Skepticism, Fear, and Anger - Page 2

what about them ? they deserved it

We're all freaks.

Somehow I'm almost sure that if you're here, if you like this forum as much as I do, if you have a thinking style that goes with this culture, we're a little freaked out, even if u don't want to accept it, or at least the "normal" people mark u and call u freak or satanic or any shit of that kind.

I love you all

Glad to know that I'm not the only one who feels skeptic.

I don't know what's with me. I think it's my fear of humiliating myself that makes me feel like I have to find the weakness and ugliness behind everything. As for commercials, I don't want to fall victim to my optimism and waste money on a ridiculous product because it's embarrasing.

Maybe I just want to feel superior. For example, the guidance counselor at my school appears flawless. At first, I accepted him that way. But then I thought, "Hey, this guy's human. He's got to have a couple of flaws somewhere." So I've been analyzing his personality and his actions to find his flaws. Yesterday, I stopped and asked myself, "Why in the world am I doing this? Why do I even care?" There are underlying emotions. For one thing, my guidance counselor makes me feel insecure by appearing as flawless.

Then I have a paranioa that this world could crush me if I don't understand it and fight all the ugliness within. I'm always alert, as though I'm expecting something to come and attack me. Yep, paranoia. Never leave home without it.

As for your fear of the end of existence, well, it's justified by the fact that you will die one day and you never know when. One time, I felt like I was going to die and called my friends to tell them how much I loved them (which freaked them out )
I too feel like everything is going to come to an end someday. Why? Because nothing, NOTHING physical, has ever lived forever. But I keep that feeling inside me because it motivates me to use my life in a good way. (For example, if this thought strikes me while I'm watching Simpsons, I ask myself if watching Simpsons is the last thing I want to be doing before I die. Then I shut the t.v and go do my chores. I figured helping my parents is better that watching tv)

Finally, as for your anger, you may be angry at yourself. I have that anger within me too. It's a result of my insecurities and paranoia, a wonderful mix. If you're a perfectionist like me, then you're always trying to do your best at everything and get so mad at yourself when you fall short of your goals. You keep this anger within you until you achieve your goal.

Decius is egging on my paranoia. You see how he just popped up and told us to stay on topic when you never expected it? Is he always like this?

for a lot of people there is a certain amount of skepticism with every action they make in life. to a certain degree i can understand and relate to this topic, but at the same time skepticism seems very pointless. whatever actions you take you are going to take and that is that. the end. skepticism eventually leads to regret. regret leads to self hatred and its a long unneccisary chain.

do as much as you can, love as much as you can and have as much fun as you can... youll appreciate everything a lot more in the long run.

I think a level of skepticism is healthy. It keeps you on your toes. Of course, too much of anything (be it skepticism or optimism) is unhealthy, so you have the find the dividing line, the balance... Ah! The balance again! I can not seem to achhieve nirvana because I can't balance! I'm always doing too much of something.

One image that comes to mind when I think of the word balance is the bird. It needs both wings to stay afloat. One wing is for hope, the other is fear. Or whatever two things that need to balanced.

If I were a bird, I would have died thousands of years ago. I mean, balance is pretty hard to achieve. Well, it is for me anyway.

where is skepticism on the bird? its appendix?

hope and fear are crucial, and balance is what we all work toward. why should we let skepticism get in the way of all that mess we have already?

What I meant was skepticism can be one wing while optimism can be the other.

quote:

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why should we let skepticism get in the way of all that mess we have already?

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Maybe I don't mean skepticism. I see skepticism as a way of being alert. No, you know what, you're right. Scratch skepticism altogether and replace is with being alert. For example, when watching a commercial, you can be optimistic about the product's benefits, but alert to the fact that hundreds of consumers get ripped off by cheap products because they never researched it properly. You use both of these to decide whether you want to purchase the product or not. Am I making sense? Or am I as clear as mud?

you make perfect sense, and i figured this was the idea you were getting at.

doubting things and desiring what is in your best interest are very different concepts though.

But doesn't skepticism arise from the desiring what you want or what''s best for you (coupled with a fear from a bad experience)?

Skepticism is a lack of balance. Too much fear and too little hope. It may be reasonable (like being skeptic about a politician's words) or it may not be reasonable.