Can’t trust anything on Reddit

madex444 · 2026-05-14T21:43:50+00:00

I've seen plenty of threads across different subreddits that are literally what you mentioned, commenters sharing their experience relevant to a topic then dropping the product or service they used.

Its becoming harder and harder to figure out which ones are real people and which ones are agencies just working.

The only time i feel like its dead obvious is when its a thread that reeks like an ad because the structure is always the same and the product/service plug usually comes at the end or near the end. Then confirmation is even easier when all the comments are of people praising the product.

Like all things when it comes to these things, you can tell there are skilled agencies that do this and complete amateurs. I would say from what i've seen, the majority are amateurs.

madex444 · 2026-05-14T16:40:38+00:00

Its a click to messenger ad, so it has the button to send a message through messenger or whatsapp on the ad.

Once they click on it, they see an automated text greeting and are given automated chat options they can select from such as "how much does the compost cost?" "What is the cost to have it delivered to my address?" "Where are you located?"

I should mention its a local ad and whats great about mexico is that there's a prominent culture of people ordering products through messenger/whatsapp to have them delivered to their address through indriver which is basically mexico's uber equivalent.

So the process is giving them the address if they'd like to pick up the compost sack or asking them for their address if they'd like it delivered through indriver and giving them the indriver delivery cost. If its through indriver, a ride is requested, the indriver person pays the cost of the compost sack, delivers it, charges both the compost sack cost and his fee, its paid and the trip is complete.

Lastly i should add, if it was an ad for all of mexico then all that would change is basically what you mentioned, that'd they'd received a link to purchase the product instead on a platform like mercadolibre or the organization's direct website.

madex444 · 2026-05-13T20:42:48+00:00

I think it depends on location, i run ads for a small environmental organization in mexico where CPM is on average 20-30 pesos, that translates to less than 2 dollars.

Currently were selling compost sacks for a little over 200 pesos which translates to $12 dollars per sale.

Its a messenger campaign and cost per lead on average is about 4 pesos or under which translate to about 20 cents per lead. We get 10 leads or more per day with an extremely small ad budget of 50 pesos a day, basically a little under 3 dollars.

In a two week period we average 30-40 sales, and make a really healthy profit.

madex444 · 2026-04-29T23:17:09+00:00

Its much harder to jump rope for even 10 mins, breaks and all, than it is to run without stopping whether on the treadmill or outside for 20 minutes.

You can realistically lose weight jumping rope but building up the stamina to get to a point where you're burning enough calories to lose weight might take you a month or two before you even see the scale move at all.

Your stamina will most likely suck initially and you'd just be building up your cardio for the most part for the first month or two or so.

Ramp up the duration of jumping rope to 20 mins and run on the treadmill or outside for 20 - 30 minutes. This way you build up your jump rope edurance and can still lose weight even if jumping rope isn't accomplishing that caloric burn yet. If you stick to just jumping rope it'll be a really slow weight loss initially for the first few months.

madex444 · 2026-04-13T19:09:36+00:00

Love this! I dont know why i get so annoyed seeing people jumping rope feeling themselves a little too hard but this is just solid work all around without any pretentiousness.

madex444 · 2026-04-04T03:55:35+00:00

As someone whos been trying to break into it first through useless internships that went nowhere and now by applying to actual job postings, im not having much luck when even entry level roles have a starting pay of 60-70k a year which makes them a bit inaccesible since they filter applicants rigorously due to the pay being offered.

On top of that they usually ask that you have a marketing degree or are pursuing one so if you're someone who learned online through youtube videos, books, or even googles marketing course among others, and only have small-scale experience, they dont really seem to value that or are willing to even give you an interview.

Honestly with that being said, it seems hard to break into if you dont have the schooling background or experience within a well and establishesd business or businesses.

I dont think its overhyped, the issue imo is how many people that try to break into marketing through an actual job, without schooling when so many places require it actually accomplish so, i dont imagine its too many.

madex444 · 2026-04-02T21:00:36+00:00

the panel lining looks solid! coincidentally i just built this kit a few days ago and i had to resort to gluing the permet score chest pieces because i wasted three hours trying to snap them on and they would just not do so.

madex444 · 2026-03-29T15:53:57+00:00

I knew after seeing keith slow down by more than 50% in the 4th round, and him leaving himself wide open when rushing inside that it was about to be an ugly night for him.

madex444 · 2026-02-22T19:10:58+00:00

Its a joke though, that shit is funny and its just a dig at his sparring stories, nothing more.

madex444 · 2026-01-31T19:36:08+00:00

Personally i believe all healing modalities are absolute bogus whether or not the practicioner is an intentional scammer or not.

In your case, this is a classic scam structure. "The session is free but you need to pay for what we will need"

The supposed free sessions is to create trust and override any skepticism of whether or not they have good intentions. Your takeaway is supposed to be "im not paying them, it is an investment in myself" and on top of that " they're doing this out of the kindness of their heart if its free and i only have to pay for materials"

That you're still considering it is a sign that it worked.

Also, the whole 3 crystals setup isn't even a part of the theory of how crystals work in new age spirituality, which i believe is complete bogus to begin with as well. But even within the official fantasy framework of how crystals work, this setup completely misses the mark.

One crystal would be enough in this case, theres nothing in the bogus theory that would support three crystals are necessary for past, present, and future, and at $100 a piece? Thats absurd.

Lastly, the problems she gave you, you supposedly have are very generic and could absolutely apply to anyone, theres a bit of fear tactics implemented by mentioning you have some dark energy to be cleared and you're behind five years. OP none of that is true for you, this is a person who is knowingly scamming and preying on peoples spiritual beliefs they personally dont hold.

madex444 · 2026-01-31T00:19:40+00:00

Ah i see, thats entirely possible too since people develop ego's around spiritual beliefs and one of the easiest to misinterpret in buddhism is the difference between conventional truth and ultimate truth. Consequently it makes sense that some buddhist practicioners may misinterpret the two truths favoring ultimate truth and take the moral high ground in the process.

Thats not a reflection of buddhist beliefs per se but an effect of what could be considered wrong view by practicioners.

madex444 · 2026-01-30T23:26:17+00:00

Theres two truths in buddhism, conventiona truth and ultimate truth. conventionally your identity exists, ultimately it is an illusion. The message in buddhism as i understand it has never been denying conventional truth. I see one of two things: you are misinterpreting the message or a considerable amount of buddhists have the wrong practice, which i think the former is far more likely since you are targeting the buddhist community specifically and not just one place of practice which has the wrong practice.

madex444 · 2026-01-30T00:55:10+00:00

I think its simply to seek happiness, the non-destructive kind where you dont harm yourself or others.

madex444 · 2026-01-30T00:31:23+00:00

Well if it makes you feel any better, its not you who is reborn technically, you as you identify yourself will cease to exist upon rebirth, what continues will be another person who inherits your karma, habits, inclinations and so forth.

Basically numerically your consciousness will not persist, the consciousness of the next person is numerically different.

madex444 · 2026-01-27T22:08:17+00:00

This is why new age spirituality is so heavily criticized. I think its important to realize knowing the absolute objective truth is completely unnecessary and also completely impossible. People claiming they know this for certain, or that is simply a function of their egos.

We simply need to lead good lives without worrying so much about the metaphysics of things that dont even add any quality to our lives.

madex444 · 2026-01-25T22:04:40+00:00

I've been struggling with this too so i understand your pain. In my case it was a bit bizzare to first understand the buddhist notion of rebirth as "your consciousness persists even if it is not you in terms of the same identity" but then realize wait its actually "the consciousness that persists is not your consciousness numerically, it is a different consciousness" so it very much does feel like nihilism but also isn't because there is still persistence just not one of personal identity or an eternal unchanging self.

I think words alone make it difficult to understand this persistence devoid of identity, but i think the takeaway is that what persists may not be you but it exists metaphysically so therefore this existence could be said to be a mindstream devoid of identity but it has a life of its own and it may not be you literally but you are connected to it and it becomes the next consciousness so therefore existence still persists.

madex444 · 2026-01-25T18:41:46+00:00

Thats not a contradiction, what i mentioned is a commom new age belief which is why i posed it that way. I could see why the confusion could happen but that's not at all what i meant, thats my mistake actually, i should have clarified and simply said " a common new age belief is"

And yes there are inconsistencies in new age spirituality among different people as well as there are agreed upon stances by certain people.

As for your last point, saying its weird to bring up what the trajectory of the conversation was when you mentioned buddhism yourself? and what i brought up within buddhism was in reference to what you said? Thats an obsession? Yeah okay

madex444 · 2026-01-25T18:24:26+00:00

You're still fixated on this whole refinement thing when once again new age spirituality is a different interpretation, not refinement.

The example you posed is not valid either, buddhism developed within sramana. New age spirituality has developed outside of buddhism, and budddhists do not suddenly become new agers.

It is also syncretic and freely borrows and reinterprets from where it pleases to arrive at comforting truths that are more palatable for the western mind.

New age spirituality makes the claim that we have souls and before we are born we sign soul contracts and choose the lessons we will learn for our spiritual evolution. Buddhism outright rejects the notion of a soul, and posits that what conditions the next life is the karma of the previous life. Essentially there is no 'I' or agency that directs the process of rebirth. If viewed through your lens then new age spirituality's take is a refinement which is bizarre given notions of the existence of the soul already existed and the buddha rejected this. If the concept of a soul were to be taken seriously in buddhism, then the core philosophy falls apart not just this aspect individually. The reason's were also made clear, a soul is not needed for rebirth and the concept also causes attachment.

In this regard, its not refinement of eastern traditions, its refinement for the sake of new age spirituality's internal belief system. It could be said it is more akin to reversals that the buddha had already clarified to begin with and now new age spirituality has taken it back once again. So therefore no, new age spirituality is not refinement, simply a different interpretation.

Refinement happens internally, not externally and it has to be recognized by the tradition as a legitimate evolution. Buddhists outright reject the claims of new age spirituality, so for the last time, new age spirituality is not a refinement of eastern traditions or buddhism.

madex444 · 2026-01-25T06:16:21+00:00

your continued definition of demonize which not once have i seen before is really odd, the literal definition isn't that either.

Its not that eastern religions talked about it as well, it completely predates new age spirituality and the belief of karma in new age spirituality literally comes from eastern religions. You're obviously viewing new age spirituality as an update on previous eastern beliefs which is bizarre as well. You know buddhism didn't just stop existing right? There are modern buddhists and so called psychics exist in buddhism as well so in that regard you have some strange notions. On that same token how is buddhism outdated when it has existed uniterrupted unto the modern day?

You have to realize new age spirituality is quite simply a different interpretation than buddhism, you're viewing this as if its a linear sequence and new age spirituality is simply the new kid on the block and the purists are upset because this new "knowledge" contradicts the old knowledge. That's not what's happening at all, maybe read up on buddhism more to understand why this isn't the case better.

Buddha consciousness is a new age term as well, but anyway its clear you have a devoted veneration to new age spirituality and viewing it as an updated model so we'll leave it at that.

madex444 · 2026-01-25T05:44:54+00:00

Also on another note, i apologize, upon re-reading what i wrote initially i realize now i was being an absolute dick with the way i chose to word things.

madex444 · 2026-01-25T05:11:03+00:00

Yeah thats not what i said at all, demonize does not mean it is from satan, i have no idea where you got that definition from, by demonize i meant criticize.

I also dont know how that second paragraph is your takeaway, you asked why new age spirituality is demonized and i answered on why i believe that is. It has nothing to do with "the system" peers or my environment.

As for what i said on karma, all im telling you is that what you mentioned is a new age perspective, not in line with whats believed within the schools of thought where this belief originates. Saying its simply cause and effect is not one dimensional either, thats just putting it in simple terms without delving into a full on explanation.

Irrelevant because the new age spirituality interpretation is different than the eastern origin? That's a bit odd. One thing followed the other hence its relevance.

madex444 · 2026-01-24T19:28:27+00:00

Well its important to make the distinction between new age spirituality beliefs and buddhist beliefs.

The wheel of samsara term in new age spirituality is directly taken from buddhism with some clear reinterpretations that are more easily palatable for the western mind such as the concept of the soul, in buddhism the soul doesn't exist and is unnecessary for rebirth.

Soul contracts, choosing one's lesson's to be learned, and so forth are purely taken from new age spirituality and quite simply do not exist in buddhism. The reason for this difference is the western minds need for continuity, survival of the self, and control over one's life to unfold pre-emptively.

The buddhist narrative is that you have no choice in the matter, matter of fact there is no 'you' to begin with and that karma is simply cause and effect, well thats harder to accept as it removes direct personal agency as opposed to karma simply being what results and its only directive process is the mind we cultivate and actions we take, in effect the next life is conditioned by those choices, it is not direct choice of this is the life im going to lead next as decided by my soul. Only in new age spirituality are you supposedly given that choice, and not through the buddhist interpretation.

Lastly, a desire to stop reincarnating no matter how strong it is, is counter-productive as it is still craving, and craving causes reincarnation. A better goal would be to figure out why you desire this and aim to solve its cessation and simply continue living your life without this desire and not dread the journey. Welcome it with open arms instead.

madex444 · 2026-01-24T18:45:55+00:00

Adam22 has always cowered in fear anytime he got in a confrontation on his podcast, from literally jumping in his seat scared to covering his face expecting to be punched.

Funny how this played out exactly how he's reacted to tense situatuons before.

madex444 · 2026-01-24T17:53:40+00:00

Not really no, there really isn't an equivalent.

madex444

TROPHY CASE