Deliberate, calculated Rebellion.

[Unseen_Abilities]

Deliberate, calculated, long-term rebellion against the "norm", no matter what anyone else thinks, is actually the best and healthiest decision to make if that's truly who you are in your core.

 

Compromise for none, be yourself for life.

 

Unseen_Abilities

[soaring crane]

I dunno if it's so easy. I think human animals are at the core, herding animals, conformists. So it's a conflict with your inner nature to begin with, and a trap of illusion on top of that.

[Unseen_Abilities]

Perhaps it's just not that black and white: Some people most definitely are "herding animals, conformists" at their core, some I believe most definitely are not. More might have been a long way back, maybe fewer now.

 

What is the core? Is it "human" in the "human animal" sense, or is it that and something more?

[soaring crane]

Perhaps it's just not that black and white: Some people most definitely are "herding animals, conformists" at their core, some I believe most definitely are not. More might have been a long way back, maybe fewer now.

 

 

Could be, I guess. I don't really think so, and I don't really believe that it's important to rebel against anything, but I realize now that it was actually the 'deliberate, calculated' part of your original post that sparked my reply. If it's 'deliberate, calculated', then it isn't spontaneous, and could be headed down the tunnel of illusion that I mentioned. It's just my feeling, which could be wrong and is certainly, as you say, not black and white.

 

In the meantime, here are some conformists, many of whom very likely believe they're rebelling against something and would be shocked to hear that they're herding:

 

 

 

mmmmoooooooo ...

 

For my part, years and years of doing this stuff seems to have cemented my spirit to a little area of quiet in the middle of my gut, and I just turn inward when I feel the need. In there, I guess I really am an individual and a rebel, because I'm the only one who knows where it is

[Unseen_Abilities]

Yes I agree with your point about subcultures: They all have a collective consciousness themselves, groups of "Individuals'.

 

It seems to me that it seems to be that being Authentic is to partake in Rebellion.

 

The "deliberate, calculated" part is almost (kind of) a joke, but for some reason this topic has been relevant to me for as long as I remember. It seems the older people get, the more (subtle) pressure there is for them to "belong" (key word) to a particular group or sect of people. I own myself, no group owns me, though I do enjoy training Martial Arts every week. That's about the only group activity for me these days, and outside whatever Dojo I'm at I do my own stuff in addition to what I'm learning (not always a lot of it, but always some).

 

Unseen_Abilities

[Jetsun]

In regular rebellion you identify yourself as something in opposition to something else, in doing so you define and solidify yourself in a certain position. But the real rebels drop identification altogether, thereby they are not confined to any position and therefore free.

[Unseen_Abilities]

Good point.

[Unseen_Abilities]

I find this whole topic very interesting. Personally, it's just a matter of feeling different to every single group of people I've come across so far. You get groups of "rebels" of the sort in soaring cranes picture - they're pretty harmless most of the time I think (often just looking to party and belong to something). Then you get groups like Motorcycle Gangs - they'll leave you alone unless you give them a reason not to, but obviously are often involved in manufacturing and distributing drugs which effects the world outside of those groups as well.

 

Me? I don't care too much about partying these days (I never really did, actually) and my drug dealing days reached their glorious peak sometime around 12th grade, my last year of school.

 

This is just the way I am.

[skydog]

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Edited May 1, 2014 by skydog

[skydog]

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Edited May 1, 2014 by skydog

[skydog]

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Edited May 1, 2014 by skydog

[skydog]

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Edited May 1, 2014 by skydog

[GrandmasterP]

Deliberate, calculated, long-term rebellion against the "norm", no matter what anyone else thinks, is actually the best and healthiest decision to make if that's truly who you are in your core.

 

Compromise for none, be yourself for life.

 

Unseen_Abilities

 

Not you UA - that's an interesting post you made.

Thank you, this just me thinking out loud and NOT having a pop at you...

 

That's generally default position for teenagers and kidults.

As one gets older then compromise with and accommodation for the 'other' tend to be the welcomed path of least resistance.

'Rebels' are much of a type... Quite young, idealistic, bit of a pain in the erse.

' Be yourself for life' is a recipe for stagnation, everyone changes all the time right through life.

Everything is impermanent save, sometimes and sadly; an illusion of permanence.

Change is our only constant.

[skydog]

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Edited May 2, 2014 by skydog

[Brian]

Even nuances have nuances, you know.

[soaring crane]

.As one gets older then compromises with and accommodation for the 'other' tend to be the welcomed path of least resistance.'

Ok, don't beat around the bush here.

[Unseen_Abilities]

"' Be yourself for life' is a recipe for stagnation, everyone changes all the time right through life.' "

 

Yes, I agree with this, but you should still be yourself for life, whatever changes take place. Personally, I look at many older people in their lives and often wonder to myself if they're really being themselves.

 

Chi Gung Grandmaster more likely to be himself no matter what.

[Unseen_Abilities]

"Change is our only constant."

 

I agree with this as well. I'm going through a period of rapid change right now, but in reflection, even when things seem to be stagnant they are still always changing - sometimes fast, sometimes slow, still always changing.

[Unseen_Abilities]

Besides, the world doesn't deserve my cooperation after what it's given me. In person I'm generally respectful and don't try and deliberately piss anyone off, but act as if you know what's best for me, or try and manipulate or control me and I'll just go the other way now without a second thought. I think I said it here before: I don't know what it is, but something about me seems to threaten people in some way, provokes many to jealousy or anger.

 

For the most part, I've done nothing to deserve it, I've just been myself.

[GrandmasterP]

"' Be yourself for life' is a recipe for stagnation, everyone changes all the time right through life.' "

 

Yes, I agree with this, but you should still be yourself for life, whatever changes take place. Personally, I look at many older people in their lives and often wonder to myself if they're really being themselves.

 

Chi Gung Grandmaster more likely to be himself no matter what.

For sure older people are different people than who they were when they were teenagers or young marrieds or parents, then grandparents and so on.

Our lives change, our circumstances change even our physical bodies completely change over time.

Cultivation can be a constant as can meditation for those who do them.

However, beyond and around those two I don't think that very much remains the same for anyone in life.

Edited May 3, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[RiverSnake]

He makes some good points from 2:50 to the end of the video....regarding changing and how we can make lasting changes in our respective societies:

 

My 2 cents, Peace

Edited May 5, 2014 by OldChi

[Unseen_Abilities]

Thanks for that, very good.