I think we need a good discussion on one's suffering.
Generally, your suffering is not real nor as bad as you think it is.
There are over 7 billion humans on this planet, hitting 9 billion in a few more years. You are not a special snowflake. You are not special at all. We are smaller than grains of sand if you look at how big the galaxy and beyond are.
I remember reading this phenomenon where astronauts who look at Earth for the first time in space, they are so struck by how minuscule humans are. They realize that their "problems" aren't real problems.
as I said before: there are millions of Syrians fleeing ISIS, and trying to survive
there are still millions being born into actual slavery, but they are still trying to survive
there are still people who do not have a reliable source of water or food, but they are trying to survive
by the relativist's logic, starving children have nothing to complain about because they could be north korean political prisoners, and north korean political prisoners have nothing to complain about because it could always be something worse
I'm going to disagree. Social ineptitude largely can be fixed I think with continued social interactions. I read something interesting some time ago about how working in customer service did great things for people who were originally very reclusive and socially inept.
Also, feelings of isolation is generally on you. It's your responsibility to surround yourself with friends. This responsibility isn't on anyone else. If you want friends, then make them.
and like I said, I'm speaking on general terms here. Yes, I think suffering can exist from isolation in certain circumstances, though the vast majority isn't actual suffering
All my life I've been fascinated with history, and beginning in middle school (around age 12) I became especially interested in the Holocaust and the regime. Every time the subject came up in school I would pay attention moreso than in other classes, and no matter the class I would try to relate papers and assingments back to my passion: the Holocaust. Obviously people took notice, and I became known as the kid who liked the Holocaust. Most of them didn't think it was too weird, they just thought it was a hobby and they would sometimes talk to me if they had any questions. I didn't think it was weird either, I just found the horrible atrocities fascinating to learn about. Because of this interest I majored in history at Harvard College, despite what people said about history not being the safest major due to lack of jobs. Regardless I pushed through, got my PhD, and wrote all the papers I could on my beloved Holocaust Come the end of the education chapter in the book of my life I had to move on and find a job. But what people said was right. There were no jobs for a Holocaust fanatic such as myself. Within a year I was homeless, living on the streets. I'd curl up in my refrigerator box, thinking back on my life. Was it worth it to major in what I loved, was it worth being homeless to persue my passion: the Holocaust? I had never been able to answer that question. Because I just didn't know. That is until now, now I know it was all worth it, because I can say with absolute certainty that your thread is literally worse than Hitler
deletedover 8 years
bebop subtly hinting that we should derail so he can lock it
dude you got your lamb in there, and then cukes and lettuce and tomato and feta and tzatziki sauce all wrapped up in a pita, or sometimes they make it like on top of fries and stuff that's real good, in Hungary I always got görögös gyros where it was all that stuff plus tons of extra feta and green olives on top of fries it was dank
deletedover 8 years
i've never had a gyro before bc of my sensitive taste bud issues, what are they even made of
Intimate relationships, friends: It's not suffering if you're able unable to make friends. It's not suffering if your SO leaves you.
Prestige/Feeling of Accomplishment: Some people value this, like me. I don't think you not accomplishing something is suffering.
Self-Actualization: Not suffering if you couldn't reach your full potential. It is on you and only you. If you really wanted something, then you should have tried hard for it.
deletedover 8 years
so basically what you're saying is "mental health is serious" but also "if you have your basic needs fulfilled, any other suffering you experience is irrelevant" ... i'm no phoenix wright but i think i smell a contradiction
what i think you were trying to say (but went about it very immaturely and aggressively) is that there are a lot of people worse off than you and instead of focusing on ourselves, we should help people less fortunate than us. (there was no need to invalidate anyone's feelings just because you think they aren't unfortunate enough). this is fine, i guess, because helping people and finding meaning in that is one of the ways to live a happier life. but you went about this horribly.
I am not trying to dictate what you should feel. I am asking you to consider what true suffering is and if your "problems" and suffering are even comparable.
Migrants should be going to cultures where they belong. People who believe in Shariah Law do not belong in Western Europe. They belong in other countries.
I'm not focusing on mental health, as I've said before in chat. I've said mental health is a pretty serious.
I'm not gonna list examples of invalid experiences mainly because I'm not that much of a jerk.
you're trying to argue that all suffering is inherently valid and important. I don't think it is. I think true suffering lies in the realm of basic sustenance and survival.
deletedover 8 years
i meant he was crying about it haha typo
deletedover 8 years
my friend has ibs and hes really in a lot of pain like just this morning i was crying about it
deletedover 8 years
If there are 7 billion people, why should one person dictate what I can and can't feel?
I am not sure why you care so much about invalidating other people's experiences (is that your way of coping with some trauma of your own that we don't know of? You think that by saying that stuff like this doesn't matter will make it go away?) - could that be just you looking for attention that you cannot bring to yourself in real life?
Either way I will answer your question (or lack thereof, it's more of a statement really) and hope that nobody else does and the thread is locked:
This is the Maslow's hierarchy of needs. According to Maslow's theory, if a person has not fulfilled his/her basic needs then s/he won't be able to fulfill and won't even think about the higher levels of the pyramid (try asking a person who hasn't eaten for a week what he wants from life). The very same thing applies with the Africans and Syrians you love to mention so much (up until the discussion turns to whether they should be granted access to Western countries lol): because their basic needs of hunger, security and safety have not been fulfilled, they will not overthink stuff that Westerners think a lot about, such as failing to be successful in a very competitive society or failing to amount to it etc. Therefore yes, people in Africa do have different kinds of struggles, but you have to accept the fact that with different levels of fulfilling the hierarchy, different problems will come and they won't stop until you achieve the very top of the pyramid and become harmonious with yourself and what not. These problems (both hunger, both depression) are the things that drive (or don't in the case of depression) to climb the steps toward the top of that hierarchy.
P.S. You have so many misconceptions about mental disease and really are being very bitter about it. If you want to be smartypants about the migrant crisis and BLM then sure but don't you dare say anything about stuff you clearly have no information on.
