Philosophy Now Forum

duszek,

duszek wrote:Mr. Arising:

What´s positive and uplifting about critisizing Christianity ?

He does not criticize Christianity, he criticizes those who profess themselves to be Christian being 'depressed'.

The act of criticism is an act of aggression, of taking sides.

Most of kierkegaard's works are the exposition of both sides in an act of balanced criticism.

People who are depressed are not feeling like fighting or struggling.

No need. Just give-up being depressed, become bored with being depressed, as it's both a struggle and a fight to be depressed.

No, sir.

It is a struggle NOT to be depressed.

If you are depressed your natural desire is ... to curl up and die. Like Chaz once formulated.

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I feel that philosophy can assist in the gift of depression.



Depression is a vital, yet elusive, ingredient in the corrective process if philosophy is applied to one's life to better percieve one's reality.


Real depression cannot be sought or willfully contemplated into existence.







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duszek wrote:It is a struggle NOT to be depressed.

Depends, what kind of depression are you talking about?

When you feel that no matter how much you try you will always be the greatest loser in the history of mankind.

It´s hard to find anything worth living for.

What makes other people happy means nothing to you.

(self-diagnosis)

Everything around me sucks.

And I don´t even have the guts to tell people I loathe that they are disgusting.

The instinct of economic self-preservation is stronger than my self-esteem.

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The instinct of economic self-preservation is stronger than my self-esteem.


Welcome to 2013. Is this your first trip to earth?





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I see what you mean, Bill.

Perhaps the metaphore of Adam and Eve leaving the paradise was just that:

you have to earn your living while being disgusted and getting depressed.

You become a thrall of your bodily needs: food, drink, shelter, clothing, entertainment.

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ya, know, if you're depressed...I like your insights while you are depressed.




Go on...




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Thank you Bill.

Yes, being depressed is an opportunity ... to become disillusioned.

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Whoa...again, well done.



...I actually did not understand your sentence, in the way I think you mean it, the first couple of times I read it.



Seriously, you're in the zone...and I actually envy you right now.





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I don´t think you envy me.

But thank you for the encouragement.

It is enough to express what bothers one, to feel better.

Pasolini said: Esprimersi significa guarire. (= to express oneself means to heal)

This forum can be really psychotherapeutic.

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Do words dissipate the thumos?



Does articulation mark the moment as the point where fear takes over and kicks the can down the road?





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I am not sure.

But I think that once you have complained about what really bothers you then the thing that bothers you seems to lose its impact.

As if saying it were a kind of magic dissipating a spell.

Strange.

NLP would probably disagree, they have a different approach, an opposite one even.

Which is more true ?

a. Don´t say that you are a loser because then you will feel like a loser (a self-fulfilling prophecy). (NLP)

b. Say that you are a loser and the prospect of being a loser will have less impact and you will even feel that it is an exaggeration and not true at all. (my personal obervation)

Rituals and ceremonies give structure in the booze of time.