[Hellion]

This is sort of long, but if anyone reads this and can relate to this or feels similar frustration your input will be appreciated, sometimes It feels like i am the only one, but I know that is not true...probably.

Well not the entire world, the trees certainly aren't causing any problems...suppose more human caused crap. For one I find the current 'society' here quite repulsive to say the least and the current pop culture, ick...even the damn history channel is full of freaking reality shows...and the vast majority of current popular music.

Then there is the system and the government and of course I am very unhappy about lots of things concerning that. Don't want to debate about it but seems a lot of things are really going downhill and escalating in a bad way just over-all...and its not looking much better in much of the rest of the world either. The class division is ridiculous, what kind of a civilized nation has people who have enough money to last them 10 lifetimes as well as people living on the streets...then of course various laws and policies to make things harder for those people. You know in my city they took out a lot of rain shelters at bus stops, probably wasted tax money on this...bullcrap just trying to make it more uncomfortable to be outside whether its by choice or because you've got nowhere to go.

And this concern about police brutality, well its not just something off in the distance I hear about on the news...its in my own back yard, just this last week I saw a rather disturbing video recorded in Denver, a place I have been plenty of times where a bunch of cops rushed a rather small group of protestors quite brutally i might say...and in such a way that any passerby's not even part of the protest would have been at risk of being trampled or brutalized. It disturbed me....not sure where I am going with all this but I am just disturbed and afraid of the system we happen to live under...no idea what to do about it.

I can't just ignore it, and not be bothered? can't seem to do that...but what can one even do. And also how the hell am I supposed to recover from my mental health issues....its not use when the environment you're stuck in drags you down all the time. Also isn't it nice how if you are on SSI, its pretty much set up to where you can't even save up to maybe invest in some way to come off of it and become self sufficient financially.

[Altered Moment]

Well Hellion I am not sure. This may be easier for me naturally for some reason but I can pay attention to all the crap and it doesn't bother me that much. I think it is because I have really learned not to stress over things that I am powerless over. I tend to really focus on where I can make a small difference for good in some way or other. For me that is a very local thing within my small circle. That is just me.

Some people take a broader view and feel like they can make a difference. I think they can. There are many examples of grass roots movements in this country that made a big difference.

People think it doesn't matter but actually writing your congressman and local politicians does make a difference. Because as you said there is so much crap on TV, and even the history channel and other channels like it got corrupted, I started watching a lot of C-Span and PBS. From watching C-Span for so many years I have seen Congress act in a totally different direction when they got overwhelmed with constituents phone calls and mail. It is our country and up to us to make our voices heard. The silent masses. It has always taken a lot to move the silent masses but sometimes we do move and it makes a difference. The whole income inequality thing is out of control. I believe in capitalism but when 2% of the people own over 90% of the wealth something is wrong.

Yes, this is a turbulent period, and you're not the only one who finds society going downhill. I might as well speculate that this age will be remembered like the Dark Ages in the not-yet-existing future...That is from the likely conclusion of a future history book. And that was optimistic, one might say there won't be a good future at all. So many undecided factors and variables. But if we already doom things, then we've really failed.

I have searched and read a lot, pieced things together from the resources and managed to assemble a lil 'book' about how society in general could be made better, in the previous months - to ease my boredom, mostly. (The signature has it, if you care.) I don't think many would be interested, but I guess you are unlikely to read all that - months' work - compiled in one document elsewhere. I was so into it that I've stayed up late midnights to ponder and imagine stuff when no solution was apparent...even to the detriment of school performance and health and all.

It was all a dream. I was fairly sure that at least some of it could be implemented, but will probably never be, mostly because - duh, human nature, huh. On the way to idealism for sure, but that's just me. Don't wanna be a spectator to this mess. So might as well have fun in building ideal worlds - the key is to give ideas, what else? That is the main usefulness of arts and fiction.

As for the mental health issues, I found wisdom along with spiritual enlightenment to be an adequate solution. That only works in my specific case though, just saying. I still rant sometimes, but nowadays I don't mind any of it.

I'm glad you posted this topic Hellion. I totally agree with you on many of your viewpoints.
I think, in the beginning, 100%, we are a product of our environment. It isn't until we learn something different that we are what we make ourselves to be.

So when we begin life in a very sick environment..... makes sense that it's such a challenge to change. You don't know anything else (yet.)
It can be especially hard when you're stuck in the same environment that simply won't change (creature of habit thing).

Then, when you become 'enlightened' over the majority around you......you are treated like You're the problem. Since when has wanting to live in a life of mutual respect, tolerance, and selflessness been such a 'problem'?

I like how the media can show us differences. But it seems to be currently over-run by the 1%; which seems to make them so happy while it only depresses the hell out of the rest of us.
I have to be mindful about what I watch. I watch some networks for entertainment only, and interpret it as that alone. Art does imitate life sometimes......but much of it is simply for entertainment purposes only. Which can be very funny.
When I want 'information', I turn to PBS and the like.

It's hard not to take the weight of the world onto your own shoulders, because we are a part of the world.

I've enjoyed reading others viewpoints.
Thanks for reading my view/ramble on that It's a very interesting topic.

the world frustrates me too, but just people as well. don't worry, there are good people out there too.

[BLUEDOVE]

I read in 3 different books,by 3 different authors,at
3 different times,who ALL agreed that in most western societies,80% of the population are lunatics! I would put that a bit higher to 90% !
And I think sometimes I've met them all!
If only we could recognize each other,and stay
clear of the loonies.
Yes I know it is hard to believe,
but the longer I live,the more truth of it I see.

[Hellion]

I figured it was the so called 'sane' ones you have to look out for most of the time...or so called normal or whatever.

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by zinco14532323

Well Hellion I am not sure. This may be easier for me naturally for some reason but I can pay attention to all the crap and it doesn't bother me that much. I think it is because I have really learned not to stress over things that I am powerless over. I tend to really focus on where I can make a small difference for good in some way or other. For me that is a very local thing within my small circle. That is just me.

Some people take a broader view and feel like they can make a difference. I think they can. There are many examples of grass roots movements in this country that made a big difference.

People think it doesn't matter but actually writing your congressman and local politicians does make a difference. Because as you said there is so much crap on TV, and even the history channel and other channels like it got corrupted, I started watching a lot of C-Span and PBS. From watching C-Span for so many years I have seen Congress act in a totally different direction when they got overwhelmed with constituents phone calls and mail. It is our country and up to us to make our voices heard. The silent masses. It has always taken a lot to move the silent masses but sometimes we do move and it makes a difference. The whole income inequality thing is out of control. I believe in capitalism but when 2% of the people own over 90% of the wealth something is wrong.

I wouldn't even know where to begin...and are they really going to listen to a college drop out on SSI about how the system needs to change? Seems like it would be a waste of time...not to mention what if I word something wrong and they take it as some kind of harassment maybe that is just paranoia and I shouldn't worry about that but who knows. That said I think a petition with lots of people signing it is probably more effective than a single letter from some mentally ill person on SSI.

[wolfgaze]

Sounds like you're a very 'aware' individual. Life has this way of bringing you to a point where you can no longer consciously identify with what you experience here. Where a physical-based understanding of your identity and of the nature of your existence becomes insufficient and just doesn't work for you any longer. This is often an uncomfortable, disorienting, and challenging experience. Your former foundation begins to crumble and gets pulled out from beneath you. But it serves the purpose in pushing you to expand your state of awareness and your perception beyond its previous limitations. If you were an Earth-centric individual, well perhaps you expand your horizon to include the vastness of the Universe - and once you reach that stage, perhaps you begin to question the nature of physical reality itself and whether there are other dimensions of reality and contribute to a much larger and more complex existence.

Elevating and expanding your state of consciousness/awareness will have the effect of altering your perception - and through modifyng how you perceive, this will have the effect of altering how you respond and react to what you observe and experience in this physical world. In other words, you can bring yourself to a state of being where you are still aware of and you continue to observe and experience all the things you have mentioned in this thread - yet you will elicit a different reaction/response. Not one of ignorance, avoidance, or denial - but you will see things in a different light, from a much larger perspective.

For me personally, what brought me to the point where I had to push myself to seek to extend my awareness beyond my former physical-based understanding of who I was and of this this reality I was experiencing - it was a combination of a the accumulation of mental suffering throughout my life and also the unexpected 'death' of a family member. But, there are a variety of different ways in which a person can find themselves at this crossroads where they begin to distance themselves from their identification with the physical nature of life and seek a higher awareness/understanding. This can include - experiencing prolonged mental suffering, experiencing a deep sense of loss (loss of a loved one, loss of one's identity, or loss of a relationship), having a Near-Death Experience, engaging in spiritual practices, etc - among other things. How you arrive at that point is not significant - what's important is that you get there.

What can you do to have a positive effect on the world and be an agent of change? Focus your efforts on healing and refining yourself. In doing so you will positively affect and influence all those whom you come into contact with. You are not this separate 'being' in a physical world of randomness and disconnected things. Everything is interconnected at the highest level (the energy field that underlies all physical forms) - your very presence and what you do and say, it has a real impact in your surroundings and with all those whom you interact with. Sometimes a subtle influence, sometimes a more significant influence - often this goes undetected. When you get your internal affairs in order you free up vast amounts of conscious energy so that you are able to focus on helping and supporting others, and extending yourself in service to good causes and selfless acts. When there is internal dysfunction you become preoccupied with your own burdens and weighed down by your emotions/feelings. That's why it's important to concentrate on the 'inner work' that needs to be done so that you can free yourself and maximize your ability and potential to help others and improve the conditions that we experience. The external circumstances will not be repaired by trying to implement external solutions (more rules, regulations, laws, etc). Have to bring about internal changes within individuals before the external conditions receives a necessary correction/adjustment. No quick fix on the horizon but you can bring about change within yourself and recognize how doing so will contribute to the greater cause.

[Hellion]

I admit I am not the most patient person, I feel like there's no time to 'heal myself' gotta figure out what i can do now as is or something....meh I don't know. I already question physical reality and whether there are perhaps different realms/planes of existence and such, more likely there is more than meets the eye when it comes to such things.

And I don't know I figured my problem was being too aware of the 'big picture' I am well aware everything is connected and what not...As far as the big picture is concerned well its not looking good.

[wolfgaze]

Originally Posted by Hellion

I admit I am not the most patient person, I feel like there's no time to 'heal myself' gotta figure out what i can do now as is or something....meh I don't know. I already question physical reality and whether there are perhaps different realms/planes of existence and such, more likely there is more than meets the eye when it comes to such things.

And I don't know I figured my problem was being too aware of the 'big picture' I am well aware everything is connected and what not...As far as the big picture is concerned well its not looking good.

That's really good that you're already contemplating such thoughts. Keep exploring and focusing on this line of thinking.

Being 'too aware' is only a problem/challenge temporarily while you are still integrating and reconciling your newfound insights. Trying to find a new balance and foundation. It's like when people experience something that 'shocks' their perception of reality. It takes them a while to adjust accordingly and integrate the experience - after which they are fine.

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by wolfgaze

That's really good that you're already contemplating such thoughts. Keep exploring and focusing on this line of thinking.

Being 'too aware' is only a problem/challenge temporarily while you are still integrating and reconciling your newfound insights. Trying to find a new balance and foundation. It's like when people experience something that 'shocks' their perception of reality. It takes them a while to adjust accordingly and integrate the experience - after which they are fine.

Already have been contemplating such things for many years, not really sure its very newfound anymore, just haven't known what to do about it and still don't quite have any idea...but finding balance is usually a good idea.

[wolfgaze]

Originally Posted by Hellion

Already have been contemplating such things for many years, not really sure its very newfound anymore, just haven't known what to do about it and still don't quite have any idea...but finding balance is usually a good idea.

Question - have you ever researched subject matters like Near-Death Experiences, or the implications stemming from findings in Quantum Physics (also related - the Holographic Universe theory)?

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by wolfgaze

Question - have you ever researched subject matters like Near-Death Experiences, or the implications stemming from findings in Quantum Physics (also related - the Holographic Universe theory)?

I am curious about quantum physics, have not looked a lot into it specifically too terribly much though...have read about things like near death experiences and other unusual sort of things like that.

[avlady]

Yes we have to accept and maybe even fix ourselves before we can help others, and most people do need some type of help doing so. Then we can all come together in a single group of some kind where we understand each other pshysically and mentally. Love your neighhbor as you love yourself is what i say.

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by avlady

Yes we have to accept and maybe even fix ourselves before we can help others, and most people do need some type of help doing so. Then we can all come together in a single group of some kind where we understand each other pshysically and mentally. Love your neighhbor as you love yourself is what i say.

So what if one has helped anyone else before having helped themselves, that help is null and void because they haven't entirely fixed and accepted them self? I just find that idea a little hard to grasp as i know I still have mental conditions doubt a full 'recovery' yet I do not see how that would prevent me from helping anyone else at all.