Not quite philosophy

[Bhode_Sativa]

Some perspectives I've been having lately.

Power is the ability to get other people to do what you want them to.  People all over the world and for as far back as history records, have vied for control of others.  War, government, religion, family, work, school, everything in life is about doing what is expected of you, or not.  Those who do not conform will be punished.  Strong over weak, clever over stupid, resources over no resources.  Everything comes down to control and the pack mentality.  Every group that people identify with becomes a pack.  Some people belong in the back of every pack they're a part of.  Some people will never be satisfied until they are in charge of every pack they are a part of.  Humans are social animals, constantly preoccupied with hierarchy, worth, and status.  "I am better than you and I need you to tell me you understand, or I will attack you until you do." 

Eris told me once, "You're unique, just like everyone else."  I try to realize that I am no better than everyone else, but somehow I'm not convinced.  I see other's mistakes, and their inability to process information to the degree that I can and get frustrated.  I feel a need to be the boss, which makes me want to rally others to my opinions, yet, when I look in the mirror I find that I make mistakes as well.  I find that there are and were many times when someone else gave me information in a way that I couldn't process, that I have been "dumb" myself.  The difference is timing, is perspective, is living in the moment and being flexible in order to accept new information, adapt it to fit the things I'm working on, and adapt myself to include the new, while not losing the lessons of everything else that came before.

Eris provides me with that sense of being my own highest authority, yet the feeling of being a part of something larger.  It allows people to be the leaders of their own pack, while recognizing everyone else's right to do so.  It forms a social model that shows, not tells, that we are what we choose to be, so we should choose well.

When I found discordianism I was floored that there were other people who think about things intelligently, and even when there seems to be no logic, it is done in a way that stimulates my brain to higher pursuits.  I find myself in the minority of the masses because I enjoy a challenge, because my brain feels good when it must exercise.  I am completely convinced that there is enough oddity and chaos in the universe to attract any mind that is curious enough to Discordia, yet I feel that I need somehow to let my own voice ring from the rooftops proclaiming "Wake the FUCK up, Sheep!  There is LIFE to be lived!  There is FUN to be had!  Do whatever YOU want to!"  To which my imaginary ANTI voice yells "Shut up, It's three AM, and I just got my infant to sleep, and I have a huge presentation for the boss tomorrow, and I kind of like not having to think for myself about the mysteries of the universe, I mean, really, does it put food on my table?"  At which point the original thought voice replies, "Why bother living if you're just trying to get to the end?"  Then, the ANTI voice realizes that it won't change the other's mind, shuts the window, turns off the light, and goes to bed, but lies awake thinking. 

Therein lies the conundrum.  How to balance practicality with ideology?  It's easy to walk around fnording all the time, just to get attention, but it is difficult to find the exact moment when the universe wants you to fnord, in order to make life better for you and everyone else around you.  Fuck the minds, challenge paradigm, walk the levels of perspective from small to great, then rotate 90* and do it all over again, until we're all skewed, but do it in a way that makes things better than they were before.

Without pain there can be no change.  Without change there can be no growth.  Things often hurt before they get better.  Pain is necessary.  Being uncomfortable is inherent in life.  The trick is to take perspective from the pain, and change to avoid it, or accept it.  The better trick is to seek the best changes before having to go through the pain in the first place.

[BADGE OF HONOR]

How to balance practicality with ideology?

[East Coast Hustle]

I like this not quite a rant.

quite a bit.

[Bhode_Sativa]

He he, Rabid Badger gave me the Clap, he he.

I'm glad you like it, ECH.  95% of the stuff I"ve written lately seems like just a reiteration of concepts already posted, but this little bit, I felt, had some merit.  I've been going over so much stuff here recently that I was starting to feel like a pervy gym teacher staring at the boys in the shower, so I decided that I'd post a few of my thoughts.

[Jenne]

This is my favorite part--as I live this pretty much weekly if not daily:

yet I feel that I need somehow to let my own voice ring from the rooftops proclaiming "Wake the FUCK up, Sheep!  There is LIFE to be lived!  There is FUN to be had!  Do whatever YOU want to!"  To which my imaginary ANTI voice yells "Shut up, It's three AM, and I just got my infant to sleep, and I have a huge presentation for the boss tomorrow, and I kind of like not having to think for myself about the mysteries of the universe, I mean, really, does it put food on my table?"  At which point the original thought voice replies, "Why bother living if you're just trying to get to the end?"  Then, the ANTI voice realizes that it won't change the other's mind, shuts the window, turns off the light, and goes to bed, but lies awake thinking. 

[Jasper]

I'm fed up with that in myself.

It's nice to have a word for it.  "Anti-Voice".  Good stuff.

[Messier Undertree]

He was so promising too.

[P3nT4gR4m]

Cross thread quoted cos it seems relevent

What I've found lately is that its easy to slip up and be just as dumb as you were before you ever stopped to actually think about your own actions. Thats right, one minute you can be inspired into thinking a few steps ahead, and be comfortable in your general enlightenment... and in a flash you get caught in the riptide, and seemingly nothing has changed. There one minute, gone the next, like a metaphysical paycheck.

Your second paragraph is ofcoursely quite important and I guess most people on this board is familiar with the concept and have repeatedly made the mistake before learning..