Sacred Affirmations of Bullshit

[tyrannosaurus vex]

On the subject of religion, it is worth noting that religion isn't really limited to "religion." Spiritual, organized religion is only one manifestation of an almost universal social behavior among humans. That is, we are faced with hardship, we overcome that hardship, and we codify our methods of doing so into something we like to fantasize is a set of universally applicable instructions for overcoming all future hardships.

In the absence of any real hardship, we will happily invent something to take its place. Because humanity survives on a diet of strife and misery, we sew the seeds of those things in every encounter where we can, so they can grow and eventually we can reap their awful fruit. Religion is only one system we have invented for doing this. There is also politics, sports, Facebook, and any  number of other places where we go to receive our communion of outrage and self-righteousness.

The following list of Affirmations are complete bullshit, but they express what I think our modern, privileged, Western attitudes toward one another and those outside of our culture would be, if they were codified into a set of beatitudes.

1. Because I have suffered more than you have, you have never really suffered at all.
2. Because I know more than you do, you know nothing.
3. Because I must succeed, you must fail.
4. Because I am right, you are wrong.
5. Because I am good, you are evil.
6. Because I am oppressed, you are privileged.
7. Because I need, you must give.
8. Because I speak, you must listen.
9. Because I see, you must be blind.

I know I practice all of these things regularly, even when I try not to. In the moment, in the heat of a disagreement, they seem to hold true somehow, and then afterward, they completely disintegrate upon even the slighted examination. What is it about these attitudes that solidify under the stress of an argument, but shrivel and dissipate afterwards? And why is it that a calm mind can regard these nine points and the thousands of other thoughts that could continue the list as almost laughably easy to avoid, but a distressed and angry mind naturally and immediately conjures them up like armor?

What do these statements protect? And why is it worth protecting?

[Lord Cataplanga]

What do these statements protect? And why is it worth protecting?

I think what those statements have in common is that they are meant to protect against any kind of change.
Change of mind, change of heart, even change for the better, in the case of statement six.

Our own egos protect us from change because if we change, then we wouldn't be us anymore. For the ego, all change is death. It's a common theme in the BIP that we are our own jailmakers and prison guards.

[Ben Shapiro]

I don't post much here since someone else says what I was going to say. I actually enjoy coming to this board my world filter is constantly being re calibrated.

[Reginald Ret]

What do these statements protect? And why is it worth protecting?

I think what those statements have in common is that they are meant to protect against any kind of change.
Change of mind, change of heart, even change for the better, in the case of statement six.

Our own egos protect us from change because if we change, then we wouldn't be us anymore. For the ego, all change is death. It's a common theme in the BIP that we are our own jailmakers and prison guards.

Add to that that time flows like a river(that is to say, downhill) and we all have a long list of ways in which our lives have gotten worse, giving us 'proof' that change is bad. Rationally we know that the past only looks good because we forgot some of the bad shit, but when we are emotional we switch to a different personality.

[P3nT4gR4m]

What do these statements protect? And why is it worth protecting?

I think what those statements have in common is that they are meant to protect against any kind of change.
Change of mind, change of heart, even change for the better, in the case of statement six.

Our own egos protect us from change because if we change, then we wouldn't be us anymore. For the ego, all change is death. It's a common theme in the BIP that we are our own jailmakers and prison guards.

Add to that that time flows like a river(that is to say, downhill) and we all have a long list of ways in which our lives have gotten worse, giving us 'proof' that change is bad. Rationally we know that the past only looks good because we forgot some of the bad shit, but when we are emotional we switch to a different personality.

Speak for yourself. I love change. My life used to be really shitty and now it's half way to excellent. Another couple of iterations and it might even be perfect.

My ego is like lego  these days. Build it up, have a play, smash it to pieces and then make something else with the bits.

Attachment is like clinging to Groundhog day. Makes no sense but, as talking monkeys, we crave it with what seems like every fibre of our being at times. To my mind, it's an unhealthy addiction. Best not get sucked into the trap

[LMNO]

P3nt, the Scottish Buddhist.

[P3nT4gR4m]

It's about the only religion I can actually take seriously.

(Mostly because I know that really pisses them off)