Spirituality: Am I just being an idiot?

befoodturntoshit said:What do you all think about the notion that the path of spiritual growth is actually just the process of becoming ready to see, with absolute clarity, just how much of an idiot you really are?😁

Actually, I disagree; true spirituality is when you finally realize that you’re the only one who’s right, essentially acting as a messenger to a world full of unawakened fools, driven by the mission of trying to pour even a shred of wisdom into their thick, mortal skulls.😁

Jack Harris3 said:Dragica Fly ( 😂😂😂 ), once you get to be as old as I am, you’ll finally realize that you can only ever look like a complete idiot if you're standing in front of yourself or a group of people even more clueless than you are. 😁
Maybe if you had any sense, you'd actually count that as part of "growing up." 😁

😁

🙂 🙂 🙂

It’s pretty foolish to assume someone else is being more of an idiot than you are. 😁

> What do you all think about this idea that spiritual growth is really just the process of becoming painfully aware of how much of a complete idiot you actually are?

See, I don't think the whole point of a spiritual journey is to just catalog all your flaws so you can sit around hating yourself and feeling worthless. That's not it at all. It’s more about seeing those cracks in your character through the lens of God's light—that specific kind of light where He loves the sinner but absolutely detests the sin. We humans have this funny, broken way of doing things where we tend to love the sin and hate the person committing it. But God’s character is the exact opposite: He loves the person, even while standing against the wrong they do.

Do you truly believe that God still loves you, even when you're messing up?

If our mental image of God is totally warped—if we're just projecting our own messy consciences and our own sinful tendencies onto Him—then we end up creating a version of God that looks just like us. We end up thinking He's either too permissive toward sin or a total tyrant toward sinners (which includes both ourselves and everyone else who trips up).

That’s why we really need to let go of those ego-driven ideas and let the truth revealed in Scripture break down our preconceived notions of who He is.

befoodturntoshit said:What do you think about the idea that spiritual growth is actually just the process of becoming increasingly aware of how much of a fool you really are?😁

Great idea, great topic, great thought...
I suspect this has already crossed most people's minds—if not for any profound reason, then at least because they were terrified they might be fools, making this realization the only logical "escape route"... a way out... 😉
Reading through this thread, one could conclude that some people admit to being fools, some want to be fools, some see becoming a fool as the ultimate goal, some find it fulfilling, and others find being perceived as a fool quite liberating...
Then there are those who believe everyone is a fool, just that some are significantly more foolish than others—those are usually the ones advocating for "equality." 😬
So why does everyone insist on acting so damn smart?!
All these wise, enlightened souls full of deep insights...
Oh, right—some just don't want to admit they're fools...
But nobody seems to be explaining *why* being a fool is considered a bad thing?
Is viewing oneself as a fool a necessity for spiritual progress—an admission of emptiness, an acknowledgment of need, a sign of readiness?
Or
is striving to become a fool an admission that liberation is the true objective of spiritual development?
Perhaps there is nothing left to realize...
Or
is calling oneself a fool (or aiming to be one) simply giving up—throwing in the towel and abandoning the path altogether?
Or
maybe it's all of the above?

I'll pull in one quote...

Dragonfly said:If I were truly enlightened and actually practicing everything I write here, I probably wouldn't even be posting on this forum.
Until then, Bog has been kind to me. 😁😁😉

And another...
Quote:>

Researcher says: > We humans love sin, but we hate sinners. God's character is the opposite—He loves the sinner but hates the sin.

P.S. Which fool is actually awake these days... 🙄 😵 😉

What, are you actually looking for someone to tell you that you're being an idiot? 🙂
Look, if that's what you want, fine by me. 😁

Man, you can really tell it’s officially pickle season out there! 😁 😁

Oh, please, there will always be someone out there ready to call us fools! There will inevitably be someone waiting in the wings to claim I'm acting like an idiot...
However, if you truly believe you are a fool, then fine—you might be a fool, but you aren't stupid. According to Socrates, being aware of your own foolishness is actually a sign of wisdom. After all, it’s the fools who make this world an interesting place to live in.😁 😁 😁 😁

Honestly, I just don't have the energy to go back and forth with an idiot... Other people might not see the distinction, but I do.
😁