I also question how to get through life when I know it is meaningless, but I am the opposite of a psychopath/sociopath/scammer

Joker Poker wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 12, 2019 11:09 am

Agree with Violet, great post.

A lot of how you describe your psycho is the same description for Australian banks.

and australian immigration camps

violet wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 12, 2019 11:01 am

I also question how to get through life when I know it is meaningless, but I am the opposite of a psychopath/sociopath/scammer

I struggle with this question too.

Even if we do not intellectually believe there is absolute meaning, we can still feel a sense of meaning which is strong enough to help us get through the rough times in life, and to make sacrifices for things that feeling meaningful.

Maybe the problem is not solvable for some people who believe there is no absolute meaning (me sometimes). Although I wonder if the difficulty results more from emotional depression than a self-contradictory philosophy (this is true for me). When we are happy, we can tolerate a contradiction between our feelings and our logic. We all live with many contradictions, but sometimes we are still happy.

I think that humans are predisposed to feel that life has meaning. I think it is something that we do naturally and are born with. When I feel life has meaning, then I try to hold on to that (although I don't know if I have any control over when I get to feel life is meaningful).

In a way, I am trying to exploit this "loophole" in human character. I want to exploit the fact that I am predisposed to feel that life has meaning and I want to hang on to it when I can.

A common example is people who have children. Even if they do not believe in absolute meaning they still sacrifice, suffer and even die for their children because the welfare of their children feels important.

If I believe that there is no absolute meaning to life, but I want to feel that there is, then I have to suppress my intellectual beliefs most of the time. I have to lie to myself. I must depend on self-deception.

Is self-deception okay to practice? We are told to be honest with ourselves. I don't understand how we can and still get through life.

I do not believe that we should be truthful to ourselves all the time. I think we need self-deception for many reasons. Suppressing our intellectual beliefs in deference to meaning is one reason. But I think we need to sometimes lie to ourselves about our behavior. We do things we which against our conscience. I think we would be crushed by the guilt if we considered all the ways in which we violate it (I think the "Golden Rule" is built into our character. We don't have to be taught when something is unfair. We are upset when we see others treated unfairly. But we could not live without violating that all time. Fortunately we can deceive ourselves.).

Sometimes we need to lie to ourselves because we are not ready to except painful truths. It could crush us. When we are ready, we will accept it. Some things we will never be ready to accept. Sometimes we don't have the luxury of self-deception and it does crush us. And sometimes self-deception is used inappropriately and damages us.

So, the only answer I know to this problem (resolving a contradiction between our logic and our desire to feel meaning), is self-deception.

This is my thinking at this time, but I am open.

alvin.dark wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 12, 2019 7:14 pm

violet wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 12, 2019 11:01 am

I also question how to get through life when I know it is meaningless, but I am the opposite of a psychopath/sociopath/scammer

I struggle with this question too.

Make friends with poor Cambodian families. When you come across students with a good attitude, who want to continue their education, but are too poor, help them.

Helping poor students get a good education, will change their lives.

Your life will have a purpose.

These people will appreciate you more than words can express, and will remember you for the rest of their lives.

It is important to find people with the right attitude.

It may be easier if you go to a poor town or village somewhere, and find a school who appreciates you helping them. You could meet a lot of students, and help those from poor families with the best attitude.

clutchcargo wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 09, 2019 7:54 am

OP- what is your understanding of a 'psychopath'?

Coz googling the meaning of it gives a number of different interpretations/definitions ranging from mild to serious..

I'm wondering if the OP actually means sociopath.

Don’t know what you think but some of these at the bottom half surely look like psychopaths

The Oklahoma Sooners play the Texas Longhorns every year in Texas at the state fair...
This rivalry is a huge tradition.
Perhaps, it is important to know that a great deal of players on the Oklahoma team come from Texas.
Texas has a huge population compared to Oklahoma and football is extremely important.
When a great player is Not offered a scholarship to play in Texas...he often times relishes playing at Oklahoma.
Boomer Sooners ..Go O.U.!!!!!

siliconlife wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 09, 2019 1:18 pm

fax wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 09, 2019 12:34 pm

siliconlife wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 09, 2019 11:12 am

Since this isn't a panel of psychologists, I think a good definition for "psychopath" for this particular thread could be

Someone who starts threads but is too paranoid to answer questions yet compulsively upvotes everything said.

LOL. Can I have another upvote please, OP?

Yes, ok, there's your up vote. Think what you wish about it. I automatically up vote here, as I do on other social media, as a way of saying "Thank you for commenting, I read your post and appreciate that you replied."