Bodhi123

It is called Plato's Allegory of the Cave. It is from Plato's Republic. Here is a link to a PDF version: http://www.michaelbaur.com/teaching/PlatoCave.pdf It is very interesting and illustrates how reality can be misinterpreted.

@Lynnel It sounds like a self-esteem issue to me. I would highly recommend reading Six Pillars of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden. The book will help you understand the components of self-esteem and how to raise your own.

I can relate to your situation because I studied business administration before switching my major to psychology. I have a bachelor’s degree (4-yr. degree) in psychology. My recommendation is go with option 1. The 25k debt is an investment in a career that will bring you fulfillment and happiness. I also wouldn’t worry too much about your age you have a lot of life to live. My last piece of advice is this: Make sure you are 100 % committed to putting in the time and effort it takes to get the Masters Degree in psychology. If it is your dream to become a psychotherapist it is MANDATORY that you get a graduate level degree in psychology (at least this is the case in the US) It is your life @Timotheus be true to yourself.

It is funny because once you see "the truth" you can't unsee it

I think you answered this question for yourself Roles that originate from a place of authenticity are okay. This means you have integrity

@Callum A Thank you for sharing your insights and understanding. It has helped me

I agree with this insight because it is correct. My question for you is this: How do you reconcile this insight as it pertains to the struggles of others while maintaining your compassion? It seems like this insight could lead some people to become cold and callous.

@Callum A I understand your insight and I appreciate its validity. However, I am questioning its relevance and significance in this world. You know… I’ve heard before that all suffering is illusion. Suffering is deemed an illusion because it is the ego that suffers. Since the ego itself is an illusion the suffering is considered irrelevant. However… just because there is Ultimate Reality does that necessarily render all suffering null and void. I welcome all feedback.

Obsession is never a good thing. Let it go.

@Callum A I see a flaw in your realization that “good and bad are only relative and not absolute” We live in the RELATIVE world. Hear me out… I live in California. There is a dam in California that is not structurally sound and may possibly give out and flood the town of Oroville. If this would to happen most people would say that is “bad”. In this scenario, if I was to tell the people of Oroville quit crying this event is not “bad” because “bad” does not exist at the absolute level. They would think I’m an asshole.

I wouldn’t recommend that you label yourself as “unhuman”. You are a human that has suffered some trauma which has led to a pattern of negative thinking that fuels the negative emotions. I would recommend that you begin to recognize the negative thoughts (e.g. I’m unhuman, I’m a horrible person, I don’t believe in myself, I can’t change, etc.) and REJECT them. Do not focus on these thoughts. Let them pass as quickly as you can. @blacksapp You have positive feelings within you at this very moment. The problem is you don’t feel them because they are covered up by your depression. This is why meditation would be helpful. Meditation will help quiet your mind… when your mind is quiet (not thinking) you will find that you feel peaceful. Embrace this peace.

@blacksapp Life is rough bro, sometimes it can knock you on your ass. Unfortunately it seems like you’ve been going through a tough time for a while. I looked over your previous posts and it seems like you’ve gotten some good advice in the past about how to address your depression: 1) Meditation 2) Mindfulness 3) Implement healthy habits 4) Create a positive vision of your life This is all great advice and I agree and support it. I’ve gone through a bit of depression myself and for me the hardest part was seeing through the “darkness”. It seems like things will never get better. This is not true. The only new advice I can offer you is: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF Believe you deserve to be happy and loved. Believe you have what it takes to improve your life. Believe that it is possible. Believe with all of your heart that good times will be yours again… because it is true.

@SLICKHAWK It's all good bro Watch the video if you haven't already. Alan Watts explains things better than I can.

@SLICKHAWK I'm going to be honest, I kind of had a difficult time understanding your post but I'll do my best to respond appropriately. There are long-term goals that we set for ourselves (i.e. buy house, start a retirement fund ,etc.) then there are sub-goals ( i.e. save a certain amount of money, begin investing, start a business) that lead to the achievement of our long-term goals. We can work at achieving our sub-goals daily... and this is good because as you said each step leads to the next step. However my main point is: enjoy the process of achieving your goals

Was there an event that caused you to feel "unhuman"? Has this feeling of being inhuman gradually overtaken you? Have you always felt disconnected from other people and situations?

@SLICKHAWK Can you please clarify your question: "Can I presume you base it on daily goals?" In regard to your goal of attain financial freedom in one year, I think that is a great goal. My point is don't be upset or disappointed if you haven't met this goal in one year. If you have worked towards your goal and made progress towards it's attainment then be happy with your effort.

I’m going to have to give two responses on the topic of bullying: 1)My instinctual/practical/unenlightened response: STAND UP FOR YOURSELF. DON’T TAKE THEIR SHIT. You can’t be bullied if you fight back. Don’t be afraid to fight. Fight. I’m dead serious. 2)My mature/higher-consciousness response: STAND UP FOR YOURSELF. There is nothing enlightened about letting someone degrade and disrespect you. I understand the point about don’t give people the power to control your feelings, but obviously you are letting people have an impact on your feelings because you state your worldview has become ‘cynical’. Realize your self-worth and value and don’t let ANYONE erode it.

@Captain Flint Self-actualization is about manifesting your full potential. Enlightenment is about realizing your true nature. All of this self-development takes place in a larger context. Politics is part of that larger context. To deny this larger context and to act like it has no impact on your self-development is disingenuous. Politics is not the problem. The hate and fanaticism that it engenders is the problem. An honest discourse about issues shouldn't necessarily lead to an argument. However, I'm of the mindset "don't talk about it be about it." So for those of you that are interested here is a link to a website that will enable you to action: Indivisible Guide

How is it possible for anyone who supposedly has a higher-level of consciousness to be a Trump supporter? Trump's EGO is so large that he is delusional Trump spreads hate and fear Also, the stance that Trump is alright because his policies do not affect me is Bullshit. What about compassion for others? As the world begins to be swayed by hate and fear it is necessary for all of us to look within ourselves and determine where we stand.

@Pallero What is it that you want other people to understand about you? Also, why is it important to you that they have this understanding?

@Pallero I agree with @Life Coach that you hold the answers to your own problems. What is most important is that you understand your own problems because with this understanding you will develop the clarity needed to find the solutions. However, If it is helpful to speak with a mental health professional in order to process your emotions and thoughts then definitely continue with this type of help. Good luck to you and please be kind to yourself.

Play the game for the sake of playing the game!! I do not understand why you have decided that you don't want to play just because you learned about the underlying structure of the game. To me this doesn't make sense. Enlightenment does not exempt you from living. Enlightenment simply empowers you to live more peacefully.

This is a post like many before it. However, this is my earnest attempt at addressing these universal questions... What is the purpose of life? How do I find meaning? What is a life well-lived? I have grappled with these questions and these are my findings. Some background: I am 28 years old. I have no children. I live in California. As a teenager, as is usually the case I was young and dumb. I have since grown and matured and graduated summa cum laude from college with a Bachelor's degree in psychology. I was raised Catholic, but I never really believed in heaven or hell. I have loved and lost. I have made mistakes. I have over-achieved and under-achieved. But ultimately to quote Dante, "Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a dark forest, for the straightforward pathway had been lost." There is the standard way of living: get married, have kids, work at a job, make money, and support yourself and your family. I am aware this a very Western middle-class way of living. What if you were born in a war-torn country, an under-developed country, or a crime-filled city in America without the necessary resources? Nonetheless I tried the standard approach. After college I worked different jobs and have struggled to get by. This led to me asking myself, "Is this all there is? What's the point? Who gives a shit?" This situation plus past unresolved issues led to a type of depression. The thing about depression is it really is like being lost in a dark forest struggling to see the light. Where do you find the strength? What is your source of hope? How do you muster the faith needed to go on? This depression began my search for truth. This search led me to actualized.org, self-actualization, and enlightenment. It has been a couple of years since I've been on this journey and this is what I have realized: It is very important to have the right outlook on life. Thus, it is not helpful to have a materialistic view of life. Because if you truly believe the physical world is all there is and there is no God or afterlife then this life really does seem like a pointless struggle. Thankfully, I no longer hold this view of life. I now believe there is more to life than meets the eye. I believe there is God and we can come to know God by quieting our minds and looking within ourselves. The struggles of life remain, but when viewed within a larger context these struggles lose their potency. Live and keep the faith. Peace.

I've given more thought to this topic (i.e. How to live a life?) because for me this is not an abstract-philosophical question; this is a concrete-practical question that deserves an answer. Let me address the complementary question posed by @FindingPeace : How important is the story of your life to you? My answer is that my story is very important to me. This is because I am intrinsically motivated to fulfill my potential and experience the many offerings this world provides. My motivation is indeed intrinsic, I am not trying to meet anyone else's expectations of me or trying to fulfill some societal norm. To those of you that will remark that my answer is egoic, my response is this: Do not let your pseudo-enlightened thoughts justify your complacency and inaction. Also to those who say something along the lines of "be like a tree and just be"... I feel this is a false equivalency. Trees are literally rooted to the ground there only option is to just be. Humans however have a whole world of opportunity available to them. Now let me make one thing clear, I agree that people should be at peace in the present moment. But being at peace is not the same as doing nothing. So in my opinion life should be characterized by action and the widening of your boundaries. This includes your intellectual, spiritual, experiential, and physical boundaries. I feel this outlook is aligned with the truth of enlightenment. Let me illustrate this point by using a metaphor: A person goes to sleep at night. This person has a dream. The dream involves him walking alongside a cliff and being afraid. All of a sudden the dreamer realizes that he is dreaming and is no longer afraid. Upon this realization the dreamer dives off of the cliff because he knows that in his dreams he can fly. We are all dreamers going through the dream of life. How to live a life? Passionately and unafraid.

@FindingPeace You bring up a critical point. It is important to make a distinction between our 'story' and 'being'. It is when we get caught up in our story that our thoughts and emotions become overwhelming and all-consuming. To be at peace in the present moment no matter the circumstances is successful living. Thank you for this perspective.