1 (edited by tenetnosce 2006-01-12 14:00:32)

Topic: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

Recently I've noticed certain ideas surfacing within a number of threads here at NR, particularly the ones focused on taking positive action, which are somewhat concerning to me.

I've considered replying directly in the threads where I have taken note, but have decided to start a new thread because I don't want to repeat myself, further sidetrack the original intent of the threads, or be perceived that I am singling anybody out and provide a spark for another flame war.

These are simply my own observations, so take them at that.

What I've noticed is an increasing number of posts that promote the following lines of thought:

1.  We don't really need to seek to become aware of the current state of affairs in the world in order to offset negative developments, and that investigating and questioning what is really going on only contributes to the negativity.

2.  Things aren't really as bad as they seem, the worst has passed, and all we need to do is have a positive attitude and hope that things will work out for the best.

3.  Taking positive action to live a more sustainable lifestyle, such as growing your own food, relocating to a safer environment, and finding effective and ethical ways to earn money is too difficult, impractical, or unnecessary.


Promoting ignorance and lassitude with respect to the global state of affairs is the mechanism, par excellence, by which TPTBs, the global elite, and hyperdimensional negs, consolidate and manifest their intentions for control and world domination.

You cannot take responsible action if you are unaware of what exactly you are responding to, and choosing not to choose is essentially making a choice for the negative elements to choose for you.

Getting lost in the drama and negativity is certainly a valid concern, but maintaining a state of ignorance has much more devastating consequences.  Knowledge is power and becoming self-empowered is a direct result of developing self-awareness.  You cannot have self-awareness while being ignorant of the world around you, because the two are intricately connected.  Wanting to remain ignorant of what is really going on in the world is a reflection of a desire to remain ignorant of what is really going on inside yourself, and knowing who you are and the power you wield is the only thing which will save you.

We have lived within a prison of disempowerment for thousands of years, but only in the last hundred or so has the groundwork been laid for an even more sinister and impenetrable trap whereby the masses will be led to believe that they have succeeded in throwing out the controllers and have ushered in a new era of world peace and prosperity, while in reality they have simply escaped from one prison to another.

The trap has yet to be sprung, and if you are caught in the midst of it when it does, it will be near impossible to extricate yourself from it through an act anything short of death.  Those who have read my posts should know that I am not by any means a 'doom and gloomer' and that I believe strongly in having faith in a positive outcome.  But having nothing more than a vague and wistful belief that everything will work out is a dangerously naive position to take, and is exactly how we have gotten ourselves into the current situation.

Now is the time to have a clear and focused intent directed toward how things are going to work out, and taking decisive action steps in that direction.  I have witnessed many positive developments in the world around me and within myself, and I have seen them verified through the various postings here at NR as of late.

Thus it is no surprise to me that I am also seeing a renewed effort toward promoting ignorance and complacency, and the false belief that every force in the universe is benevolent.  While the universe may be overwhelmingly positive in polarity, it is clearly evident to me that it is not entirely positive, and with very good reason.

So if you are somebody who has been contemplating taking action in your life that may be perceived by others to be unnecessary, incomprehensible, or even extreme, then take that as a sign that you are standing on the brink of liberation and notice how you are now being presented with yet another opportunity to allow yourself to be other-directed and to stick your head back in the sands of ignorant 'bliss'.

It is my sincere hope that you choose not to avail yourself of that opportunity.

Best wishes to you all.

It is not for us to understand love, but simply to make space for it.

Re: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

tenetnosce, I've noticed this "renewed effort" to spread complacent acceptance, too. 

It's happened in NR and outside it, for me.  In the midst of my contemplating these issues a couple of days ago, a co-worker approached me and said he wanted to share a quote with me.  It was (paraphrasing): "people think that anger makes them deep, but there's nothing wrong with being happy."

His sharing had a weird vibe to it: (1) it was as if he was pointedly sharing it with me as passive-aggressive way of telling me he thinks I'm negative; (2) it felt as if it was "more than him" speaking as he spoke. 

It was doubly paradoxical because this co-worker is usually overtly negative and almost always angry--or at least annoyed--about trifles.  And his happiness, his positivism, usually comes at the expense of putting others down publicly.

...And by the way I like the quote, but it ignores the transformative power of anger.  Of course people can become mired in their anger and spin their bitter wheels forever and ever.  But in its positive sense, anger is an affirmation of life--an emotional statement of caring.  The trick is to introduce your anger to your heart and let your heart take it from there.  And if you closely examine the "happiness" of some people, you'll find that their "happiness" is energetically thicker than the worse kind of anger--merely a blank and eerily glib contentment derived from following the rules to the letter and pleasing all of life's bosses.  And to upset their contentment all you need do is point out that they're not perfect.

Many of the New Agists shy away from the energy and archetype of the Destroyer.  It seems people want to make it to 4D only by sending light and love and using their healing hands.  But destruction is a part of creation.  At times the walls must be smashed down with a sledgehammer before a new structure can be built with the wood.  This doesn't mean physical violence per se against the control system, but it means scrutinizing, asking hard questions, and total naked honesty about the dankest, most embarrassing, least evolved corners of yourself--putting those corners under the spotlight, interviewing them, and taking a hard, loving, but hard line with them.

You can't change a tiger's stripes,
but you can avoid its teeth.

3 (edited by Neomatrix 2006-01-12 19:52:30)

Re: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

lyra wrote:

In an ideal world, we wouldn't get angry because we would understand anger triggers for what they are, and therefore, they would lose their power.   There would be nothing to get angry about.  There are those (rare) people in this world who've managed to mostly, if not completely, disengage the ego, and you can bet, they don't get pissed off!  smile  It's not a matter of denial or suppression.....there's just no ego to be contradicted, and even if there was, they understand that anger is just about the ego.

Anger really has no place then once you realize this....

But what about happiness? Isn't happiness just satiated ego? Or no? You know, the ego really does get some very bad press. Let's go back and have a look at some definitions of ego:

"One of the three components of the human psyche delineated by Sigmund Freud. The ego mediates between the pleasurable desires of the id and the moral imperatives of the superego. The mature ego embodies the reality principle as it works to protect the individual from the oppression of society and to find a means for healthy self-expression in society."

"Freud divides the psyche into three parts: the ego, the id and the superego. The ego is the 'rational' part of the psyche."

"The conscious part of the psyche with which we normally identify; the personality. Using the standard analogy of the iceberg, Ego would be that part of an iceberg visible above the water line, projecting into consciousness and identified as the personality. The unconscious is represented by the huge mass that is beneath the waterline and unseen."

Doesn't sound like a bad thing to me. Without the ego, we'd have little sense of self or identity. There's nothing wrong with our emotions or how we experience them, its only our responses to them that could often use a little work.

"Fear is the great barrier to human growth. Unknowns create fears. When these Unknowns become Knowns the fears diminish and disappear, and we are able to cope with whatever confronts us." - Robert A. Monroe

4 (edited by montalk 2006-01-12 20:41:27)

Re: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

I'm still contemplating your post, Tenetnosce, and will respond properly another time when I have better clarity on this complex subject.

Regarding anger... well, anger gets the blood pumping and motivates you into seeking redress for some perceived imbalance. Some would say that without anger we would be complacent wimps letting ourselves get smacked around. I agree that is true for people who lack the volition to take action based on awareness alone, but not for those who have sufficient self-mastery. Like all mechanical impulses, the downside of anger is that should its influence overwhelm your discernment and forbearance, you may do regrettable things in the heat of the moment.

I suppose if you can let anger carry out those actions soberly decided upon beforehand, then it may serve a rightful purpose. You know, like wisemen soberly deciding war is necessary and then allowing anger to be used in battle to more effectively smite the enemy. Versus kings starting wars in a fit of rage and then getting crushed due to haste and lack of foresight.

But I see several risks here: 

1) incorrectly perceiving an imbalance, and therefore seeking redress where in a metaphysical context there is no need for one, which in turn creates even more imbalance,

2) becoming intoxicated by the anger and then botching a situation that requires finesse,

3) getting angry about something no action on your part can resolve, or

4) lacking volition and being motivated only by anger, but using tranquilizers to suppress anger and therefore staying complacent when action is necessary.

I think anger is necessary when nothing else works for you, but with self-discipline, awareness, and willpower you can take just as much action to resolve imbalances without the crutch of anger, and without the side-effect of anger which is bias, dulled discernment, reactivity, and susceptibility to programming and triggering. Here I am talking more about day-to-day problems you might encounter, things that are within your sphere of influence to deal with.

The Destroyer archetype is familiar to me, but it's a beast that must be kept on a very short leash. Every time I have worn that persona and felt so righteous and confident that patience and discretion were put aside, I walked right into the trap of the Adversary and did something regrettable. And man, was I good at rationalizing my anger until it was too late... Glad I had enough self-control to keep myself out of jail, though. I have learned to be careful with anger, since for me it has been a double-edged sword.

Acquiring fringe knowledge is like digging for diamonds in a mine field.

Re: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

Neomatrix wrote:

But what about happiness? Isn't happiness just satiated ego? Or no? You know, the ego really does get some very bad press. Let's go back and have a look at some definitions of ego:

But Freud only partially understood the ego.  He didn't realise that people were also comprised of aspects that weren't related to the ego, i.e. the spirit body, or simply "being" etc.  True happiness - that is pure joy - comes from the bodys that are not of the ego.  The ego sure likes to be pleased...but that isn't really the same are pure joy, as the ego itself is incapable of knowing that.

6 (edited by tenetnosce 2006-01-13 03:47:16)

Re: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

Hmm. . . is anger always an ego reaction?  I dunno.  That's a tough one.

I certainly have had, and do have, ego reactions of anger to everyday annoyances and not getting my way, etc.  That is one thing.

But it's another, I think, when a person is suddenly made aware that the world that they live in is not what they think it is, and moreover has been carefully manipulated with malicious intent toward their enslavement.

I would definitely give a curious sideways glance to somebody who responded to that revelation with a calm and collected, "Hmm.  Well that's interesting.  I'll take note of that, get a good night's rest, and let you know how I feel in the morning."

I think more than a touch of pissed-off-edness would definitely be in order.

Now, getting all hot and bothered, grabbing your shotgun and a fifth of Jim Beam, and heading to the hills with a Confederate flag over your shoulder would certainly not be a well-adapted response, either.

There is a different type of anger that I've experienced when I've found myself face-to-face with various abusive situations, or when I'm being lied to or otherwise manipulated.  It sits decidely lower in my body, below the navel, in contrast to the more superficial forms of anger which are higher up in the solar plexus area.

It functions as a warning signal that there has been a boundary violation, and that's a good thing to take note of, and not necessarily an ego reaction.  It's more of a soul reaction that let's me know that something's not right.  Now from there, it's a choice to play victim to the perpetrator, or to acknowledge myself for having poor boundaries in place, and taking corrective action.  Stewing in the anger isn't helpful, but working through the anger, and using it as a tool to identify the source is useful.  Action taken on this feeling can be beneficial when applied properly, in my opinion.

It is not for us to understand love, but simply to make space for it.

7 (edited by Marcus 2006-01-13 01:49:39)

Re: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

I think I would agree with that tenetnosce - very similar to what I attempted to say in my post above, though I wasn't very clear about it.  The ego tends to be very reactive and can itself generate the emotions we feel.

But there are other apects of our being which also feel things that could be ascribed as "emotions", though they are quite different to the ego generated ones which we feel day-to-day.

When we pay close attention to ourselves it is possible to notice this.

Re: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

tenetnosce wrote:

But it's another, I think, when a person is suddenly made aware that the world that they live in is not what they think it is, and moreover has been carefully manipulated with malicious intent toward their enslavement.

But that would imply believing that, as souls, we were totally unaware of what we were getting ourselves into when we incarnated here. Maybe that's the case, however I strongly believe that our souls knew exactly what they were letting themselves in for. So if you take that view, is there still any need to feel angry about it? On a soul level you already knew.

I guess it all comes down to whether you choose to view Earth (or 3D) as prison or a school.

I'm just in the middle of reading Story Waters' new book and here's a small excerpt I read yesterday which jumped out at me for some reason.

Story Waters wrote:

"The reality before you is the most meaningful experience you could be having in this moment. It is never a mistake. To become aware of its message of love, you must allow the experience of your reality into yourself. This is to be one with it, rather than to reject, resist, or judge it. This is to experience it with clarity. It is to hear its message, which is to allow it to transform into the next experience. Hear the message of your current reality in order to release its rigidity, such that your fluid dreams can unfold"

Join me in Peru to celebrate December 21st 2012 - Visit: http://2012awakeningretreat.com/

9 (edited by Ian 2006-01-13 11:34:58)

Re: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

Most anger expressed by people in everyday life is an ego reaction. This is because when we go out in the world and interact as we generellay do (work, school, running errands, etc.) it is often easy to get bogged down in lower 3D wavelenghts since that's what we're doing, running on the 3D hamster wheel because it needs to be done to live around here. It is easy to lose contact with our higher selves and remember who we are and how to act when engaged in 3D activities. Some people are better than others. I myself have been improving, but still find my mind running in circles about this and that and getting stressed until I get home, sit down and remember "Oh, right, it's not the real world, so don't sweat it Ian." That is why sometimes I get rubbed the wrong way and get angry about rude customers, "zombies" out in public, on the road, etc.

But that's one kind of anger that we can do without. There is anger that is genuine and reasonable, provided it you control it and not vice versa. Extreme example: you're walking home at night, you see a young woman getting assaulted and she's yelling for help. Do you fight your instinct to get angry, keep that emotion suppressed and walk up to the assailant saying "Excuse me sir, could you please stop harming her?". Me, I get in there ASAP, yell at him to let go of her and if he doesn't listen, I take him off. I would get quite angry, but my anger would be under my control, which is a good thing 'cause it might be what's stopping me from beating the pulp out of him. I get angry when people are getting victimized in front of me, and I won't
stand for it.

I also get angry when I or a friend is being disrespected. I don't stand for that either. I treat you with respect, and I demand the same. I don't think its too much to ask. I can brush off getting called the rudest names in the book, but I know when I am being truly disrespected, and I'll set the matter straight. If I am ignored, so be it I will ignore the source.

In these cases my anger is in a smaller degree, and still controled of course. I speak in a firm voice and speak my mind straight-up. I will not let others step on my toes and treat me as they please, because I deserve at least the same respect as she/he does and if I don't set them straight, they'll think it's okay to treat people (includung myself) the way they do. I'm actually doing them a favor. They may (or may not) realize after I talk'em right off their high horse that "Whoah, he's right, i can't talk to people like that! I sure wouldn't wanna be on the receiving end!"

I think that anger, as presented in these examples at least, is warranted sometimes and is not something to be surpressed or overcome, but to be tamed and used properly.

When it comes to the ego, and anger being a property of it, well I don't buy that. It's deeper than that originally. TPTB may have programmed our ego's to get angry (or sexually aroused, or something) when presented certain stimuli, but they didn't create any emotions. They only manipulated them. The ego is not something to be shed, but transcended. Only in death is the true ego shed. Jung calls for the integration of our various selves. Once integrated, many parts of the ego are destroyed, but not the ego itself because it is our identity/sense of self on this plane. People have their anger triggered by the strangest or smallest of things. Working with your shadow self can reveal the root causes and correct the imbalances. But that doesn't mean anger is thrown away outright, at least not in 3D.

10 (edited by tenetnosce 2006-01-14 01:41:47)

Re: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

Well I expected this thread to get derailed. . but so quickly?  And by some of my favorite posters!!!  I am so mad at you guys!  lol wink

Alright let's see here.

Honestly I'm not sure how much of this discussion has to do with the original post at all.

If I somewhere insinuated that the only two choices in life are to complacently sit on your bum and eat bonbons all day, or to get stark raving mad and take on the whole NWO with an oversized spatula and a Salad-shooter, then please allow me to offer more clarity on my position.

I started this thread because I have been seeing all sorts of innovative, interesting, and insightful ideas come up on NR in regard to unplugging from the matrix.  I've noticed a clear shift (I can actually pinpoint it to 06 December) toward finding practical solutions and cooperation among the members here, and it is my ego-reaction to be pleased with it, and to desire to preserve and encourage it.

Since the new moon, I have also noticed an increasing amount of infiltration of 'contributions', mostly from 'new' members, that are not really contributory in nature, but rather decidedly erosive and de-energizing. 

Hmm.  Just when things were starting to gain momentum.  Interesting.

C'mon guys (and gals), we've learned this lesson before, haven't we?

So now here we are arguing about the usefulness of anger, when I think it is clear to all of us that, for the most part, anger is a big waste of energy.

I don't really think we are in disagreement on the subject of anger, but it is an interesting topic, and if we want to continue the discussion and hash the details out, then let's move it to a new thread.

If you go back and read my original post, you will find that I am very clear that I don't believe that everything is going to hell-in-a-handbasket, and that we're all just screwed.

What I do believe is that we're still in a period of things getting worse before they get better, and the more that people continue to hem and haw about what they are going to do about the situation, or simply ignore it, the worse things will become, and the less aware they have made themselves up until that point, the more of a rude and sudden awakening they will experience when the net goes down.

I do believe that TPTBs are in the process of engineering numerous possibilities such as more 'natural' disasters, terrorist attacks, economic collapse, or a conflagaration of all of the above, and if they are successful, it's going to be a really rough ride for anybody living in a major city, to say the least.  When the utilities go down, and the roadblocks go up, anybody caught in the trap will be stuck with their only 'support' being agents cleverly disguised as dodos in FEMA jackets.  If you think you are ready to dodge bullets, single-handedly take on a hundred agents, and fly away to safety, well then, more power to ya.  If you happen to fly by and notice me standing atop a sixteen-wheeler barreling down the highway, with a Chinese man and a large set of keys, be sure to snatch us up on your way out.

We live in a collective reality, and the masses of the earth are still engaged in a victim mentality, whereby they are waiting to be rescued by some uber-force of wholesome nut n' honey goodness to save them from destruction.  And so they shall have it.  I, for one, am choosing to have a different experience, and since I am only one man, I feel it is important for me to dissociate myself from life in the cow-farm as much as possible, and to surround myself with conscious individuals who are in agreement with the idea that living a peaceful and secure life need not come at the expense of personal freedom.  I'd rather leave the nuts to the squirrels and let them fight amongst themselves.

Yet since I also have no desire to retire to the wilderness and eat acorn soup for the rest of my earthly existence, I am looking to create a happy medium whereby I can be as unplugged from the matrix as possible, while still making myself available to reenter the matrix and be of service to others that truly desire freedom.

So let me toot my own horn and say that I truly believe that it is a very well-balanced and intelligent choice to make.  It's not coming from anger or fear, but the simple awareness that the life I have been leading is not as aligned with my core values as it could be. 

*** END TOOT ***

Addendum:  As far as the prison / school dichotomy goes, I have never been a particularly large fan of the "earth as school" position because my experience of school has been such that it very closely resembles a prison. You take on a curriculum that is decided for you by others who supposedly know better than you, and then the same 'lessons' are repeated over and over again ad nauseum in subtly different forms, such that the appearance of progress is maintained, while in reality, the goal is to indoctrinate you with false beliefs and to entrain you to follow orders.  I absolutely agree that what you focus on becomes your reality, but I also feel that the process of becoming free begins with the realization that you are a slave. 

Morpheus: The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us, even now in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

Neo: What truth?

Morpheus: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind.... Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself. This is your last chance. After this there is no turning back. You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes....

It is not for us to understand love, but simply to make space for it.

11 (edited by Marcus 2006-01-13 12:46:43)

Re: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

EDIT - I was typing this post as you made your above post tenetnosce, so sorry if I duplicated some of your thoughts - I didn't see your post until after I had made this one...

--------------------------------------
-------------------

On the theme of the original post tenetnosce; as far as I can see there appears to be some form of divergence occurring.  A separation on many levels as people mentally, emotionally and physically move further into their own perception of reality.  And this seems to have gathered quite some pace within the last few months alone.

A while back I personally experienced a massive jump forward in energy and spiritual growth.  This came to me on many levels, from feeling reality more "directly" , very vivid recall of dreams, deeper than normal meditations, this even went as far as experiencing premonitions.  Then…about four weeks ago I energetically fell right through the floor, as though a thick sticky fog had suddenly surrounded me.  I began to feel cut off from those previous feelings as I returned to experiencing life in a more "normal"  way; not really noticing the world around me, finding distracting entertainment fulfilling, even my meditations became very difficult and superficial.

I mention this all for a reason; this "fog"  – which I still seem to be under – feels to be something external to me.  I have nothing to base this belief on, other than very subtle feelings. It is as though something external has caused what could be likened to static interference.  Aside from feeling very disconnected – this has left me with a very heightened feeling of complacency.

More recently, I have noticed the same things you mention in your initial post.  Not just here at NR, but pretty much everywhere – including among many of the people I actually know.  Some people seem to be more affected than others; the upshot of this is a lot of divergence.  Bringing about conflict where previously things where harmonious – as the acceptance of "negativity"  causes disruption.  Whilst in the places and relationships where there was once a lot of conflict it appears to have reduced – as through complacency the (in)fighting drops away – although more often than not the negativity remains.

Ultimately much of this seems to be founded upon something very simple; the decision to take action or to not take action.  If we look at NR for example there are many people who have found a lot of information about the nature of reality on many different levels.  Our structured "civilised"  community, from economics to governments to education and anything and everything else clearly are not what we are taught them to be.  Than there is metaphysical and spiritual knowledge which unhinges our taught version of reality even further.  It goes on; aliens, secret technology, transdimensional beings, visitations, abductions etc.  And all of this without even talking about the impositions and control currently placed upon us in addition to threats of more stringent control.

And so we as individuals once we have learnt, understood and accepted some or much of this knowledge (let alone having direct experience!) are faced with a single life changing question.  "What do I do about this!?"

There are those that will work hard after such realisations in order change their life to fit in accordance with what they have discovered, experienced or know.  Forging themselves a new life, either inside or outside the current systems.

Then there are those that either fear to change, don’t know how, or simply do not want to change.  So what option are these people faced with?  Firstly they cannot unlearn what they have learnt.  Secondly for whatever reason, they do not want to move forward.  And so what other option is left for them but to warp their knowledge / experiences into a new belief system.  And if this new belief system can be constructed in such a way so as to be compatible with existing systems – then voila! – they have their solution; to carry on with life as normal…all they need do is learn to see life through rose tinted glasses.  To those that don’t walk this path it may appear as complacency or pure lunacy.  But in a way it is a work of genius…

Genius because such a perspective affords the individual to face any truth and adapt it to their own perspective!  And these form of "seekers"  get closer and closer to the real truths of our reality...their system becomes ever more warped.

Where as the system / beliefs they broke away from has become so twisted that it is almost founded entirely on lies – these new beliefs are mixed with half-truths.  They are very tempting because they require no action from the individual other than for them to change their glasses (to rose tinted ones)…and suddenly they have awakened, become enlightened, transcended and found the truth!

It is always harder to take action; to change the way one lives their life, and to challenge directly our own beliefs and our own way of being.  But it is very rewarding, even if only small steps are taken.

So what I think we are seeing now is a separation that is occurring in this manner; between those that create action, and those who do not.  I look around and I see people that have dreamt for years of changing their lifestyle – yet now they sit back and nothing has happened…their dreams have remained words and thought.  Then I see people making bold steps forward, be it spiritual, financial, physical or any other way and many still combined.

But with all that said, as I mentioned at the start, I am not entirely convinced all this is occurring on a purely anthropomorphic level, though I really wouldn’t like to make a guess as to what else is pulling at us…

EDIT:  And as a note to my last point; as tenetnosce already pointed out - look how quickly this thread became derailed.  Is there a reason this whole issue seemingly doesn't want to be discussed??

One other thought - I am not trying to suggest this is a black and white issue.  But I do think there is an underlaying shift in polarity that is the cause of much of this...

Re: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

Wow, a lot of takes on this.  Even the idea of anger lights up people up.

I don't know if I have anything totally coherent to contribute at this point. 

I will say that, interpersonally, I'd rather interact with an angry person than a listless person.  To me, anger is more "alive."  I suppose that that notion of life was in the context in which I wrote that it is an affirmation of life: a person capable of anger will maybe defend something worth defending; a person trapped in an emotional cycle like bored self-loathing will let themselves, their friends, and their world be crapped on continually.

All this does invoke the so-called problem of the ego and the concept of there being stuff worth defending and stuff that's not worth defending and the question of whether one is defensive because of little insecurity or defensive because of a real threat to one's spirit. 

I absolutely agree that staying in anger slows the flow of your spirit, dampens your awareness, and increases mistakes.  In fact, a principle I try to live by is: "Just for today, do not anger." 

I also absolutely agree that anger is an ego/lower self reaction.  What I was getting at is that anger can transform you from one lower state of ego to a higher state of ego.  Yeah, it's still ego, but an angry ego might be closer to spirit than a woe-is-me ego.  It might not, too.  It's not as if there is a step ladder from ego to spirit, with anger taking the fifth rung and some other emotion taking the next rung.

But, again, anger "feels better" than dull grey uncaring--and it feels better not just to my ego.

Also, anger and violence aren't the same.  What I call the upside of anger is an immediate feeling of wanting to restore balance.  Yes, maybe, the ego's balance--but can't the ego somewhat understand what true spiritual balance is too and work for that on its level?  An invalidation of anger on the basis that it's based on wanting things to be different implies that a higher good is accepting things as they are.  It's a higher good I agree with, too.   

...I'll have to think on it more...

You can't change a tiger's stripes,
but you can avoid its teeth.

13 (edited by wandering1 2006-01-13 23:29:17)

Re: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

tenetnosce wrote:

1.  We don't really need to seek to become aware of the current state of affairs in the world in order to offset negative developments, and that investigating and questioning what is really going on only contributes to the negativity.

Personally, I think that it is helpful to become aware of the current state of affairs in the world - both positive and negative.  I can understand why people may not want to focus on mainstream sources of “news"  information, but I still think it is important to be aware of what is happening in the outer world and inner worlds.

tenetnosce wrote:

2.  Things aren't really as bad as they seem, the worst has passed, and all we need to do is have a positive attitude and hope that things will work out for the best.

I do have the opinion that things are not as bad as they seem (or as bad as they are often portrayed).  I don’t mean this in an “ignorance is bliss"  way.  I mean this in a profound way.  I view many horrors and suffering in the world as an expression of a universe that accepts and even promotes a diversity of experience.  Not that I enjoy suffering, quite to the contrary.  With greater awareness and compassion, much of the suffering here could be avoided.

Currently, I see this as a planet of mixed polarity, where there are both positive and negative elements sharing the same region.  Also, as I have written here several times before, I have the feeling and intuition that this planet is going to end up with a prevailing positive polarity.  I intend to contribute to realizing that scenario.

I don’t think that the worst has passed.  I do think that we have passed some thresholds where there was a possibility that things could be far worse than they are right now. 

tenetnosce wrote:

3.  Taking positive action to live a more sustainable lifestyle, such as growing your own food, relocating to a safer environment, and finding effective and ethical ways to earn money is too difficult, impractical, or unnecessary.

I think that those are all key steps and issues.  I anticipate the possibility of widespread situations where there may be lapses in the supply of food, water, and electricity.  To be prepared for that shows good sense, in my opinion.  Also, I think that “right livelihood"  is an important issue, and it is a significant thing to find livelihood that is ethical.

Re: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

This is a really intresting and passionate discussion, and I thank everyone for participating! smile

Intrestingly enough, without the television to provide me the 6 O'Clock news, the "events" unfolding in the world seem to come to me from various sources.  I am here, right now typing this message, my "reality" is here now, is it not?  I've honestly never seen Iraq, all I've heard about it are fictions.  I feel like everything thats going on in Iraq on a physical level may not be all that great.  But I can't even picture Iraq in my head.  What's going on in Iraq right now? Anybody?

I've got class in 10 mintues, so I will finish typing my thoughts about this subject at some other "time".

"Beyond the stars a new world awaits me now" - Wintersun

15 (edited by tenetnosce 2006-01-18 09:49:40)

Re: Recent Outbreaks of Complacency

Curious how it appears that in response to my comments about knowing what is really going on in the world, people assumed that I was referring to mainstream news.

Keeping a finger on the latest and greatest rides at the carnival is one aspect of knowing what is going on, but I was referring to larger social, economic, geological, spiritual, political, and cosmic influences / events that, for the most part, are NOT reported in the mainstream media, and to a large degree, are NOT reported (or misreported) even in the alternative news sources. 

I am also talking about having an awareness of what is going on in the immediate world around you.  How people in your everyday life are behaving.  What are they talking about?  What is on their minds?  Is there a pattern to it?  Is it cyclical?  Does it coincide with moon cycles or other cosmic influences?  How does it compare to your internal state?  How does it fit into the larger pattern of global events?

Do you ever take notice that something is on your mind, or you are considering making a change, and boom, suddenly there are people around you that are reflecting that back to you?  When you are participating in online forums such as NR, do you only consider each post individually, or do you consider all the posts of the day as an integrated whole?

These are the types of things I am talking about, not how many car bombs were set off in Iraq.  Just thought I'd clarify.

It is not for us to understand love, but simply to make space for it.