You can reprogram any negative belief or insecurity. It just takes practice.

[BillyPilgrim]

FYI for the future guys aka @BillyPilgrim , lets try not to derail threads and push our own beliefs on people. No one wants to be preached to about what you believe about the world in a topic that's made to help people or that's in response to something someone asked.

Someone who really resonated with what I was saying and found this post helpful PMed me to let me know. I'm guessing he did not want to post in here because he didn't want to get caught in the crossfire of people arguing over their beliefs. Once in a while i get pms from people that resonate wiht what i say but it seems like they dont want to talk in the topics themselves because of other people making it about themselves or afraid someone might judge them and start arguing with them.

Quick shoutout to you @gwoppin for reachin out

Glad you were able to help someone out.

 

[BillyPilgrim]

Commenting with the intent to augment, not derail - I found a Quora post (presented further down) that I think is relevant and might be of value to people (not pushing lolz)

My main two ideas counter to Rambo's thesis presented for consideration: 1) the soul will ultimately override the mind, and 2) it is possible to divorce from a belief or belief system without replacing it with yet another belief or belief system. Not trying to troll, but using the Hegelian Dialectic, where thesis+antithes=synthesis.

Is it possible to live without any belief system?

Jon Shore's answer: Now that is a profound and powerful question. The simple answer to your question is yes, one can live without a belief system. But the reality is far from easy to accomplish. To do this can lead to enlightenment. To be without a belief structure one must examine all their be...

qr.ae

"Can one live without a belief structure?

Now that is a profound and powerful question.

The simple answer to your question is yes, one can live without a belief system. But the reality is far from easy to accomplish. To do this can lead to enlightenment.

To be without a belief structure one must examine all their beliefs and be able to disassociate from them completely. This requires hyper-self-awareness on a moment to moment basis and the willingness to let go of every single belief and expectation. That includes beliefs about who and what you are and your place in the world. You must become a complete blank. I have actually created meditations and other practices for accomplishing this but it takes a great deal of commitment and work. But it can be done.

The best way to answer your question is for you to experience Emptiness. Dissolve into it until there are no beliefs and there is nothing left of you. If you have the courage to do this you will experience the answer to your question. Others have done this before you. I do it every day. You can do this as well. I have posted some practices for accomplishing this at my blog noted in my credential. Feel free to read more there."


To be fair, this might be a little abstract for your intended audience, but "unintended" audiences will invariably be reading as well. What I'm getting at is basically operating through intuition, not reprogramming, once existing beliefs are removed. Imo this will pave the road to enlightenment. In the case of the peeps you are trying to help, reprogramming may work as a short-term and practical solution, but ultimately you don't want to stop there.

 

[BillyPilgrim]

Hey Cognitive behvorial therapy practices on SoSuave, I dig it!

Most people have an inaccurate self image especially in today's world.

We internalize so many things that are simply untrue and we greatly exaggerate their significance and they develop into an insecurity. Most of this takes place in childhood and adolescence. It can be overcome, but first one has to recognize these things and be brutally honest with themselves. I think only a select few people really put in the work to overcome their self doubts and sit with those uncomfortable feelings and thoughts.

There are numerous exercises you can do to combat these things. A broad example being
-Step one looking inwards
-Step two is identifying the root.
-Step 3 is challenging it by identifying cognitive distortions
-step 4 is finding evidence to oppose your past view
-step 5 form a more accurate image

I do agree with Mr.Pilgrim about quieting the mind with meditation and some other things, but I don't think that is what you're really getting at here. If I may, i'm going to add a book or two here that helped me in fighting my own insecurities/self image and mental conditioning. I've also shared it over dm's and had similar conversations with other posters here who received it well.

Psycho-Cybernetics

https://a.co/d/71YqVyg

Ten Days to Self-Esteem

https://a.co/d/3jGsEuP

For clarity, it seems Rambo and I are disagreeing on step #5, where he is suggesting reprogramming, and I am suggesting mental quietude. Imo epiphanies, which in my experience are stronger than intentional self-conditioning, are achieved through mental quietude.

 

[BillyPilgrim]

I am right on the cusp of millennial and Gen x and I find millenials too idealistic and Gen x too nihilistic . A bit of balance would be nice.

Actuallt the most committed left wingers with a really strong hatred of conservatism are gen x. I do wonder whether the political leanings we are informed follow generational lines are false. All the Gen x ers I know are the kind of anti Regan/thatcher types and it’s mainly Gen x now bringing in all this woke stuff in companies. I was convinced it was millennials but when I looked at the people bringing it in, they are all late 40s and 50s. People in 30s often don’t have the power to do that.

Just observations.

It might've been a little different in the US, since we were so heavily influenced by Grunge while you guys had Oasis, etc. In the U.S. we didn't like the Christian and Conservative elements but we were more "classic liberal" than left-wing, which is being open minded and "live and let live". We were cynical since we had to deal with Boomers and were the first U.S. generation to be worse off than our parents, and to my knowledge you guys were still climbing out of the WWII hole while the Boomers were getting stoned and going to Woodstock and nascently indulging in the narcissism they became so well-known for..

 

[Fruitbat]

Wholeheartedly agree. That's what I meant with the brutal honesty mention. Independently it is challenging and that is why many seek out a 'cure' through beliefs systems found in religion or different trains of thought. Therapy 'can' be beneficial in undercovering this, but when 7 out of 10 psychologist in America are young women it can be like finding a needle in a haystack. I spent time studying CBT and found its methods to be greatly beneficial for me and it can be done independently, but there needs to be a drive to dig deep and pull out the gunk at the bottom.

Your mention of filtering excessive negative thoughts is a tenet of the practice, but I like how you say in particular excessive. Bad thoughts need to be addressed, but it is when they don't serve you and enter the realm of rumination that they should be cast aside.

I will say while we might not agree on everything looking past the trolling and cynicism you do drop some wisdom. I think you and Rambo here are both more less in the same vein, but semantics and nomenclature got in the way a bit. I think ya both make valid points



Yeah David Burns is the man. Pioneered CBT and changed the game when it comes to mental health (in a real way, not the whole wokesy way). His book Feeling Good is a slog, but the one I linked above is a do it yourself kind of thing and you can take the exercises and apply em as needed. I like Joe Dispenza and have listened to him a bit, he gets into spiritual realm a little bit too much for me at times, but that could also just be the algorithm at play.

I think you would like the works of Gabor Maté, he has done countless interviews on youtube of late and his books are fantastic in relation to trauma formed in childhood. He is a real one and understands a man's mental health better than most. His book The Myth of Normal is one of the best reads I've experienced if you are into psych I highly recommend checking him out



I've had the same thoughts as well here in the states. I am technically the oldest of Gen-z and work primarily with teens one on one. I've noticed that the guys DO NOT subscribe to the majority of left wing views, they seem to be too timid to oppose it though. The girls on the other hand seemed to be deep in the herd. Interestingly, it seems the tail end of millenials and beginning of Gen Z seem to be quite defeatist and cynical, but those who are just a few years younger seem to be more spry and positve for the future. Don't know if that is youthful ignorance, but just thought i'd share.




Edit: God D*** fellas we writing books in this thread

Yeah I’m oldest millennial. The overwhelming theme of my youth was not politics, or changing the world, it was hedonism. Drugs, booze, parties and sex. It was quite “lad” culture actually, it would be considered misogynistic by todays standards. It was a reaction to the early 90s PC/friends TV show round one, weak males with their wives stomping over them.

What is currently happening seems like a reaction to us, the “let’s have it large!” Generation who were very much about clubbing and shagging birds up alleys on the way home!

 

[Fruitbat]

It might've been a little different in the US, since we were so heavily influenced by Grunge while you guys had Oasis, etc. In the U.S. we didn't like the Christian and Conservative elements but we were more "classic liberal" than left-wing, which is being open minded and "live and let live". We were cynical since we had to deal with Boomers and were the first U.S. generation to be worse off than our parents, and to my knowledge you guys were still climbing out of the WWII hole while the Boomers were getting stoned and going to Woodstock and nascently indulging in the narcissism they became so well-known for..

Correct on the grunge issue. The U.K. was REALLY positive in the mid to late 90s which was a reaction to that.

you’re wrong on the 60s/70s. That generation (my parents) were absolute drug fiends and still are. My parents are in their 70s and still take speed and smoke weed, both are alcoholics and there are LOADS of them. All their friends.

respectfully, this is what irritates me with gen x. It’s very “poor me”! Very cynical,

this is evidenced with me V my sister and her husband. I’ve worked long and hard for years. They have a very “that’s a mugs game” attitude - they think the system will never work for them so they mainly scour legal info so they can wriggle out of loans and pursue negligence claims etc.

I’m not saying this is the case for everyone but it’s a very Gen X attitude IMO. All the Gen x bands were really scathing of responsibility etc.

On the other hand, millennials are a bit brighter but their relentless drive to lower living standards through eco nonsense and naieve belief that you can invite people from the most hardcore places on earth and they’ll get on fine here “it doesn’t mean they’re a bad person”

Id say that most genx I’ve known have been motivated by a bitter hate of the “system” and conservatism. Millennials are idealistic and naieve.

I’m on the cusp of both so it’s not like I have a dog in the fight. I feel like both