Posts by Introspection

151

Intro's quote-o-rama

by Introspection in

i guess i've been inspired by stephen's quote threads, so i'm going to start one myself.. not one particular author here, just whatever i can find:.

q: why do you think that people are so protective of their egos?

why is it so hard to let go of one's ego?.

Introspection

"We make a vessel from a lump of clay;
It is the empty space within the vessel that makes it useful.

We make doors and windows for a room;
But it is these empty spaces that makes the room livable." -Tao Te Ching 11

It appears that many Christians today still believe meditation is "praying to the devil", or allowing demons to enter your mind etc. Well, if the mind is always occupied with thoughts, or if it isn't open to external input, what allows room for Christian teachings to enter, or the holy spirit for that matter?

There is something called working memory, which is a "space" that temorarily holds information which you are processing with your mind. Of course, if you are always hanging on to your opinions and beliefs, it's probable that even this little bit of space is not available. A person might be full of thoughts which they think is right and correct, and although it is unlikely that a person is 100% wrong about everything, what we do know is that regardless of the validity of their beliefs, what they are full of is their own opinions - or, if you will, full of themselves.

6

Oct 7th BBQ in San Francisco

by Introspection in

jw
friends

summary: real people, phony religion.

i'll let the others fill in on the details.

Introspection

Summary: Real people, phony religion. I'll let the others fill in on the details.

151

Intro's quote-o-rama

by Introspection in

i guess i've been inspired by stephen's quote threads, so i'm going to start one myself.. not one particular author here, just whatever i can find:.

q: why do you think that people are so protective of their egos?

why is it so hard to let go of one's ego?.

Introspection

"All violence is injustice.
Responding to violence with violence is injustice, not only to the other person but also to oneself. Responding to violence with violence resolves nothing; it only escalates violence, anger and hatred. It is only with compassion that we can embrace and disintegrate violence. This is true in relationships between individuals as well as in relationships between nations."-Thich Nhat Hanh

15

looking for validation

by yrs2long in

i'm new to this site and inactive(so far).

i have been glued to this site for the last few days.

my b/friend says i'm obsessed.

Introspection

As for the christian support group - i get the heebee jeebies just thinking about placing another yoke upon my head.

Yrs2long,

It is certainly a good idea to allow some time for yourself. Some may choose the Christian path, but I don't think anyone would disagree when I say that choice should be made consciously. It is all too easy to rely on another group, and no doubt many there are ready to preach their version of the truth. I understand some Christians don't care for those groups either, so it is best to find out what their orientation (religious or non) when you are looking. I mentioned that not as a suggestion, but just to point it out as something you'd want to be aware of.

16

just one question

by beepers in

jw
friends

i am an inactive witness.

the problem i'm having is that i have a 1 year old daughter.

not that she's the problem, but jw's believe that only jw's will survive armageddon.

Introspection

Beepers, I think a balance of knowledge and experiencing the feelings you have in reaction to these is essential. You can read books such as Crisis of Conscience or what have you, (or just research and educate yourself on related topics) but also ask yourself what's causing you to feel a certain way. Once you understand why you feel what you feel about a certain idea, it is more likely to dissolve - be it fear or some other emotion.

3

Cognitive-behavioral conditioning

by Introspection in

i know from the psych classes i've taken that this is a technique for overcoming pessimistic thought patterns.

(positive affirmations, etc) but i have to wonder, are we really just a bundle of conditioned statements and reactive responses?

maybe i've just missed the point, had cheesy textbooks or whatever.. but i personally believe there's a higher resource we can draw upon.

Introspection

Sorry, I guess I care more about what I say than how I say it. In any case, perhaps the audience we are addressing is not the same. Whether you belabor your mind is up to you, isn't it?

6

Martial arts as a metaphor for verbal conflicts

by Introspection in

let me know what you guys think of this.. if there isn't much response maybe i'll type a little less, don't want to be boring everyone if it's not of interest.... well, i was thinking about how arguments happen online on this board and elsewhere, and it occurred to me it has some things in common with some basic martial arts principles.. first of all, something very basic that nobody seems to think about is that you need to see what your opponent is doing.

it seems that often people get upset and are more likely to be focused on that feeling, rather than how they will respond to the other person's argument or actions.

(of course, a calm and collected fight probably doesn't make a good movie) in verbal arguments, this can take various forms.

Introspection

Sorry Thomas, but that is neither a form of entertainment nor anywhere near what martial arts is about. You speak of people drawn to martial arts, but that is not the same as the art itself.

Granted, there are different types of martial arts, and many modern styles are rather brutal. Spiritism and demonic influences would depend upon your own mind. The fact is from a psychological point of view, martial arts teaches you a measure of physical discipline, to act consciously rather than have a knee-jerk reaction to the physical threat. It's unfortunate that many have been brainwashed by Bruce Lee movies and such to think that it's all about being able to kick ass when you get mad. If you want to look at it for what it is, though, it's about self-defense. Of course, a lot of this depends on the practitioner, but just as you might not agree with how the witnesses or others use the bible or the name of Christ, individuals who practice the martial arts may misrepresent it. The martial artists of ancient times understood how to heal people as well as using the same knowledge to harm, and because they have this knowledge they were able to incapacitate a person without seriously hurting them. The fact that fights were private also shows that they do not take pleasure in harming others, and it is not for show.

Since you brought it up though, what exactly is your personal experience?

Incidentally, my friend who is also named Thomas, a theology student is a martial arts student. Another guy who's a minister and a PhD psychologist is an advanced student at our school.

3

Cognitive-behavioral conditioning

by Introspection in

i know from the psych classes i've taken that this is a technique for overcoming pessimistic thought patterns.

(positive affirmations, etc) but i have to wonder, are we really just a bundle of conditioned statements and reactive responses?

maybe i've just missed the point, had cheesy textbooks or whatever.. but i personally believe there's a higher resource we can draw upon.

Introspection

I know from the psych classes I've taken that this is a technique for overcoming pessimistic thought patterns. (positive affirmations, etc) But I have to wonder, are we really just a bundle of conditioned statements and reactive responses? Maybe I've just missed the point, had cheesy textbooks or whatever.. But I personally believe there's a higher resource we can draw upon. I tend to think it's just another level of processing, but perhaps it takes some "tuning in"...

Meditation is interesting in this respect. Never mind the specific techniques and the philosophies, but if you're like most people you probably have just as many different thoughts floating around in your head.. As one guy from my speech class said "it's like a maniac!" Well, atleast you're not alone. It does make one think just where more thoughts will get you though. Anyone else ever think about this? (opps, there I go again ) But really, what about just taking some time out to relax?

15

looking for validation

by yrs2long in

i'm new to this site and inactive(so far).

i have been glued to this site for the last few days.

my b/friend says i'm obsessed.

Introspection

Hang in there Yrs2long, as you can see we are real people even though we only communicate online. In time you'll build more strength. And, I think breakthroughs do happen.

BTW, to answer your earlier question I know there's a couple of support groups here in northern CA (San Francisco area) and others are around, though relatively rare. Ours is non-religious, though I know many are Christian based.

15

looking for validation

by yrs2long in

i'm new to this site and inactive(so far).

i have been glued to this site for the last few days.

my b/friend says i'm obsessed.

Introspection

Hi Yrs2long,

I hesitate to say anything about getting rid of the fear and residue, because it seems to me some believe almost religiously that you will never get rid of it. It's true that it is something that does have an impact on the rest of your life, (that is, from the period where you left or whenever you divide it on) perhaps for a rather long period and earlier on in the crucial developmental years, but I think as far as fear and that specific (or general) thinking pattern is concerned it is possible. The key point is fear of the unknown. I see the experience of leaving as an opportunity for growth, as in my own case. Some people may never want to fully face the fear of the unknown, (or accept the fact that they don't know) but our experience may bring our attention to that fact. I hope this is helpful in some way.