What are the chances of a conspiracy of an America shut down

[Taoway]

What are the chances of this happening? I put it in the back of my mind years ago. But over the years it seems more and more real. Especially with this joke of an election.

 

The whole fema camp round up is what I'm talking about. It bugs me out

[Taoway]

How would a follower of Tao handle this? It seems to get over that fear I have to face death head on and develop a strong warrior mentality.

[Spotless]

This is what we do - live mind loops - a life asleep in fear of futures - a matrix of scenarios of angst, tension and preoccupation.

Opinions of opinions, expertise on myriad poppycock and good vs evil scenarios. This is what is in fashion - it is the noise of the day - the soup du jour.

[Old River]

There's nothing new under the sun, especially when it comes to the typical American preoccupation with conspiracy theories:

 

Richard Hofstadter: The Paranoid Style in American Politics 

[Spotless]

The rise of hate radio and fake news has driven an astronomical rise in this business of fear mongering and mental static.

 

along with millions of blogs where we can bury ourselves with the many opinning "experts" and live as a living memorial in remembrance of who we might have been if we had no so completely cemented our living death in a vibration of addictive noise.

Edited May 15, 2016 by Spotless

[Taoway]

This is what we do - live mind loops - a life asleep in fear of futures - a matrix of scenarios of angst, tension and preoccupation.Opinions of opinions, expertise on myriad poppycock and good vs evil scenarios. This is what is in fashion - it is the noise of the day - the soup du jour.

I'm confused of what your saying. What is it you are advising? To just see that the whole game is to be wrapped up in these fears? And that it's a choice to step out of it?

[Taoway]

The rise of hate radio and fake news has driven an astronomical rise in this business of fear mongering and mental static.along with thousand / millions of blogs where we can bury ourselves with the many opinning "experts" and live as a living memorial in remembrance of who we might have been if we had no so completely cemented our living death in a vibration of addictive noise.

I hear ya. People like Alex Jones ... are a waste of noise. Buy beyond all that propoganda.. there still lies a country where collecting rain water is illegal. Perscription drugs are used for profit. Plants are illegal.. so what's next?

 

Even then should I still just focus on my own growth and pay no attention to it?

[ralis]

There's nothing new under the sun, especially when it comes to the typical American preoccupation with conspiracy theories:

 

Richard Hofstadter: The Paranoid Style in American Politics 

 

A very good friend of mine recommended Hofstadter's books and are on my list.

[ralis]

I live in the desert Southwest and in all my travels on main roads and back roads where few travel, I have never seen any evidence of a FEMA concentration camp. Just another distraction by Alex Jones and company.

[Aetherous]

A small chance.

I mean, what has happened throughout history in other places can happen here too. Great nations have fallen, people have been rounded up and imprisoned, etc. Not even just historically, these things happen currently around the globe.

 

This election isn't a sign of it coming, though.

[Spotless]

I'm confused of what your saying. What is it you are advising? To just see that the whole game is to be wrapped up in these fears? And that it's a choice to step out of it?

 

It is a choice to step out of it.

 

Like an alcoholic no longer living at the bar.

 

And like the alcoholic who is trying to quit - not going to the bar while trying to quit - thinking that surrounding himself with drinkers is a good idea.

 

Stop the intake - stop the mind loops - take a look at what frequencies you surround yourself with.

 

This is often a false way we can enhance our self worth - we become experts in future world fantasy, politics based on fantastical bias, history based on the patterns of noise at the time it was written and prideful playwrites of a past that never was.

 

Today's fashion is to collect guns and pretend Obama is coming to take them away (while in fact during his presidency we have seen the largest proliferation of open carry laws and pro gun legislation in our history - while it was George Bush Jr.s administration that actually saw local, state and federal troops confiscating guns during the Katrina disaster).

 

Take a serious note of what is taking place in the mind loops in your head - it is the human addiction - what frequncies are "yours"?

When you worry - is it ever about exactly NOW - it is not possible to worry in the NOW - this is what happens in the Awakened state.

This is why it is such a gigantic change and should not be discounted as some nominal first step in the progressing towards "full realization".

 

All worry exists in the future and past, all fear, all reason to cheat, steal, kill, hate.

 

We bundle up tremendous life force in nothingness/noise and it devours us.

 

In order to escape this very phenomenon many of us attempt to completely package it and contain it within tidy philosophies that can "handle" all the situations with pat clean explainaways - the existentialists and materialists and other cardboard scripts.

 

Simply begin to look at your intake - and begin to be in the present. And look at your story - what is that concoction of lies based on histories completely biased and laid brick by egoic brick.

 

This is not the bleak path that it way seem to be - I do not wish to imply that - it is immediately the opposite - it is bleak for the game players and egos - but even they will continue with you as you rise out of the angst - and it is actually better there even for them - it's much finer and brighter. At some point though without telling them and asking their advice in advance - suddenly "their services will no longer be needed".

 

[Taoway]

It is a choice to step out of it.Like an alcoholic no longer living at the bar.And like the alcoholic who is trying to quit - not going to the bar while trying to quit - thinking that surrounding himself with drinkers is a good idea.Stop the intake - stop the mind loops - take a look at what frequencies you surround yourself with.This is often a false way we can enhance our self worth - we become experts in future world fantasy, politics based on fantastical bias, history based on the patterns of noise at the time it was written and prideful playwrites of a past that never was.Today's fashion is to collect guns and pretend Obama is coming to take them away (while in fact during his presidency we have seen the largest proliferation of open carry laws and pro gun legislation in our history - while it was George Bush Jr.s administration that actually saw local, state and federal troops confiscating guns during the Katrina disaster).Take a serious note of what is taking place in the mind loops in your head - it is the human addiction - what frequncies are "yours"?When you worry - is it ever about exactly NOW - it is not possible to worry in the NOW - this is what happens in the Awakened state.This is why it is such a gigantic change and should not be discounted as some nominal first step in the progressing towards "full realization".All worry exists in the future and past, all fear, all reason to cheat, steal, kill, hate.We bundle up tremendous life force in nothingness/noise and it devours us.In order to escape this very phenomenon many of us attempt to completely package it and contain it within tidy philosophies that can "handle" all the situations with pat clean explainaways - the existentialists and materialists and other cardboard scripts. Simply begin to look at your intake - and begin to be in the present. And look at your story - what is that concoction of lies based on histories completely biased and laid brick by egoic brick.This is not the bleak path that it way seem to be - I do not wish to imply that - it is immediately the opposite - it is bleak for the game players and egos - but even they will continue with you as you rise out of the angst - and it is actually better there even for them - it's much finer and brighter. At some point though without telling them and asking their advice in advance - suddenly "their services will no longer be needed".

Thank you spotless. And everyone else. You're helping turn this fear to the light or awareness

[Spotless]

Setting aside the noise does not mean you set aside living here in the relative. And you can be well informed and dis-informed as both will always be the case.

 

But in stillness, increasing stillness - you will find truth can be heard more and more with increasing clarity.

 

Stillness replaces a great deal of "must do" and "should" and "can't" and "not possible" with patience and clarity and the ability to watch the universe/unity happen - your frequency expands and myriads of nothingness fall away.

 

Look now - right now - at the square peg you are holding - and trying to force into the round hole of - "but I must become involved in this noise - it is important and has implications on the very existence of the world as we know it".

 

We are always waaaaaaaaay out in front of ourselves - we are always crucial - it is always life threatening - people are always about to die - we are always on the brink - armaggedon is always around the corner and you can never have too many locks on your door.

 

So - try for a month not partaking of any of it - or for a week. You do not need to worry - all the stuff that is about to happen will all still be about to happen when you come back.

Edited May 15, 2016 by Spotless

[Taoway]

I will definitely ! Thank you

[liminal_luke]

I don´t question the great spiritual good that might accure should I follow the advice of Spotless about exiting mind-loops and being aware of the frequencies I surround myself with.  But the first benefit is a more prosiac one: I´d spend a lot less time reading the "Trangender Problem" thread and fretting about the opinions expressed therein.

[joeblast]

What are the chances of this happening? I put it in the back of my mind years ago. But over the years it seems more and more real. Especially with this joke of an election.

 

The whole fema camp round up is what I'm talking about. It bugs me out

let's try and take back the issuance of our money, and see how much time it takes

[WisteriaWinds]

How would a follower of Tao handle this? It seems to get over that fear I have to face death head on and develop a strong warrior mentality.

Taoism is the only major path I know of which openly supports the warrior paradigm. Taoists believe in looking at things for what they are. Many people consider conspiracies to be crazy right off the bat, which is odd because its not that strange to believe people could organize together in an effort to come out on top--especially in our interconnected world. Chuang Tzu had a major distrust of government. Being a citizen of a participative government might make people slightly more aware of shady dynamics.

 

How would you handle it? Look to the hermits and study your Sun Tzu.

[Old River]

A very good friend of mine recommended Hofstadter's books and are on my list.

 

I've only read Anti-Intellectualism in American Life and I thought it was spot on.  Worth a read for sure.

[Old River]

It is a choice to step out of it...

 

Thank you for this, Spotless -- this is something I should take to heart also.  Finding myself on the far left side of the spectrum, I only allow myself to get needlessly riled up just as well.  My response-ability begins with my own responses.

[thelerner]

I don't think we need a conspiracy to shut down America. 

Plain old fashioned stupidity works well enough. 

[liminal_luke]

I don't think we need a conspiracy to shut down America.

 

We don´t need a conspiracy to shut down America, we need a conspiracy to keep it going.

[Taomeow]

Pessimism About the Future May Lead to Longer, Healthier Life, Research Finds

 

Optimistic older adults face greater risk of disabilities and death, study reports

Read the journal article

• Forecasting Life Satisfaction Across Adulthood: Benefits of Seeing a Dark Future? (PDF, 202KB)

WASHINGTON—Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

"Our findings revealed that being overly optimistic in predicting a better future was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," said lead author Frieder R. Lang, PhD, of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. "Pessimism about the future may encourage people to live more carefully, taking health and safety precautions." The study was published online in the journal Psychology and Aging^®.

Lang and colleagues examined data collected from 1993 to 2003 for the national German Socio-Economic Panel, an annual survey of private households consisting of approximately 40,000 people 18 to 96 years old. The researchers divided the data according to age groups: 18 to 39 years old, 40 to 64 years old and 65 years old and above. Through mostly in-person interviews, respondents were asked to rate how satisfied they were with their lives and how satisfied they thought they would be in five years.

Five years after the first interview, 43 percent of the oldest group had underestimated their future life satisfaction, 25 percent had predicted accurately and 32 percent had overestimated, according to the study. Based on the average level of change in life satisfaction over time for this group, each increase in overestimating future life satisfaction was related to a 9.5 percent increase in reporting disabilities and a 10 percent increased risk of death, the analysis revealed.

Because a darker outlook on the future is often more realistic, older adults’ predictions of their future satisfaction may be more accurate, according to the study. In contrast, the youngest group had the sunniest outlook while the middle-aged adults made the most accurate predictions, but became more pessimistic over time.

"Unexpectedly, we also found that stable and good health and income were associated with expecting a greater decline compared with those in poor health or with low incomes," Lang said. "Moreover, we found that higher income was related to a greater risk of disability."

The researchers measured the respondents' current and future life satisfaction on a scale of 0 to 10 and determined accuracy in predicting life satisfaction by measuring the difference between anticipated life satisfaction reported in 1993 and actual life satisfaction reported in 1998. They analyzed the data to determine age differences in estimated life satisfaction; accuracy in predicting life satisfaction; age, gender and income differences in the accuracy of predicting life satisfaction; and rates of disability and death reported between 1999 and 2010. Other factors, such as illness, medical treatment or personal losses, may have driven health outcomes, the study said.

The findings do not contradict theories that unrealistic optimism about the future can sometimes help people feel better when they are facing inevitable negative outcomes, such as terminal disease, according to the authors. "We argue, though, that the outcomes of optimistic, accurate or pessimistic forecasts may depend on age and available resources," Lang said. "These findings shed new light on how our perspectives can either help or hinder us in taking actions that can help improve our chances of a long healthy life."

 

Article: "Forecasting Life Satisfaction Across Adulthood: Benefits of Seeing a Dark Future?" Frieder R. Lang, PhD, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and German Institute for Economic Research; David Weiss, PhD, University of Zurich; Denis Gerstorf, PhD, Humboldt-University of Berlin and German Institute for Economic Research; Gert G. Wagner, PhD, German Institute for Economic Research and Max Planck Institute for Human Development; Psychology and Aging, Vol. 28, No. 1.

Edited May 16, 2016 by Taomeow

[Taoway]

<p>

Pessimism About the Future May Lead to Longer, Healthier Life, Research Finds

 

Optimistic older adults face greater risk of disabilities and death, study reports

 

Read the journal article

• Forecasting Life Satisfaction Across Adulthood: Benefits of Seeing a Dark Future? (PDF, 202KB)

WASHINGTON—Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

"Our findings revealed that being overly optimistic in predicting a better future was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," said lead author Frieder R. Lang, PhD, of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. "Pessimism about the future may encourage people to live more carefully, taking health and safety precautions." The study was published online in the journal Psychology and Aging^®.

Lang and colleagues examined data collected from 1993 to 2003 for the national German Socio-Economic Panel, an annual survey of private households consisting of approximately 40,000 people 18 to 96 years old. The researchers divided the data according to age groups: 18 to 39 years old, 40 to 64 years old and 65 years old and above. Through mostly in-person interviews, respondents were asked to rate how satisfied they were with their lives and how satisfied they thought they would be in five years.

Five years after the first interview, 43 percent of the oldest group had underestimated their future life satisfaction, 25 percent had predicted accurately and 32 percent had overestimated, according to the study. Based on the average level of change in life satisfaction over time for this group, each increase in overestimating future life satisfaction was related to a 9.5 percent increase in reporting disabilities and a 10 percent increased risk of death, the analysis revealed.

Because a darker outlook on the future is often more realistic, older adults’ predictions of their future satisfaction may be more accurate, according to the study. In contrast, the youngest group had the sunniest outlook while the middle-aged adults made the most accurate predictions, but became more pessimistic over time.

"Unexpectedly, we also found that stable and good health and income were associated with expecting a greater decline compared with those in poor health or with low incomes," Lang said. "Moreover, we found that higher income was related to a greater risk of disability."

The researchers measured the respondents' current and future life satisfaction on a scale of 0 to 10 and determined accuracy in predicting life satisfaction by measuring the difference between anticipated life satisfaction reported in 1993 and actual life satisfaction reported in 1998. They analyzed the data to determine age differences in estimated life satisfaction; accuracy in predicting life satisfaction; age, gender and income differences in the accuracy of predicting life satisfaction; and rates of disability and death reported between 1999 and 2010. Other factors, such as illness, medical treatment or personal losses, may have driven health outcomes, the study said.

The findings do not contradict theories that unrealistic optimism about the future can sometimes help people feel better when they are facing inevitable negative outcomes, such as terminal disease, according to the authors. "We argue, though, that the outcomes of optimistic, accurate or pessimistic forecasts may depend on age and available resources," Lang said. "These findings shed new light on how our perspectives can either help or hinder us in taking actions that can help improve our chances of a long healthy life."

 

Article: "Forecasting Life Satisfaction Across Adulthood: Benefits of Seeing a Dark Future?" Frieder R. Lang, PhD, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and German Institute for Economic Research; David Weiss, PhD, University of Zurich; Denis Gerstorf, PhD, Humboldt-University of Berlin and German Institute for Economic Research; Gert G. Wagner, PhD, German Institute for Economic Research and Max Planck Institute for Human Development; Psychology and Aging, Vol. 28, No. 1.

I don't know about all that.. seems pretty idiotic.

 

Of course the balance is to just see things as harmonious today. Tomorrow and every day since until and when ever! That seems to be the taoist way.

 

Remember the vinegar is bitter to the Buddha sour to Confucius and sweet to lao tzu. Lao tzu didn't try to conVince him self it would one day become sweet. He knew vinegar and life was bitter and sour yet he saw through it and was able to experience sweetness in things.

[Taomeow]

I don't know about all that.. seems pretty idiotic.

 

Of course the balance is to just see things as harmonious today. Tomorrow and every day since until and when ever! That seems to be the taoist way.

 

Remember the vinegar is bitter to the Buddha sour to Confucius and sweet to lao tzu. Lao tzu didn't try to conVince him self it would one day become sweet. He knew vinegar and life was bitter and sour yet he saw through it and was able to experience sweetness in things.

 

 

I thought it was ironic, pathetic, disturbing -- any number of things -- rather than "idiotic," but it's also, shockingly enough, pretty accurate.  I came across this article when looking for something else, something I'd seen before -- to wit, studies that show that people who are depressed make much more accurate predictions about the future --  by a wide margin, something like 90% more accurate.  Tells you something about the world we're currently inhabiting, and tells you something about optimists who inhabit the same world as pessimists yet either fail or refuse to see it with the kind of clarity that allows their less bright eyed bushy tailed peers to actually make sense of it (and therefore successfully notice and accurately extrapolate into the future its developmental trends) instead of living in the la-la land of positive make-believe. 

 

Oh, and I don't believe the story about the vinegar tasters.  Taoists see things for what they are.  We are not in denial.  Anyone who read a non-compromised translation of Laozi mindfully, not reading into TTC their own agenda, conditioning, or wishful thinking, would notice that he was not only a "conspiracy theorist" -- he was a conspirator.  He was trying to conspire with the ruler to convince him to rule wisely.  He was not trying to convince the ruler that however he rules is wise by default.  He was not a "whatever," "it's all good" dude.  Seriously.  Things mattered to him.  He was no new ager. 

 

And the greatest conspiracy theorist and conspirator was of course Sun Tzu.  And all he talks about is, basically, know your vinegar!!  Don't fool yourself into believing it's sweet -- this is perilous to the country, the general, the army, the ruler, the people.   Know it's sour when it's sour.  If you don't, if you operate on the assumption that your positivity is enough to make it sweet, you're done for -- and so is your country. 

 

I agree. 

[Karl]

I thought it was ironic, pathetic, disturbing -- any number of things -- rather than "idiotic," but it's also, shockingly enough, pretty accurate.  I came across this article when looking for something else, something I'd seen before -- to wit, studies that show that people who are depressed make much more accurate predictions about the future --  by a wide margin, something like 90% more accurate.  Tells you something about the world we're currently inhabiting, and tells you something about optimists who inhabit the same world as pessimists yet either fail or refuse to see it with the kind of clarity that allows their less bright eyed bushy tailed peers to actually make sense of it (and therefore successfully notice and accurately extrapolate into the future its developmental trends) instead of living in the la-la land of positive make-believe. 

 

Oh, and I don't believe the story about the vinegar tasters.  Taoists see things for what they are.  We are not in denial.  Anyone who read a non-compromised translation of Laozi mindfully, not reading into TTC their own agenda, conditioning, or wishful thinking, would notice that he was not only a "conspiracy theorist" -- he was a conspirator.  He was trying to conspire with the ruler to convince him to rule wisely.  He was not trying to convince the ruler that however he rules is wise by default.  He was not a "whatever," "it's all good" dude.  Seriously.  Things mattered to him.  He was no new ager. 

 

And the greatest conspiracy theorist and conspirator was of course Sun Tzu.  And all he talks about is, basically, know your vinegar!!  Don't fool yourself into believing it's sweet -- this is perilous to the country, the general, the army, the ruler, the people.   Know it's sour when it's sour.  If you don't, if you operate on the assumption that your positivity is enough to make it sweet, you're done for -- and so is your country. 

 

I agree. 

 

:-o gobsmacked. A is A and you can know it. I thought you were anti-reason/logic Taomeow ? That sounds objectivist on first reading.