Comments on: Introvert Survival: Reducing Your Profile

By: unclegluon

unclegluon — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:47:30 +0000

Indeed it takes a lifetime of work and motivation, success not guaranteed. It may be easier to leave planet earth than a pre-assigned social role.

By: Theoretical Coffee » Day 4?

Theoretical Coffee » Day 4? — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:08:26 +0000

[...] entirely sure I could find or hold one down even if I did. I need to find some way of making money, Tera linked me a nice article a while ago about becoming separate, not being tied down to a job or …, lots of little sources of income. It sounded good, but it’s a lot of work and motivation to [...]

By: unclegluon

unclegluon — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:03:27 +0000

I am definitely fascinated by Eastern philosophy, particularly taoism and confucianism, but I see myself as more of an Epicurean Hedonist. I see life as an exercise not in eliminating desires but in learning the art of mastering them and deriving happiness from no more than necessary. I believe in learning to benefit from desire rather than be led to disaster and ultimate misery as happens to so many. It is an exercise in balance.
The big trap that people fall into is the indefinite escalation of expectations. We quickly get used to anything no matter how great it might be. So for many people, life is an arms race against boredom, malaise, and despair. This is a miserable existence as one must live in fear of one day running out of new entertainments or worse, losing the pleasure sources one already has and descending into an unimaginable hell. For each pleasure source one has, the more resources one must have just to keep what they already have, the harder it is each time to find a new pleasure as stimulating as the last. It is a terrifying trap to fall into. One ends up addicted to pleasures, yet devoid of happiness and satisfaction.

True happiness and experiencing deeper pleasure lies in carefully limiting and sculpting one’s happiness.
For instance, one might allow themself to be hungry before eating so that even the humblest of fare might taste like a feast every time. Pleasure is experienced sustainably, intensely, and reliably. There is none of the fear that attends rampant material accumulation. In the absence of uncontrolled escalation, a disastrous and painful end is averted.

By: Jeff_t

Jeff_t — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:01:09 +0000

Interesting conclusion. Compare it to Buddhism, where freedom is achieved by letting go of desire.

Why bother to make more money? You probably have more than you really need already. You can get fulfilment without it.

Keep writing such lovely thought-provoking articles I like reading these.