Well, there appear to be objects, plants, animals and people outside of me.
I don’t see why I should think that they don’t exist or that they don’t effect on me in ways which are beyond my control.
Serendipper,
… Keeping the glass half full.
That’s a personal evaluation.
If someone is saying “my life sucks”, then he/she ought to do something to change it. And obviously he/she has some idea of what is wrong with that life and what would improve it. In most cases, some improvement is possible - maybe a big improvement is possible.
Yes but I realized one day that we can’t have 1 apple without the entire universe. An apple needs a tree that needs the ground and air which needs a planet which needs a star which needs a universe. A blackhole on the other end of the universe is just as necessary for you to be here as your own heart, and as Alan puts it, the same way you work your thyroid gland is the same way you shine the sun. Or we could say that whatever natural processes that cause your thyroid gland to function are of the same origin as those that shine the sun.
So what is the difference between “you” and “it”? He says this is why meditators focus on breathing because breathing is both something you do and something that happens to you and the purpose is to realize that there is no difference because whatever you do IS something that happens to you and the corollary is whatever that happens to you IS something you do.
Here’s a 6 min video about it:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uieXYC4bPPI[/youtube]
Whatever. If it makes him happy …
I did get some good advice from dad once. He said “You expect too much”. Perhaps I am too idealistic in thinking we could have one year of “normal weather” by random chance instead on once-in-a-century droughts in the summer along with floods in the winter year after year. Why can’t it rain in the summer instead of the winter just by random fluke, just once??? But I expect too much and should feel astonished that we exist at all considering what a rough place the universe is. Yes, he’s right, I’m being arrogant and feeling entitled to good weather as if the universe owes me something.
Life “sucking” is a matter of perspective and expectation. If I’m not king of the world, then life just sucks.
I was originally going to put your post in order at the top, but decided to cut n paste it at the end as a summation because, yes, that’s it and there’s a lot of profundity in analogizing the glass being half full (realistic expectations, not being greedy, counting blessings, the Middle Way of Buddhism)
So you’re confident that he is looney?
It really makes no difference to me.
The explanation in the video is a way of looking at things … it’s not the only way and not necessarily the right/wrong way.
I don’t see it as particularly convincing. I don’t see it as useful.
Sure, but perspective and expectations are within your control.
If you have to be “king of the world” for life not to suck, then you’re going to be unhappy your entire life unless you manage to become “king of the world”.
If you change your expectations, then life stops sucking.
It’s your choice.
Serendipper,
Good summation.
Fanman, why not branch out and comment on more threads?
Yes, he says there is the scientific and the poetic explanation and which you choose depends how you’re wired.
But why does it make no difference to you? Don’t you want to know who, where, and what you are? Isn’t that the first order of business in life?
What’s all this talk about choice and control? If I prefer vanilla over chocolate, isn’t it because of how I’m put together? I had no choice in that. The words I choose to type next is just a function of my genetics and my environment and those are two things I have no control over. How do you have control and I don’t?
There is some truth in that but I don’t think that “your wiring” can’t be “rewired”. IOW, I’m not a fatalist.
It’s not up to me decide what other people ought to think. If he wants to think in some particular way, that’s his choice.
I already know. To be more exact, I believe that I have a reasonable explanation. When I hear other explanations, I evaluate them and readjust as necessary.
That’s loud and clear in your posts.
I guess that if you think that you don’t have control then you don’t have it.
So if I think I do not have control, then I really do not have it. Then doesn’t that negate everything else you’ve said where you’ve relied on choice?
[i]Sure, but perspective and expectations are within your control.
If you change your expectations, then life stops sucking. It’s your choice.
There is some truth in that but I don’t think that “your wiring” can’t be “rewired”. IOW, I’m not a fatalist.
It’s not up to me decide what other people ought to think. If he wants to think in some particular way, that’s his choice. [/i]
Your question “How do you have control and I don’t?” is the statement “I (Serendipper) don’t have control”. You want me to spend my time trying to convince you that you do have control. I sent hundreds of posts trying to do that or something similar with Iambig (trying to get him out of his dilemma). In the end, he always said that he can’t change.
I’m just skipping the middle part where I’m wasting my time. Okay, you don’t have control. Done.
Seems to me that you don’t have much control over yourself. Because it went wrong with biggie, now you have no choice. That’s kinda where I am as well; why bother if I can’t win? I had no choice but to play before because I was young, ambitious, optimistic, curious, adventurous (like you), and now I have no choice but to not play because I’m worn out (like you). So I’m playing chess with Garry Kasparov… sure, I’m free to move wherever I want, but it can only end one way and the only winning move is not to play (like you’re doing).
I wasn’t always so pessimistic, but maybe I got too smart (ignorance is bliss they say). As soon as I consciously decide to do something, evolution immediately begins working against me. As soon as I decide to play white, the universe takes the opposing black position. Looks like dad was right… winning is a fluke, a miracle of luck or necessary aberration just to put losing back into context and give it significance.
Think whatever you want about it.
Do I have a choice? 