Do our own desires actually make us unhappy?

No. Absolutely not. I am perfectly content with everything I have orchestrated thus far, because if even one minor detail had been altered, I wouldn't be standing where I am today. Any deviation from my path would have compromised the very leverage I utilized to secure this better future.

bluemason3 said:No, I mean mentally normal people. If they’re unstable, they’re already broken by default. 🤣

I’d bet there isn't a single person out there—even someone like me—that I couldn't mentally dismantle, provided there was no conscience involved and a willingness to use any means necessary (like in wartime or similar high-stakes scenarios where you don't hold back). People are either non-existent or too rare to matter in that regard. I once read about a top-tier CIA agent being captured by "enemies." When his trainers were asked how much information he could be expected to give up, they said that despite all his skill and elite training, everyone eventually cracks under that kind of pressure. It's inevitable. I also know someone who worked for a Western military unit dealing with interrogations—using a mix of hypnosis, torture, deprivation, psychological pressure, drugs, and so on. He said that, in the end, the person is left as a complete mental husk.

Sure, those are extreme cases, but extreme situations can wreck your life just as easily. No one is immune. There is no such thing as a person who can't be mentally broken after a certain amount of pressure. Honestly, the people telling fairy tales about mental toughness are usually the ones who have never actually been faced with something stronger than themselves. That works out fine for them, but it doesn't help the people who actually went through it. In fact, it makes it harder. Those who have suffered won't take "fluffy" advice seriously when they see the person talking clearly has no idea what they've endured. You can't empathize with someone who doesn't understand. Offering simple solutions learned from weekend seminars or New York newspaper articles won't do much for someone facing true trauma—though it might work for people who imagine problems more than they actually have. That's quite common in the West. When your existence is secure and you have plenty of time to philosophize, you tend to develop unnecessary "problems," unlike people fighting for survival every day. Generally speaking, the wealthier the society, the more depressed its people become. 😁 Dudley thinks the climate plays a significant role in that, too. 🤔

I don't know why people act so high and mighty. You aren't even in my league when it comes to this stuff.

Aaron Morris56 said:I don't know why people act so high and mighty. You aren't even in my league when it comes to this stuff.

Acting like I'm important? By doing what? 🤷The fact is, people can break mentally... I don't see how that has anything to do with me or acting superior. 🤷What field are we even talking about here, and how am I supposed to be an expert in it?🤷

bluemason3 said:Acting like I'm important? By doing what? 🤷The fact is, people can break mentally... I don't see how that has anything to do with me or acting superior. 🤷What field are we even talking about here, and how am I supposed to be an expert in it?🤷

I really only needed that first sentence to get the point. I didn't bother reading the rest. Maybe I missed something or misread it, but you explicitly said you could mentally break someone. If I'm lost, let me know.😁

Aaron Morris56 said:I really only needed that first sentence to get the point. I didn't bother reading the rest. Maybe I missed something or misread it, but you explicitly said you could mentally break someone. If I'm lost, let me know.😁

It sounds like you're lost in the woods and projecting a bit of an ego here. 😁

What I meant was that even I could do it if I lacked a conscience and had the stomach for it. In other words, breaking someone down isn't some impossible, far-off feat—provided you don't have a moral compass or any empathy. I'm emphasizing the "if." Since I actually have a conscience and emotions, it's purely hypothetical. I was just pointing out how easy it technically is, not claiming to be some kind of psychological predator. I'm not that guy, I couldn't be that guy, and I certainly wouldn't brag about it.😁

Apple