Suffering is probably a poor translation of the ancient thought. There is a discomfort within is that provides the impetus or is a result of the desire to explore and create. There is a spectrum of discomfort that at its extreme may be described as suffering. The way I have learned to moderate suffering is the Middle Way. Don't shoot too high so the fall will also be sending slight. The Greek myth of Pegasus.

The Greek myth of Pegasus. — Rich

Icarus, you mean to say maybe? Good point though! (Y)

Yes. Thank you for the correction.

Well, I wasn't referencing an ancient thought genetically, I was just talking about suffering, negatively felt things, as opposed to positively felt things.

I see things as about becoming, but with serious limitations, and ideally becoming pretty much thoughtless, or what they call "flow state" these days. No worries. Being yourself, and feeling at home in yourself.

When I get a good balance going on, and physically fully wake up, after an hour or two, have no cravings, no aches or pains, and I'm just playing video games, listening to Dostoyevsky, action and apprehension are like instantaneous. Like when I'm working, and all that's going through my head is melodies, and lyrics. Everything is like so clear when I begin to think again, and when the truth, or something that is relatable comes up, I'm just like instantly in agreement with it, even though if I were like in contemplation, then nothing seems so clear.

I doubt that this is that it's actually like metaphysically true or something, but rather that it's just something that matches my character, my training, what I've become. There's only so much still malleable, and I can worry myself silly about it, or just realize that I'm already lots of ways.

He was talking about how he didn't want to be too wealthy famous or too comfortable, and all of the downsides (and even not to trust anyone over 40 pretty much, lol), but then punctuates it by saying that that might be all just bullshit... that made me laugh in agreement. I talk about people that talk for a living, and how they don't do useful things, but I've also considered that I might just be jealous, and those avenues just aren't really available to me anyway, might just be resentment...

I'm liking him a lot -- but that got me thinking too how I was acting like super dominantly for a good couple of months, and was like super sure of myself, and had the confidence to change my life, which I've wanted to do for some time, but adjusting to the new one is difficult, and for various reasons I've been losing faith, because there is so much more uncertainty, and lack of stability in what I'm doing, but then when I stop thinking, experience no discomfort or cravings for awhile, and am content again, then I'm right back to feeling that way again makes me think that the sufferings is caused by the lack of stability, and everything that remains stable and unchanged is still working smoothly. I like to think that I'm like super dynamic, and could do anything, but I think that I'm actually more stuck in my ways than ever, and still living out that character, or self-perception in every moment that I'm not paying attention (to myself).

He was talking about how he didn't want... — Wosret

Sorry... to whom are you referring? Who is "he"? Dostoevsky? Thanks. (Y)

Yes. Thank you for the correction — Rich

Taking Latin in high school finally comes in handy after many years. Wish i would have learned Chinese, though! X-)

Yeah, it's notes from the underground.

(Y) gotcha!

About being in the flow, in the zone, and trying to stay there as much and often as possible... I think I know what you mean. Sometimes it just comes naturally. Sometimes it is like "where did it go???" The flow of energy in all its forms is very interesting. The fire of life. Music, sport, work, sexuality, inspiration, money, sunlight, on and on... These dynamic forces are always in some ways present, even when they seem a thousand miles away. To see the sun at night one looks at the moon reflecting it. When i happen to lose excessive self-consciousness, the flow usually starts to happen. That is why some like alcohol- to lose the excess baggage of mental constructions. I'm trying to figure out how to do that without the crutch of alcohol. Gotta assume it is at least possible.

Well, I don't drink, and have quit the drugs, although I confess to relapsing twice in the last couple of months, still smoking cigarettes, although on and off (more on than off).

I think that you need to get shit together, as I express in the OP. You can't just decide to have no worries, to not be tired, grumpy, hungry, or craving or to feel physically grounded. Those are things you need to work towards facilitating, good habits, type thing.

I know that booze both make you less physically stiff (you'll hurt yourself less from falls because of what they call the "ragdoll affect"), and it interferes with the function of the neocortex, which is all about inhibition, which without makes you act on training, and be more explorative.

Don't know about the exploration part. Seems to me that my only source of anxiety is novelty. Gotta get a new job here, and talk to strangers, and forge new relationships... I'm trained too well to be afraid of that I think, even though I've been well liked and find this pretty easy for the past five or six years, but nott so much the whole time before that. Getting over how people used to look at and treat me is not so easy. Even though I know intellectually that things won't be like they used to be, my body still is afraid of people I don't already know like me...

If change equates to suffering, you're in for a world of hurt. If there's one constant in this life, it's change.

Lately, I've been trying to focus on having less attachment to identity and beliefs, so that change meets less internal resistance. I'm finding it much easier to accept reality that way.

Also, if you can properly sort through the needs and wants in life, you can concentrate on the needs, and spend whatever resources you have left on the wants.

Presumably why that's why life is both suffering and impermanence.

you lose dynamism as you age

and gain wisdom...bub

At least one of those is a guarantee...

Sounds like Jordan Peterson.

Who sounds a lot like Campbell.

If you seek your personal legend the entire universe will conspire to assist you. — the alchemist

Jordan Peterson distances himself from Campbell, since the latter became somewhat of a new-age guru.

Whereas Campbell says 'walk through the gates past the threshold guardians to follow your bliss'.

Peterson says, ' train first in the old ways before you walk through the gates past the threshold guardians to follow your bliss'. Christianity is a guide to becoming fit. Christianity embodies the preferred values by which you should conduct your life.

If you 'follow your bliss' willy nilly it might lead into the mouth of chaos, like a baby bird who was just eaten by a cat as it left the nest. Stay paranoid, work-hard, bootstrap, or we might end up like Venezuela.

But might that not be what you are secretly wishing for: catastrophe and death (or the risk of catastrophe and death).

Culture is broken and the life waters have left the cistern. Go out and get some by traveling across the borders of the known.

Christianity is a guide to becoming fit. — Nils Loc

Or perhaps a good cookbook?

Or perhaps a good cookbook? — praxis

Unfortunately for Peterson, I think that Sam Harris does have a point there. But then Peterson's "Christianity" isn't real Christianity to begin with - but rather an impostor. Peterson thinks God is an abstract hirearchy that is needed to keep society together - that is outright heretical, I don't understand how he can call himself a Christian... And he even says that people like Sam Harris pretend not to be believers, but actually act like believers :s I think Peterson is thoroughly confused on this issue, and he has lost the path because he doesn't adhere to Scripture and Apostolic Tradition. He even says that it doesn't really matter if Jesus existed or not... by all means Peterson is not a Christian.

I do find it extraordinary how similar many of my experiences, and views are to his, also that we're born on the same day, and might be related, which makes me worry that a lot of what I think and feel might be more genetic than I'd like to admit. I don't know who Campbell is.

I differ to him on some key points though. I think that Christianity, for all intents and purposes is true. The focus on the importance and significance of the truth, and the real dangerous and destructive nature of lies. It would be a mistake to think that you could infer his views from mine, or mine from his, all because we agree about a few key issues, and I find him quite interesting, and highly intelligent.

He is way more of a cultural supremacist than I am though I think, and he talks with too much disdain towards the left, and socialist communist ideologies, as if they're responsible for all of the 20th century's mass murders. Sam Harris would say that religion is responsible for them all. I do think that JP is closer though, in that accepting more responsibility, and incorporating the shadow is a significant step in being a moral human being. Externalizing all of the evil and blame is a very dangerous thing.

Sam Harris doesn't strike me as all that intelligent, and his best move has always been mocking through some analogy.

I don't know who Campbell is. — Wosret

If you haven't seen any of Joseph Campbell's videos or lectures, you might like him.

I do love me some myths, and fables. They're my favorite thing. I'm like totes on the verge of yogi mastery anywho, and just need the hot wife to get me involved in the body politic.

I do love me some myths, and fables. They're my favorite thing. — Wosret

Then you'll love Campbell's. It's like chicken noodle soup for the soul.

Too salty and chickeny.

Just listened to Psychology of the Flood (Jordan Peterson Lecture)

Brilliant talk.

Yeah, he's pretty great. There are often little segments posted on the channels essential truth, and bite-sized philosophy by someone, maybe not him, that seems to correlate to the things I've just been talking about, like repeatedly, for some time now -- so we might be telepathically linked.

One for instance about IQ right after I posted that one on intelligence, where he actually does show that he both makes a distinction between crystalized IQ, based on knowledge and aptitudes, and some other one, that basically is responsible for that (I forget), which would be the creative one, and does identify intelligence with speed after all...