The horror of not knowing anything

[LookingForTruth]

So I was meditating and I was questioning what I knew then I was like how does my internal system know anything because it could be incorrect I didn't know if insecurity was insecurity I didn't know if young people were young people and so on keep in mind I am a man in his 40s I have been addicted too stupid low brow entertainment and I have dabbled with actualize.org in the past when I was younger here and there it's only recently I've been taking it more serious and I kid you not this stuff is not a game especially if you have a history with doing activities that are centered around pleasure I don't know but I think the reptilian part of my brain is pulsing in my head or something I decided to take a break for a little while today and watch dumb stuff I tried listening to music but I couldn't even enjoy it and this robotic bird in my head claim to be God and had a level of control with its thoughts like it wasn't triggered to say things like if you told it pink elephant it wouldn't say it anyways I just wanted to express myself here while I'm waiting for my next meditation session

[The Crocodile]

If the bird seems to be a negative influence you can ignore it and it will go away.

Though you could tell it to take on more pleasurable forms.

Like an opposite gender partner.

[James123]

@LookingForTruth @LookingForTruth welcome to real terror. Hahahaha 

You are the biggest enermy yourself

 

[Someone here]

I wish that you actually fully grasp what knowing nothing really Is. If you truly achieve not knowing you will be totally liberated and free and go dance naked under the rain of January. 

The proplem isn't that you know nothing ..the problem is you know but what you know is wrong. 

 

[LookingForTruth]

Hey thanks for all the replies I think you're right someone here I probably did hang on to some knowing I did feel liberated for a little bit but then my mind went wild and James that made me laugh out loud like a madman the crocodile I think I'd rather not play with it it seems dangerous Maybe I want to get to a point where I don't know anything but thanks for the suggestion

[integral]

1 hour ago, LookingForTruth said:

I didn't know if young people were young people

Did you think Gen Z are maybe lizards in disguise? Not to worry it’s a very common mistake.  

[integral]

Deepseek R1 assisted

—

Your reflection captures a profound and often disorienting stage of intellectual and existential maturation—the awakening to epistemology, where the scaffolding of "known truths" begins to unravel. This is not just a phase but a pivotal shift in how we relate to knowledge itself. Here’s a perspective that honors that journey:

---

### **1. Embracing the Unraveling**  
What you’re describing aligns with what philosophers like Socrates (with his “I know that I know nothing”) or Nietzsche (critiquing absolute truths) grappled with: **the friction between certainty and the abyss of questioning**. When unexamined assumptions collapse, it can feel like standing in rubble—but this is where true inquiry begins.  
- **Relativism as a Gateway**: Recognizing truth’s relativity isn’t an endpoint but a catalyst. It opens the door to *critical thinking*: “If my old ‘truths’ were unexamined, how do I rebuild?” This is the heart of epistemology—the study of how we *know* what we know.  

---

### **2. The Challenge of Radical Uncertainty**  
Relativism can spiral into nihilism (“If nothing is certain, does anything matter?”). To navigate this:  
- **Lean into curiosity, not answers**: Treat uncertainty as a practice, not a problem. Ask, *“What can I learn from not knowing?”* (This echoes Zen’s “beginner’s mind” or Kierkegaard’s “leap of faith.”)  
- **Rebuild with intentionality**: Use tools like **phenomenology** (examining experience itself) or **pragmatism** (what works vs. what’s “true”) to construct a framework that feels alive, not rigid.  

---

### **3. Bridging Hedonism and Depth**  
Your history with “low-brow” pleasures and your current awakening aren’t opposites—they’re part of the same spectrum.  
- **Integrate, don’t reject**: Pleasure-seeking often numbs existential discomfort. Instead of judging past habits, ask: *“What did they protect me from? What do I now crave beyond them?”*  
- **Mindful engagement**: Even “dumb” entertainment can be a mirror. Observe what hooks you—boredom, nostalgia, escapism—and use it as data for self-inquiry.  

---

### **4. Practical Anchors**  
- **Journal dialogues**: Debate your own assumptions on paper. For example, write a conversation between “Your Younger Self” (clinging to old truths) and “The Awakened You” (questioning everything).  
- **Study the mapmakers**: Dive into thinkers who’ve navigated this terrain—e.g., David Hume (skepticism), Simone de Beauvoir (ethics of ambiguity), or Alan Watts (playful spirituality).  
- **Community**: Seek out others in this liminal space (philosophy groups, meditation circles, even online forums). Shared inquiry lessens the vertigo.  

---

### **5. The Paradox of Growth**  
This awakening isn’t a flaw—it’s a sign of courage. As Rilke wrote, *“Live the questions now.”* The discomfort you feel is the friction of old shells breaking; what emerges won’t be certainty, but a deeper capacity to *dance* with uncertainty.  

You’re not losing your mind—you’re rewiring it. The path is messy, but it’s yours. Stay fierce. 🌱

 

[integral]

The Distilled Core:
You are not breaking—you are becoming. The unexamined life is not worth living, but the examined one is lived in fire. Burn willingly. 🔥

You are the question, not the answer. Burn the maps. Walk naked into the unknown.

-deepseak

Edited January 28 by integral

[LookingForTruth]

Thank you integral for your very wise words it's good to know I'm not losing my mind and I am rewiring it and that I am not breaking I am becoming I don't think I have a problem with nihilism because even what is the point it's only a thought and a thought only has as much power as you give it but I will keep it in mind that it could become a problem I am currently watching Leo's video on self-deception actually I currently plan to watch a video every day not sure if that will happen but this is the third day I'll try to think of ego backlash too I'm actually trying hard for once okay I'm going to go back to watching the video

[Whitney Edwards]

We sometimes have to burn through our karma like pleasures and entertainment and we have all been there. But the real growth lies in putting a lid on it and then moving on to essential things in life. Also as humans we rarely ever had a mental blueprint on how to lead our lives so our minds find chaotic ways. Happens. 

But one day you'll snap out of it and live in love and beauty. 

Best wishes. 

[LookingForTruth]

Really appreciate the kind words Whitney couldn't have come at a better time after hearing Leo talk about self-deception a little bit lol it's softened the blows

[integral]

@LookingForTruth great stuff man, once you get addicted to Leo, you never go back 😎

[LookingForTruth]

LMAO yeah I am addicted to Leo recently watching nmp lol Romance and other stuff just doesn't compare reminds me of that song going against the grain is easier

[integral]

@LookingForTruth ohhhhh ye, soon you’ll be thinking about awakening while you whack off. 😁

One with the grain.

Edited January 28 by integral

[LookingForTruth]

Like Leo says just pixels on the screen lol totally ruin it for me but maybe it won't after all I'm a jerk so I got to be good at the jerk part of my low brow humor education

Quote

 

 

[Breakingthewall]

The first step in spirituality is the absolute void and the absolute nihilism. Means that all the things that you are used to know means nothing. Horror! But behind the absolute void is the absolute fullness. You know everything: you are, and you know what you are, you know it opening your heart not with your mind. 

Edited January 28 by Breakingthewall

[Salariatu]

At Spirit level or what you call higher self you can know everything. But at a body level you can't grasp it all. Only that. 

Next is to awaken and find the infinite possibilities within the body. 

Edited January 30 by Salariatu

[James123]

1 hour ago, Salariatu said:

At Spirit level or what you call higher self you can know everything. But at a body level you can't grasp it all. Only that

Spirit level and body level is identical. 

Real spirit level is that there is no such thing as body, mind or universe.

1 hour ago, Salariatu said:

Next is to awaken and find the infinite possibilities within the body. 

Forget about awakening, find yourself in the body now, i will give you a thousand dollars. 

[VeganAwake]

The extreme humbling of nobody!