GroovyGuru

@Michael569 Wow. Those are all really great tips that I will definitely remember. Thank you

@Space I do work from home I agree that working from home is absolutely incredible, it's so hard for me to imagine ever going back into the office now. I have so much freedom and independence and comfort to work at my own pace and do things the way I like. During my downtime there are a million things I can do. I can read, work on myself, do yoga etc but honestly up until this point I've been having trouble actually accepting the fact that sometimes there just isn't anything to do for hours. I'm constantly wondering if it's like this for other people or if I'm simply just not given enough work. But I think going forward I'm just going to accept that reality, take advantage of the fact that I'm at home, and do whatever the hell I want.

For every sub-section of the course I wrote an entire page of notes. I went out and bought a notebook just for the LP course so I can always go back to specific sections re-read the key points and ideas that were made. I don't think one would ever have to start over as long as they take some notes but some of the exercises and practices can definitely be done multiple times I'd say.

@Leo Gura Oh I have it don’t you worry. Although I stopped about 65% of the way through right when I got this job. But I’m going to make it a mission to finish it and then go back and do many parts of it again and again and again

The video you mentioned you’d eventually make in the How to Escape Wage Slavery video. I’ve been waiting for a video like this for years, I truly feel like it could be one of your best Leo!

Sure. I got my degree in finance. My job required a finance, accounting, or other relevant degree although the actual work I do has little to do with finance and is actually more in the supply chain area. The title is called Business Claims Analyst.

If I continue to be super aggressive with it (which I will) then anywhere between 8-11 months.

I was journaling just now trying to come up with the various obstacles that prevent me from dating and attracting women. I found that really the main reason is that I simply don't feel physically attractive. This may or may not be true, I'm not sure, but if I'm being totally honest with myself I just don't see myself as attractive (even though I'm extremely physically fit, well groomed, well dressed etc.). Then I started wondering why I don't feel attractive and came up with these: -I've been called ugly before -I'm not incredibly charming, flirtatious, or extroverted (especially around women) -I've never been given a reason before to feel that I'm physically attractive to women -I've never had success on dating apps Now, I'm very clear that even if I'm not super physically attractive, I can still attract women. I know that I can be attractive in many different ways, and in fact I do think that I'm attractive and could attract women based on other aspects of myself. However, the bottom line is that if I'm talking to a girl, it's hard for me to be confidently flirtatious because in the back of my mind I have this underlying feeling that she simply doesn't find me physically attractive. I want to make it clear that I'm perfectly sociable, interesting, and for the most part actually rather confident in most areas of life. I just simply don't think of myself as handsome or good looking and that is preventing me from being confident around women. Does anyone have some practical tips on how to solve this issue I'm faced with? It seems like I need to re-program my subconscious in some way. Or is it more of a "stop caring what people think" type of thing? Any video recommendations of Leo's library or just general advice would be appreciated

@Username I've actually thought about this scenario before but fear I'd actually end up judging myself more lol. I don't really judge myself because I've grown and matured and have come to terms with who I am for the most part (obviously I still have some limiting beliefs and what not), but when I used to smoke weed pretty regularly late in high school, I would always judge myself very badly, sometimes to the point of tears, when I'd be high looking at myself in the mirror. However, I was also pretty depressed during that time period so I never think like that anymore.

@Leo Gura Meditating for one hour a day is basically what I do. Would you say that I'm just wasting my time doing that? Is it even worth it if that's all I really do? I'm asking because maybe I need to start meditating more every day, or perhaps incorporate other practices. I am in no position to take a 30 day solo retreat any time soon. I've been watching your channel for years, and although my life has certainly improved, it's gotten to the point where I'm disappointed in myself for the overall lack of action I've taken during this time, and I finally want to change this. Sure I meditate here and there, but I'd be lying if I said I've been giving it my all. It's honestly hard when you are young, there are just dozens of distractions at every corner.

@aurum I'd say fear definitely plays a part. Mostly I think a fear that I will not enjoy what I commit myself to. I've already made this mistake in university where I studied finance and really didn't take it seriously or enjoy it, although I got great grades and it has now led me to a decent entry-level job. Also, when I think of some of the most marketable and useful skills out there such as web development, coding, graphic design, photography or whatever else, the majority of these just simply don't get me excited. That's why I'm wondering if I'm being too romantic and dreamy about the situation and maybe just need to pick something and go for it.

@Yarco Yes, I actually feel that it's becoming a trap and I'm becoming very concerned! I love learning but I can clearly see now that if I don't actually do anything with the knowledge I gain I'm not going to progress anywhere. And actually, the gut feeling that continues to come back to me is to do exactly what you mentioned; to focus on one or two areas of the topics I mentioned and find a medium to break things down in a digestible and fun way. In fact, I even dipped my toes into that already. I started a YouTube channel with an initial plan of literally going through the entirety of philosophy, covering every major philosopher to have ever lived and break down their core ideas into fun, 5 minute animation videos. I will link to one I made that you can check out. It's not great, but I actually really enjoyed the process of making it. However, like very often I've done in my life, I keep quitting. Maybe I just have to give it a shot and stick to it.

@Leo Gura Why are psychedelics not external stimulation then? Arnt you using something external to stimulate your consciousness

I can't stop thinking about how the election would have gone if it was Bernie v Trump. So many leftist media outlets such as TYT and Kyle Kulinski really believe that the vast majority of the country holds leftist positions and would have voted that way. I'm just not so convinced. Is it actually true that most Americans support things like Medicare for all, free education, and higher minimum wage? Or would they have been too unsure to stick their neck out and vote for such radical change, even if Trump was the opponent? How would have mainstream media handled the situation? Who would they back? It's so interesting to think about because it's nearly impossible for me to imagine a scenario where Bernie would have actually gotten the nomination. Wow, as amazing as that would have been, he was just never, ever going to get the support of his party. Because Trump is such an extreme example, maybe an even better gauge would have been Bernie v Biden, without all the other candidates pulling their shenanigans.

@Leo Gura Yeah, too bad there are millions of those kinds of people who exist. Do you think the only way to have a chance of implementing policies that fall under the social democracy umbrella is to create more political parties? Or do you think that the Democratic Party itself will come around one day? I feel the only way the Dem Party starts taking those ideas seriously is more conscious people start to slowly take power over the years. I feel the only way to overcome the corporatism that exists is an eventual embodiment of higher values.

@roopepa Yeah, that's because conservative media have no intention of providing any nuance in their political commentary and analysis whatsoever. It would be much more effective to ignore any variations and degrees within leftism and rather just label anyone who votes democrat or leans left as a socialist or communist. It's absurd how brainwashed people are. I know several people who really think we are going to turn into Venezuela because Biden has now been elected. Imagine thinking you can just plop your fat ass on a sofa, turn on fox news, and all the sudden you know what's going on within the country. What I've come to realize is that understanding politics takes a lot of work, a lot of reading of different philosophies and history and so forth. If I had one wish for the American people, it would be that they become enthusiastic and active in constructing their political views, rather than just blindly following whatever mainstream media feeds you.

@Hardkill Yeah but if Bernie's policies weren't so radically progressive he would be Joe Biden

I really love reading about a very wide variety of subjects because I enjoy gaining a broader understanding of reality and dipping my toes in as much as I can while I'm here. Lately I've been trying to read about some of the greatest philosophers who have lived and as I was sat here reading I began wondering if it's just a waste of time. I am genuinely curious about what some of the greatest minds to have ever lived have to say about how they think societies should be structured, what the purpose of life is, what reality is fundamentally made out of etc... but I've become such a firm believer that direct experience is the only real mechanism of truth that when I read about Spinoza's metaphysics for example I'm sat there wondering "Well where did he even come up with this stuff, aren't these all just ideas?" All these philosophers are super interesting and had interesting ideas, but they were just ideas, weren't they? Am I just better off spending my time actually trying to obtain direct experience? Or is there actual value in reading and contemplating some of the great minds like Plato, Kant, Nietzsche, Voltaire, Lock etc... I find philosophy most interesting when there are bits of the teaching that seem non-dual and spiritual, such in the case as Pythagoras, Plotinus, Parmenides and probably some others.

I'm 22 and have also recently been reading a ton of financial related material. I'll briefly explain what I've learned and what my plan is. Firstly, I just got my first full-time job with one of the largest corporations on the planet. It's just an entry level position, so although my salary is by no means amazing, it's definitely a great start. I still live at home with my parents, and intend to for maybe another year or so. My main goal is to pay off my remaining student loan debt ASAP, of which I have about $16,000 left. I already made large payments before interest even started accumulating. If you have large debt, especially credit card debt, I advise you prioritize getting rid of that asap. Also avoid debt, especially credit card debt at all costs going forward. I switched my savings account to a high yielding online savings account. The interest rate is pretty low, but still one of the highest around. I've built an emergency fund of about $5,000. I keep my spending very minimal and cut off buying shit I do not need. Also stopped eating out so much. I'm gonna try to live a minimalist lifestyle going forward. I opened up a Roth IRA and have already invested $1000 into it. So whenever I get paid, I transfer probably 80% of my paycheck to my savings, which I then either use to pay off debt or put into my Roth. I am eventually also going to open a taxable investment account with Vangaurd which I will use to ONLY invest in Index Funds. I don't think trying to pick individual stocks is a good use of time or even necessary to be successful in the market. I am using the fact that I still live at home and have basically 0 expenses as a massive opportunity to accumulate a lot of money I will use to invest and pay off debt. Aside from an occasional meal or night out with friends, I don't spend money. Books I highly recommend: "Personal Finance in Your 20's and 30's For Dummies", "The Simple Path to Wealth" YouTube channels: Nate O'brien, Investing with Rose, Marko Whitboard Finance

@Thewritersunion Really? Do you know when? Will it be on YouTube? God Tim Pool is an idiot. You know the funniest thing about him is he used to call himself a Bernie supporter and a liberal. I don't know if he still claims that though.

@Husseinisdoingfine This link isn’t working but I’d really love to see this list!

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I've started taking meditation seriously again and have been reading a book about Kriya Yoga and have been watching some videos too and have really started to ask myself why I'm even doing this, and I feel I've run into a problem. At this point in my life, I'd be lying if I said that understanding the nature of reality, or God, or myself, or whatever, is really a top priority or interest of mine. I mean sure, pondering that life as I know it is some kind of illusion and that Truth is right there for me to discover, hidden in plain sight is surely interesting (and definitely scary), but not as interesting as wondering what it would be like to have a girlfriend or travel around Europe. I feel I'm mainly practicing spirituality and spending time reading and listening to various spiritual topics for a few reasons. Firstly, I obviously find it incredibly interesting. Secondly, I feel that I'm doing it selfishly because I want some sort of inner peace and state of calmness at all times, and I think that having that calm and peaceful state of mind will help me in my life. It's sort of a practice to improve and develop myself rather than a desire to have deep and profound insights. The main reason, however, is that at this point, I would feel guilty not to. I've learned so much and have invested so much time over the past few years mediating and doing other spiritual activities. I mean here I am on a Saturday night where all my friends are hanging out and drinking and doing other fun things and I'm refusing to engage because I'd rather sit in my room and meditate and read. Some of that is surely down to me feeling guilty if I went out and wasted my time doing stupid shit, but I actually think it's mostly because I simply have no desire to anymore, which perhaps means I've been growing. I don't really think I have a question, just wanted to share my thought. Actually, is this even normal? Should I feel guilty about meditating for selfish reasons? I really feel that I'm growing as a person. My priorities, values, and activities I engage in have changed, and for the better. However, I'm just questioning if they've changed for the wrong reasons...

I've been really struggling with this lately but throughout the last 5 years I've had many off and on phases with porn. The most I've gone was in my first year of college and I did not masturbate or watch porn for 3 straight months as a sort of experiment. Can't even imagine going that long now but it was definitely interesting. One of the cool things was that after a while, it really did feel like my brain was re-set. An entire week would go by and the thought of porn and jerking off wouldn't even cross my mind. So that was pretty nice. Also, this may sound untrue or like I'm bullshitting, but I seriously swear to God that at no point in my life did I receive more attention from girls than those 3 months. And I basically never receive much attention from girls so I was in absolute shock. I would just be walking down the hall at university and there were so many girls I remember who would look at me and smile. I really can't explain it, but I did feel more confident and just had this swagger in my step that girls noticed I think. Being home basically all day every day since this whole COVID thing makes it much harder. Plus I just got a job where I'll be working virtually from home so I really couldn't imagine going anywhere close to 3 months again.

I would have loved nothing more than to see Bernie on that stage instead of dipshit. He would have actually gone after Trump, and probably hard too. Biden was way too defensive and passive.

I've been seeing stuff online, mostly Kim Iversen if you guys are familiar with her YouTube channel, and even know a few people like my cousin who claim to be progressives and supported Bernie but actually think another 4 years of Trump would be good. I'm sure you guys have seen this stuff before, maybe even talked about it on the forum. They basically think that by all progressives voting for Biden we would prove to the Dems they don't really need to pander to us and can keep focusing on winning over Republican voters and obeying their donors etc. Kim was saying if Biden wins, mostly by winning over many "never-Trump voters", and the Republicans nominate a regular plain old classic conservative in 2024 then the Dems will continue to move even more to the right to try to win over those voters. Some people like my cousin just want to see 4 more years of Trump so all hell would break lose and America would burn and continue to collapse so the Dems would have no choice but to start listening to progressive demands. I happen to think progress just happens slowly and honestly it's not like all these boomer scumbags like Biden and Hillary and the rest are gonna be around much longer. I feel that my generation is a different breed, and in 30 years when my generation is in power and I'm around 50 I think America will be a different, and better place. I could be wrong, I don't know really but this kind of seems obvious to me. The fact that a so-called "progressive" really has to sit there and think about whether they should vote for Biden or TRUMP is retarded as shit to me. But hey. My question is this though: What is a really good counter-argument to people who hold this view? Why are they wrong in thinking 4 more years of Trump is better for the progressive movement than a Biden victory?