UnbornTao

Yes, wanting to know.

Yes, you might be talking about a sense of meaninglessness. Grasp that purpose and meaning are created by you. See this as a liberating fact. You're free to create the purpose of your life! Wow, what an opportunity. It could be said that reality transcends meaning, which allows freedom to enjoy life as desired, with or without meaning. Holding the future as a positive thing is also incredibly useful. Take small actions towards your goals. That in itself makes one hopeful for the future. This is an opportunity to realize how each of us can consciously make a constructive purpose for our own individual lives.

If not in the United States, where else?

Ok, my bad. I must admit your post was a useful contribution imv.

Peter has mastered martial arts and contemplation so it'd be wise to listen to him.

A profound level of honesty should be a key element in any intimate relationship. The tolerance I have for lying is very low. I wouldn't even think about starting or keeping a relationship with a liar and/or manipulative woman. That's why people like some of us are perpetual hermits lol

This cosmology is weird and problematic. I wouldn't think like that.

It was said half-jokingly since I found your explanation a bit convoluted. But hey, you're right in that I ended up oversimplifying what you meant to say in an attempt to clarify it, both for myself and others. One communication style I generally prefer is being grounded and clear, that is, without jargon nor intellectualization. That seems to be an element required for communication to take place. I guess this is another avenue for individual contemplation. @Yimpa yep, that might be true. don't know about that.

@Schizophonia real food provides a plethora a compounds, plus fibre, etc. By eating, say, too many oysters, you may as well increase your zinc levels and so the difference would be negligible compared to taking a Zinc supplement. However, oysters provide more nutritional value than that. Whole foods are greater than the sum of its parts. As far as I know, science doesn't yet fully know how such intricate synergies and relationships between food's compounds work and how they affect the human body. in any case im talking out of my ass. better do the research and ask a nutritionist. Ok, then.

So you calmed down and became more present?

I think I read about whole foods being nutritionally greater than the sum of its parts. Compounds interact in synergistic and complex ways, influencing things like absorption, etc. Taking an isolated supplement doesn't have all of those synergies between compounds, fibre, etc. Between eating a kiwi and merely supplementing vitamin C, there might be a world of difference. Ask one of the forum's nutritionist, @Michael569.

That's not true, either. It's better to leave one's nature as currently unknown, which it is, and simply admit that. What's left for us to do is being open and dwelling on the question with the intent to discover what's true now. And repeat until you do.

All of that is bullshit. It's neither. Mind's attempt to grasp the absolute will always fail. The absolute's already the case, so being afraid is silly in this regard. In other words, maybe your nature is and has always been formless; you just confused it with yourself. Short of direct consciousness, being open is the best one can do. So contemplate.

You answered too quickly

I've heard that being directly conscious is truly self-validating; unlike knowledge, it's direct, not up to interpretation, guesswork or conviction. With direct consciousness, you're in the same "place" as consciousness. You might be over-intellectualizing the matter when a solution would be having several enlightenments.

At the beginning of a relationship, a show might be put on by both parties in order to feel mutually liked. In any case, be honest primarily with yourself and deal with others intelligently. Question what that would look like for you. What if you give up the need to please others? What's behind that drive? Why is it there? Recognize it as founded on certain self-assumptions in order to get free from them. Experientially grasp why this behavior is neither necessary nor useful. I know that this doesn't say much but maybe take a look into it.

Geez, stop overselling water already.

Didn't he basically put an end to philosophy? He stated that perception can't be a direct knowledge of reality, and that perception and the mind can't be trusted as the ultimate "proof" for claims of existential truth.

What cosmology are you holding that makes you think in such a way? The absolute is not grandiose, huge, inaccessible or any other distinctions because they are relative. It's impossible for the mind to grasp, and its nature isn't separate from you. Whatever you're aiming for is an image, idea or conception that you have of it.

What's sentience?

Becoming directly conscious of the absolute truth of you. Nothing more, nothing less.

Through this forum. Someone mentioned him on some thread I was visiting.

Dan Koe. His work is inspiring. He talks about solopreneurship and seems to be pretty passionate about this field. Worth a read.

A fact often overlooked is that taking a decision is a creative act. You make a decision. You don't somehow stumble upon it -- "here, I found a decision on the road" or some such. Besides, the process of making a choice isn't what we hold it to be, which is picking or choosing between a set of predetermined options. This way of thinking leaves the creative component out of the question. When taking action, making decisions is essential. You have no choice in the matter. Choosing not to decide is something you can do. Look at ways in which you've unconsciously made a decision in your life. Now, notice you can change it according to what you want. Make the process explicit, clear, conscious, especially when it comes to important decisions.

@zurew @Carl-Richard thanks. Ultimately, it seems to me like wisdom is an abstract, wide notion that depends on how it's held by each individual.