Ego Sickness

[Cain]

As an example of inflexibility of self, please look at what has happened to Paris Hilton.

Talk about a paradigm change.  She's in jail, for real, and she simply can't adapt  & handle it.  She's on the verge of complete mental breakdown.


It's awesome.

Thats what happens when you create a permament worldview, without the ability for change within the system.

Thats why belief in chaos is important, to me.  Its the constant variable within any calculation that remins you that you may not be totally right.  Its a coping mechanism that works, because it forces it bearer to re-examine their ideas and adapt to change.

The chaos meme?  Worth thinking about.  It could be our poison meme that we were looking for (SillyCybin knows what I mean).

[P3nT4gR4m]

"Every statement contains falsehood" - Crowley

If there was some way to illustrate this 'fact' then reality would fall to pieces for a lot of people.

[Darth Cupcake]

"Every statement contains falsehood" - Crowley

If there was some way to illustrate this 'fact' then reality would fall to pieces for a lot of people.

Reverse that. Reality falling to pieces for people tends to illustrate that fact. Sometimes, at least. Not always.

At the risk of sounding like an emo kid, in the past three months, huge quantities of my reality have fallen apart. I think that's what made me so particularly receptive to the PD and BIP when Cram first linked them to me. (On the other hand, it's also given me a lot of rage and a tendency to be more of an emo kid than I'd like to be. ) So long as something is outside of someone's worldview (mine had been, I will admit, horrifically narrow, and probably still is), they can't accept it until their worldview changes. So reality needs to start fraying slightly first.

Actually, nix that, it could definitely easily go both ways. But my point still stands, I think.

That's sort of how I see the one-sentence meme-bombs and the idea of leaving stickers, pamphlets, etc around in public places for people to see: poking little needle holes into others' realities. Poke enough holes, or poke at a point of structural weakness, and the thing will start to fall apart. And then... voila. Beautiful.

[Cain]

Happens to a lot of people.  I actually liked the feeling, though.  Trick is keeping the momentum going.

Its also a lot easier to do it to someone up close and whose own methods of thinking you already know, in comparison to relative strangers.  Which is, to a degree, why I keep trying to tweak O:MF as a concept and bring in other useful theories to help close that gap.  Its nowhere near complete, yet.

[Cramulus]

Happens to a lot of people.  I actually liked the feeling, though.  Trick is keeping the momentum going.

agreed

and I think the trick there is to convince yourself your a neophile and not a neophobe.

A real-life example-- I just moved to Yonkers. My current living situation is significantly more annoying and expensive than my previous one. I've been stressing out about this for a while now. The most relieving thing I've heard was advice from my mom - "why are you so anxious about all this? Moving is exciting! Fresh start! New place! It's gonna be fun!"

she's totally right, too.


As far as Chaos as the Poison Meme--

I like it.

[Cain]

Nice graphic.

For me, its travel that keeps me on my feet.  I always learn the language of the country I visit, without fail.  And language of course, not only frames our thoughts, but actually in some ways dictates them.  Then, if you are learning the language, you invariably pick up the cultural baggage that goes along with it.  Along with the general fun of living from day to day, never quite sure where your next meal or where you will sleep next.

Of course, the meme needs work, to a degree.  There are already a lot of ideas that may innoculate against this meme.  But its a start.

[Darth Cupcake]

Cain: you're definitely right about the momentum issue. My problem is maintaining the momentum, but transforming what I've got into positive momentum as well. Because right now I've got the "being dunked in a freezing lake" sensation. Which is brilliant, for a little while. Then I start to get metaphorical hypothermia and it's not such a brilliant situation anymore. So, to keep pushing my metaphor more than necessary, what I need to do is figure out a way to jump out of the lake and run around. Keep my blood pumping and myself active, rather than just curling up under a blanket and going to sleep till I forget the whole bout of unpleasantness. It's a fine line to walk, at least for me right now, between just becoming angry and embittered vs. transforming the experience into positive momentum.

However, I feel like it's something that will get easier with time. Till eventually I am dunking myself in freezing lakes on purpose. It's just a matter of learning how to take that experience and utilize it. Which is something I like about these forums, particular O:MF, Or Kill Me, and the BIP. Good shit in here.

You're spot on with language, too. I wish I had enough money/time to travel more; I get really excited about seeing new places and learning new languages. This past fall was pretty much my first time out of the US (I don't count spending two days at a pre-packaged resort in the Carribean as a meaningful experience ) and it's like a damn drug. It's interesting how much cultural baggage, as you put it, I picked up from living in Paris, even if only for four months.

God damn I need to travel more.

Cram: I am digging that graphic.

[P3nT4gR4m]

Only in chaos is there order
Only in order is there chaos

[Cramulus]

don't you mean Disorder instead of Chaos?

[P3nT4gR4m]

don't you mean Disorder instead of Chaos?

was a spin off from 'even in chaos there is order'

Doesn't sound so snappy if you use 'disorder' just seems like an obvious oxymoron. This is not intended for people who would be able to draw the distinction anyroad. Cabbage thinks chaos = disorder innit

[thechosennone]

You can't escape from ego.  Trying to destroy ego is the biggest egoism.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Ego Sickness

You know how a virus works? It goes into a cell and changes the code so that the cell only produces more virii. In a way the virus steals the cell's identity, making it a part of a viral system.

But this ego meme can become a disease. In moderation, it helps us understand ourselves. In excess, we define ourselves. In time, these definitions become rigid, inflexible.

RUBBISH!

You'll never get ANYWHERE, with a shrivelled up, human-sized ego.

[Triple Zero]

bonus points for using the caravaggio pic, though.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

A game, perhaps? An internet meme (like those lame 20 question things)?

Something Along the lines of:
--------------
WHOOOO are YOOOOU? (with picture of the Caterpillar on the 'shroom with the Hooka)

Children often ask the annoying question "Why?" and for every answer you give, they ask again "Why?"... Yet, perhaps asking why isn't a bad thing. As adults, maybe we don't consider why we do the things we do, or why we are where we are. So as a challenge, as a moment of childhood clarity, you have been challenged to answer the question "Why?" 

To begin, write an "I am" statement which you feel describes a key part of who you are. Maybe "I am an artist", "I am a hacker", "I am a Christian", "I am an atheist", then you must ask yourself "Why?" and provide an answer, follow the answer with another "Why?" and the why, with another answer. Do this so that you have a total of twenty-three answers and then post it in your blog/journal.
--------------

The Internet meme is a pathetic, yet popular filler for blogs, but if we can use such a transport for a more insidious meme, then perhaps there is some value. The above is just a concept, but hopefully you get the idea.... getting people to question their self-identification seems to have some potential. Maybe we could release a series of these, where we are more specific about the first question...

An 'I Am' statement that describes your physical being.
An 'I Am' statement that describes your social life.
An 'I Am' statement that describes your philosophical beliefs
An 'I Am; statement that describes your ...

Also, perhaps we could create one called "Right Where You Are Now", and ask the question "Why are you where you are now, this minute?" (I remember this as similar to a meditation trick RAW talked about. )

Thoughts?

[Chairman Risus]

A game, perhaps? An internet meme (like those lame 20 question things)?

Something Along the lines of:
--------------
WHOOOO are YOOOOU? (with picture of the Caterpillar on the 'shroom with the Hooka)

Children often ask the annoying question "Why?" and for every answer you give, they ask again "Why?"... Yet, perhaps asking why isn't a bad thing. As adults, maybe we don't consider why we do the things we do, or why we are where we are. So as a challenge, as a moment of childhood clarity, you have been challenged to answer the question "Why?" 

To begin, write an "I am" statement which you feel describes a key part of who you are. Maybe "I am an artist", "I am a hacker", "I am a Christian", "I am an atheist", then you must ask yourself "Why?" and provide an answer, follow the answer with another "Why?" and the why, with another answer. Do this so that you have a total of twenty-three answers and then post it in your blog/journal.
--------------

The Internet meme is a pathetic, yet popular filler for blogs, but if we can use such a transport for a more insidious meme, then perhaps there is some value. The above is just a concept, but hopefully you get the idea.... getting people to question their self-identification seems to have some potential. Maybe we could release a series of these, where we are more specific about the first question...

An 'I Am' statement that describes your physical being.
An 'I Am' statement that describes your social life.
An 'I Am' statement that describes your philosophical beliefs
An 'I Am; statement that describes your ...

Also, perhaps we could create one called "Right Where You Are Now", and ask the question "Why are you where you are now, this minute?" (I remember this as similar to a meditation trick RAW talked about. )

Thoughts?

Goes along with the "Those who don't question their beliefs shouldnt have any" meme.  All sounds good really.  When it come down to it though, people start to get defensive when you start questioning their beliefs. Gotta break it to them easy. The people I talk to always tend to have the "it's what I've always done" or "because my parents did it" response.


A good site for the christian cabbages would be www.godisimaginary.com   
Check it out.