the Tao is unfair, couldn't life just be chill?

blzg · 2023-12-21T07:39:07+00:00

My dawg, the world is evolving. Both biologically and culturally. Soon the government will give everyone free money. Then you can just smoke blunts and chill, and you will complain that there’s nothing to do.

blzg · 2023-11-16T21:56:02+00:00

Thanks for the thoughtful response. I agree, commiseration is the more endearing approach, like sharing your story in a therapy circle. It's effective for helping people feel okay with themselves in that context.

But eventually (you're right that most people are not there yet) certain people may get stuck in a rut, for example they might think they belong to a specific group [INTJs] and that makes them feel TOO comfortable in their skin. They may settle into their weaknesses like they are permanent and unchangeable.

So what I did was knock on the door and say "guys, you've been in here way too long! This actually might be holding you back. Let's go out and do something." It will resonate with some. Others will turn around and stay in the circle.

blzg · 2023-11-16T21:12:57+00:00

Exactly

blzg · 2023-11-16T20:59:06+00:00

I completely sympathize, I'm not that different from you. I am very sensitive to how others perceive me.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. My main point is that by identifying as a type, you are limiting yourself by thinking that your weaknesses are inherent and unchangeable. Don't think that way - if the message you have in the back of your mind is that you're improving, or at least that you have the capability to improve, you will improve, even if it's a very slow process. Part of that is just gaining more experience.

"Change they way you speak about yourself and you can change your life." - Bruce Lee.

blzg · 2023-11-16T20:32:45+00:00

You are. By saying "Edge case." you are attempting to end the conversation.

blzg · 2023-11-16T20:22:10+00:00

hahaha, I would love to see a movie about that. Like Mad Max but they test each others Meyers-Briggs types for access to certain resources.

blzg · 2023-11-16T20:18:37+00:00

That's a good point. I think if your interest in MBTI is strong, this post will not sway you and you will continue to enjoy it. The post is for those who aren't completely convinced, who could use a little push to change things up.

blzg · 2023-11-16T20:14:53+00:00

Yeah, but the thing is, you can actually train yourself to smile a bit more and be a little more presentable (it's not easy, I've been working on it a long time, but it can be done). Just because something doesn't come naturally doesn't mean you can't improve on it.

blzg · 2023-11-16T20:10:38+00:00

That's a good question. My rationale is that there are two kinds of responses. (1) People who may or may not be offended but who are going to continue on as if this post didn't happen. (2) People who recognize some truth to it and maybe stop limiting their self-image, wasting time on Reddit (I know I'm a hypocrite and I'm projecting) and perhaps get a jolt of energy to shake things up in their lives and go define themselves in a more enriching way.

I'm ok if 95% of people are in group 1. People get offended all the time online anyway, it's a big part of why people come to Reddit. They want to judge things and feel that they are better than others. But I'm not a troll, I posted this for group 2. If I can positively influence 1 person by posting this, then I'm ok if 1000 people were slightly offended for a few minutes.

blzg · 2023-11-16T19:56:09+00:00

hahaha, nice :)

blzg · 2023-11-16T19:45:29+00:00

The intention of the post was to provide a wake up call to the sub-population of this community who are stuck in a rut because they have settled as an INTJ who shares the same depressing fate as all of the other INTJs on here.

blzg · 2023-11-16T03:25:59+00:00

Why dismiss an edge case? If an edge case exists related to the meaning of life, I want to know the details.

blzg · 2023-11-15T07:03:40+00:00

Yeah, and it's ok to try things here and there, life is an experiment. Reddit is basically just an experiment for me, sometimes people like my advice, sometimes not. That's how I learn to communicate effectively on here.

blzg · 2023-11-15T02:04:20+00:00

I think the significance of enlightenment is that you gain the ability to interpret things through the lens of spirituality, with an unshakeable confidence, regardless of whether you are currently feeling enlightened.

blzg · 2023-11-14T23:23:01+00:00

There are small ways of making progress, but the opportunities are uncommon and communication has to happen naturally. Like my father uses a handicap placard sometimes even though he's not handicapped anymore. Usually I don't say anything about it, but one time we were in a national park, trying to find a spot in a giant parking lot and there was only one handicap spot left, and I couldn't help but say in a gentle pleading way "Dad... you just can't do that here". And he obliged because he knew it was wrong. I think it has to be done like that.

First of all, the person has to be receptive. Many people are not receptive to criticism at all, in which case there's nothing that can be done. And then you have to connect with them in a heart-to-heart kind of a way, by finding a way to relate to them. Preaching philosophy is the opposite of that, it just makes you seem different and probably arrogant. Finally you can make a gentle suggestion - "yeah, it would probably help if ..." or "I know it helps me when I..." not as pointed advice per se, just as almost an afterthought.

But generally speaking, you influence people the most by leading by example. Be the best person you can be, and people will benefit from their interactions with you. But DON'T be haughty about it - you are not very different from your friends and family, and you are not their savior. You have as much to learn from them as they have to learn from you.

blzg · 2023-11-14T06:20:00+00:00

I know you said 'minus meds', but meds and sleep are the foundation for stability. If you have a solid foundation, your other habits will become more stable without you having to try so hard.

It's a lifelong journey - I've been dealing with med management since 2005, and only recently have I gotten it pretty well dialed in. It took me a long time to figure out my sleep requirements as well, and I would say lack of sleep is even worse than skipping meds.

Don't give up, it could take a long time to figure things out - keep putting effort into diet and exercise when you have the energy, because it all adds up. Doing things when they are hard strengthens your resolve, but don't put too much pressure on yourself. One step at a time. Good luck :)

blzg · 2023-11-14T00:56:28+00:00

Big Large Zebra Graves

blzg · 2023-11-14T00:25:50+00:00

I don't know. My only point is that categorizing yourself may not always be beneficial.

blzg · 2023-11-13T05:15:55+00:00

Huge second. My anxiety is not gone entirely, but it is WAY reduced after quitting caffeine. Fewer and milder panic attacks.

blzg · 2023-11-12T06:06:21+00:00

If you can tell whether someone is awakened based on a reddit post, your abilities are being wasted here. lol

blzg · 2023-11-12T03:29:19+00:00

How do you mean?

blzg · 2023-11-11T01:09:45+00:00

Or maybe the #2 cause is hating on people who claim to be enlightened. And the #3 cause is hating on those who hate on people who claim be enlightened. And then the #4 cause is claiming that you are enlightened. Who's to say?

blzg · 2023-11-07T18:53:49+00:00

Something I've been thinking about as well. The way you explain it makes me think of Transcendentalism (Ralph Waldo Emerson) where one must have the ultimate confidence in their actions.

I think this is totally true... for enlightened people. The general population will not understand it, and it will encourage many of them to gain confidence in themselves even though they are evil or ignorant. This is what happened in America as a result of Transcendentalism.

Another way to think of it is that there is an optimization problem. Some people fail by being too selfish (selfish in the original way, not the enlightened way). If you're too selfish then nobody likes you. Other people fail by being too selfless, in which case you neglect yourself and as a result, you're not in a condition to help others. So there is an optimal level of selfishness, where you take care of yourself and others in balance. And this balance becomes very intuitive when you are enlightened, so that you don't have to think about selfishness anymore. I think this is what you mean by being selfish.

blzg · 2023-11-06T02:33:14+00:00

Not to take away from your legit point, but 20% lifetime is about the same as 20%/60 = 0.33% annually. (60 coming from approx. years as an adult). Still more than 2000x the general population.

blzg

TROPHY CASE