I don't see the point of you posting this in a thread that encourages calmness and tranquillity. If your goal was to persuade me how idiotic and mean people can be, then congratulations. I have been moved to further dislike people and their pointless desire for more things, like a coat made of seal fur or their meat if anyone is so barbaric to indulge in such an extravagance.

No, the point was to persuade you how idiotic and mean the meme "no need to be upset" is. And how barbarous as a goal not "to get upset over anything". If that's your only goal in this world, you're a monster. Not an animal (human or otherwise), a monster. — Πετροκότσυφας

So, the Stoics were monsters? Whatever floats your boat dude.

Want to get worked up over everything in life? Be my guest.

If the Stoic's goal is just to maintain his "calmness and tranquility" in the face of injustice, barbarity and stupidity, then, yes, the Stoic is a monster. But I doubt this caricature does justice to the Stoic, so I'm a little upset. — Πετροκότσυφας

As I said. Whatever floats your boat.

Talk to the hand...? :chin:

Why start a thread here if you're not willing to discuss the merits of the OP?

Why start a thread here if you're not willing to discuss the merits of the OP? — Benkei

What are they, then? I already made my statement about what the video means to me. Your view might differ. I just don't see the point into turning this thread into an animals rights one.

Which wasn't the point Πετροκότσυφας was making. He's quite clear that your idea of the meaning of life "sit back and don't be upset" is monstrous and illustrated it by posting something he thinks we should obviously be upset about (eg. animal cruelty).

Which wasn't the point Πετροκότσυφας was making. He's quite clear that your idea of the meaning of life "sit back and don't be upset" is monstrous and illustrated it by posting something he thinks we should obviously be upset about (eg. animal cruelty). — Benkei

What is this, try and get Posty worked up time?

There's a near infinitude of things that one can get worked up over. Why should I care about the Chinese eating dogs or the Japanese killing whales? Not my cup of tea, and even then if I did care, then what could I possibly do about it?

Which wasn't the point Πετροκότσυφας was making. — Benkei

If his point was to get a reaction, I already delivered on that, and I recognized the inherent stupidity (almost) all humans can and will display.

There are too many things in the world to be immensely upset about; one can't (and shouldn't) maintain a state of high dudgeon all the time. Some rage is good; all rage all the time is crazy. One has to give it a rest so that one can perhaps actually do something about the wrongs of the world.

I thought that the video Posty posted was kind of stupid, but I'm not upset about it. It just didn't do much for me in the way of tranquility. You all would probably find my idea of relaxing youtube drivel stupid too. That's OK.

It's just a seal spinning in the water, trying to cool itself off in the least expensive way. I didn't mean to suggest that the seal IS the point of life, just that it's illustrative of taking the path of least resistance in life.

What is this, try and get Posty worked up time?

There's a near infinitude of things that one can get worked up over. Why should I care about the Chinese eating dogs or the Japanese killing whales? Not my cup of tea, and even then if I did care, then what could I possibly do about it? — Posty McPostface

There's a near infinitude of things to applaud and be happy about. But it really seems that that isn't your cup of tea as you don't spend time writing about it and instead come here highlighting all the negative shit going on trying to convince yourself you shouldn't care about it.

I'm not fooled. You do care. Just try to find something you care about that you can affect.

I just wanted to share a quality meme and in response I get posters telling me that it's immoral to not get worked up over the injustices of the world. This is ridiculous.

This is ridiculous. — Posty McPostface

If there's one thing you definitely shouldn't get upset about, it's other people's reactions to your suggestion they shouldn't get upset about stuff.



It's probably barbarous not to care about anyone or anything, but I don't think that's the same thing as not getting upset about things. You could not get upset and still care and do something (win-win), and you could also get upset and still do nothing (lose-lose). Being upset or not is not the crucial determinant of morality here.

But, my point seems to be that this spinning seal is sort of the point to life. Just relax and take it easy. There's no need to be upset. — Posty McPostface

Posty, I applaud you for watching something that hits you in the "feels" because too many are walking around numb unable to help themselves to calm down.
My guess is you have read the following as I have posted it for years and even though I am not a religious person per say, I am a Spiritual person and this little writing reminds me to focus on the joy and laughter in the moment. Maybe it will you too.

This poem was written by a man, Hugh Edmondson Prather the 3rd, who was an American writer and lay minister from the Desert Southwest.
You might recognize the nursery rhyme “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” but the wisdom Hugh found in it, about God was amazing.

Rowing Home
When my wife Gayle and I were living in Santa Fe, 3 young men from Idaho came to visit me. They said they wanted to ask me about a Course in Miracles. We met at the Patio of The Forge restaurant and halfway through the lunch one of them stood up and said: “I think God has a message for you; I’ll go to the bathroom and get it.” I smiled matter-of-factly, not knowing how they prayed in Idaho. When the young man came back, he said: “God did have a message. It was ‘Row your boat gently down the stream’.”
Two weeks before, Gayle had said to me: “Have you ever considered how spiritual the lyrics to ‘Row, Row, Row your boat’ are?”
I had not, and told her so, and really didn’t give it much thought to it until later.
Now God had my attention.

Row, row, row
We all begin in 4-quarter time! We start off knowing everything is for fun! Bedtime, mealtime, everything! True, adults have forgotten that, but haven’t we been told that a little child leads us home?
Your
Row your boat, not someone else’s. Why? Because we are all in the same boat! Heal your-self and you simultaneously offer healing to all the other passengers.
Boat
You are NOT your boat. You JUST row it. The body is a floatation device. Therefore, you want to remain aware of how you treat it and all of those your rowing touches.
Gently
God’s little joke. If you are rowing gently down the stream, are you really moving the boat?
No. You are just interfering. But it is important to do something because a gentle occupation keeps your ego gently occupied. Gentleness which combines; peace, love and harmlessness, the core of this song and of a spiritual path.
Even when you try to row up the stream, if you row gently, you are still swept in the right direction.
Down
Just lean into your destiny, do not anticipate, do not expect, do not brace yourself. Above all, do not tell the river what must be on the shore around the bend.
Instead, develop the sense of letting the shore come to you, of letting today’s events come to you. In other words, when you stay in the present, you coast.
The Stream
The stream knows where to go because the stream is love. God is carrying you piggyback all the way Home. You do not travel on money, your wits, health, time, good looks or success, you travel on God.
Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily,
Notice that you get 4 merrilies for every 3 times you row. That is a 33.3% return! A spiritual path is just learning what makes you happy.
Life is But a Dream
Life is but a dream – it is merely a dream. If you loathe a dream or fight it, or worship it, your mind remains locked on it.
BUT, when you dream ‘gently’, when you float in the dream and when you take the dream as it comes, remembering that YOUR boat is in it, BUT that YOU are not, you infuse the dream with many merrilies. Merrilies are the WAKING state! Thus, you will flow into the Vast Ocean of God’s Great Merriment, where you are FREE even of rowing and the SMILE of God is YOUR smile Forever.

If the Stoic's goal is just to maintain his "calmness and tranquility" in the face of injustice, barbarity and stupidity, then, yes, the Stoic is a monster. But I doubt this caricature does justice to the Stoic, so I'm a little upset. — Πετροκότσυφας

I am pleased to read that you do not view Stoic's as "calm and tranquil" as that is not what a Stoic embraces. I have sat with Socrates for years and his teachings suggest that Stoic's embrace the idea that events and happenings around us are not going to shake us. That however does not make us without feelings or emotion, it is just not going to dictate our actions.

According to its teachings, as social beings, the path to happiness for humans is found in accepting the moment as it presents itself, by not allowing oneself to be controlled by the desire for pleasure or fear of pain, by using one’s mind to understand the world and to do one’s part in nature's plan, and by working together and treating others fairly and justly.

What I am not pleased to see is the vile video that I couldn't even watch based on your links first frame. I think it was rude to post and was intended to hurt. Hurt maybe to make a point? It is ridiculous to post such a response but you are entitled to post it, just as Posty was to post his video.
BUT, please, could you place such a video in "reveal" just like others do for videos or memes that might be offensive.

But it really seems that that isn't your cup of tea as you don't spend time writing about it and instead come here highlighting all the negative shit going on trying to convince yourself you shouldn't care about it. — Benkei

Empaths such as myself, are largely affected by both the negative and positive happenings around us. There are times when we literally have to convince ourselves that there are people out there in this world that really don't care. I still cannot accept that there are people who truly don't care but that is an issue for me because I don't believe people have mal intent.

But to suggest to an empath not to care, is like to say to a toddler not to be curious or to an adult not to be logical. Sure we could ask that of them but would they be able to deliver? And if they were able to play the game of life the way you see it, would you expect that change to be permanent or are the prior examples just supposed to fake who they are?

I wish I could be so relaxed... — Posty McPostface

Posty, how are you doing with what happened at the Borderline Bar and Grill? Aren't you near Thousand Oaks? :eyes:

Posty, how are you doing with what happened at the Borderline Bar and Grill? Aren't you near Thousand Oaks? :eyes: — ArguingWAristotleTiff

I live in Westlake Village, very near Thousand Oaks. So, it kinda affected me. But, we just yesterday had a brushfire. So, God must be mad. He sent the crazies, now a fire, soon who knows what?

But, did you enjoy the video? I hope it engendered some peace and tranquillity in yourself.

There’ll probably be an earthquake tomorrow.

I live in Oxnard, btw, and used to go to boarderline all the time when they had a Latin night.

Oh man, that would be horrible. I remember the Northridge earthquake.

Cool that your nearby me. Maybe one day we can grab a beer or something.

Cheers.

Defiantly, maybe not at Boarderline though.

You know anyone that was there? A former student of my wife was there, and survived. The younger sister of another one her students was there and did not. Such a tragedy.

I live in Westlake Village, very near Thousand Oaks. So, it kinda affected me. But, we just yesterday had a brushfire. So, God must be mad. He sent the crazies, now a fire, soon who knows what? — Posty McPostface

California is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, especially where the land meets the ocean. I can watch the waves for hours in a meditative mindset.

did you enjoy the video? I hope it engendered some peace and tranquillity in yourself. — Posty McPostface

Indeed I did and I think it gently occupies the mind with pure joy for the sake of joy~