Maybe you guys ought to be a little less nasty and a little more charitable.
And one might also add more philosophical.
Et tu brute, Gib?
What kind of evidence, by your standards, would I have to show/give in my posts in order for someone to see or to intuit that I attempt to answer the question of Who Am I and that in other ways also I attempt to be a consciousness seeker?
Tell me, how would YOU go about it, if you were me?
Please critique me also.
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AD … I didn’t suggest your efforts are anything less than sincere … seems you are simply running into “road blocks” … ergo … “mental blocks” along the way. All genuine seekers experience this phenomenon … most of them for an entire lifetime … perhaps several lifetimes.
Willfully ignoring a substantial and enduring body of thought is not indicative of a big “C” consciousness seeker.
Ditto for big “P” philosophers.
Oh, but you did in a roundabout way. See below.
“Consciousness Seeker” implies you have asked yourself the question though I don’t see much evidence of any serious attempt to answer it in your posts … the posts I’ve read.
We all run into roadblocks. I am human, you are human, we are all human.
I would have used the word emotional block with reference to these posts in this case although mental is also a part of it.
It is also implied here that this is directed toward me - though not in a direct way.
What to you is a substantial and enduring body of thought??
I am waiting for both yourself and Gib to critique me and point out what you see as lacking in me. In other words, to put your money where your mouth is.
Also, I never implied that I was a big C consciousness seeker. I am more of a little c a peon of a seeker. …more of a little grasshopper to this great big Universe of ours. Perhaps I shall change the C to a c.
But then again, perhaps I disrespect myself a bit in saying that…though I am a student.
I suppose that part of being fully conscious (if we can even get that far* is realizing that people who live in glass houses cannot afford to throw stones ~~ and we all, each and every one of us, in a sense, live in those glasses houses at times, some more often that others.
I addressed the below to you …
"Tell that to the mediator whose words have settled countless disputes to the satisfaction of all parties.
Tell that to the negotiator whose words have saved the lives of many hostages.
Tell that to the police person who has managed to talk a teenager off the roof when all he or she wanted was to jump.
Tell that to the diplomat whose words have soothed the savage beast between nations.
Tell that to all people who have read the works of the poets and been awe-inspired.
Tell that to the people who have read Science and Philosophy books and who have been inspired to follow suit.
Tell that to the children who have been consoled by their parents when it takes much more than just a hug.
Tell that to the leaders of the French Revolution or any revolution whose passionate speeches have paved the way for freedom."
…but you made no effort to address that.
Your only response was in remarking about the monastery story.
Why was that?
No! 
AD … there’s nothing to critique … there’s nothing lacking in you. Your posts reflect “you” at a particular space and time … by the time you hit the send button “you” have already changed even though you don’t recognize it.
This e-exchange illustrates the paradox of human communication:
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We need to communicate with each other to grow.
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Attempts to communicate too often devolve to the point … “My perspective is superior to yours and here let me prove it.”
This is a public forum … all of my posts are addressed to the entire ILP audience.
Have you read my comments in Aaron’s OP on the subject of emotions?
Chinese thought is an example.
We are all pregnant with the potential for greatness … few manage to birth their potential … a sad fact.
At the moment we have diametrically opposite views on the essence of “words”. For me, it’s futile and destructive to argue my perspective. The differences will evaporate or they won’t … either way is OK for me. 
Why are you in an internet discussion forum??? 
For the same reason some people put a message in a bottle and throw it into the ocean … looking for some like minded person(s).
Oh, I see.
You’re looking for people who think exactly as you do.
In that case, avoiding discussion makes perfect sense. =D>
Agreed … what you want to see … that is. A very common human characteristic.
A good example of my above comment … not all people see the expression “like minded people” as " people who think exactly as you do"
… and just in case I didn’t get it in your first example you were kind enough to provide a second … thanks.
Not all people see discussion and argument as synonyms.
Many are still kinder to animals than they are to people… including friends and acquaintances of mine. Don’t hurt the poor animals they say, but then talk down to, argue with, and get rude to ‘people’.
I have to say… that that is exactly how I see things and would have responded, and yet we don’t always agree or come to the same conclusions 
Likeminded is being able enough to comprehend the other, which helps focus one’s thoughts in seeing things without any constructed mental barriers, so as to see and think with better clarity.
I think the opposite is actually true… similar ilks build each other up on a mental level, not drag each other down to the dulled physical realm of existence, where one feels one’s head will explode with the usual tripe and the endless ennui becomes mind-numbingly toxic… to the point of threatening one’s wellbeing and livelihood.
Some conversations are intuited, and are therefore not meant to be… the intuiter wanting the conversation to progress quicker than the one who cannot/does not intuit.
If I misunderstood you then I would ask for an explanation of what “like minded people” means.
But would you answer me? I think not. You are more likely to pull out your Confucius quote.
What does “like minded people” mean?
You don’t even answer questions or requests for more information. Those are integral parts of a discussion.
Therefore, I think ‘discussion’ was the appropriate word.
I have never done that but have thought of doing it.
Do you have any idea what message you might put in the bottle and send off?
I would be curious about that. I am curious about that. What would your first word be, do you think?
I think that as far as that went, the world would be your oyster.
Of course, it would stand to reason that you would have to give your name and address to receive a message back.
Can you imagine the arguments/discussions (philosophically speaking) which would ensue in ILP if you did not send your name and address to that person YET his/her message/response in his/her bottle comes back to YOU, only YOU? LOL
Fate, serendipity, synchronicity, the law of averages (I think), randomness, determinism, oceanography lol, physics…ad continuum.
I do not believe or intuit “real magic” but I might be a bit more skeptical or agnostic about it NOT existing in this Universe if that were to occur. lol
I mean the so-called “real” magic that people (like those who believe they are witches) believe that they are capable of conjuring up, bringing into existence by way of their own power and control.
Like-minded in what way?
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I like Mags definition … though I would use different words. Have you read it?
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Spoon feeding is for infants … adults learn to feed themselves.
I’ve shared lots and lots of personal stuff and on several occasions provided links to a large repository of personal experiences and thoughts. A few ILP members nibbled … none found the taste palatable.
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Only one word … “Help!”
Providing name and address is banal … unimaginative. The universe knows me and how to contact me.
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Like minded as in genuine truth seekers who have reached a stage of maturity that approximates my own. I accept that all ILP members are truth seekers at various stages along a very very long road.
You mean this :
I can comprehend people who have views which are completely different from mine and who think in completely different ways. I don’t see that as an obstacle … in fact, it makes the discussion much more interesting. And it forces me to get off my comfy couch and to exercise my mind.
Let’s just put this down as “different strokes for different folks”.
I’m not interested in your “personal stuff” except as it relates general human experience which is applicable to more or less everyone.
I don’t consider this to be a forum for sharing personal stuff. That’s why I rarely and reluctantly post my personal experiences.
I’m really only interested in the philosophical reasoning in the posts.
pilgrim-seeker_tom
Are you being facetious here? Of all the words you could possibly say in sending your message in the bottle, the first one would be help!!!
I realize that it might take some reflection to consider what that first word might be and/or what your message would be, but would you honestly waste words by sending a plea for help?
Well, perhaps only if you were stranded at sea and could navigate by the stars to give your location.
You might have just said" "Arc, I will have to get back to you on that.
I thought that it was an interesting question ~~ I was being serious.
Seeing the possibility that it might happen, you might have begun with the word “WOW”. “If someone has picked up my message, what a LARK that is” perhaps with a LOL.
Then you might go on to share a bit of your life. (Of course, you would have already set up a P.O. Box # just in case). lol
Can you even imagine it though? What a refreshing exhilarating breeze that could bring to your life.
Do you not think that we can use all of the amazing things which give us a raison d’etre - to spice up our lives.
That is not being hedonist but it can be quite stoic in nature.
Like-minded in what way?
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Can you give me an example of that?
Stage of maturity as in age or as in wisdom?
I may be wrong in my estimation of you and your stage of maturity but do genuine truth seekers who have reached that stage which you speak about utter words like you did to me?:
“Consciousness Seeker” implies you have asked yourself the question though I don’t see much evidence of any serious attempt to answer it in your posts … the posts I’ve read.
I will be honest with you. That dig did sting (a bit of ego, yes) and not because of you but despite you, it taught me something.
Again as I said, I may be wrong here, but do believe/intuit that your words actually qualify you as a genuine truth seeker and one who has reached a particular stage of maturity? I might question what stage that is.
Yes, you can say that.
Just a bit of advice which you needn’t take. If you are saying something to someone and you do not want them to take it personally (aside from what you said directly to me, meaning me) it could be a good idea to say that you are speaking universally, including all people, the we in other words.
This thread is called “Weakness is strength”. My emotions, to a degree, have shown me that weakness can indeed give rise to strength. Mind over matter does not always cut it; neither does suppressing or repressing. That within it (weakness) there is hidden strength if we just allow our emotions to flow, like waves, accepting them, not trying to fight them but allowing them to speak to us and to urge us on to some kind of positive action which we learn from.