ivory

I disagree. There are pockets of society that are too feminized. I agree in that certain individuals and groups could benefit from integrating masculine qualities but I believe you are making a sweeping generalization. Which mess are you referring to? I see a variety of problems at many levels. And not all of them are because men lack masculinity.

Yeah, I find it a bit annoying too. Good thing annoying people don't actually exist. Wait...

Don't worry about the clothes just yet. For now you should just be focusing on a killer beard.

Well this thread escalated quickly.

I've been through some pretty hard times myself on the actualization journey. Since then, I have had successes and am in a great place right now. But at one time my life fell apart and I was super depressed, anxious, unmotivated, and nihilistic. My advice would be to get professional help. Therapy doesn't mean something is wrong with you, just that you are navigating unfamiliar territory and need help for a while. Getting advice on a forum for heavy emotional stuff may not be the wisest solution.

Almost everyone seems to develop some form of spiritual ego once they encounter a little bit of spirituality. I have it to a certain degree but I try not to feed it anymore. The two tendencies I see the most are: 1) Show off spiritual concepts 2) Give advice

If you are in your 20s def go backpacking.

@Ponder Grow up. Worry about yourself.

I wouldn't say that it will lead to self-destruction but it can lead to confusion or just being misled in general. It's important to cross reference conflicting information. There are also tell-tale signs of inauthenticity. The way the material is marketed, how quickly the ad promises results, etc. Ultimately it is up to you to verify what is taught because direct experience is what matters most.

Ah, well that's understandable. It used to run my life too but over time I just stopped seeking it and that was enough to loosen my obsession with it. I have a much healthier relationship with sex now. I still don't think you need to make it a goal of one year. Just take a break from girls.

Yeah, I used to get that too. Whenever you encounter something new in meditation you are likely to experience a little fear. Or a lot of fear. Totally normal. Keep going, it will die down after you see that nothing can really harm you.

@Joseph Maynor I totally get that

@Inliytened1 Vipassana is a Buddhist practice. I believe vipassana means insight, so it's insight meditation. Basically it combines self-inquiry with breath work, but there are a number of different vipassana flavors. The point of vipassana is to see that reality is empty of self, impermanent, and dissatisfactory (also known as the three marks/characteristics of existence).

How is this a paradox?

Did someone tell you that's what you should do? Are you avoiding rejection? Is it an addiction that's ruining your life? Why deny a core aspect of being human?

I've experimented with a number of meditation techniques before realizing that what really matters is consistency. Pick one that resonates with you and stick to it. In my opinion, people often get lazy with the do nothing meditation and get lost in thought. Pick a technique that balances relaxation with enough effort to stay alert. If you stay with a technique long enough you will tailor it to meet your specific needs.

You have to be honest whether or not its to mask your loneliness. How happy you are with your life as it is? Will your partner compliment your life or are they just filling a hole? I'm a huge proponent of dating and relationships. There is so much to learn and grow from relationship. However, you need to be ok on your own and be quite grounded to have a successful relationship. That all said, you are quite young. Feel free to experiment and make mistakes. You'll learn from that as well. At 23 there is something to be said for getting more life experience.

I haven't watched any of Leo's videos for a while, but damn, I sat down to watch this video and it was so timely. I'm somewhere between the limbo and the starting phase. I've started taking action, but not exactly sure I'm on the right path. I'm also experimenting quite a bit with different meetups to meet new people and get ideas. But I'm pretty sure I want to make techno music, take better care of my health, make new healthy friends, and eventually find a better job. Maybe at some point will I start a business and do more meaningful work. However, at the moment, I really want to spend more time investing in relationships and establishing a strong social circle.

I have experience with regular psychotherapy. The thing with therapy is that it's a very slow process. But for me it was worth it and I would do it again. Whatever you do, know that it's going to take time. I personally don't believe that mdma is a replacement for regular therapy because you still have to face whatever it is that you're avoiding. For example, if you're afraid of conflict, mdma isn't going to cure you of that fear. If you're afraid of talking to hot chicks, same deal. You're going to face your fears over, and over, and over until they no longer bother you. Self-criticism is an especially difficult beast to tame. Most of the healing process is very counterintuitive. It really helps to have a professional point out the flaws in your thinking and teach you how to work with them. Be wary of anyone who tells you that you're going to heal after one or two sessions of anything. You heal by being out in the world and rising to the challenges that life presents you. It really, really helps to have a someone in your corner coaching you as you move through life.

I'd be curious to hear what your interests are. For what it's worth, I found my career simply by going to college. Eventually I found some classes I liked, changed my major, and followed it until I graduated. I didn't do any career assessments, which looking back, would have not worked for me. I'm a software engineer but back in the day I hated computers. Go figure.

A link to the California Psilocybin Decriminalization & Research Initiative. Check out some of the links at the top: https://decrimca.org/initiative/ Also, an interesting trailer:

Looks like I was wrong. It was Oakland to decriminalize all plant based psychs. But there is still a decriminalization movement for all of CA. https://www.marijuanamoment.net/california-activists-take-first-steps-to-decriminalize-psilocybin-mushrooms-statewide/

For the depressed, anxious, victim types JP can be a very inspiring guy. I believe that he does help people in being more assertive and responsible, which is a good thing. There are healthy and unhealthy manifestations for each meme in the spiral. If you know what the traps are at red/blue/orange then by listening to JP, you should be able to continue to grow and not get stuck at any stage. You are correct, though. JP has a bit of a blind following who internalize everything he says without question. Those people will remain stuck. Those who do question him, based on their own life experience and/or other resources, have the opportunity to outgrow JP and move into a more happy and healthy way of being. I also believe you are correct in stating that JP calls out green's BS. The problem is that, to move into yellow, you need to open your mind. JP is quite close minded, and believes that he's "right", so he's not exactly encouraging people to evolve past green and into yellow. He's just throwing more fuel on the fire and green's response is to push back. Hatred, and the "us vs. them" mentality is very difficult to transcend which is how people get stuck at green. Who would want to give that up? I believe that JP is just reinforcing green with his finger pointing.

I don't live in Denver, but 'm super excited about it. I hear they are collecting signatures for the decriminalization of all plant based psychs in California. And that measure would be voted upon in 2020. In any case, I hope Denver sets the precedent for other states.