Or a mix of both.

 

America kinda sucks. Our government, our advertising consumerist to the max culture, our media, everything is saturated with advertising and planning, often I feel like I'm in a haze. But ya know, I enjoy music, reading, writing, taking a walk, going out to eat and/or drink with friends. Do a little bit here and there to try and make a positive influence, because I cant change the world, and if I don't take on a bit of selfishness (as in shutting my mind off to many things) well I'd probably want to kill myself. I also shut my mind off to my mind, otherwise I'd think about literally everything to death and be clinically insane by now.

 

So guess I get by thanks to being a selfish f**ker, (backed up with illusions of grandeur of changing the world some day to justify my living now) and I guess I didn't answer any of your questions.

 

And guilt is a very difficult subject. Overwhelming. Is it real guilt? Or do I force guilt on myself to make myself feel worse? Doesn't everyone do this to some degree?

This is way too serious a line of thought for a website like this.


Should probably keep my thoughts to myself.


Or maybe get a therapist.

Smurph wrote:   And guilt is a very difficult subject. Overwhelming. Is it real guilt? Or do I force guilt on myself to make myself feel worse?

 From what I can tell, you absolutely do that.

 

 

Smurph wrote:  Doesn't everyone do this to some degree?

 

Horizons wrote: Id get off the computer.

 

Honestly, fairly sound advice.

Funny as it sounds I felt a bit better as I did this. Seeing everyone's (insert thing I dont like) all over FB every day, or their success, (or reminders of my failings) and etc etc drove me crazy, as did seeing news about why all sucks, politics is evil, and so on

 

So I stopped being around it

 

Not a cure all but it helps

Yea because if I work hard enough I'll totally be able to stop the United States government from practicing their drone program. Yea. Thanks dude. Omg! I didn't know that if I worked hard enough I could help the Indonesian people take back their government from the capitalist criminals that committed mass genocides!

 

 

 

I think it's pointless to be in that line of thinking. When it comes down to it, you can do very little, it takes an incredible amount of time, effort, people, and intelligence to get any significant change done. You have to take it easy, and just focus on being happy with your self and that your loved ones are happy, and hopefully everything else in the world will sort it's self out.

 

Especially over my life, which I'm pretty grateful for. I was born in a middle class, American family, and a good one.

To end my life over outside factors seems selfish IMO, esp since I didn't "earn" or "deserve" this life. Just like how a kid born in absolute poverty in a war torn land with a bleak chance of survival doesn't deserve that. So f**k, how can I end my life? The idea of it seems almost wrong considering how lucky I am through no doing of my own.

However, I am now old enough to start making my own life.

 

It's good to be worldly man, to not be a dumb mindless sheep drifting through, we should know the ills and injustices and so on, be grounded, let people know "this is wrong". But we can only control our lives...this is why I don't just end it, and dont feel constant guilt and dont hate everything, because I choose not to. All we can do.

Or, seriously try to get into politics. Most laugh at the idea but why not? Try to get into journalism, or just get to the masses any way you can. Go into economics and try to change the thinking of the world. This has happened you know.

 

Many of us over think, (turns out even people I questioned if they even had a functioning brain over think at times). It's driven a good friend of mine to near suicide, and myself to countless sleepless nights, tears you name it.

Get a grip is honestly the best thing that can be said, period.You're right we all tend to victimize ourselves, to allow ourselves to feel badly. It's just no good though. I used to say "yeah but Brian you have to do this, dont wanna be like the mindless, petty, self absorbed dumb sheeple" but no...way too black and white. I can live in a middle ground and don't need to make myself more depressed than needed.

 

wow

2/ life is what you make it, there is no true meaning, other than what you put in it yourself.

3/ there is no such thing as a bad day, make it good.

Wise words indeed

Smurph wrote: What is morality? Are any of us moral?

Morality is basically peer pressure except it's seen positively. Honestly, I believe that you should do what's right for you. Morals are alright, but they don't apply in all situations and should not always be strictly followed. So I'd say that no one is truly moral, but there is nothing wrong with that because morals are defined by humans and humans are inherently flawed. 

Smurph wrote: Is life really a gift?

In most cases, no. Like I've stated earlier, life just is. It's great a lot of the time and it's awful a lot of the time. We can almost never control this, but we can control whether or not we completely freak out and shut down over it. I make it sound like a bad thing to do, but sometimes it's necessary. 

Slight detour to the suicide part of the discussion. I found Brian's post well-written and compelling, but I overall disagree with his interpretation of some things that we agree on. Suicide is selfish. I agree, but this doesn't make it inherently wrong. Selfishness is required in many aspects of life and being selfless is having no identity. Would loved ones be dismayed? I believe they would be, but this is your life. As harsh as it sounds, you never asked to be here and the door is always there.

Smurph wrote: What are we other than parasites?

We create.

J Krishnamurti once said, 'Nothing will change for the better (regarding human action and cooperation) unless there is a fundamental change in the very nature of human consciousness.'

In most cases, I get to be pleasantly surprised.  In those other few cases, I get to be smug, because I was right.

Win win.