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A conditioned mind (of an unrealized one) needs to be engaged in some activity to feel worthwhile (one of the definitive ways of measuring your progress in medi

A conditioned mind (of an unrealized one) needs to be engaged in some activity to feel worthwhile (one of the definitive ways of measuring your progress in meditation is to check how long you can sit with just yourself without engaging in any activity [0]). It's also a fact that only few seem to demonstrate interest in creative/selfless pursuits at any point in time if you see in our history. For most people, the worthwhile activity had been working to survive – to make ends-meet somehow. (You'd not hear people in poor places even today having these mental problems of depression/etc.) In last few decades, more and more people on the planet (especially in western world) have gotten material comforts which were only available to very rich/powerful people. So the struggle for the basic stuff, which used to consume one's life for most people, is simply no longer there. A conditioned mind without meaningful activity is a devil workshop. It rejoices in negativity, gossips etc naturally then. Social media has given a platform to such mind and with follows/retweets/likes as added bonus that give social justification and encouragement of its negativity. 0: https://os.me/eight-signs-of-progress-in-meditation/ https://os.me/eight-signs-of-progress-in-meditation/

mandmandam 5y ago
> It's also a fact that only few seem to demonstrate interest in creative/selfless pursuits at any point in time if you see in our history. That's not a fact, not at all. Nearly everyone has had some creative or selfless hobby; that they didn't all change the world (and enter the history books) is quite beside the point. It's a very low view of people to take, quite superior and baseless, to be honest. Look closer. > For most people, the worthwhile activity had been working to survive – to make ends-meet somehow. (You'd not hear people in poor places even today having these mental problems of depression/etc.) Working to survive is no longer necessary. Only forced inequality makes it so. We have the technology and resources to provide for everyone. The vestigial cultural propaganda involved in making people afraid to not work is a major reason why people tweet blind bullshit, instead of living fulfilling lives. I agree that meaningful activity is important; but have a read of Bullshit Jobs to see the kind of busy-work people are given. Look around and realise how bad inequality has gotten, for no other reason than because Extreme Wealth is a vicious feedback loop in unrestricted capitalist society. > the struggle for the basic stuff, which used to consume one's life for most people, is simply no longer there. It seems you're invoking that horrible and untrue myth; that creativity comes from suffering and deprivation. It's not true. Holding on to anger, suffering, greed, pain etc, is not necessary to be creative, fulfilled, free. > A conditioned mind without meaningful activity is a devil workshop. It rejoices in negativity, gossips etc naturally then. Social media has given a platform to such mind and with follows/retweets/likes as added bonus that give social justification and encouragement of its negativity. You're not entirely wrong, but I don't see how you can seriously propose "working to survive" as a superior alternative. We are very luck that Da Vinci, Tesla, Fuller, Ramanujan, Van Gogh (...insert literally millions of more examples here) didn't need to "work to survive".
watwut 5y ago
> You'd not hear people in poor places even today having these mental problems of depression/etc. Poor people have both mental health problems and depression. I dont know why you think people in poor places dont have depression or mental health issues. If anything, poor places tend to have these worst. They also happen to have worst consequences on the person having these issues.

mandmandam 5y ago

> It's also a fact that only few seem to demonstrate interest in creative/selfless pursuits at any point in time if you see in our history. That's not a fact, not at all. Nearly everyone has had some creative or selfless hobby; that they didn't all change the world (and enter the history books) is quite beside the point. It's a very low view of people to take, quite superior and baseless, to be honest. Look closer. > For most people, the worthwhile activity had been working to survive – to make ends-meet somehow. (You'd not hear people in poor places even today having these mental problems of depression/etc.) Working to survive is no longer necessary. Only forced inequality makes it so. We have the technology and resources to provide for everyone. The vestigial cultural propaganda involved in making people afraid to not work is a major reason why people tweet blind bullshit, instead of living fulfilling lives. I agree that meaningful activity is important; but have a read of Bullshit Jobs to see the kind of busy-work people are given. Look around and realise how bad inequality has gotten, for no other reason than because Extreme Wealth is a vicious feedback loop in unrestricted capitalist society. > the struggle for the basic stuff, which used to consume one's life for most people, is simply no longer there. It seems you're invoking that horrible and untrue myth; that creativity comes from suffering and deprivation. It's not true. Holding on to anger, suffering, greed, pain etc, is not necessary to be creative, fulfilled, free. > A conditioned mind without meaningful activity is a devil workshop. It rejoices in negativity, gossips etc naturally then. Social media has given a platform to such mind and with follows/retweets/likes as added bonus that give social justification and encouragement of its negativity. You're not entirely wrong, but I don't see how you can seriously propose "working to survive" as a superior alternative. We are very luck that Da Vinci, Tesla, Fuller, Ramanujan, Van Gogh (...insert literally millions of more examples here) didn't need to "work to survive".

watwut 5y ago

> You'd not hear people in poor places even today having these mental problems of depression/etc. Poor people have both mental health problems and depression. I dont know why you think people in poor places dont have depression or mental health issues. If anything, poor places tend to have these worst. They also happen to have worst consequences on the person having these issues.