EnlightenmentBlog

Is the back of your head real? Is the reflection of the back of your head on the mirror real? Is the world real when you close your eyes?

You're not the one that dreams your life. Here you go, I fixed it for you.

I've stuggled with perfectionism myself. My suggestion is somewhat unconventional, but you judge for yourself. Ask him to make mistakes DELIBERATELY. WITHOUT CORRECTING THEM WHEN POSSIBLE. That should make him more comfortable. In the long term. Examples: Spill a drink deliberately. Say "NO" next time when sb asks you a favour, whatever it is. Make a grammar or punctuation error in your next work presentation. Use a swear word, etc. Start small and work up. The idea is to brake the habit. I know it's tough. All the best.

There are books and videos on speed reading. It boils down to a couple of techniques. You can research that. Basically, you're always looking for the information you need. You can only read a couple of chapters, or underlined/bolded segments. You skip past the parts you know or wouldn't use and get to the juicy ones.

Don't waste the looks

I'm not on the "Love-bus" either. I understand what Leo and others try to explain logically, but I haven't awakened to it. That doesn't mean I don't keep an open mind and I won't accept it if it turns out this way. Don't close your doors. Be open-minded. Just entertain this as a possibility.

That's smth I struggle with myself. In the workplace and in life you have to know how to "sell" yourself. I may be more hardworking and motivated but there are always people who can talk their way into anything. They know how to push the right buttons and build rapport. So next time sb is up for promotion, bosses immediately think of this person that has left an impression on them. You've probably met some people like these. They are smooth as hell and subtle so it doesn't come off as bootlicking. I could never do that. From what I read you've been with them for a long time, so they certainly value you. This non-profits have a big turnover(usually), so any people that stick certainly stand out. I don't know how professional your relationship with your boss(es) is, but my advice would be to become more like friends with them. It does sound strange, but it could be smth small like "How is your day going?", "How's the family?", etc. If you find out smth that you both do, use it in conversation, these sorts of things. When you brake the ice, you can ask them "Listen, I've been a part of this organisation for a long time and I value the work we're doing. Do you think I'm doing good here?" or smth along these lines. The key is to sound casual and non-intrusive. I suck at these things, but there are people I know and have seen and they can really nail these things. It's like second nature to them. But you can always learn. Don't give up. You've got this!

You're in a very tight position. Being the middleman is an ungrateful occupation. You have to juggle everybody's expectations and fit them together like the pieces from 10 different puzzles. If smth goes wrong, you take the blame. If you succeed, nobody notices. I see that it suits you quite well, though. IMO, you have to take small steps every time and feel the new territory. Try smth out, if it works, keep at it. Try smth else, there's a backlash, tone it down. That doesn't mean you should give up. Just try it out another time, working your way up. People can be quite stubborn, but time loosens them up. You can just make a simple comment or suggestion. It may not be welcome now, but if you repeat it over time the person may grow to like it. That's like planting seeds for future harvest. Wish you all the best and all the luck! Persistence is key

YES! PS: I don't think it really matters how you phrase it. Just keep at it.

I don't think there's a final excuse. You can always come up with anything when you don't want to do something. The "Why-the-fuck-not" one is rather lame and lazy, but does the trick. Drop that. Find smth you are interested in. You strike me as more as a doer type of guy. Go get that girl. Pick-up could be just the thing for you. Go talk to some girls and feel your blood pumping.

@Bestyle2209 Nice. Thanks. Will give it a look.

That's really cool. I don't know if any of these qualify, but what about "Fear and How to manage it", "Psychology of Sex", "Introverted vs Extroverted", "Gaming and Psychology", "Link between psychology and upbringing/region/age group/etc". Wish you all the luck.

I just want to point out a simple conclusion. If everything is predetermined, then your post, all the answers and mine too, could not have been any other way. Your reasoning and everything you do after checking out my answer is exactly how it is supposed to happen. Your desire to break free or your desperation from not being able to choose for yourself are also predetermined. Even if you don't try, your inaction will still be predetermined. So it doesn't make a difference. I hope it's predetermined that you understand me.

Find a summer job, go out with friends, generally spend less time home.

Haha nice

Go read some conspiracy theories. Perhaps the most outragous things you can ever come across. Otherwise, some of the things I can recommend to you personally: We live in a deterministic multiverse, where every single thing that can happen will happen. Or we live in a computer simulation, created by an alien student that got F on his project. Or any creationist theory out there different from the Big Bang. Past lives/ghosts/psychic abilities are real. Or anything that modern science deems spiritual BS. You don't know how to properly breathe, shit, have sex. Or anything that a person regularly does. Capitalism is a non-sustainable economic model. Democracy is the best voting system, cos we don't have a better one. Or any pollitical ideology that people live in today. Green energy is not for mass usage. Nuclear power is the future. Go watch documentaries. They cover literally everything. There's VICE, you can watch it in youtube. They cover a lot of outrageous stuff. Like boys practicing sex on donkeys, civil war in third world countries, strange addictions like eating sand, loving balloons, having a (financial) dominatrix, etc, drug dealers and their operations, livestyles of rich people. I've seen some fucked-up shit. If this doesn't do the trick, hardly anything can.

In school we used to joke "Repetition is the mother of knowledge and the father of stupor". This was the best translation I found online. I guess this rephrases Einstein's "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result". In this case the best solution would be to just ignore her. Answer to people who show an interest in this.

Something similar is happening to me as well. Remember the 10 000 hours rule - the amount of time to truly become a master at smth. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. In the end, this is a powerful motivation. Just keep reminding yourself you're a beginner and you can't have high expectations. Plan your day beforehand and try to stick to it. Assign priority to every task so you know what is important to you.

You better. There are lots of mindfucks and identity crises on this path

Haha. @Insightful27 Anything that involves using your hands and/or body. Some odd hobbies are wood carving, stone throwing, puzzle solving(like the ones you see on youtube), origami, magic tricks ...

It's never a good idea to go on long hikes alone. The recommended number of people is 4. If smth happens to one of the group, 2 go to get help, one stays to keep company. If you do go out alone, try to follow the designated paths and carry a fully charged phone. I think loud noise makers are more efficient when coping with wild animals.

I'm just writing to point smth out. There's nothing wrong with having an existential crisis. On the contrary, it might be just what you need. This might be your awakening. Who knows?

Great for you man. Every realisation is its own little awakening. I'll play the devil's advocate here. As others have pointed out, your POV is also imaginary. If you imagine your POV, you can imagine others' POV. Or stop imagining others' POV. Or stop imagining your POV. If your POV is real, why can't others' POV be also real? Something for your next contemplation session. Not saying I'm right. After all, I'm just your imagination.

I got your back, brother. How do you make caramel custard? Will I go blind when staring at the sun for a long time?

To quote our familiar source: "You're damned if you do, you're even more damned if you don't" - Jed, or smth along these lines.