming, throwing tantrums, dragging things around, kicking the dog, snatching toys out of their sibling's hands... How can they be so diametrically opposed when it comes to "absorbing energy" and how they channel it? Is it filtered, or maybe even the exact opposite effect?

I suppose we’re all born with certain predispositions that shape our character, but that isn't the whole story, I guess.
What we're discussing here is how outside influences mold a person. It’s a bit hard to apply this logic to a young child, though, since they haven't quite mastered self-control or managing their emotions yet; they're mostly just operating with whatever basic toolkit they were born with.
That's different for an adult. For us, these things have to be learned.
Unfortunately, I still haven't quite figured it all out myself, maybe.
And honestly, it feels like you just described my own kids perfectly.��

If we want this discussion to actually go somewhere, I guess we first need to pin down the story's scenario and figure out who exactly "they" are in this whole setup.

Split personalities and Hershey's Milk Chocolate (2 x 3.5 oz).
What’s your go-to rule for using your brain?