2012: The Glass Is Half Full :)

Hello ATS.
As we sit on the cusp of a Dawning New Year, there is much to consider. Oh boy is there a lot to think about!

Each and every one of you are special. Each and every one of you are powerful.

"The only thing we have to fear is Fear itself!" - Franklin D. Roosevelt

I can not stress enough to you guys how true this quote is. With the million and one ways that 2012 and this century are being associated with Doom, Gloom, and Prophecy... please have no fear. Have no fear, have no fear, have no fear! Courage is not some sort of acquired bravery, courage is within you all. Courage is simply releasing fear. Courage doesn't mean gaining any super powers that will help you save the day. Courage is standing right where you are standing 'Now', and being free from the imprisonment of fear.

The emotion of fear actually triggers all type of animalistic reactions, and lowers our consciousness into the impulse-driven R-Complex zone (Reptilian Brain). In states of fear, we make irrational decisions. We react impulsively and fail to consider long-term consequences. Fear also psychologically induces a heightened 'herd mentality' in the instinct for self-preservation. People start to group-think, seeking safety and reassurance. The group then looks outward for an external threat; the Predator/Prey instinct. On a global scale, this manifests as cultural, national, and religious wars and fighting. Fear causes us to herd, then identify the superficial 'source' of the Fear. With the herd mentality induced, people are more easily influenced, manipulated, tricked, and steered. Fear also lowers one's confidence to the point where a person voluntary forgoes their own Free Will for obedience to a leader (shepherd).

Fear makes you feel small and vulnerable, when the Truth of the matter is you are Grand and Powerful!

There are some people within the networks of politics, religion, corporations, media, and leaders of movements that use the psychological understanding of fear to meet their own agendas. Scare you so you support a war. Scare you so you go panic shopping. Scare you so that you pay gas and retail prices higher than you would normally agree to paying. Scare you to cause an economic crash through panic. Scare you to dehumanize 'others'. Scare you to divide and fall. Scare you to seek their solution.

When a political leader scares you with foreign or domestic issues... when a t.v. or radio talk show host scares you about wars, terrorism, crime, drugs, immigration, or the economy... when religious leaders are preaching sermons of fear... I want you to hold your head up high and listen to their message. Digest it and ask yourself 'why' are they trying to scare me? What is the agenda? What are they asking or expecting of me? Look inside yourself and allow your natural Courage to deflect fear.


“The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens." - Bahá'u'lláh

Religion says we all descend from Adam and Eve. Science goes on to add that we all descend from an actual Mitochondrial-Eve and an actual Y-Chromosomal  Adam.

Can we unanimously state the #1 best taste, aroma, sight, sound, or touch? Best song? Best movie? Best food? Things that anger you make some others laugh. What you laugh at others may cry. What you like, others will detest. If we can not even agree with our perceptions, emotions, or opinions... why do you think all people should be the same? Just as each individual person is an expression of their infinite possibilities, so to is this manifest culturally.

Lift your hands in prayer to God... meditate... quiet your mind and hear Conscious's voice....  seek out the Spirits and your Ancestors... ponder these words... - People in every part of this world are people just like you. Do not lift barriers of nationality, religion, ethnicity, sex, political ideology, wealth, social status, or caste! We are all different... "better" or "worse" than others in one aspect, "better" or "worse" than others in another aspect. We are all people.

No more "us" versus "them"!!!

You as the 'individual' effect your family, loved ones, friends, and EVERYONE you encounter or pass-by... you even effect that stranger that you didn't even notice. These interactions and 'impressions' go on to effect neighborhoods, schools, stores, the workplace, and entire cities, towns, and villages. These 'influences' go on to effect states, countries, and the entirety of mankind and Earth itself.

See how the brotherly rivalry of two individuals Isaac and Ismail can manifest as a full-scale cultural clash? The small effects the All.

Forgive more. Make excuses for people when they annoy or anger you based on their differences. Try to understand life through their eyes. Imagine people as yourself or as your actual brother, sister, mother, father, uncle, aunt, cousin! We're all ONE family.

Have more Compassion. Help others more. Care about the hardship of others. Give an ear and be sympathetic.

Love more.

Now, I haven't quite figured out what approach is best to take against those who infringe upon the Free Will of others. That's not what I'm here to discuss. This message of Unity, Love, Forgiveness, and Acceptance is for those of us who are different or merely can't get along. We're all just people.


Do not allow yourself to be put into a state of Fear.
Do not allow yourself to be cut-off and separated from this united mankind.

Now, for our future to be a good one... we need to conquer Fear. We must remove the separation, isolation, and compartmentalization that plagues mankind. And we need to be a little more Loving and Responsible about 'Self' and this world.

Have a Great 2012!!!

reply to post by Sahabi


Love the message and the OP: beautifully written, seriously.

I think most of us [hopefully] are on the same page as you and realize this is the only answer to humanity's problems. I fully embrace and endorse this philosophy.

Fear is necessary for survival. Without fear, we'd walk off cliffs like lemmings, or willingly to the slaughter. Fear needs to be embraced, honed and controlled; it's a wonderful tool. You shouldn't complain about an emotion because that would be nihilistic and only hating yourself.

What needs to be eradicated are the things that make you feel fearful, and the people that create the elements of fear.

reply to post by UnivoxSuperfuzz


Thank you for the kind regards, and thank you for taking the time to read the OP. For the sake of a brighter future, I hope many people are considering Unity and Peace. Happy New Years!

reply to post by LesMisanthrope


Happy New Years to you LesMisanthrope. You've raised very valid points. Thank you for weighing in on the topic at hand.

I fully understand the logic you are drawing from, however, I respectfully disagree to an extent.

"Fear is necessary for survival. Without fear, we'd walk off cliffs like lemmings, or willingly to the slaughter. Fear needs to be embraced, honed and controlled; it's a wonderful tool."

Fear is indeed a tool for survival. However, we see that this tool in the human mind is associated with the R-Complex region of the brain. This is the region in our brain that pulls us down to a more primitive, more animalistic, more sensory reaction-based mentality. On a fundamental level it is helpful and necessary to human development.

But aren't we "more mindful and consciously aware" than the rest of the animals? Hasn't mankind evolved consciously a bit from the rest of the animal kingdom? If we have the intellectual capacity to think... to reason... to ponder... to wonder "what if"... to imagine the future... to observe... to understand... to gain insight and wisdom... should we still allow ourselves to be ruled by the more primitive functions of the brain instead of the more advanced?

Fear is a safety mechanism originating from Ignorance. We fear the unknown. We fear what is out of our control. We fear what we don't understand. Because mankind has been gifted with the ability to Understand, we do not need fear.

You say fear keeps us safe. It is understanding the dangers of arsenic that keeps me from ingesting it, not fear. It is the understanding of hypothermia that keeps me out of icy water, not fear. It is understanding the nature of fire that keeps me from burning myself, not the fear of it.

• Fear is a primitive survival mechanism stemming from ignorance.
• Intellect allows us to understand and reason safety and survival.

"What needs to be eradicated are the things that make you feel fearful, and the people that create the elements of fear."

We must not eradicate the 'objects of our fear'. The 'objects of our fear' are not the actual fear, fear is an internal feeling. The 'objects of our fear' are merely objects that we project our fear onto. Fear is an emotion and all emotion is subjective and relative to each individual. If you remove the 'objects of our fear' you have only addressed the 'objects of our fear,' you have in no way addressed the root causes of fear. The fear remains, has never been addressed, and will again resurface the first chance you have another fearful situation.

What do we do? Kill all of the bugs and animals you are afraid of? Kill and imprison all people you are afraid of? Should we live in a cycle of Fear, targeting 'object of fear,' eradicating 'objects of fear,' and wait to encounter fear again?

Understanding is an evolution beyond Fear.


P.S.
Isn't calling for the eradication of things and people that make one fearful more nihilistic than conquering fear?

reply to post by Sahabi


you are evil proving that u love to lie all day long dreaming novels of words to write of lies

i bet you dont know the least sense of fear, that is how u bring it to emotions levels in animals brains

mister he told u, who mean to create then let it be the only created thing of his creation, things are wether real to deal with or not existing then go enjoy ur fancies with ur god in the air of nothing at all really

it is not about existence while it is the most valid argument against creations, before any awareness it comes truth, that is how fear is bc of objective truth known, noone fear a bug mister making fun about others by making urself sound superior is obviously done for ur mean to hide the truth proving all the ways the evil u r

all existence is based on powerful livings by abusing small conscious while knowing how conscious being is nothing objectively so too easy to abuse in absolute terms

u enjoy it from the projection u do with evil oness being the same from what u never fear ur next seconds to exist knowing that u cannot live by harming others or through superior pretense while knowing more how u cant bare to see what do that in powerful free positions always never possible to see the least as far as we are conditionned by

so no it is not about that argument, but exclusively about the constancy of that fact, how is it possible for such to b constant while we are fully nothing but aware abused fully, what u dont care and mean to enjoy the opportunity that offer to u as superior to others conditionned by preaching how all is right from ever doesnt matter
a lot like u are the only ones livings to speak nonsense with such easy cheapest ways

The glass is ONLY half full because it IS an OPEN container, as each and every ONE of We are suppose to be.

As to fear, it is stupid to fear but Stupid is what Stupid does.

Ribbit

reply to post by ButtUglyToad


on the contrary it is proven how only the most intelligents fear, bc the most intelligents are the most conscious that know truth value in the sense that whatever not true is hell then existence
only the most intelligents are present in witnessing # existence with extreme disgust and rejection while having no choice but staying there as nothing of what conscious is nothing at all objectively

only stupid like u live of extrapolation constructions about truth, as if yea truth can b a thing that u can gain from, even if all gods are able to stay out of truth from pretending being busy in meaning truth existence sense, u stupid so little how dare u and how can u pretend that u can b any out of being true, u go even to worse levels absurdity in inventing things about everything believing ur stillness as a new true stable existence

Originally posted by absolutely
reply to post by ButtUglyToad

 

on the contrary it is proven how only the most intelligents fear, bc the most intelligents are the most conscious that know truth value in the sense that whatever not true is hell then existence
only the most intelligents are present in witnessing # existence with extreme disgust and rejection while having no choice but staying there as nothing of what conscious is nothing at all objectively

only stupid like u live of extrapolation constructions about truth, as if yea truth can b a thing that u can gain from, even if all gods are able to stay out of truth from pretending being busy in meaning truth existence sense, u stupid so little how dare u and how can u pretend that u can b any out of being true, u go even to worse levels absurdity in inventing things about everything believing ur stillness as a new true stable existence

Then Fear the Toad!

Ribbit

reply to post by Sahabi


I like the way you think.

I am at a point in my life where I'm just like, "Go For It! You can Do It!" to everyone - even myself.

I think I am finally realizing that nothing will change unless I change it. Nothing will be better unless I take steps to make it better. Nothing will be accomplished unless I accomplish something.

So, I will.

And there's nothing anyone can do, think, or say that will stop me.

Now, to be honest, I am not a particularly fearful person. The way I see it, there are only two options: either do it or don't. You do it if you need to, you don't do it if you are afraid to.

Generally, this is because of the life I have lived up to this point - fear was useless because regardless of how I felt, things would still go a certain way. So, I just decided to be fearless. Since fear did not serve me in any positive way, I learned to think quickly and decisively in difficult situations. I usually would just choose whatever option, in my perception, would hurt fewer people (or helped more people) in the immediate time frame.

Unfortunately, I am now dealing with repercussions of some huge decisions which I made in split-second rationalizations years and years ago. It's strange, unnerving, and frustrating. 2011 was not my best year ever. Seriously.

2012, though, will be excellent. I'm going to live life and enjoy it.

Half full? Heck yes - heading towards 3/4 full, in my opinion.

reply to post by Sahabi


Nice reply. I appreciate your writing and I'm glad at having read it. Thank you.

I agree with everything you say, except I think you have it somewhat backwards.

Fear is a safety mechanism originating from Ignorance. We fear the unknown. We fear what is out of our control. We fear what we don't understand. Because mankind has been gifted with the ability to Understand, we do not need fear.

If I fear an unknown, it would be in my best interest to "Understand" that unknown. I believe fear might trigger my need for reason and understanding. Without fear of the unknown, why would I need to know anything?

You say fear keeps us safe. It is understanding the dangers of arsenic that keeps me from ingesting it, not fear. It is the understanding of hypothermia that keeps me out of icy water, not fear. It is understanding the nature of fire that keeps me from burning myself, not the fear of it.

I shouldn't have said fear keeps us safe; but rather it helps keep us safe. I was being too authoritative and I apologize.

If I didn't have fear of walking on the ice, I would continue strolling to an icy demise; but because I fear the idea of hypothermia, I learn about it and trigger my reason to assess the situation. Hey, there is some thin ice. I've heard you can die by falling in icy water. That causes me fear, so I best correct the situation and not walk on the ice. Because I've been told arsenic is a danger, and thus a danger to my livelihood, I fear it, and kick in my intellect to decide if I should chug it down. No, I'm not going to drink that today, I fear the idea of a fatal poisoning.

I cannot blame fear. I can only blame myself for being in fear. It's up to my reason and critical abilities to assess and fix that situation. It's my reason's fault for not getting out of a fearful situation. Fear is telling me something is wrong; it's warning me that my life or well-being may be in danger.

We should be thanking fear—the great warning fire. Shame on my lazy reason for allowing it to burn too long, I should have heeded earlier. It's not fear's fault I'm in a situation where my body may come to harm, it's the intellects fault for getting me into it in the beginning, and prolonging it.

I think conquering fear is nihilistic. A skydiver isn't conquering fear, but conquering the situation. Fear is merely telling him he probably shouldn't be falling to the ground so fast.

Thanks for hearing my opinion.

Originally posted by ButtUglyToad
The glass is ONLY half full because it IS an OPEN container, as each and every ONE of We are suppose to be.

As to fear, it is stupid to fear but Stupid is what Stupid does.

Ribbit

edit on 31-12-2011 by ButtUglyToad because: (no reason given)

I'm not sure what glass half full cliché has to do with fear, so maybe some more explanation might help me to understand what you're getting at.

To fear is stupid? I would think to not fear is stupid. Forrest Gump would agree (since we're breaking out the box of chocolates quotes) It's safe to say Forrest Gump wasn't the brightest fellow around, but you have to appreciate the man's fearlessness. I don't know how he survived the whole ordeal—dumb luck I suppose. If fearlessness is smart, maybe Forrest Gump isn't the best example.

reply to post by ottobot

Generally, this is because of the life I have lived up to this point - fear was useless because regardless of how I felt, things would still go a certain way. So, I just decided to be fearless. Since fear did not serve me in any positive way, I learned to think quickly and decisively in difficult situations. I usually would just choose whatever option, in my perception, would hurt fewer people (or helped more people) in the immediate time frame.

Unfortunately, I am now dealing with repercussions of some huge decisions which I made in split-second rationalizations years and years ago. It's strange, unnerving, and frustrating. 2011 was not my best year ever. Seriously.

2012, though, will be excellent. I'm going to live life and enjoy it.

So I guess the question would be: since you lived fearlessly in 2011, and as a result had a bad year, would you do the same in 2012? Or will you be fearful enough to begin correcting the situation and not allow it to happen again?

reply to post by LesMisanthrope


you are confusing opposites to kill the truth again which is evil sorry ur choice

u mean the assumption that everyone would be happy to take for granted existence for positive life, that assumption is false and u know it

most of everyone enjoy powers and superiority pretenses through negative life against everything and everyone else

very few are the ones that could constantly enjoy being real existing through positive perspectives upon objective life

present beings are relative things objectively out of exercising their rights right, so absolute free rights, a free right mister cannot be fearing, it is nothing objectively while subjectively it is absolutely right

fear in the mean to justify it is only to evil beings like u
ur free will moving to profit from killing else rights or to profit from objective positive knowledge should learn to become relative by fearing truth superiority that judge it clearly on the field of its act proving being present always more in all objective dimensions and absolute terms

all those blablabla about ignorance as the reason of fear must stop, it is all to evil abuse ways

ignorant by definition is absolutely relative free sense, then it is nothing to objective fields at all while all the truth to himself so existing knowledge for sure as a true relative possible positive free end

u dont want the least admission of what negative can never lead to positive end, for what u exclusively exist from abusing positive rights for evil absolute life in free superior existence pretense as exclusive fact present

what is negative objectively the free sense out of it at its most innocence fact could struggle to confirm itself being to nothing from what the free sense could realize itself innocence absolutely to whatever condition pretending being to it

there is truth rules it is not ur god nor ur wills that could ever define or state anything existence

Originally posted by LesMisanthrope
reply to post by ottobot

 

So I guess the question would be: since you lived fearlessly in 2011, and as a result had a bad year, would you do the same in 2012? Or will you be fearful enough to begin correcting the situation and not allow it to happen again?

I will be fearless in 2012.

Basically, in 2011 I realized that I had, indeed, been living my life the wrong way. I'd known it for a very long time, but just ignored it because I was reluctant and somewhat afraid to deal with it - specifically because I knew things would turn out awfully when I did address these issues.

2011 was the year that I decided to let go of my residual fears... but having kept them festering, hidden in my heart for so long... well, it left a huge, nasty, mess when the issues finally came to the surface. The "bad time" was the resulting clean up, so to speak, and what you would consider "correcting the situation".

So, it can only get better for me at this point.

Hope, love and caring for people and animals.

Let us take these things into 2012.

All positives.

Originally posted by LesMisanthrope

Originally posted by ButtUglyToad
The glass is ONLY half full because it IS an OPEN container, as each and every ONE of We are suppose to be.

As to fear, it is stupid to fear but Stupid is what Stupid does.

Ribbit

edit on 31-12-2011 by ButtUglyToad because: (no reason given)

I'm not sure what glass half full cliché has to do with fear, so maybe some more explanation might help me to understand what you're getting at.

To fear is stupid? I would think to not fear is stupid. Forrest Gump would agree (since we're breaking out the box of chocolates quotes) It's safe to say Forrest Gump wasn't the brightest fellow around, but you have to appreciate the man's fearlessness. I don't know how he survived the whole ordeal—dumb luck I suppose. If fearlessness is smart, maybe Forrest Gump isn't the best example.

The ONLY ones that fear have bought into this Matrix.

It's one thing to RESPECT danger but to fear it, does you kNOw good.

Ribbit

Originally posted by LesMisanthrope
reply to post by ottobot

 

Generally, this is because of the life I have lived up to this point - fear was useless because regardless of how I felt, things would still go a certain way. So, I just decided to be fearless. Since fear did not serve me in any positive way, I learned to think quickly and decisively in difficult situations. I usually would just choose whatever option, in my perception, would hurt fewer people (or helped more people) in the immediate time frame.

Unfortunately, I am now dealing with repercussions of some huge decisions which I made in split-second rationalizations years and years ago. It's strange, unnerving, and frustrating. 2011 was not my best year ever. Seriously.

2012, though, will be excellent. I'm going to live life and enjoy it.

So I guess the question would be: since you lived fearlessly in 2011, and as a result had a bad year, would you do the same in 2012? Or will you be fearful enough to begin correcting the situation and not allow it to happen again?

IT always happens so how can you stop the inevitable?

Ribbit

Originally posted by ottobot

Originally posted by LesMisanthrope
reply to post by ottobot

 

So I guess the question would be: since you lived fearlessly in 2011, and as a result had a bad year, would you do the same in 2012? Or will you be fearful enough to begin correcting the situation and not allow it to happen again?

I will be fearless in 2012.

Basically, in 2011 I realized that I had, indeed, been living my life the wrong way. I'd known it for a very long time, but just ignored it because I was reluctant and somewhat afraid to deal with it - specifically because I knew things would turn out awfully when I did address these issues.

2011 was the year that I decided to let go of my residual fears... but having kept them festering, hidden in my heart for so long... well, it left a huge, nasty, mess when the issues finally came to the surface. The "bad time" was the resulting clean up, so to speak, and what you would consider "correcting the situation".

So, it can only get better for me at this point.

Ribbit