Masks

[The Johnny]

I've spent yesterday thinking all of this over, including what you guys posted in response. And I decided that I'm going to embrace the confusion. I'm going to start experimenting with rapid switches in behavior. It will be fun, switching from deadpan serious to joyously manic to just plain weird. While I'm still a big fan of introspective, it seems that by thinking over and observing my own character, I'm changing it. So I just need to relax and go with the flow.

Meh; volitionaly switching your behaviour from "serious" to "joyously manic" i find it to be mere entertainment and approaching the issue superficially.

[The Wizard]

entertainment

That's sort of what I'm going for, at least in day to day interaction. I'm still going to be introspective, I'm just not going to bother myself with "who I am."

[P3nT4gR4m]

Missing the point, ITT.

Hmm. Okay, since there's something I'm missing then mind explaining it?

Your personality, everything you are, your essential self, your ego ... the whole damn shooting match either happens by action or by accident.

Decide which. Or be normal.

[The Wizard]

Ah. I thought I made that clear. Action, definitely action.

[P3nT4gR4m]

Yeah but I think you drastically underestimated rabbit hole depth.

[The Wizard]

Hmm. Explain, please? I'm never sure whether I get what you mean or I'm way off.

[P3nT4gR4m]

You're talking about "just not bothering with who I am" and making yourself happy and sad and shit. That's ass-backwards imo. Start with who you are, right down to your core beliefs, morality, emotional responses ... all the big defining stuff and wipe it the fuck out. Tear the tower down, one brick at a time, til there's nothing left that's recognisable as you and then build the whole thing back up the way you really want to be. It'll take fucking years of hard work and dedication but you'll end up what you want to be instead of a twitching bag of random instincts and drooling neurosis like 99.9% of our earths population.

[The Wizard]

Okay. Now I got ya. Fair enough, I'll keep that in mind. More stuff to think about.

[The Johnny]

If you only care about action and entertainment why even bother writing a rant like this.

Go watch some TV and after that perhaps go hiking.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Goddamnit, you're a fucking sack of meat

what is this "essential self" bullshit

go to goddamn California and live on a commune until you "find yourself™", hippie.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Missing the point, ITT.

Hmm. Okay, since there's something I'm missing then mind explaining it?

Look, it's really easy.  Instead of acting like a manic-depressive, just act the way you want to act at any given time.  If you FORCE it, then you're just tossing on another mask.  It's just more bullshit.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

entertainment

That's sort of what I'm going for, at least in day to day interaction. I'm still going to be introspective, I'm just not going to bother myself with "who I am."

You and 6.75 billion other primates.

[P3nT4gR4m]

entertainment

That's sort of what I'm going for, at least in day to day interaction. I'm still going to be introspective, I'm just not going to bother myself with "who I am."

You and 6.75 billion other primates.

That's what I fucking hate about you Rog, I waste half a dozen posts and you manage to explain it perfectly with as many fucking words 

[Brotep]

You're talking about "just not bothering with who I am" and making yourself happy and sad and shit. That's ass-backwards imo. Start with who you are, right down to your core beliefs, morality, emotional responses ... all the big defining stuff and wipe it the fuck out. Tear the tower down, one brick at a time, til there's nothing left that's recognisable as you and then build the whole thing back up the way you really want to be. It'll take fucking years of hard work and dedication but you'll end up what you want to be instead of a twitching bag of random instincts and drooling neurosis like 99.9% of our earths population.

But, aren't we the way we are because that is who we "really" want to be?

[The Wizard]

Okay. Where to start...

If you FORCE it, then you're just tossing on another mask.  It's just more bullshit.

Valid enough point. I really need to phrase shit better. What I meant was that I was going to just go with the flow, not really worry about it. If I'm feeling serious then I'll act serious, if I'm feeling weird, I'll act in accordance. The way I put it pretty much fucked over what I meant, so my apologies.

go to goddamn California and live on a commune until you "find yourself™", hippie.

Not much I can say in response. If you feel it's bullshit than, well, whatever works for you. I was just working out a couple self issues.

If you only care about action and entertainment why even bother writing a rant like this.

Once again, I messed up my message. Instead of what I actually meant, I spewed out the other stuff. I wrote the rant because I had something that was bothering me, and I wanted some advice on it. I got said advice, thought it over, and concluded that the only thing that made sense was to just not worry about it.