RichardY

"I'm not feeling nothing, nothing at all."

"Water? What do you mean by that? I don't understand it." This is what a fish would say if it had a human mind.~Eckhart Tolle The quote is a reference to being in sync with the moment (an actuality/being), "The Power of Now" and not to draw out towards infinity, a potentiality. The book mostly is about the accumulation of psychological junk(time/past history - "his story") and making more conscious neurotic emotions, to let go of what is not healthy.

You can read philosophy, but are you doing philosophy or is it doing you? At any rate, it will alter the way you think, even if it is just packing on more brain cells devoted to verbal reasoning. I found that listening to philosophy, psychology and literature in the background is an effective way to ween myself off video games, a major addiction(no joke). "Because it has something... that you don't have, Max. It has a philosophy, and that is what makes it dangerous."

@Dodo If you say so, I thought it was an interesting video. "To be or not to be" I guess.

What exactly is compassion? Looking at the etymology it means to "suffer with". But, why would you want to know someones suffering or pain, is that even possible. Perhaps to have compassion for one, is to have compassion for all. But to not have it and act like you do, is apocalyptic, maybe like that movie "The Seventh Sign".

I have heard that the essence of music is mathematical and it is not universal. I think mathematics is expressed via inductive reasoning similar to divination(or an Unconscious process) or Plato's theory of recollection. The laws of Physics in contrast are intended to be universal and are deductive in their application.

@How to be wise I think drawing a comparison between yourself and others is not a way, of going about finding "your" True Self.

I just go with reality being the imposition of measurement and tend to think of Real Estate. Alternatively is the Kelvin system of temperature anymore real than Celsius or Fahrenheit?

Uhmm Positive Affirmations... "Strength and Honour". Gladiator. Or Perhaps "Give/Lead us, not into temptation" Christianity. Visualisation. "Three weeks from now, I will be harvesting my crops. Imagine where you will be, and it will be so. Hold the line! Stay with me! If you find yourself alone, riding in the green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled. For you are in Elysium, and you're already dead!" "Brothers, what we do in life... echoes in eternity." Kind of a Stoic vibe, about it. Maybe some kind of foundation is essential first though, whether a value and/or moral system. Whether that's instilled Militarily, Civicly, Religiously or self-imposed ubermensch.

@Joseph Maynor Had a few additional thoughts, might be going off topic a bit. I find looking at the etymology of words often helps with comprehension. So with advice(to See) or Teach(to Show). I think the trick is more on the perceiving end, rather than the seeing side. So some form of value system, to direct your perceptions. If you don't share values, respect is not possible. Personal Development - Why need Personal Development or why wouldn't you need it? Would P.D appeal much to an Amish, Amazonian or African Tribesman? I think people in the West and maybe now in the East are often fragmented by how rapidly society has developed technologically. Self-improvement. Or Self Destruction? I guess with gaining muscle you have to break down fibres before new ones will grow, so you lose before you gain. Maybe the same can be said for mental faculties, I wonder what the best way of breaking down neurons, without ageing the body, perhaps meditation. The Edge- I thought that Charles (Anthony Hopkins) was subtly cynical in that film(but in many films he is), often see in films many actors getting role or typecast. Part of Charles's experience was that he never knew anyone to really have changed as a person. But he sees that in Alec Baldwin's character, after he wanted to kill Charles at the Cabin and talking to him later on the canoe. Was thinking of the other video Leo did recently on "Learning = Behaviour Change". Change for me would imply creativity, which occurs when a person is not consciously thinking(Rational going in a circle), but consciously aware, partly inspired by listening to J Kishnamurti on Youtube. Interesting the word learning is also related to the word lore. I also heard in a Jordan Peterson lecture, that one of the reasons researchers think people have consciousness, is that their "neurotic circuits are permanently on".

Interesting. Not just to ask, but to experience as well though, imho. Question - Quest.

@Nahm No idea really. Intuitively sounded right to me for some reason, though perhaps other cultures and religions have better expressions for the limits(Logos?) that can be said in words.

The meaning and purpose of dancing is the dance. Like music, also, it is fulfilled in each moment of its course. You do not play a sonata in order to reach the final chord, and if the meanings of things were simply in ends, composers would write nothing but finales. Alan W. Watts

Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Matthew 7 19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. 20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Ecclesiastes 3

Makes me think of the Movie "The Edge" with Alec Baldwin and Anthony Hopkins.

@shahryar John Taylor Gatto. New York Teacher of the year 3 times. Suggest that people read autobiographies when they are young so they are able to build up hundreds of ideas from people with successful and unsuccessful career moves. Hold public social events so people can communicate better in a community. What are your ideas?

"I know that I know nothing" All the following Speculative and disjointed. Is it possible to believe without knowing? Faith. In a funny way atheists believe without knowing, without knowing that they believe. Annoyingly I believe in God, but do not know God(perhaps nothing) and this angers me greatly, though I do not why. To refute is to believe, but not necessarily know. Is it possible to no longer believe in a thing, but know it. People believe in pain or suffering, I think it maybe possible to no longer believe, but know. Such a phenomena may be expressed in an outer body experience. Noble Truths. Truth of Suffering. Cause of Suffering. End of Suffering. Path out of suffering. Qualia So the mind draws qualitative distinctions. But why should the mind have to draw qualitative distinctions in a particular way? Couldn't it be other ways. Who's to say what looks blue to you looks pink to me? Culturally there are differences in the preferences of colour. Transcendental Morality "Egoism is the very essence of a noble soul." Nietzsche. Perhaps to study the ego, to nail it down and by accomplishing such a feat, transcend. Fire; hot burns. Fear of fire. Fear of the unknown. Reflex action. Ability to override. To embrace the unknown. To embrace darkness. But not to become one with it. 13 “Go in through the narrow gate. The gate that leads to destruction is broad and the road wide, so many people enter through it. 14 But the gate that leads to life is narrow and the road difficult, so few people find it. Matthew 7 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Matthew 4 Maybe there are some Buddhist or Daoist passages that say similar things.

Is this kind of like Shallow Hal or Toy Story? Maybe something like Jungian Archetypes. It's not just the "word" or the "game" Troll or even God. But an actual embodiment of a living personality within and without a person. The Beatles and Steve Jobs were kind of successful or Socrates and his Daemon(or Troll). I guess the dynamic plays out at more local levels, flying witchdoctors. "When the Cat is away the Mice will play."

@shahryar There are as many jobs, as there are desires.

Don't Trolls turn to stone in daylight?

I guess trust plays a part. I wonder what the difference is between trust and naivety.

Yes. If you have everything, you have nothing.

Guy equivalent.

@onacloudynight If you say you don't care about anything, you do care. What were you studying?

"Competition is a Sin" John D Rockefeller. "To sin is to miss the target." Jordan Peterson Tortoise and the Hare. Aesop Fables. Why would the tortoise compete, it does what it does and yet it succeeds. Why do clothing stores locate in the same area and not block all the other clothing stores?