It sounds like you have someone in mind that you did not want to let in your space, and of course they sense this, and then have to "get in" by any means, people are bored by mundane consciousness and need attention to fill the void.
If it's unwanted, i would think just pausing for a moment and looking straight at them wordlessly, would give the attention needed and also "say" directly, non-verbally, what is on your mind and feelings at that very moment without making a big deal out of it.
then say "nothing", like most people do, after "saying" what you felt directly. skillful means.

Limitations... can't be friendly with everybody.
But isn't that a reaction too? Why don't we want to be friendly with them? They are "not like us", not "special", they are "sheeple".
So is insecurity partly what is going on?
We are not secure in feeling different, feel that we are excluded or something, because we are "differfent", and learn to extend that exclusion to others that don't fit "our way". Reverse discrimination. People are just people. monkey see monkey do.
programmed and ignorant, not evil.
Insecure and needy, yes, but that describes us too!
Just needy of different kind of people, people like the imaginary "us".

I thought about when i ask that question "what are you doing", and i only ask it of someone close, that would tell me, not play games of one up-manship, guard-up or exclusion.
It is an attempt to be intimate ...a way of saying "what's going on in your world and mind?"
Simple interest usually.
If it's a random bored and boring person they are easily deflected with a curt response, or you could always ask "why do you want to know?"
The real danger of vacantly asking "what are you doing" is that you would merely get a list of off-putting details, or a scope that is too much too handle...
the chance of getting a brush off is the chance you know you are taking when you ask the question...

but if it is a vacant, spasmodic response to boredom, then any answer will do...no worries

There are enough real problems in the world... to make simple interpersonal relations into a battle ground and "test of wills",
is the result of boredom or frustration, so we have to find what is really underneath this problem or question.

*Druid: i will open up a new topic to respond to our counter thread, started above, because it's interesting, but doesn't necessarily fit here or is distracting here

lyra wrote:

Yesterday I had another break through with how to deal with "Energy Needlers" as I term them, people who have a predator mentality and feel drawn to "needle" people - usually meek looking females - that they determine are easy targets.  Saying dumb things, trying desparately to get attention and responses, and then needling the target when the target is "on to their schtick" and doesn't respond accordingly.

OK-- are you talking about people who happen to be MY pet peeve here?  Usually men, Usually (but not always) older, think they're clever but they're not, make the most stupid, inane jokes that are embarassing if you do respond, embarrassing if you dont, and get louder and louder if you ignore them?  I dont even know how to describe them, but they're everywhere-- the salad restaurant where I'd like to eat in peace , not listening to some guy pretend to be an auctioneer;  the music store where I wish the guy would just restring my guitar quietly.  I mean, WTF?

Sounds like the same thing, definitely.  I've experienced this in varying forms over the years, but yeah, it's ALWAYS been men, and of varying ages.  The predatory ones I'm referring to are usually younger.  Always late 20s to early 40s.  Creepy "slick" predator vibe, honing in on what they assume is an easy mark meek female, someone who's quiet and so probably has low self esteem in their - mistaken - opinion, and so who they think will just go along with their lame predator, energy needling tactics.   In my own personal experience, when I don't respond and just stare at them dead pan, or try to ignore them, it just brings it out even more.  Getting indignant and boldly calling them out doesn't work either.  They get a kick out of it and it just eggs them on.    So, how to deal?  Well I realized, the trick is to:   a)  Not care.  Don't get upset about it.  Being nonchalant and lack of energy feeding response is half the battle, right there.   Maintain a casual, self assured, almost eye rolling mindset.   And then b) Turn it around on them.  So the next time I get one of these guys - which will probably never happen again now that I've figured out what to do about it   - I'm going to look at them with a sly grin, and with a wink I will say, "You know, that's what I like about you.  I really love the fact that you're not like, one of those clown puppets who says stupid things, in desparate need of attention.  I mean, that's so cool that you're not like that."   hehe   And if they get mad, you just keep going with it.  "I'm serious, I'm just diggin' that you're not one of those idiots that needles people and then when they're not having it, you get all like, annoyed.  You're awesome, man!"   Wink wink, more sly smile. 

haha  That's it.  I finally finally finally figured it out.   I wish I'd figured it out 15 years ago when I was in my late teens.  I seriously could have used this back then, and all throughout my 20s.  But it takes a certain mindset to be able to do it, and it's one that I just didn't have until recently.  You can modify the response depending on who you're dealing with too.  Some guys aren't bad guys, they're just obnoxious in a harmless way, looking for attention in the way a little kid does.  But for the more creepy, predator types, then break out the big guns responses.     I don't know how to explain what the psychology is behind the above response I just outlined, but it has something to do with wacky reverse psychology, directly calling them names and calling them out on their predatory b.s. but while pretending you're doing the exact oppsite.  And you know it, and they know it, and you know that they know that you know, and yet you're refusing to stop doing it.  You just keep going with it.  No matter what they say they can't win because you just keep playing this weird game where you're like, "Man, that's so cool...."  "I like that about you....;)"    It's weird, it's like using their own tactics against them in some way.  Mind games!

But like I mentioned, once you know how to respond and you figure it all out and have adjusted yourself on the inside accordingly, then this sort of thing no longer happens.  You'll no longer draw it in to yourself once the lesson has been figured out.  The entire thing is a whole side topic in itself though....!

Yesterday I had another break through with how to deal with "Energy Needlers" as I term them, people who have a predator mentality and feel drawn to "needle" people - usually meek looking females - that they determine are easy targets.  Saying dumb things, trying desparately to get attention and responses, and then needling the target when the target is "on to their schtick" and doesn't respond accordingly.

OK-- are you talking about people who happen to be MY pet peeve here?  Usually men, Usually (but not always) older, think they're clever but they're not, make the most stupid, inane jokes that are embarassing if you do respond, embarrassing if you dont, and get louder and louder if you ignore them?  I dont even know how to describe them, but they're everywhere-- the salad restaurant where I'd like to eat in peace , not listening to some guy pretend to be an auctioneer;  the music store where I wish the guy would just restring my guitar quietly.  I mean, WTF? 

As far as memes go, mine is "What's going on?" when I call someone.  For me, this has the function of giving the person an  opportunity to let me know of it's a bad time, or if something dramatic has happened lately.  So instead of just launching into my own agenda, I give them a chance to fend me off first.  If I use a different phrase, or try to make my phrase have genuine meaning, I find they get defensive:  What do you mean, "what's going on"?  Did someone tell you something was wrong?!!!  Nothing's going on... and so forth.

I also see the question "How are you?" as being another sheeple question.

"How are you?"

"Ummmmm, what do you want to hear, I am well? good? ok? not bad? pretty good?"

YES.....HUGE pet peeve of mine.  I work at a temp job right now that has people who operate with programmed scripts.  There's so much to be said about it all, but one guy in particular has his standard line of "How are you" before he lanches into something.   And in reading your post it just gave me the lightbulb idea of how to respond to it.  Not only for the guy I work with, but for anybody else who just goes around saying "how are you" in a fakey fakey way.  From now on I'm going to say "Is that a question, or a statement? "   Because seriously, they're not asking because they actually care.   They're not looking to hear how we really are doing in life.  It's just fake filler lingo.  "how are you" to them is the same thing as "Hey" or "Hi."  It's completely lost its original meaning as an actual question.  I don't want to play along anymore and give the "fine" response or "good...and you?" so....I'm just going to use my new response.   

Yesterday I had another break through with how to deal with "Energy Needlers" as I term them, people who have a predator mentality and feel drawn to "needle" people - usually meek looking females - that they determine are easy targets.  Saying dumb things, trying desparately to get attention and responses, and then needling the target when the target is "on to their schtick" and doesn't respond accordingly.  I've dealt with this for years and years now, and never could figure out the best way to handle it to nip it in the bud and turn the tables around on them.  But I figured it out yesterday.  Woohoo!  This is turning out to be a week of breakthroughs.  haha  I mean, it seems so little and stupid, but we're surrounded by energy thiefs and people who like to needle, so it's always cool when one can figure out the best approach for navigating through these situations.

As far as "what are you doing" is concerned, I think that one just depends on the person who's asking and the circumstances.   Sometimes a person just wants to see what you're up to as a way to see if you're busy or have free time.  Maybe they don't want to bother you, so if they ask what you're doing, and then you launch into a huge list of stuff that you're in the middle of, then they'll know.  "Okay, you're busy...cool, no worries, I'll just check back later."  So, it just depends.

I guess the more profound question that I'm trying to get at,  is why. Why do people conscious or not ask this to others. Wether it really is programming or not. And when you think about it, there really isn't anything to "DO" in the sense that the question is being asked. It's being asked because that individual is searching for something that they cannot not find within themselves.

Em3pirical1,

I believe this is called a 'meme'. You know, acquired behavior... If someone asks you what you are doing, there is the expectation to have an adequate answer... And we pick up on it from other people when we need to ask if someone else is doing something worth our attention.

Sometimes I hesitate just to close my eyes and breath deeply in a public space just because I don't want someone bothering me with that pesky question.

Hehe... "I simply am"... followed by brief awkwardness.

when though nullifies itself in its inaptitude to go beyond it self...

'Clic!'

Then one is 'spiritually' opens itself to the world, perceiving the spirit of the world perceiving itself in union with itself.

But I think this union is something so far away from our reach that we must make the basic steps by ourselves by thinking about thiking, about thinknig, etc. gradually take one step after another towards moral purification and logical trainin (to evaluate and sicriminate clearly what we see in the spiritual world).

As I consider many intermediate stages between myself and God, I cannot figure I can know/become God by simply eliminating thinking and ego-exprience.

Steiner and Krishnamurit talk oppose languages:

Krishnamurti claism the ego is the bad guy, Steiner says the ego is the representative of god in the world, being of the same nature as  Christ - in French Jesus resembles Je suis, that is I am. in german, Ich, can be decomposed : 'I' as ego or Self and CH, as in CHRIST.

What Krishnamurti calls the ego, Steiner would call 'the Double', the ahrimanic doppelganger, a parasite that bites at our nervous system, reflecting itself in EEG and electrical phenomena in the nervous system. the temptation of man thus comes from the inside : a luciferic egoistic and discernment hability coming from Lucifer, and a reasoning and cunnigly clever materialistic intellect given by Ahriman.

Krishnamurti talked about astral bodies and its tendencies to explose in different contadictory desires. Steiner talked about beings and forces of the human spirit, soul, elemental body and physical body. Yhis goes far beyond Krishnamurti's philospphy/psychology (bordering on zen and vedanta).

Did you know that the poor young Krishnamurti was 'initiatied' in Sicily by the gastly dangerous and morally doubtful Leadbeater. Poor Krishnamurti was howling of terror and suffering in aand after the ceremony by which he was initiated 'the old way' when he was still a young Christ candidate nurtured by Besant. Also, entities and mahatmas talking through medims said that Arjun's brother would be cured fro his illness. unfortunately, mahatmas were wrong and he died. Arjun Krishnamurti never forgave them that and from that time denied EVERYTHING that had the tendecy to occult knowledge.

Afer a while, the Krishnamurti-Christ scandal exploded and there was a lot of controversy. Steiner was thrown out of theosophy a short while after that. the  a long time after, Krishnamurti dissociated himself from the Order of the Star and started his own counselling and conferences, in England, India, even later in America.

Krishnamurti has a serious prejudice against everything that has anything to do with 'the occult'. It is understandable after what he's gone through because of charlatans like Leadbeater and Besant.   

Best,

Druid

ZM1: What time is it?
ZM2: *suddenly notices something on the floor (that isn't there), and jumps to avoid it.*
ZM1:  *reacts*

ZM1: WTH Are you crazy!??!
ZM2: *looks up calmly* . . . Was someone talking?

Niice

these are just senses, made for perception, not yet spiritual faculties.
If we could just embrace adequately all that comes to us through the senses, we would have a much clearer thinking. It wold be almost a spiritual breathing movement: clear perception (inward) - clear thinking (outward). A new yoga not implying respiratory exercices but a mutual enlivening of perception and thinking.

That they are "senses made for perception" is a very 3rd level idea, because you have separated yourself from the content of perception to think of it that way. Habitual, conditioned brain/functioning with out observation. But that is the definition of "perception", when the mind is clear, it is just what's happening, no stream of thought intervening, interpreting or positing a "me" who is perceiving.

A "spiritual faculty" is a likewise abstracted construction
because so called "spiritual faculties" is a label for functioning with
"no distinct characteristics", no separation from what is observed.

Krishnamurti points out, this ironically, is when you are actually an "individual" acting alone , rather that merely one with the stream of thinking= delusion that typically dominates the human mind.

If we could embrace all that comes adequately, there would be no "thought", (the making of an image or conceptual equivalent of the flow of now) no division and no direction. That differentiation would be meaningless since the movement and the perception of it, being simultaneous, without intervening interval, is timeless.
no division=no time=no experiencer.

"How are you?"

"Ummmmm, what do you want to hear, I am well? good? ok? not bad? pretty good?"

Most times I'm just like "I am..."  and just stop there, lol, and the other person just waits in suspence until it finally sinks in.

If you study Zen, they have a way of looking at this issue.
Two Zen masters play a game with each other, who can get the other to "shift into the world". It goes like this:

ZM1: What are you doing?
ZM2: *points to something* Can you hand me that?
Draw

ZM1: What time is it?
ZM2: *suddenly notices something on the floor (that isn't there), and jumps to avoid it.*
ZM1:  *reacts*

ZM2 wins

Whenever someone questions me, looks at me like I'm crazy for my awareness or feels the need to "intervene" I try to remember this zen game. It's actually more fun when the other person doesn't know your playing
First try not to play their game, but if you find yourself caught, humor is a good weapon to draw.

Let's consider a moment that we cold have, as Steiner pointed, not 5 sense but 12:

life ('I feel dizzy', 'I feel alive', 'I feel not well', etc.)
kinesthesia (even with my eyes closed, I know where are my limbs )
balance (in the ear's fluids)
thought
speech
sight
hearing
taste
warmth (not the same receptors as those for 'touch')
touch
smell
sensing the other person is an 'I' just like ourselves

these are just senses, made for perception, not yet spiritual faculties.
If we could just embrace adequately all that comes to us through the senses, we would have a much clearer thinking. It wold be almost a spiritual breathing movement: clear perception (inward) - clear thinking (outward). A new yoga not implying respiratory exercices but a mutual enlivening of perception and thinking.

If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appears to man as it is. Infinite. -William Blake (1757-1827)

Druid

Just a funny synchronicity that just happend less than a minute ago. Last night I was watching some David Icke videos and I had remembered him mentioning some comedian named Bill something, never heard of him before either. Just a couple minutes ago I walk out in the kitchen and my sister has on the BBC channel and this guy is on the TV!!! She asks me have you ever heard of this guy before Bill something he's a comedian... I'm like "wtf" couldn't be more in my face synchronicity lol