What’s your relationship with this forum?

[Barbara]

For reflection: What’s your relationship with this forum? What makes you keep coming back? Is it addiction? Companionship? Validation? Some form of meaning, by helping others? Attention? How do you feel about social media in general? 

I tend to have a somewhat obsessive personality over things, so when I feel I’m coming here more than I would like to, I stop coming for a while.

But since Vladimir left, I started thinking about if I’m taking advantage of this or drowning myself on the internet, looking for being entertained. I have an exam tomorrow so today is clearly the second one. 

I guess overall, I’m curious to see what you have to say since I see so many of you being so consistent here. What makes you coming back? 

[peanutspathtotruth]

2 minutes ago, Barbara said:

For reflection: What’s your relationship with this forum? What makes you keep coming back? Is it addiction? Companionship? Validation? Some form of meaning, by helping others? Attention?  

Honestly, a bit of every of these things. 

2 minutes ago, Barbara said:

How do you feel about social media in general? 

It's something I cut out of my life many years ago. Besides this forum and Signal/Telegram, there's no social media I use. I have no strong opinion on it, but for me it's improved my life drastically to just don't enter this game. 

4 minutes ago, Barbara said:

when I feel I’m coming here more than I would like to, I stop coming for a while.

Same. It's an on-off thing for me, I take long breaks when I feel it's more distraction than inspiration. 

5 minutes ago, Barbara said:

What makes you coming back? 

It's a one of a kind forum with people who take the time and energy to learn about extremely deep and beautiful topics. It feels like a virtual philosophy garden (sometimes rather like a zoo though ?) where you can listen to different conversations here and there and just join in to learn more or share something. 

I see myself coming back especially when I want to dive deep into some questions and want to hear what others think about it. Or just getting inspired

[Barbara]

@peanutspathtotruth that’s a beautiful and honest answer. I resonate very much with you and your comments here on the forum

[peanutspathtotruth]

@Barbara ?

[seeking_brilliance]

Yes. 

 

Longer answer : definitely an addiction, but the value I get is in creativity which gets sparked a certain way here unlike many other sites

I like to call it my virtual Alexandrian library. 

Edited January 26, 2021 by seeking_brilliance

[Preety_India]

1 hour ago, Barbara said:

For reflection: What’s your relationship with this forum? What makes you keep coming back? Is it addiction? Companionship? Validation? Some form of meaning, by helping others? Attention? How do you feel about social media in general? 

I tend to have a somewhat obsessive personality over things, so when I feel I’m coming here more than I would like to, I stop coming for a while.

But since Vladimir left, I started thinking about if I’m taking advantage of this or drowning myself on the internet, looking for being entertained. I have an exam tomorrow so today is clearly the second one. 

I guess overall, I’m curious to see what you have to say since I see so many of you being so consistent here. What makes you coming back? 

The first reason is my journal which I update everyday so I have to come here anyway. 

While writing something in my journal or contemplating something over it, I tend to flip through the forum as well as a momentary distraction from what I'm doing and that's when I generally click on whichever thread that seems interesting. 

Some days I'll participate like a lot on the forum, it helps with loneliness or stress, like if I've something heavy on my head, I'll simply come to the forum and that way I forget whatever was bothering me. That helps a lot. 

Like 2 months ago, I was going through a breakup phase and coming to the forum for a whole week helped a lot to deal with it.. 

I also find it very meaningful and purposeful to help others. So when I help someone, it's not for egoic reasons, it's the just the feeling that I helped someone feels like there is an interconnectedness between me and the Universe, like I reached out to someone to help them  

I've made a few friends here, not many, but I do enjoy their company. 

Some threads are really good and I get to learn a lot whereas others can be very repetitive. Overall a good learning experience. 

I feel this forum enriches my social knowledge and skills. It's like a virtual environment, I feel like I'm in a classroom with people from different countries. I get to learn about cultural differences, how people think, how I need to talk and respond to them. I had bad communication skills, but the forum kinda improved that a lot.. Yea it also upgraded my social knowledge like people behavior, trends, general opinions. 

Sometimes I face negativity or see that the forum is too boring or something that I don't like, I tend to take a break and come back after a few days or weeks and only tend to my journal during the time. 

Often times I felt like leaving the forum when I came across too many argumentative people or personal attacks.. 

So overall I'd say it's a love hate kinda relationship. 

I forgot to add social media. I hate social media because it's mostly people acting fake and silly, I never go there, I have deactivated accounts long ago. 

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by Preety_India

[kag101]

i like to share my experience with others. i used to be in a very dark place, and i've got out of it about 1 year. so i'm just giving my 2 cents to people who are struggling.  

nice topic, btw 

Edited January 26, 2021 by kag101

[PureRogueQ]

Attention and little bit of validation, mainly because this forum has lots of views and I am just trying to give some input to collective consciousness, idea by idea progress happens. . 

Edited January 26, 2021 by PureRogueQ

[Willie]

The depth and variety of topics discussed here is something I can’t get anywhere else. And I suppose there’s a bit of attention seeking or validation. 

[blackchair]

best forum ever. you guys/girls are helping me a lot! #grateful.

[Snader]

Work I do includes lots of co-operation with business oriented SD Stage Orange people, so I come here trying to get contrast. As my passion is to develop and experience life as holistically as I can I use this forum as a source. I come here to get different perspectives on different things from more or less like minded people and also try to share my own. 

Another reason is the respect for Leo and his teachings. Avoided this forum for a long time before signing up.

I also consistently tend to fall for the trap of seeking attention and feeding the ego by arguing and trying to look smart beyond the agenda of sharing perspectives and advice. Sometimes I notice distracting myself with this forum. I'm working on getting rid of that shit.

Edited January 26, 2021 by Snader

[Barbara]

It’s really nice to see how you all are so transparent about it

[Vibroverse]

This forum is a part of my frickin infinite consciousness. 

[The Buddha]

I just enjoy to talk with others in the pathless path. It's not a common thing in real life. In fact very few time seekers were given this type of interaction ever before in history (with the exception of Tibet)

[DocWatts]

I'm mostly active in the Society and Politics section, and one of the most useful things about this forum is getting a variety of different perspectives about world events, and having some of my viewpoints challenged in thoughtful ways. Occasional Trump Cultist aside, this forum has been great at having productive and respectful discussions on a variety of issues.

In my day to day life (even before Covid) I've had very limited opportunities to interact with people from other countries, so discussing things with people outside of America has been engaging and valuable.

Edited January 26, 2021 by DocWatts

[Megan Alecia]

It's peopling, to quote Alan Watts.... 

[DnoReally]

I come here, click on Leo's profile, read his posts and log off

[SgtPepper]

I don't really have anybody close to me to speak to on self-actualization, consciousness, enlightenment, self-improvement, psychedelics, non-duality, religion, mysticism, and more. Most of my friends shrug at these topics and have surface opinions about it.

I am thankful for Leo Gura's forum because sometimes I feel alone on the journey and I want to feel more connected with others who are doing the same, so I believe I have a healthy relationship with the forum. 

Edited January 26, 2021 by SgtPepper

[LastThursday]

I like to think of this place like a modern version Ancient Greece with all their different philosophers. There really are some good ideas flying about in this place, that you wouldn't find in the mainstream world. It's fun to be part of it. Oh, and I like attention.

 

[Preety_India]

@LastThursday not to forget these philosophers are from different countries all over the world at one place.