Lately I've been thinking about control. Some feel that they need it, others despise it. Some people believe society requires it, others believe attempting to control us only makes for more problems.

Religions have been used as a means to control society, though the manipulation of belief and use of fear. Some people allow themselves to fall under that apparent control, while others maintain an awareness of their freedom.

This freedom appears to be resistance to the group demanding control, even though they never really had any authority or actual control in the first place. Because of this, the group demanding control seeks out more. They rely more and more on the only tools they know, fear and manipulation.

I believe a backlash results. Some people see the manipulation as manipulation, but become afraid. They fear the things they cannot control. They too begin to seek out control of the situation. They begin to retaliate against their apparent oppressors.

Political systems can be the same thing. They can rely on fear and manipulation to maintain control. When this happens, 'resistance' groups usually end up becoming formed to try and control the situation the way they see fit.

But I think both 'sides' of these battles, the 'resistance' against the oppressive state, the anti-religious against the religious, fail to realize one thing about the situation, which I believe.


Control only has as much power as you allow.


Sometimes, oppressive control can only affect you when you believe it is affecting you. When you believe you will go to hell for jerkin off, you allow it to control you. But you have the control over whether or not you allow that. You have control over fear.

In another situation, slavery is legal. I am a slave. My master cuts off my feet, so I cannot run away. But do I have to suffer? No. I can still control that. I can accept the situation, or be miserable.




The point to all this text is that all of us, as a group, tend to overlook a few simple things that I believe would greatly improve the situation for everyone.

One thing, is to not be afraid.

Another, is to stop trying to control everything, and just let go.

And another, is that we are free.

"Freedom's just another word for: nothing left to lose"

- Janis Joplin

"The Control that controls Control is Death."

Tao Te Ching:
He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.

While we're all regurgitating information, I suggest people look into Epictetus.

I believe a man that doesn't strive to seek control of his life and the things that affect it, is a slave or soon will be. Freedom has a cost, and I'm more than willing to pay for it.

I believe that believing that freedom is something still needed to be achieved, is what really enslaves you in the first place.

Even if you really are a crippled slave.

"Freedom is secured not by the fulfilling of one's desires, but by the removal of desire." - apparently Epictetus

It's better to die honorably, than live in slavery. You can't escape control. Not being afraid is controlling your fear. Accepting your fate in a bad situation is controlling your instinct to overcome. You can't escape control.
I control myself. I live by my own rules of morality and not the laws of man including religious rules. I don't perpetuate fear or manipulate others to my ways, they simply follow suite out of admiration of my success.

Really, your message should be "When you control yourself, nobody has control over you.

It's better to die honorably, than live in slavery.

Honorably? What do you mean?

You can't escape control.

I believe that you were never trapped by it in the first place.

Not being afraid is controlling your fear. Accepting your fate in a bad situation is controlling your instinct to overcome. You can't escape control.

How is your own control trapping you ... how would it keep you down? It doesn't. Why would you desire to lose control?

I don't understand why you bring that up, since I was talking about oppression. You have control over how you react to any given situation. Thats part of my point. Even if you were a crippled slave, that does not have to cause you suffering.

I control myself. I live by my own rules of morality and not the laws of man including religious rules. I don't perpetuate fear or manipulate others to my ways, they simply follow suite out of admiration of my success.

Great. Thumbs up.

Really, your message should be "When you control yourself, nobody has control over you.

If thats what works for you.

In my book (so to speak), we all have free will, and it is absolute, up to and including the time and means of our physical dissolution.

Actions DO have consequences, however, and it is a matter of simple logic as far as what and where we choose to do what we do.

I do not hesitate to spread newspaper on the floor and take a shit in my cabin--the same action would be severely frowned upon at the public library.

http://classics.mit.edu/Epictetus/discourses.1.one.html

Wow this guy was pretty awesome! Such clarity of thought. If only we could have leaders as great as him.
Peace

Freedom lies in realizing that your thoughts and feelings control you, and that you don't control your thoughts and feelings.

Freedom lies in realizing that your thoughts and feelings control you, and that you don't control your thoughts and feelings.

That may feel free to you, but it certainly would not to me.

I also do not understand why you think that, for I do appear to have control over what I think and how I feel.

Please, explain yourself.

^Yeah, that's likd of a major WTF to me, too.

One of the ways we create our reality in the first place is by controlling our thoughts and feelings.

Granted, it takes some practice and discipline, but it ain't rocket science.

That may feel free to you, but it certainly would not to me.

I also do not understand why you think that, for I do appear to have control over what I think and how I feel.

Please, explain yourself.

Yes this phrase was read literally, what I am trying to say is that impulsiveness and forgetfulness is next to ignorance in my book. Lets say:

Some guy hits you hard on your back, and you impulsively strike back thinking he is gonna attack you. The feelings of being hit on the back maybe anger and fear, these feelings control you and make you act out of self-defense and the illusory need to strike back without even trying to make out a face, or before you even make out a face you hit him back in the face!

You have forgotten in this moment however, that your friend was going to scare the shit outta you. You may not have wanted to hit your friend back but you did, impulsively and forgetfully, forgetfulness is related to ignorance. Thus you know that impulsiveness is a Psychological feature and you psyche dictates your feelings and thoughts, thus your thoughts and feelings controlled your outcome...

I hope you understand the example I gave... I also hope you understand that not all thoughts and feelings are bad, but they can be harmful in the case of impulsiveness as an example.

Nice OP, I agree, etc.

Nice OP, I agree, etc.

Thxs the difference between you and me is that (assuming your an atheist, which I think you are) is that there is no way to rise above this inner conflict, with me there is... Part of that is awareness of this fact...

Thxs the difference between you and me is that (assuming your an atheist, which I think you are) is that there is no way to rise above this inner conflict, with me there is... Part of that is awareness of this fact...

No, the only difference between you and me is that you're full of bullshit that you spam in every damn thread in this forum.

What the fuck are you thanking me for? I was talking to the OP, not you. Your opinions are presumptuous and stupid. If anyone, you're ignorant.

The OP was all about how internal conflicts are all driven internally, and how you have control over them. I have control over them; you apparently don't, because if anyone hits you, you'll "instinctively" hit back and that somehow proves some great metaphysical point.

Seriously, Every damn thread. Every last one. You just come in with these giant bombs of posts and wallop them. Could you lay off maybe one a week? Would that be alright? Get a blog, you can advocate whatever fucked up christian sect you ascribe to.