This is one of those things, that might be the longest thing you’ve ever read on the Internet, but also might be of most value. So please continue.
There is a sick assumption going on in our culture that we are somehow a separate unit or body and that we are in control of it. This is deeply perverse and the symptoms of this kind of thinking are thoughts like: I have, I must, I should – I have to survive, I must do something, I should be somebody. This of course causes stress, anxiety and general disorder of life and discontentment.
I had no idea about this for most of my life but now I know and it makes a whole lot of difference. Let me tell you about a particular type of enlightenment I had about 2 years ago. This might explain the first sentence I wrote here, that we are not a unit and not directly in control.
I was thinking pretty intensely how to do stuff back then. How to get things done and how to break through personal limitations like fear, motivation etc. For a couple months I was learning, reading, trying different methods, techniques, oscillating between the assumption that I have to “will” myself to do things and the assumptions that things happen naturally if you let them.
In personal development literature there are, amongst many, two dominant schools of thought. The first tells you to “just do it”. The second tells you to “do but without doing”. I quickly realized that the first kind of thinking comes from western people of the 20th century that achieved something in their life and tried to invent a structure for that achievement. And the only thing they came up with is that they “just did it”. This is generally bullshit, because if I knew how to “just do it” I would do it!
The second way of thinking came from studying Zen. This is not a religion or philosophy, but a school of thought, a practical solution for living. And this is at least thousands of years old and was invented and maintained by people that devoted their entire lives studying how to “just do” things, how to live and how to break human limitations. One of the best examples of this is recently Bruce Lee (he wrote an excellent book called “Tao of Jeet Kune Do”).
The enlightenment comes from realizing what you are and what you are not. If you ever force yourself to do things. If you ever have stress because of the work you are doing. If you are worrying about meeting a deadline, losing motivation, thinking you are not enough, willing yourself and failing… it is because you have assumed you are in control.
Because of cultural assumptions you have taken the role of a dicator/controller. You have assumed total control over a body which is essentially an animal of the human species.
OK a little slower. Sigmund Freud was acclaimed brilliant because he brought into our everyday thinking the concept of the conscious and unconscious mind. Generally people understand this concept but unfortunately not fully.
The unconscious mind is not a basement where all the repressed stuff goes and is hidden there. In reality it is everything ELSE than what YOU are. It is another part of you. Or in other words you, as the conscious mind, are just a part of a greater whole. Something that is much bigger and stronger than you can imagine. It knows a whole lot more things and can do everything much quicker and better than you think you can.
Make a fist with your hand right now. How did you know how to do that? How did you know what muscles to move, which nerve cells to fire? You don’t, the unconscious mind knows how to do it… Hah, and that’s basically it, the answer to my search (how do you do things): you don’t know and will never know how to do things. The unconscious mind DOES things.
Let’s say you were born in a car and attached to the car seat never ever in your life getting out of it. Let’s say this is a joke or an evil experiment on you. So everyone you meet tells you that you are a car and you think everybody else is a car. This is the cultural assumption I am talking about. So you take that without questioning it and think to yourself: I am a car. Furthermore you assume absolute control over the car. Of course this is done by a simple experiment, you press the gas pedal and you move forward. It seems you have free will and it is you that is moving forward.
All is great but let’s say you see other cars which ride a lot faster than you. You want to ride that fast too. So you watch other cars do it and it seems that what they do is press the gas pedal further and further and the car gets faster and faster. So you try that too, yes you go faster but not that fast. So you think that you must try harder. So you try harder, no luck. You think you must stress yourself and worry yourself, you start assuming you are not good enough and you will never be able to press that gas pedal so good. Finally you give up thinking that you are just a not good enough car, you are not worthy.
This “failure” came from the simple assumption, that YOU are a CAR. Now let’s say by some strange coincidence you get to realize the truth. You understand that you are NOT THE CAR. You are something else, you are in fact just a driver. Now how to get faster? It’s simply a matter of going to the mechanic and replacing the engine. Now you know that you can do stuff like that, cause it’s not about you. It’s about the car!
What about assumption of control? Where is there control if you run out of gas? Let’s say you are driving uphill, you assume it is you doing it. “I have free will I can move forward” sort of thing. Now you run out of gas and you tumble down the hill. The control was GIVEN to you for the time the gas tank was full. Get it?
It is exactly the same thing with us people (without a car attached). Yes it seems we are in control, but this control is given for us. And can be taken back as easily as that (like an engine failure or running out of gas). Many times in our lives we get like warning signals but we tend to rationalize them. A classic example is fear. Let’s say you want to do something that you are afraid of like public speaking. You decide to do it, you will yourself to go there, do it, but in the end you either decide to not do it at the last moment or you procrastinate and the thing never gets done. Now why don’t you do the thing you want to do? Fears are not real and stuff like that… you can rationalize it all day and say to yourself that there is nothing to be afraid of (or that you aren’t really afraid). But in the end there is nothing more REAL than fear. And it is(was) always there.
Because fear is what in fact controls you. You are the one controlling the body but only when there is no presence of fear. Then control is given to you. But when fear comes, control is lost and you run out of the room, like people in panic when they hear there is a fire, even good ones, absolutely not caring about others.
I read all sorts of books trying to find this answer. Everything spanning from psychology, philosophy to spiritual stuff. I mentioned Zen but that’s not exactly where I found the answer. It was were I least expected it. I don’t generally believe in evil, but if something is evil at all it is these people. They would sell a painting to a blind person.
The answer was written in marketing books.
There are no better psychologists than marketing and advertisement people. They know one thing: people are entirely driven by emotion.
If you watch an ad you might think to yourself, this is bullshit. But the next time you are in a mall, you won’t have time or need to think, and you will just buy what you feel like (and that’s exactly what you felt when you were watching the ad). Knowing this is like unlocking a chest full of secrets.
You are not in direct control of this body. The unconscious mind is. And the only way to communicate with it is through emotions. It is like the language of the unconscious mind. An interface if you like…
This understanding is the root of many practical schools of thought like the Stanislavsky acting method. It revolves around the so-called magic if. It’s not about “just doing it” and acting… it’s about thinking what would it be like to… and that exactly gets you into the state of mind from which you can perform.
This is how you do things the Zen way. If you’re hungry you eat. If you’re tired you go sleep. You just do what feels best at the moment. And you won’t be following the marketing feelings, cause once you practice you will know exactly which feelings are good for you and which aren’t (hint: need).
This is also why Hindu teachings of Yoga always revolve around breathing techniques. Pranayama, which is controlled breathing is an absolute must to master. Because it makes you relaxed and if you can’t get yourself to be relaxed you are absolutely not in the position to control your life and do other things, like the things you want. This is also why Aleister Crowley from all the things he advised, pranayama was at absolute priority, he always stressed this. Being relaxed, or in a state of just being is like your center, a blank slate. From that point you can go to any emotion you want to or need to. And they will make things happen.
So say hello to your masters…
And they are, amongst many, fear and guilt that suppress your true potential.
There are also the ones that make you push through life’s bullshit and do things that you dream of. They are love and hate.
And that’s a topic for another day.
Good post, il go read some about Pranayama.
I like your writing style, make a long post feel too small.
“It’s simply a matter of going to the mechanic and replacing the engine”
Like, a brain transplant? Cool. If only there wasn’t a physical limit to your possibilities based on physical parameters.
“But when fear comes, control is lost”
Fire men, bomb squad members suppress their fear. Not by rationalizing it, but by training themselves to overcome fear. It’s a tool anyone can learn.
“people are entirely driven by emotion”
No. People are also driven by reasoning, and their reptilian brain. But you won’t find many ads claiming “Our product is 2.3 % cheaper than the competition”, cause in the short term, it’s not as effective as causing an emotional response.
“You are not in direct control of this body. The unconscious mind is.”
Both the conscious AND unconscious mind are in partial control of the body. It’s not that hard to understand.
“Emotions are your master”
You chose them as your masters. You are a slave to your own biological programming and circumstances. You don’t have to be if you approach situations critically.
The car sounds like a good metaphor… until you mentioned about going to the mechanic to get an upgrade… All body parts bar the brain would work for that, wouldn’t it?
To clarify my point, here are two sources:
The reptilian part of the brain chooses when food and hunger stimuli become important
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306113754.htm
and, the conscious AND subconscious mind work together to reach achievements
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307110340.htm
Nice post, the Zen stuff sounds pretty cool, I might just give that a try sometime.
Interesting reading, gives me something to wonder about , thank you for it.
“It’s simply a matter of going to the mechanic and replacing the engine”
Like, a brain transplant? Cool.
It’s just a metaphor. You can do a content transplant, personality transplant if you like.
No. People are also driven by reasoning, and their reptilian brain.
Yes, but the emotions come first. Your reasoning is driven by emotion. If you are not aware of thay yet, start becoming more aware of your thought processes.
“Your reasoning is driven by emotion”
Bullshit. That’s just your arbitrary estimate. It isn’t correct for everyone, not even for everyone at any given time. I can allow myself to be governed by emotion, just as I can allow myself to be governed by reason, setting emotions aside. It’s a choice people can make, if they train themselves to.
“You can do a content transplant, personality transplant if you like.”
Then you’re adding new software, you ‘re not changing the hardware.
Again, it was a metaphor. I see you have a general problem with metaphors. That’s why I wrote some time ago that I think you’re autistic. Go back to your bible science daily, that’s probably the only thing you can understand fully and makes you content.
Simple but good post, Michal.
@bigBossSNK:
“Your reasoning is driven by emotion”
That isn’t Bullshit! Your posts on this blog are surrounding this aspect over and over again. And thats the main difference between Your and Michals theory of life and thinking.
Emotions (you can call it hormones, instincts, unconcious mind, gas pedals, ASCII-Letters) motivate most of your life and decisions every day. Why you write here with such an ambition that make others angry and yourself lucky? You wanna crystalize the truth? Drink a bottle of whiskey and record yourself while you get drunk. You will crystalize the truth of this article.
You think you can control or supress EVERY mechanism of your body?! Thats bullshit. Your brain isn’t able to do this. You are not outside the body, you are IN it and a part of it. You don’t sit in an control station that has a button for each neuron and hormone. Its like Michal said, you sit inside the car and only have limited actions. You have to try to be concious of it and make the best of it trying to use the unconcious part as a POSITIVE and effective tool. As such a physic smart ass you should know this. Maybe puberty make you think such unlogical stuff.
Thats WHY we call it sometimes UNconcious (Your own link proves this 😉 ).
Prove it to me if you can. Tell me how can i control myself on that degree. Maybe it has some positive aspects (what is positive? :)). Maybe it is possible through meditating or supressing all the time? So you wanna be the “car”? You will be – if you die!
I know you have big emotions guy, otherwise you wouldn’t come back here again and again. It’s not an effective knowledge source here for you since you disagree almost everything is said here. So you shouldn’t come back and waste your time. But please, come back.
Adding “software” to the brain is my own addition to your original metaphor, far more suited to the topic than “reinstalling the engine”. The problem isn’t in my understanding your metaphor, it’s that your metaphor is wrong.
If you can’t handle people pointing out your mistakes, think before you post.
“You think you can control or suppress EVERY mechanism of your body?”
No. Not every mechanism. In regards to emotions, I can choose not to be guided by them, within certain limitations. But this alone means I’m not ALWAYS driven by emotion.
“Maybe puberty makes you think such illogical stuff.”
I don’t know where you live, but in my world, puberty and an understanding of quantum mechanics don’t go hand in hand. So, that’s kind of a weak attempt at degrading me. I’m sure you can do better.
“So you wanna be the “car”?”
Nope. I’m perfectly comfortable with the idea of the body being controlled both by the conscious and the subconscious.
“It’s not an effective knowledge source here for you since you disagree with almost everything that’s said here.”
True. But as I said, logic is a tool, and using it to defeat other’s claims is a method of developing this tool. I find this blog to be both amusing and helpful, in that respect.
“But please, come back.”
I will. It’s only logical to want to hone your skills, especially critical thinking.
What yv3 said.
bigbossSNK:
“You can do a content transplant, personality transplant if you like.”
Then you’re adding new software, you ‘re not changing the hardware.
This was me adding to my own metaphor. I didn’t say you were wrong.
But the thing is I really don’t care about my mistakes, which you so carefully try to point out. I’m more interested in you, cause I’m curious about what’s in your head. I like to expand my understanding of people, cause I know I don’t know everything.
“But the thing is I really don’t care about my mistakes, which you so carefully try to point out.”
I’d like to make a point here. In pointing out “your” mistakes, I’m not attacking you. I’m pointing out the mistakes in the reasoning, theories, whachamacallit you voice. Whether you (as in you specifically, Michal) are making this point or someone else is immaterial to me.
I’m interested in the truth, not the person voicing his opinion on the truth.
If I can have a good time, honing my skills, while searching for the truth, all the better for me.
hehe, its good to see some traces of analogy here, finally.
Regarding the “puberty”: It was not meant as an attack directly. I tried to speak from my own expierence: I remember this (hormanal) life phase as revolutionary for my thinking. Damn, sometimes i was really crazy and unlogical about something :).
In the first step i declared everything as “false” and then thought about the “right” way by my own. I often criticized opinions from other people and tried to find my own “truth” of life. I tried to be strictly logical. I realised later that this achievement of perfection is quite exhausting, then i began to watch documentations, read science books etc from other people to speed up the process. After that i realised that while studying that bunch of stuff i face over and over again the same principles behind it. It was like learning more information, but the logic remains the same. It got a bit boring in the meanwhile.
Then i met a nice girl and felt in love with her (im married with the girl now). But in the first years of this love i often felt dolefulness and longing for love, it was a hard time. I cried very often (i wish i could again, sometimes), couldn’t control my feelings. Earlier i emigrated to germany, the girl was in poland, 1200 kilometers away. We both went to school and we wanted to make it good till end. So we had to wait a (subjective) long time till we could make something more of it. I tried to think rationally and concious about it to reduce the emotional pain but the emtions were too strong. I had to decide what to do, accept my emotions or suppress them. I began to deeply think about my emotions and instincts, and the reason of (lucky and peaceful) living. In this emotional dilemma i began to simplify and generelize my previous expiriences. That was very meaningful for my present character and view of the world i think.
Hey. How about bigbossSNK makes a blogpost for a change, with Michal nitpicking it. Your comment wars are truly amusing.
it’s actually pretty funny reading MM and BigbossSKN discussing 😀
yv3: did you find a solution to that dilemma?
Curiously I ended up here – not being the first time, by the way – after seeking wether there was a newer version of Soldat (don’t worry Michal, it’s not an indirect, that’s the pure truth) and came here again to see wether there was maybe a post on the blog. Too stupid I forgot I had never seen a “about-soldat” post at all.
Like someone else said here (please sorry I cannot remind the names), I am back here again simple because of one simple reason: emotions. I am having a very tought time, working on a possible (?) love relationship with a girl and trying to understand her and myself, especially myself! Fears and other emotions I assume are most of the time ruling ourselves, stopping ourselves of making things happen, or even censoring ourselves of thinking optimistically “yes, it CAN happen, I AM capable of doing it”.
There are hundreds, maybe infinite words we could say to try to understand human itself, it’s way of life, it’s thinking, we have even millions of years on earth and yet we are still primitive. Which in the end leads me to say that, please people don’t argue, bigboss, Michal (I can see you are relaxed), anyone. If we are HERE, it is because there is a honest reason; if we continue reading, it is because we have still unanswered questions; if we are still writing, it is because we are still desperated to learn the truth/answer or even wishing to ask to our own unconscious mind the TRIGGERING QUESTION that will unfold inside our soul/mind/heart the key for a better quality of life, something that the sistematic modern work-based life has taken away from us (I hope unintentionally), among other important parasite-like modern-mankind-made factors.
Because, ladies and gentlemen, the truth, you won’t find it outside yourselves, you will find it INSIDE your heart, very deep inside it, and like someone else said here, the only way of acchieving it is to communicate with our own soul, using ANY of the possible and existing “tools” (if you want to call them so) which up to present may be meditation, Pranayama, emotions, Zen, etc. Choose your very own method, but in the end, we all know that life is just walking a long road and no matter who we are (dictators, assassins, murderers, martirs, virgins, saints, whatever) we ALL wonder the same things, in the right moment of our lives.
It IS there because it is our ultimate destiny to evolve into more elevated beings.
You may be denying this truth for your entire life, but I can bet it all that in the very last breath of your life, the ultimate question will come out again, and you will feel sorrow if you don’t find the answer… but… then again, we have religions that claim “hey, don’t worry, you will come back again, until your spirit reaches ultimate enlightment” (reincarnation).
I do not wish to continue writing, and I have to honestly recognize I am no erudite – like Michal said – I don’t know it all (I may probably know nothing at all), but again, if I am here it is because I too have my own questions. I really don’t think pointing other people “mistakes” (I don’t fully agree with that term, but oh well…) is a tool for seeking the truth, I think actually it is a waste of time. People ended up making real wars for this kind of thing – Michal talked about it in previous posts – and wars (no matter what people can say) are only a way of degrading the human nature to its basics and primitive states “the stronger wins over the weak, end of story”: Bullshit. Yes, war motivated the faster research of nuclear technology, etc etc. But we “don’t have (that sort of) wars” (respect uppercommas before coming out with comments) right now and we have also more researchs. (I know this will be subject of discrepancies.)
I think (properly) helping other people is more about saying “you are wrong here, this is the right answer) but since we are not fully aware of the answers, there’s no point for quarrels. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here replying other people’s point of views.
Yes, close this thread, since we know nothing at all (hahahah! just kidding!)
I wish you all good luck in your quests.
The more we can combine (if they are combinable, of course) other people’s proven effective methods of enlightment, the better. No point trying to “regress” in our evolving process, it’s a total waste of time for us all.
Regards
Vampire wins the longest comment award.
Seriously that must of taken you like fuckin’ 30 minutes.
Michal, I think it’s about time you made a forum for this kind of stuff. The comments you get are more than comments.
OMG another crappy post!!!
Have you ever heard about “Link-Dead” and “Berserker” MM?
Walrus: Whats your problem!? if you dont like does post dont read them. MM works on his games like he wants he dosent need you to tell him what to do.
Ahh, the drama yet again.
It is true that our actions are influenced by both parts of our identity – the conscious one and the subconscious one. And indeed, emotions are an interface – but it’s a one-way road. It’s the way the subconscious mind talks to the conscious part. So how does the conscious mind pass on information, signals to the subconscious mind?
Oddly enough, it doesn’t. Often logic tells us one thing while emotions tell us something different. We’re used to that. What’s odd is that there are two distinct results based on the same data. Two different algorithms, a rational and emotional one. Two different computers. Two different results.
Some of us are pretty shy guys. I personally admit I’m one such person. Logic tells us we shouldn’t be afraid – we live in such a world where any romantic blunder, no matter how unforgivable and unforgettable means nothing – there are just so many potential partners. But emotions tell us the opposite. Logic, the conscious mind has adapted to the world around us marvelously. Yet the subconscious part of us remains within. Primitive, animalistic, uncontrollable, irresponsible and insensitive to logic. Babysitting us, our subconscious mind was left behind in a world we lived in 25 000 years ago. It is the subconscious mind that makes us hate our jobs and become utterly non-productive yet makes us enjoy playing games. It’s that very part of the human mind that leads to addictions, irreasonable decisions. Logic and the conscious mind is the future, while the subconscious emotional outcry that we try to control is a desperate wail from our animalistic past.
But all of us have to deal with this subconscious part of our identities anyway. Some decide to fight and suppress it. Some decide to go with the flow. Michał chose the latter.
Michał, I would love to adopt your philosophy. I would love to do what I subconsciously wish for. Not needing to control oneself, to impose barriers. To be able to let go of the wheel and put the pedal to the metal. If I’d call it a near-life experience it would be too obvious of a reference.
But I do know a little bit about myself. Those people who are unusually logical, who excel in logical and rational thinking, have a relative deficiency in their subconscious minds. People who willingly use logic to be abnormally nice and shy in society sometimes turn out to be true demons inside.
If I were to let go, I have no idea where that would lead me to. I could end up a drug junkie, a rapist, a gang leader, a terrorist, a burger-flipper at mcdonalds, a major company ceo or a soldier. My actions were almost never inspired by love but so much more often by hate. I look back at our heritage during the second world war and how far hatred can lead us. It is so much more so that I’m afraid to let go, because, in my case, I know that the sign that marks the point of no return can only be seen when looking behind.
I spend more time reading the comments here then reading the articles. 😀
@archont: Don’t fear yourself. You already decided who you want to be. Humans are not bad generally, they are present to create something new over and over again (Friedrich Nietzsche). But every process of creation implies destruction. That’s why fear, agression and ignorance can be useful for the process. In nature there isn’t something like good or bad, true or false. It is just there to be.
@Michal: Yes, but it wasn’t “me” that took the decision. It was like an enlightment of the sense of all live. But i couldn’t understand it, i just felt it and i trusted my feelings because i lost the rational control. My emotions told me to be patient and i think it was the right decision. After all my rational part also understood it!
Oh, im at work and forgot to specify my nick
“Some of us are pretty shy guys.”
Yeah, but that’s a biological programming specific to you. I’m a natural extrovert, to your natural introvert. My biological programming tells me to be loud and outgoing, not quite and shy. This has little to do with the application of logic in what I choose to say, though.
That aside, you’re not going to become a criminal after you loosen up, unless you already have criminal inclinations (obviously “hate” doesn’t cut it). People’s respect for you will most probably increase if you show them a balance to your “nice” side.
That aside, you’re not going to become a criminal after you loosen up,
I didn’t exactly mean loosen up. I’m talking about letting your emotions, instincts and desires lead your life instead of thought, planing and logic. Or differently, subordinating your planning and logic to your emotion. You ever watched Fight Club or Going Down?
Apart from that, I’m a pretty good public speaker and debater, which is also why I’m a member of a political party for 5 years now. Being an introvert doesn’t necessarily mean you’re quiet, it means you usually tell people just as much as you believe they need to know, in contrast to what you want them to hear.
Der(V)oribundenVampir: yeah that resonates with me, wish you luck on your path.
teh_ham: Michal, I think it’s about time you made a forum for this kind of stuff.
That would kill the spontaneity. Comments are more “conversational”.
bigbossSNK: “Some of us are pretty shy guys.”
Yeah, but that’s a biological programming specific to you.
It’s not just a matter of biological programming. It’s a mix of the type of chemicals that float in your brain (like dopamin), your learnt beliefs about yourself and motivations. It’s hardware and software, both can be changed easily.
archont: I was exactly where you are now, shy, confused and extremely logical. I broke through that cause I eventually saw it was leading me nowhere. It’s a matter of becoming aware of the ultimate unusefulness of these things and eventually becoming angry or frustrated at it. That will make a change.
But yeah, your fears are real and they are a reason you won’t let go of your current world view. Trusting your emotions is unpredicatable and can lead you to situations you wouldn’t imagine could exist. I’m making a fucking prison beat’em up game, probably the most brutal thing created to this day. There is no good reason I should be doing it except that I feel it’s a hilariously fun game. You may not want that, cause you subconsciously know that you will do stuff like that once you stop controlling yourself. But do you truly believe that you are a bad person and will do bad things? Think about it really.
I say.. fuck it, it’s so much more enjoyable living like this.
“It’s a mix of the type of chemicals that float in your brain (like dopamin), your learnt beliefs about yourself and motivations.”
The first is biological programming, the latter social programming and introspection. You have an increasing degree of control in that order.
“It’s hardware and software, both can be changed easily.”
No, your hardware can’t be changed easily.
Another good post. Personally, I’ve found it very hard to snap out of thinking I’m a car even after reading all your posts. I feel like I’m in a Catch 22.
Maybe not changed, but it can be pimped out ( exercises, memory training, learning, what not ) or triggered to go wild ( drugs! ). You don’t need extra limbs to change your life, what you have is already fine enough.
well, long time notalk here, but now, im in total control of myself
total body control
no emotions
nothing
@g.o.d
it’s easy to be emotionless by staying in your room 24/7. I do and I feel no motivation to be doing anything else. The moments I interact, I become overflooded with stimulations.
Are you able to completely close out the outside world or are you a 14 year old?
“total body control. No emotions”
The tool you need to develop is casting emotions aside, not avoiding them. You are hardwired to respond to certain stimuli in a certain way. That’s biological programming. Subduing emotions when you see fit, overriding them, is much more useful than suppressing them.
(That, and you’re still a kid. You need to be thinking about maximizing your fun, not staying emotionless)
bigbossSNK: I consider neurotransmitters hardware. It’s something that can be easily pinned down.
Dema : I’ve found it very hard to snap out of thinking I’m a car even after reading all your posts.
I don’t think it’s a matter of snapping out, but rather the case of training yourself to think differently. At least that was the case for me. Thoughts like: ‘I am this’, ‘I am that’ can be easily changed, you just gotta notice them.
“I consider neurotransmitters hardware”
Neurotransmitters are hardware. They are also part of your biological programming (which includes any aspect of your biological system, from DNA to stem cells and organs).
““But when fear comes, control is lost”
Fire men, bomb squad members suppress their fear. Not by rationalizing it, but by training themselves to overcome fear. It’s a tool anyone can learn.”
They DO NOT OVERCOME their fears, they are just as afraid as you and me, they just know how to keep their cool long enough to be able to act against their fear. Perhaps knowing they are able to figure it out comforts them, but it definitely does not make them get rid of their fear, that’s simply not true. I’m pretty sure you CAN’T overcome fear in a sense of totally eliminating it, because quite frankly when danger is involved fear is a valuable piece of advice. You can neutralize it as much as possible by rationalizing, but you won’t ever get rid of it. Fear is good, a lot of people don’t realize that.
“They DO NOT OVERCOME their fears, they just know how to keep their cool long enough to be able to act against their fear.”
You need to rehash your English, bubba.
To those of you that didn’t make the connection, the above is yours truly.
duh, noone else uses ‘bubba’.
Yep, ‘bubba’ definitely gave it away.
@bigbossSNK: Yeah, I know what you mean, I’ll blame it on not being a native speaker, but to me you seemed to have implied something different. Funny that you use ‘bubba’, it somehow confirms the redneck idea I had about you. 😉 (not at all actually, funny stuff).
15 year old
i hate humans
i love to see people suffer
i love to close myself off from other humans
i love cookies
g.o.d. : you’re are a perfectly normal 15 year old :).
Fire men, bomb squad members suppress their fear. Not by rationalizing it, but by training themselves to overcome fear. It’s a tool anyone can learn.”
Yes, controlling your fear can be learned. Really hard training, but possible. But what if someone is, for instance addicted to adrenaline? That is a need for fear?
Adrenaline hunters feel fear too, but they don’t really shit their pants when they jump out of an airplane, jump off a huge building etc. They need fear in their lives, so they can feel that they are alive. This too is a subconscious thing. A rational thinking person wouldn’t jump out of a plane, untie his parachute (!!!), and just hang upside down only with his legs holding on to that parachute. Yes i have seen a person do that. One false move and he falls down and dies, while his parachute just slides until it reaches the ground. It’s crazy. But amazing! Self control and pure cold blood.
Btw. I would like to beat a person into a freakin pile of bloody flesh with a hammer. But i won’t do it. I would sure love to! Not because I’m an agressive, sadist person (which I’m not), just because I have many negative feelings chained down inside me. I think I will draw something now….
Maybe a person, who is being beaten into a freakin pile of bloody flesh with a hammer….
Yeah :)MoNkEy(:, you need to drink some coco and sit by the fireplace, just to relax… you know…
Nietschze Fear; the man forgot dualism for a second and came up with will to power but lacked an adversary force. I guess there your answer is. Primarily survival or death. Bomb disposal people are falsely accused of having ‘overcome fear’, no, they are trained to not immediately fear in specific circumstances; They will shit themselves when the bomb goes. One would need a mental defect to overcome fear.
You are a clever analyst, but too quick to conclude with ‘love and hate gets you through life’ statements that really kick you back to the bottom of the pit you were just crawling out of.
You are a clever analyst, but too quick to conclude with ‘love and hate gets you through life’ statements that really kick you back to the bottom of the pit you were just crawling out of.
And what makes you think that? You are the quick one.
“Bomb disposal people are falsely accused of having ‘overcome fear’, no, they are trained to not immediately fear in specific circumstances;”
Too boring to explain again. At least come up with new material.
“One would need a mental defect to overcome fear.”
No. One would need a mental defect to stop feeling fear. Overcoming fear is something different.
That coco by the fireplace did the job.
They will shit themselves when the bomb goes. One would need a mental defect to overcome fear.
When the bomb goes off they may or may not shit themselves, depends on the power. I’m not certain about the statistics but most probably don’t give a damn once the bomb has went off. At least until they wake up in a hospital with four lovely stumps for limbs.
As for mental defects – I strive to be a retard in your definition of the word.
fear is a silly state of mind. The reason our ancestors developed the flight and fight response was because they were in constant contact with predators. We live in a more civilized manner where our meat and bread comes prepacked and our means of transportation have been developed to optimize travel.
My point being; STOP ACTING STUPID and take advantage of modern living. The extra time you have should be for fun, not taking unnessary burdens/risks.
Ergo the next time you get scared, it probabily a tree scratching away at your window,
OK, so we don’t have to play Soldat, Berserker or Link-Dead :(. It is stupid and provokes fear among other things. Michal, you should understand it and cancel the project
I don’t want to live without emotions. This drug gives me the motivation to life. There is no clear difference between fear of real death and fear of virtual death.
I deleted somebodies comment here by mistake, sorry:).
It always fascinated me that there is somebody that is afraid and somebody that knows that the fear isn’t real, inside one person. Why is there a duality in your mind? It’s like the old question: who is the one that knows there is no ego?
The fear isn’t real? How we can recognize it if it is not present?
For me, the dualtity exists only from the psychological point of view to simplify the difference between the concious and subconcious part of the brain.
From the biological/physical view there is no duality. The human body doesn’t “know” something. It is a part of a big physical system and it depends on it. To “know” something you would need to break out of this system. This is an difficult approach
So let ride the waves of life!
Very intriguing stuff, but I’ve always been very skeptical about “solutions” in general. I think the key here is faith. Faith in your methods means faith in yourself. Faith in yourself means confidence. Confidence leads to success because your inhibitions are minimized.
I have trouble because I doubt so much from the outside world, and I’m still trying to convince myself that man alone can produce something special; that our identity is unique and not merely a summation of the experiences we’ve had no say in.
Perhaps I should be trying to convince myself instead that man is more than the sum of his experiences, despite the fact that experience is a requirement. Then I could be free to take in advice such as that which is in this article directly, instead of waiting for it to stealthily make it’s way into my methods.
“Confidence leads to success because your inhibitions are minimized.”
It might open up a door. It doesn’t mean it’s the correct door, or a door you want to enter.
“I’m still trying to convince myself that man alone can produce something special”
Between art and science that isn’t hard to figure out.
“man is more than the sum of his experiences, despite the fact that experience is a requirement”
Yeah, your experiences are only a part of your social programming. That’s not the full extend of social programming, and then there’s biological programming and introspection.
yv3(1) :From the biological/physical view there is no duality. The human body doesn’t “know” something.
Yeah, it is a linguistical trick, still hard for me to grasp.
namuol : I think the key here is faith. Faith in your methods means faith in yourself. Faith in yourself means confidence. Confidence leads to success because your inhibitions are minimized.
Yes, faith can do a lot of things. But you don’t need confidence to do something, just faith that eventually you will succeed.
You don’t need confidence, you can be totally unconfident, yet try your best, fail, learn, and eventually succeed. Confidence is a by-product of experience, so it comes after.
Just be sure not to confuse faith with hope. Hope is destructive.
WILL YOU KINDLY STOP WRITING IRRELEVANT BULLSHIT AND WORK ON GAMES
I have FAITH in you making your games, and i HOPE that i can play them in the next 200 years. I dont want to rush you, but… GODDAMN IT! I NEED LINK DEAD AND BERSERKER IN MY LIFE!
caps
fail
@Anonymus2: Think about it WHY you want to play the game so much. It is more important and useful than the playing itself.
I also would like to play the game but on the other side im glad that it is not finished yet. Soldat is the ONLY game that i can play for years again and again. I hardly managed it now NOT to play the game for hours when once joined a server. There are several reseans why i love this game so much and hate it even more. I think i spent too many hours owning the same stupid kids over and over again to make my aim more worse (because its too easy). Breaks are very important.
Damn “Masters”
yv3(1) : I gained control over your emotions, thus possesing your soul and becoming your master! Aren’t I evil?
So when are you guys getting married? 😛
@Michal: Yes you are, but it’s not your fault. I forgive you
@bigbossSNK: I will ask my wife
So when are you guys getting married?
As soon as he runs away from his wife, probably when Soldat 1.5 is out.
I found on the forums:
“My contribution to this version will be limited because I am focused on my new game link-dead”.
I don’t excpect serious new functionality in Soldat in the near future, therefore I’m looking more forward to Link-Dead (I think Berserker is fun but not as motivating as Soldat or Link-Dead (will be)).
Anyway. If i wouldn’t have married my wife, my thoughts and feelings about her would probably the same, i think. So i don’t need to get married with Michal, we are already merried from a specific point of view
I think its about time you stopped smoking that shit guv. What is this, the kindergarten philosophy corner? Get a job at mcdonalds and spend your days more fruitfully, like contemplating what flavour of rat to put under the bun of a bic mac.
hehe, i had the same thougt when i was reading in your residece, the soldatforums.
Everyone has a child in oneself. But there are two types of people:
The one who accept it and want to take advantage of it by learning the difference of childish/instinctive behaviour and thoughts.
And there are people who suppress it when they getting older. They will never learn the advantages of letting their childish thoughts/feelings go. Finally they are nothing more than many other working machines waiting for their death and replacement by other people of the same character. But those people also have their evolutional “reason”.
Calm down and write a song or poem. I know that you can do it better than me. I’ve read some posts of you.
Mmmm ratburgers. The chewy-paper edition is the dogs bollocks.
Chakra: oh so that’s what mcdonald’s workers think about all day. Seems like nice people, I’ll apply for a job tomorrow.
Calm down and write a song or poem. I know that you can do it better than me. I’ve read some posts of you.
GTFO & RTFM.
Poems. Pfft.
What kind of manual do you mean?
how about a new post about link dead and berserker?
I agree with the mexican dude.
I think he’s argentinian.
I AM THE GREATEST.
I love you guys.
I WILL POST WHO CARES ANCIENT BLOG RAWRS. Anyway…
I find that “controlling myself” through the emotion of anger is the best way for me. I constantly tell myself to “Drop my emotions,” “A turtle gets somewhere only by first sticking its neck out,” “I do what I want” (which helps me to explore what I want when I don’t know), and sometimes “Keep this situation at arm’s length from me” (or rather, keep my emotions out of it so I can respond accordingly, or like you said, that “blank slate”). I wish I didn’t have to do all of these things, but I find that it’s the only way to utilize what little control I have over my mind.
By the way, I have studied various psychological ideas. I have found that actually, the best lessons for me come from being around real men who have lived long, experienced, and courageous lives. Of course these men are hard to come by and they’re often “old fashioned,” but always for the best. I notice myself being more virtuous in their presence as I naturally want to follow their more fine-tuned methodology.