EternalForest

I genuinely think a person's life is richer if they're constantly consuming great storytelling filled with wisdom. It can only help you. @M A J I

I still don't understand. By that logic, even meditation keeps me in the matrix.

What? There are so many films and series out there absolutely brimming with Truth. I'd venture to say there's more wisdom in something like Breaking Bad than 90% of self help or spiritual books.

Hard work is important. My point is, living a lifestyle of nothing but work and grinding isn't very inspiring for a creative. ("All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy")

I'd rather be a dreamy "puer" and enjoy life than be a miserable old man with no imagination who's angry at the entire world, which is realistically the end result of someone who views everything through the lens of pure pragmatism. It's also a two way street. Although greatness oftentimes occurs in the process of creation, great ideas motivate great work. I guarantee you if they had the idea for a Game of Thrones or The Legend of Zelda in their head, even the laziest puer would be working on it day and night. Yet if they lived in pure pragmatism, they wouldn't even see themselves as having the potential to create such a thing. In other words, even if they had an idea so great, they wouldn't have the sense of wonder or freedom to recognize it.

This is one of those times I walked out of the theater with the quiet confidence that I had just witnessed a future classic. I'm sure Actualized.org fans will love this film. Has so much to say about religion and belief and Grant's performance is absolutely terrifying! @Leo Gura you expressed interest in 65 in the past, this was made by the same directors and it's right up your alley.

Absolutely! I would add on, only labor as much as necessary, no more. For example, stop worrying about things you ultimately have no control over. Emotionally labor over the things you CAN change, and change them for the better, even if its difficult.

It's because, without exaggeration, men don't know the first thing about women. Women know a lot more about men than the other way around, because they're exposed to the male perspective 24/7 growing up, although that's changing a bit now. Men, on the other hand, are almost COMPLETELY ignorant to the female perspective. Until you talk to them for literally hundreds of hours in a multitude of settings (romantic, friendly, professional, etc.), their behavior will seem incomprehensible to the average man. Anyone who tells you men and women are mostly the same is completely full of shit.

I'm 28, but I'll weigh in... As I've gotten older, I'm a lot better at thinking creatively within fields I already have mastery within, such as cinema and music. I crave new genres and new approaches to the artforms I've come to love over the course of my life. Writing new songs and learning new songs becomes easier and easier as I get older. What I have difficulty with is entering entirely new domains, such as cooking (which I've tried picking up over the past couple years). I feel as if I'm so behind, I'll never catch up. Unless I put in 100% effort, my food is awful. The best I can make is a fettucine alfredo, scrambled eggs or homemade mac and cheese, but even those dishes took me several tries to get right.

You're right in the sense that famous and highly successful people have to go through so many ego-challenging rejections and failures, and put in so much hard work, that by the end they are probably more "selfless" in terms of how they view the relationship between themselves and their work. In a way, their work is bigger than themselves, and they can see the impact it has on all their followers. They were willing to sacrifice comfort and pleasure to get where they are. Leo is also correct however, that once they're there, that success will be guarded with their life and anything that threatens it will be avoided, even the truth.

What happens when you like your own dancing but no one else does? That's my problem, it's fun for me but no one is under any illusions that I can dance.

Absolutely, He's the richest person in the world by a large margin and got there without breaking any laws or being grossly immoral. That's remarkable.

Watch Breaking Bad (2008) and find out

Women get more quantity but its more difficult for them to translate it into quality because a good chunk of the guys contacting just want sex and a good chunk of the girls contacting are being nice out of politeness and don't form deeper connections. Men have the advantage in the sense that, even though they have less people around them, the ones that are there are more likely to genuinely want to be there. "I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone."-Robin Williams

I asked ChatGPT about my spiral dynamics stage and I disagree with the evaluation (I'm pretty sure I'm STAGE ORANGE ) But Here's what it said about me, based on its interactions with me over the past few years: EternalForest’s alignment with the Green stage of Spiral Dynamics is evident in his deep introspection and his emphasis on building meaningful, authentic relationships. He values emotional depth and shared experiences, striving for connections that transcend superficiality. His openness to difficult conversations and his willingness to question societal norms and personal beliefs highlight his commitment to understanding himself and others on a deeper level. EternalForest thrives in activities that foster closeness and camaraderie, seeking out shared experiences as a way to strengthen bonds. He is driven by a desire to create fulfilling relationships that prioritize mutual respect, empathy, and emotional resonance. His reflections often focus on how to resolve frustrations and move toward greater harmony in his interactions, showcasing his focus on inclusivity and personal growth. His passion for film, particularly character-driven stories, reflects his appreciation for complexity and depth in human experiences. Similarly, his creative pursuits, like writing rap lyrics, allow him to process emotions and express himself authentically, blending humor and raw honesty in a way that resonates with Green values. As EternalForest continues to explore his path, his willingness to engage in self-discovery and his openness to growth signal his readiness to move toward more integrative perspectives. His focus on authentic connection, emotional depth, and inclusivity marks him as deeply aligned with Green, with the potential to transition toward the more flexible, holistic worldview of the Yellow stage.

I understand Trump, and no, I don't hate him. Is that a crime? I'd also prefer if we had a one on one conversation about this instead of calling me out as the "example" of a person to avoid.

First off, it was nice to see a lengthy piece of content from Leo again, and I can agree with the issues of the public voting on personality over policy and the reasons he gave for it. And yes, Bernie Sanders or Jill Stein are much more preferable choices to Trump and Harris but in the stupid 2 party system, voting for a 3rd party is the equivalent of throwing your vote away unfortunately. What I can't agree with is this constant demonization of Trump and calling him the pinnacle of corruption. Specific examples of corruption aren't given, and in biased fashion we're never given any evidence to the contrary. The Trump family has donated an enormous amount of money to noble causes and his book The Art of the Deal has inspired countless businesspeople and helped them pursue their goals. Doesn't that count for anything when evaluating his character? I reject the idea that Trump voters have not even "bugun to understand" this work. Although I don't actively support Trump, I still voted for him because he was the lesser of two evils (between him and Kamala). Harris WOULD have been worse for our country in my opinion as a voter. Just because I have that opinion doesn't make me unconscious or underdeveloped.

Latest blog post is ridiculous. Leo talks about Trump as if he's the antichrist or something. Save that kind of rhetoric for Kim Jong Un or leaders that actually ordered the murders of people... Also, Joe Rogan supports Trump and he's contributed more good to the world than 99% of people. I'm pretty sure history will treat him kindly.

Yes I have. Harris ran a campaign that focused mainly on abortion and LGBT issues, and ignored the needs of the working class. Especially working class men. You can't win the majority of the country by speaking to a small minority. That's the problem with identity politics. You've got people pandering to get the votes of a certain group rather than looking at what the average American actually needs. And speaking of that...what other evidence do you need to be convinced that we genuinely have a border issue when Trump is leading with even the Latino vote?

There's absolutely nothing wrong with you. You're simply a centrist who's still sane in this politically radicalized world. Most people were like you back in the 70s, 80s, 90s, etc.

Yes, rich liberals are out of touch with the working class and what their actual needs are. They don't wanna be patronized to, or sold the Brooklyn Bridge. They just want to be able to buy some groceries for their kids. What ever happened to the party for the people? Apparently it's only for some of the people, who buy into their agenda.

6 pages of discussion and no one's talking about the actual content of the interview?

I stopped talking politics on this forum after Fox News was banned and considered propaganda. That's all I needed to see that only certain opinions will be tolerated. Republican or Conservative views aren't welcome here, despite the fact that Leo does acknowledge there is "healthy conservatism", it's removed from what the actual millions of Republicans believe in the modern day and doesn't acknowledge the ways in which liberals poke at and egg on the other side to bring out the worst in them.

I would pre-order it @Leo Gura

I was in complete disbelief today after I got this girl's number who I've had a crush on for weeks. What's the best way to build rapport from this point?