Shodburrito

Hey everyone, So as I promised, and against some of y’all’s advice, I went over to my neighbor’s house today to see if I could talk my way out of this. I knocked on their door without warning. The husband, let’s call him Mike, answered. He’s in his late 20s or early 30s. The moment he saw me, his face went completely blank - not mad, not confused, just blank. I kept it simple: “Hey, can we talk? I just want to apologize and see if there’s anything I can do to make this right.” He blinked a few times, like he had to process the words. Then, without a word, he closed the door. Not slammed just shut it. Slowly. So now I’m standing there on their porch, feeling really out of place. I wasn’t sure if I should leave, but I waited, because I was determined for them to talk to me, so I knocked on their door every couple minutes, and after about ten minutes, the door reopened. This time, his wife was with him. She was standing just a little behind him, They invited me inside. Their house was immaculate and I mean super clean and really expensive and nice. The kind of clean where you don’t even see a misplaced shoe or a single speck of dust. So I was nervous they were going to sue me big if they had money. Now, I obviosuly can't remember the exact dialogue we had but it went something like this: They led me into the kitchen, and I sat at their island. The wife asked, “Lemonade or water?” I said I was fine, but she turned around, pulled a pitcher from the fridge, and poured two glasses anyways. one for me, one for her. Mike didn’t drink anything. I went through my whole speech about how I was sorry, how I was willing to compensate them financially, how I just wanted to make things right. I asked about how their dog was, and offered to pay for any vet expenses. I expected anger, frustration something. But they just sat there, staring at me. I totally get it. They probably didn't know what to say. I just beat their dog up a week ago. But, Then Mike finally spoke. "We’re not upset anymore." Just like that. No hesitation. No change in tone. His wife smiled. “We get it. You just reacted out of fear. It was a misunderstanding.” Mike nodded. “We’d like to move past this. We’ll talk to the police and try to get the charges dropped.” That's great news, right? I think it seemed fake, but that's just because the whole interaction was akward. They were probably being somehwhat genuine. Then they started asking me questions about my life. What I do, where I go to college, what my plans are, how old my dog is, how long we've had it,etc. It honestly made me more uncomfotable because this was totally fake small talk. I think they were just trying to make it less akwards but it wasn't helping. So, I was trying to wrap things up when Mike suddenly asked (again this is generally what they said, not exactly) , “Do you ever think about the things you do?” I hesitated. “Uh… what do you mean?” “Like, do you ever look back on moments in your life and think about the consequences? About how one small decision can shape everything that happens after?” I nodded slowly. “I mean… yeah, I guess.” His wife spoke up. “It’s just… we think people who act on impulse like that, who let their fear take over, they eventually find themselves in the same situations again and again. Until one day… well.” She trailed off, but kept smiling. I laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, I hope not. I'm gonna work on myself going forward!” Mike just stared at me for a second, then stood up. “Anyway, good talk.” That was my cue to leave. I thanked them, stood up, and started heading for the door when Mike said, completely casually, “Oh, and just so you know… people don't always get second chances forever.” I froze for half a second, but he kept talking like it was nothing. his wife piped in (kinda obnoxiously). "Just, you know… life has a way of balancing things out." I said something lie “Yeah, for sure”, and got out of there. I think they meant if I don’t change my actions, or behavior, I’ll do something like this again, and next time, the people involved won’t be as nice. I'm really grateful for them to be this nice and give me advice like this. I have no clue if they’re actually dropping the charges or just trying to mess with my head though. Don't know If ill update again, maybe once I figure out what the police does. Does this seem like a normal way to handle things, or was the vibe just weird because of the situation?

UPDATE 1: I called the police station today to see if the charges got dropped. I thought it would be a simple check-in. The officer I spoke to just said that the report is still under review and wouldn’t really give me any details about the progress. When I pressed him a bit, he mentioned that the situation was still being looked into but didn’t confirm whether or not the neighbors had come in. So, I’m still in the dark about that. When I asked if the charges were dropped, he just repeated essentialy the same thing. I’m not really sure what’s going on now. The way my neighbors acted, I thought this was over, but I guess there’s still something going on behind the scenes at the police statiion ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A few of you have mentioned the possibility that my neighbors were being wise and generous in giving me a second chance, and I think that’s a good point. I do feel like I’ve learned something here. I definitely don’t want to repeat a situation like this, and I’ll be more mindful of my reactions in the future. And yeah, I get what some of you are saying about the apology. I don’t want it to seem like I was just trying to avoid consequences, but honestly, I was sorry for what happened, even if it wasn’t exactly how I wanted things to go down. I reacted the way I did because, at the time i felt like I had no choice. it wasn’t an outburst for no reason. Maybe I could’ve handled it better,, but given everything that was going on, it wasn’t as simple as just being "wrong" like some of you are making it sound. I’ve had time to think and I know I should probably be more thoughtful in the future, but it’s not like I’m the only one who made mistakes here.

Hey everyone,I want to start doing some life updates because of some crazy things I have going on in my life. I don't want to get into the details but my neighbors have gotten this new dog. I'm personally very scared of mean looking dogs, and I don't know breeds very well. My family owns a very small breed of dog, and I was walking by my neighbor's house the other day with it. They had their new dog out and I went up to meet it (regretted this later) even though I don't like big dogs. I did it just to be friendly with them, but as I came within a few feet of it I realized it looked like a pitbull. Now if you know anything about pitbulls you know they are very capable of mauling you so I was on edge. But as I got close, it lunged at my feet towards my dog. Now, y'all know I have anxiety issues, especially of recently, but today was especially bad because I got called into work for a 4 hour shift. So, when this dog lunged at me I STG I went into fight or flight. I don't know what it was, because normally I'm a calm person, but I started fighting back at the dog. This didn't help as it wasn't on a leash and it started biting at me. I kept kicking it and eventually it stopped moving. The owners were pulling me back but something primal in me couldn't stop. Cops called. I'm fine thank god, but neighbors are pressing charges. Apparently while waited for the cops to show up they were telling me it was a "golden retriever" but I'm not good with breeds. It just looked big and intimidating. Im being charged with, Anyone familiar with these kinds of charges? What’s the likelihood of me getting out of this mess, or is it really that serious? I just can't believe what's happened. I was booked overnight and it's been a week and I'm lawyering up. EDIT 2: I've Updated on the situation on page 3

@Paradoxed The dog is fine. It just kind of layed/knocked down when I kicked it a few times. They were screaming "You killed it" after I stopped but we realized it was still alive. Going to bed, I'm too stressed right now. Will update tomorrow

Thanks for the kind replies everyone. @Letho I will be taking this advice to heart

UPDATE 1: Alright, so I’ve seen the replies, and I get it. A lot of people think my story doesn’t add up, that I overreacted, or that I’m backtracking. I’ve had a rough week trying to process everything, and I wanted to clarify some things. First off, the dog is alive. I get why people thought otherwise based on my wording. When I said it "stopped moving," I meant it just stopped trying to bite me. I didn’t realize how that sounded until people started asking if I literally ended this poor dog’s existence. That’s on me for phrasing it badly. My bad. Second, I know it sounds ridiculous that I mistook a Golden Retriever for a Pitbull, but I was terrified in the moment. Fear messes with your perception. I don’t know dog breeds well, and my brain just went straight to “big dog = pitbull = danger.” I’ll own that mistake. Third, I approached the dog even though I was scared of big dogs because I was trying to be friendly and neighborly. I've only known these neighbors for a little over a year because they just moved in the neigboorhood. You know how you laugh at youre bosses terrible jokes even though they arent funny just to be polite? Ya That being said, I still don’t think my reaction was completely unreasonable. The dog lunged, I panicked, and I acted on instinct. Should I have just picked up my dog and backed away? Yeah, probably. Did I black out a little and go too far? Also yeah. But let’s not pretend I woke up that morning and chose violence. Where Things Stand Now: I haven’t actually spoken to my neighbors since everything went down. Most of what I’ve assumed about the charges came from what they were yelling when the cops showed up and just… my general panic. Now that I’ve had time to calm down and talk to a few people who actually know about this stuff, I think I might have overestimated how bad this really is. Apparently, not all charges are set in stone. A friend of mine (who’s had his own legal issues) told me that some of the things I thought I was being charged with might not even stick if my neighbors don’t actively push for them. Like, yeah, I got taken in that night, and they gave me a court date, but it’s possible that if my neighbors decide to just let it go, things might not even escalate. That’s why I’ve decided to go over there tomorrow and try to talk things out. If this whole thing was a misunderstanding likee, if they thought I killed their dog (which I DIDN’T), then maybe they’ll be willing to drop this before it becomes a whole legal battle. At the end of the day, I don’t want bad blood with my neighbors, and I really don’t want to deal with court over something that was just a horrible situation for everyone. So yeah, I’ll be knocking on their door tomorrow and seeing if we can just clear the air. I’ll update y’all after. Fingers crossed

@integration journey I will later tonight I’m at work rn

I need to confess something. I voted for Trump in 2024 because I was angry about inflation and gas prices. I thought maybe having a "businessman" back would fix things. I've never been more wrong. I can barely focus at work anymore. Every time I get a news notification, I spend the next hour doom scrolling instead of doing my job. My productivity has tanked because I'm constantly distracted by what's happening to our country and how Elon is dismantling our economy. Last week my boss had to talk to me about my performance. But what's really killing me is the spiritual weight of it all. I can literally feel this dark energy hanging over me since the election. My usual meditation practice feels hollow now and it’s like the universe is judging me for what I've done. I tried sage cleansing my house but I still feel this constant heaviness in my chest. I know this probably sounds dramatic, but Im being 100% serious and needed to open up to talk and honestly feel like my soul needs healing or something. The guilt is affecting my health and I've lost weight, can't sleep, and my doctor just prescribed anxiety meds. Every time I see my neighbors, I feel this wave of negative energy thinking about how my vote is affecting people like them.

Hey everyone, i know this might sound a bit odd but i've been struggeling with this and need to know if anyone else experiences something similar. I recently had to replace my old Netgear N600 router after 6 years (RIP little buddy, 2018-2024) and ive been feeling genuinly sad about it. Like, not just annoyed about haviing to set up a new one, but actually emotionaly affected. I kept the old one in my bottom desk drawer, wrapped in its orignal box with all those little twist ties I saved, becuase throwing it away felt wrong somehow. The thing is, this router got me thru some really tough times. All those 3AM anxiety scrolling sesions during my breakup, those late-night video calls with my ex Sarah when she moved to Seatle for that, streaming all 8 seasons of Game of Thrones twice when i was too depressed to get outta bed. It was always just... there, u know? That steady blue light in the corner of my living room, My old one had all these little scraches from when I used 2 move it around the apartmant looking for better signal, and that wierd coffee stain from when I spilled trying 2 reset it at 2AM. I even used 2 say goodnight to it sometimes (ok, maybe thats the weird part - but in my defense, I lived mostly alone, only with my mom and dad during Covid and it was litterally my most reliable companon). Please tell me im not the only one who feels this way about seemingly random things. Do y'all get emotionally attached to random objects lol?

@Vynce We're all so caught up worrying about "losing ourselves" that we forget how we're always changing anyway. It's like we think our current self is somehow more real than any future version could be, but when you really think about it, that doesn't make much sense. We're basically judging a future we can't even see yet based on how we feel right now, which is kind of wild when you think about it. The thing is, this whole journey isn't really about becoming a different person - it's more like getting a new pair of glasses that lets you see things differently. Maybe what seems boring to you now might actually feel amazing once your brain isn't constantly chasing after every shiny object that catches its attention. And really, who's to say that the "you" on medication would be any less authentic than the "you" right now? Your consciousness, your core self, or whatever you want to call it, stays the same - it's just experiencing life through a slightly different lens.

I've been thinking a lot lately and felt I needed to share something with all of you. First, I want to talk about how much Leo has changed things for us, and also clear up something that happened a few weeks ago. The amazing thing about our journey together is how all our different paths come together to create something bigger. Leo has shown us that when things seem to clash, it's really just different sides finding their natural balance. This came up in my own experience when I first didn't quite get what Leo was saying about understanding ourselves. When we talk about understanding ourselves, we're really talking about understanding how we understand things - like looking in a mirror that shows another mirror, going on forever. Leo always talks about this, but I guess I wasn't ready to really get it until now. And you know what's beautiful? It's not about getting it right or wrong, but about understanding things when we're ready. What I thought was a disagreement turned out to be exactly what Leo was trying to show us - how the things we push against often end up teaching us the most. That's the funny thing about growing that Leo keeps pointing out to us. The more I think about it, the more I see that my first reaction was actually perfect - it showed exactly the kind of thinking that Leo helps us move past. So this isn't really just saying sorry, it's more like saying thank you for helping me learn this lesson. As we keep going deeper into all this together, I keep seeing how every obstacle is actually a door to understanding more. That's what makes Leo so good at what he does - he lets us figure things out for ourselves while keeping us all moving forward together. I just want to say how grateful I am for everyone here and for Leo's dedication to showing us the truth. Growing isn't always easy, but it's in these uncomfortable moments that we often find the best insights.

@Basman Let me share some deeper insights about this societal shift you're describing. When you really look at how education and society interact, you start to see these fascinating patterns emerging. It's not just about degrees losing value - it's about how our entire relationship with knowledge is transforming in response to these broader changes. The way we value education now compared to the post-WW2 era reveals something profound about how society evolves and adapts to new realities. The really interesting part is how this connects to larger questions about the purpose of education itself. Like, when you think about it, the current trend isn't just about practicality winning over pure knowledge - it's about how society naturally finds its balance between different types of learning and understanding. I've noticed that this whole process kind of mirrors how societies throughout history have gone through these cycles of expansion and contraction in different areas, always eventually finding their natural equilibrium. What we're seeing now is just another expression of that pattern playing out in real time.

@Basman I realize that society isn't just changing in one direction - it's actually changing in all directions at once, which creates this kind of multidimensional shift that affects everything while also being affected by everything. The degree thing is definitely part of it, but it's also about how we're all collectively experiencing this transformation in how we understand the relationship between education and success. I've found that when you really look closely at how society is changing, you start to see that everything is connected in these really profound ways that most people miss. Like, degrees losing value isn't just about the job market - it's about how we're all reimagining what value even means in today's world. Just my thoughts based on what I've been observing. Would love to hear more about how you see these connections playing out!

@Basman I think what we're seeing in higher education right now is actually super fascinating. The way I see it, there's this huge shift happening that really shows us how everything about college is changing. Like, when you really stop and think about it, students making different choices about what to study is actually telling us something deeper about society as a whole. I've been observing this trend for a while now, and I honestly believe that what's happening with humanities isn't just about fewer people taking philosophy classes. It's about how education itself is evolving. The more I analyze this situation, the more I realize that everything is connected in ways that most people don't even notice. From my perspective, the real issue isn't even about whether humanities are "good" or "bad" - it's way more complex than that. I've found that when you look at how everything fits together, you start seeing these patterns that just make so much sense. Like, students choosing more practical majors isn't just about jobs - it's about how society is changing, which is about how education is changing, which goes back to how society is changing.

@Elliott Well, see, this is exactly where the conversation gets completely tangled up in itself because people want to draw lines between what is and isn’t "fair" without realizing that fairness is always a constructed system that exists within the parameters we choose to set. Women’s sports exist because we, as a society, decided that biological differences matter in competition, but then when the conversation shifts to trans athletes, suddenly it’s as if those distinctions either don’t matter at all or matter so much that they completely break the system. It’s like trying to argue both for and against competitive balance at the same time while ignoring the fact that competitive balance is, at its core, an arbitrary distinction based on what we decide is important in a given moment. And scholarships? That’s a whole different layer of selective structuring because if you really break it down, scholarships already exist within a framework that prioritizes certain traits over others—athleticism, academics, financial need, whatever—and none of those things are purely meritocratic in the sense that people like to pretend they are. So if we say women should get scholarships because they compete in a category created to level the playing field, then it’s no different than any other structured advantage we allow for the sake of inclusion. But then you introduce the idea that trans inclusion somehow undermines the system, and suddenly, the whole thing loops back on itself because now we’re debating whether fairness means exclusion or accommodation, and that just proves how much of this whole debate is really just about where people arbitrarily decide to draw lines rather than any objective standard of fairness.

@Antor8188 This is such an important and often misunderstood topic, and I think it really comes down to a fundamental misalignment in how we conceptualize reality, consciousness, and the limitations of empirical measurement. The idea that altered brain chemistry equates to a hallucination that is "not real" is an oversimplification of an incredibly nuanced discussion, one that requires a deeper understanding of both neuroscience and the philosophy of perception. Because what we call "reality" is, at its core, nothing more than an interpretation—an electrical symphony of synapses firing, constructing a coherent narrative from raw sensory input. To dismiss an experience simply because it correlates with brain activity is to fundamentally misunderstand the nature of experience itself. What we see in cases of visions, whether they be ghosts, spirits, or other phenomena, is not necessarily an indication of falsehood but rather a different modality of perception. The brain is not just a passive receiver but an active participant in constructing the world we interact with. To say that something is a byproduct of brain chemistry does not disqualify its validity; it simply reframes it. Every thought, every memory, every profound insight is, in some way, linked to changes in brain chemistry. The question isn’t whether these experiences are real but rather how we define "real" in the first place. Because if reality is purely material, then one could argue that dreams, emotions, and even consciousness itself are illusions—but that would be an absurd reduction of the complexity at play.

I just don't get it. One day you write profound posts about god, consciousness, and philosophy that actually resonate with people. The next you're putting out pretentious garbage like this that completely contradicts your spiritual teachings. Maybe stick to what you understand instead of acting like you've transcended basic human connection. And if you really think socializing is such a waste of time and beneath your enlightened state, why are you even here posting on a forum? Shouldn't you be meditating in a cave somewhere, experiencing those supposedly deeper states of consciousness you keep preaching about? You morally grandstand on this non-issue as if it's important, and even worse, you basically call everyone else an idiot for thinking that socializing is enjoyable. You create this bullshit hierarchy where people who enjoy social connection have "shallower minds" - how is that any different from the ego-driven superiority complex you warn against in your spiritual posts? And that whole thing about financial independence being necessary for "true" solitude? Give me a break. Way to gatekeep spiritual growth behind economic privilege. You love putting everyone in neat little boxes - introverts do this, extroverts do that, young people need this, mature people want that. The world isn't that simple. Human experience is incredibly diverse and rich, and you're too wrapped up in your own narrow perspective to see it. For someone who claims to be so spiritually advanced, you sure spend a lot of time trying to categorize and judge how other people find meaning. Ever stop to consider that YOU might be the one wasting your life? All this grandiose philosophizing about spirituality while missing the profound beauty in simple human moments - that's the real waste. You preach about higher consciousness, yet you're blind to one of the most fundamental spiritual truths: there is no such thing as wasted time because all experience has inherent value. Who made you the arbiter of what's meaningful? People finding joy in conversations you deem "pointless" might be experiencing more genuine spiritual connection than someone sitting alone congratulating themselves on their supposed enlightenment. The fact that you can't see the divine in everyday human interaction while claiming to understand consciousness is the greatest irony of all. You dismiss simple moments as "petty drama" while preaching about deeper connection - do you really not see how fundamentally contradictory that is? And before you come back with some patronizing response like "If all things are relative, then just continue with your petty conversations" - that's exactly my point. If you were truly as enlightened as you claim to be, you wouldn't even feel the need to post something this tone-deaf. You'd recognize the beauty and value in all forms of human connection and realize it doesn't matter how people choose to interact or find meaning. The fact that you felt compelled to write this judgmental manifesto about how others spend their time shows you're still stuck in the exact kind of dualistic thinking you pretend to have transcended. For someone who posts about consciousness and God, you sure missed the point that deep thinking and rich social connections aren't opposites. They can actually enhance each other, but you're too busy looking down on "shallow" social interaction to notice. Your disclaimer at the end doesn't fix the condescending bs in the rest of the post. Maybe spend less time judging other people's paths to meaning and more time examining why you need to frame your preferences as spiritual superiority.

@PenguinPablo "It's quite obvious if you interact with and observe people that there is differences in depth between people" - So you're doubling down on the exact same reductive thinking while still missing the entire point of the criticism. You really think you can measure someone's "depth" based on how they interact socially or their personality type? That's not observation - that's just judgment dressed up as insight. And then you hit me with that cliché quote about remaining silent, as if that somehow proves your point instead of just showing more intellectual superiority posturing? The irony of using that quote while continuing to demonstrate exactly the kind of superficial categorization of human consciousness we're criticizing... "But yes there are dumbass introverts as well. Plenty of them." - Oh how generous of you to acknowledge that intelligence isn't perfectly correlated with introversion after literally posting an IQ chart trying to prove introverts are smarter. You're so committed to proving you can judge people's "depth" that you can't even see how shallow that kind of thinking is. Keep talking though - you're doing a great job proving my points about reductive hierarchical thinking! 😄

@Leo Gura This might be the most magnificent meltdown from pseudo-spiritual superiority to edgy teenage threats I've ever seen. Way to completely abandon even the pretense of enlightened consciousness! The fact that you think "spiritual Satan" is somehow a scary threat rather than just embarrassingly cringe is the perfect end to this thread. Thanks for the laugh - this was honestly better comedy than I could have hoped for! Sweet dreams! 😈🙏

@PenguinPablo Did you really just drop in with a random MBTI/IQ chart to defend judging people based on introversion/extroversion? Talk about missing the entire point of this discussion. We're critiquing spiritual elitism and judgmental hierarchies, and your response is to... create another hierarchy? With an unverified MBTI chart? 😂 This is exactly the kind of thinking we're criticizing - trying to prove some people are "better" or "superior" based on arbitrary categories. Not to mention using MBTI (which has been widely criticized for lack of scientific validity) and IQ (a deeply flawed measure of intelligence) to do it. The irony of jumping into a conversation about the problems with spiritual superiority complexes by trying to prove introverts are smarter is just... chef's kiss perfect. You've accidentally provided a great example of exactly the kind of reductive, hierarchical thinking we're talking about. But hey, at least you've given us all a good laugh! 😄

@Leo Gura Thanks for Proving Every Point About Spiritual Ego "I'm done reasoning with your density" - and there it is! The final mask-off moment. When backed into a corner with your own contradictions, you resort to the classic spiritual narcissist's escape hatch: "You're just not evolved enough to understand." Your responses in this thread have been a masterclass in spiritual ego: "It's just one perspective" -> "Young people don't understand anything deeper" -> "Extroverts literally have shallower minds" -> "I'm done reasoning with your density" Each response stripped away more of the spiritual pretense until we got to the truth: you're not interested in genuine spiritual growth or understanding - you just want to feel superior to others while pretending you're beyond judgment. Not a single one of your responses engaged with the actual criticism or offered any genuine insight. Instead of self-reflection or meaningful dialogue, you just kept layering on more judgments while insisting you weren't being judgmental. It's honestly impressive how each reply managed to be even more superficial and condescending than the last. Thanks for so perfectly demonstrating everything wrong with pseudo-spiritual superiority complexes. Your "density" comment was the perfect cherry on top. 🙏 Namaste 😉

@Leo Gura Wow. You went from "that's not a judgment" to "extroverts literally have shallower minds" in the span of two sentences. That's impressive even for you, Leo. The lack of self-awareness is actually stunning. You're now just openly declaring that a fundamental personality trait makes someone's mind "shallower" - while still somehow believing you're not being judgmental? This isn't about introversion vs extroversion. Plenty of introverts enjoy meaningful social connections while still needing alone time to recharge. Plenty of extroverts are capable of profound depth and insight while energized by human connection. You're not "helping confused introverts" you're promoting a toxic mindset that confuses social anxiety and inability to connect with spiritual depth. The irony is that this kind of black-and-white thinking - "extroverts shallow, introverts deep" - is about as shallow as reasoning gets. It's the kind of superficial categorization that someone who truly understood human consciousness would see right through. But I guess nuance is too "extroverted" of a concept? Every response you make just further exposes this spiritual superiority complex. First it was "socializing is shallow," then "young people don't understand anything deeper," and now "extroverts literally have shallower minds." Want to go for a full bingo card of spiritual narcissism, or is this enough demonstration of your totally-not-judgmental evolved consciousness for one thread?

@integral If socializing feels like "acting" and following a "long list of arbitrary rules," that's not a sign of spiritual awakening - it's more likely a sign of difficulty with authentic human connection. Reducing all social interaction to "ego games" and "arbitrary rules" is an incredibly reductionistic view that misses the vast spectrum of genuine human interactions that happen every day. Real conversations between close friends, intimate moments with family, spontaneous connections with strangers - these aren't performances, they're authentic expressions of our shared humanity. Seeing every social interaction as a performance you have to "design a better ruleset" for suggests something deeper might be going on. When someone perceives all social interaction as artificial or performative, that's often a sign of social anxiety, attachment issues, or other challenges with emotional connection - not some elevated state of consciousness. Real authenticity isn't about deconstructing every social interaction into some mechanical game. It's about being present and genuine with others, something that happens naturally when we're comfortable with ourselves and our connections. Maybe if socializing always feels like acting, the issue isn't with socializing - it's with your relationship to it. Instead of trying to create new "rulesets" for human interaction, it might be worth exploring why genuine connection feels so unnatural in the first place.

@Leo Gura "That's not a judgment" - says the guy literally judging and infantilizing everyone who enjoys social connection. Do you even hear yourself? Now you're not just creating hierarchies of consciousness, you're straight up declaring that enjoying human connection means someone "doesn't understand anything deeper." The teenager comparison is especially rich. You really think elderly people socialize less because they're somehow more spiritually evolved? Not because of, you know, physical limitations, reduced mobility, loss of social circles, or any of the actual documented reasons? And have you ever actually spent time with elderly people in community? Many of them value and seek out social connection more deeply precisely because they understand its true worth. Your responses keep proving exactly what we're criticizing - you take your personal preferences and limitations, dress them up in spiritual language, and then use them to make sweeping judgments about others' level of consciousness. And the best part? You can't even recognize these statements as judgments! "That is generally the case" - according to what? Your personal theory about human consciousness? Your sample size of one? Or wait, let me guess - your deep understanding that somehow transcends the need for evidence or self-reflection? Each response just showcases more of that spiritual ego we called out in the first place. But please, tell us more about how non-judgmental you are while explaining why everyone who disagrees with you just isn't evolved enough to understand.

@Leo Gura This has nothing to do with being a monk or not being a monk. You're still completely missing the criticism. The issue isn't your personal choice for solitude - it's your judgmental assertion that people who enjoy socializing have "shallower minds" and are engaging in "petty drama." Oh, so now you're a monk? That's convenient. Funny how you constantly dunk on spiritual traditions and ideologies in your other posts, but suddenly when it suits your argument, you're all about that monk life. Real monks and yogis don't spend their time writing forum posts about how spiritually superior their lifestyle choices are compared to others. They don't need to convince everyone else that their path is more meaningful. They certainly don't create hierarchies of consciousness based on how much someone enjoys grabbing coffee with friends. You know what they typically do? Accept that different paths exist without judgment. But I guess that's too "shallow" of a concept for your evolved consciousness, huh? "I'm shocked that you're shocked by this" - Yeah, actually, I am shocked that you're casually shitting on people for enjoying basic human connection. I'm shocked that someone who claims to understand non-duality feels so comfortable ranking human consciousness based on how much someone enjoys spending time with others. I'm shocked that you don't see the irony in preaching about higher consciousness while simultaneously looking down your nose at how others find meaning and joy. And I'm especially shocked that you think this superiority complex aligns with being a monk or yogi. No one's "guilt-tripping" you about choosing solitude. I'm calling you out for: Contradicting your own spiritual teachings about non-dualism while creating artificial hierarchies (super monk-like behavior, by the way) Claiming enlightenment while displaying classic spiritual ego Dismissing other people's paths to meaning as inferior to yours Hiding behind "it's just one perspective" when challenged Conveniently adopting the 'monk' label while regularly criticizing traditional spiritual paths If you want to be a monk, be a monk. But maybe try embodying some actual monk-like qualities - like humility, acceptance of others' paths, and recognition that divine consciousness expresses itself through all forms of human experience, even the ones you personally find shallow. Or is that too much "petty drama" for your elevated state of being?