Disconnected

[Gelatinous Pope]

Most people are. Disconnected from their planet home, from eachother, from themselves. So disconnected from eachother that we even resort to text on a screen as someone to talk to. We live in neighborhoods but we only see eachother through the windows. People are more attached to how sophisticated their lives are and less attached to eachother. Materialists, they have everything and love nothing. Thinking of their gluttonously unhappy lives as hard earned quality existence. Just look at all the peoples' lives tucked away in their homes, can you say that people don't live in caves?

When I see people on the street or in their cars, the look on their face is usually one of disgust, mistrust. A feeling arises that everyone is thinking terrible thoughts about eachother. They are all stray cats watching eachother over a food bowl. There is no human community among our established cities. All the morality and political correctness is just pretentiousness.

So many interactions with the people whom I cross paths with seem fake. People don't see eachother and they just pass by. When some bit of interaction is offered, it tends to be just polite and meant only to make a pretty face without actually making any effort to make a meaningful connection with someone.



In fact we teach it to our kids not to trust. I can remember my early years of school when the 'stranger danger' program was being prescribed to children throughout the state. I was warned of the suicide bomber walking his dogs in the park and the ice cream truck turning onto the proper road for a drive-by shooting.

Since the day we are born we are taught to be afraid. Afraid of a time-out or being grounded, a form of isolation. Or even far greater parental punishments. At school we are afraid of the teacher's authority. We learn to accept having no power. Having no power of our own we are attracted to joining a 'greater' cause. Changing our identities. Our thoughts are processed just like our food.



We generally feel inferior to our desired identity; not pretty enough, not as much money. We are distracted by all the concepts of our society and we forget who we are. we don't appreciate eachother and live life as a contest. We are not in touch with ourselves and the earth. No one knows how to live, only how to perpetuate life. We abuse pleasure and demand it all in vain. We do not bother to enjoy every passing moment. Love is lost to addiction. We work for addiction. We eat for addiction. We exercise our bodies for addiction. We even have sex with one another for addiction. People falling in love or having sex as an addiction shows that people aren't satisfied with their relationships with others, and themselves. And it is a clear sign of the massive scale of disconnection.

A true feeling of meaningful communication and understanding is a rare thing for me to experience with someone. When it happens I am happier than I can tell you.

[MelissaTaylor]

I'm surprised that nobody has responded to this yet. I agree with this passage completely. I feel very disconnected from the people and the world around me far too often.

So many interactions with the people whom I cross paths with seem fake. People don't see eachother and they just pass by. When some bit of interaction is offered, it tends to be just polite and meant only to make a pretty face without actually making any effort to make a meaningful connection with someone.
I experience this far too often. When I'm passing by someone in the halls at school or on the sidewalk when I'm taking a walk, we either avert our eyes from each other to avoid awkwardness (which the situation still feels awkward) or we just smile at each other out of politeness.


All the morality and political correctness is just pretentiousness.

Our thoughts are processed just like our food.
I love these two statements. :)

A true feeling of meaningful communication and understanding is a rare thing for me to experience with someone. When it happens I am happier than I can tell you.
I think I love these two sentences the most out of the whole passage because I can relate to them so much. This is exactly how I feel. I think a lot of people in the world may feel this way as well.

[Thomas Knierim]

It's definitely a powerful statement.

Somehow, I have overlooked it when GelatinousPope posted it in February. Although I don't identify with it, I find that it describes very well an awkward aspect of life in big cities.

It's almost like certain big city communities turn schizoid over time. Strangely, I have only perceived this Europe and America, but not in Asia, not even in places like Hong Kong and Tokyo, which are really modern cities. I've certainly not perceived this in Bangkok, which -at times- feels more like a 6-million people village with its permanent markets and street vendors.

Life in some European metropolis can be awfully lonely, especially for older people. I don't think this is enviable at all. I'd prefer to live in a wooden hut in any Thai village.

Cheers, Thomas

[kris]

When I see people on the street or in their cars, the look on their face is usually one of disgust, mistrust.This is up to each one of us to change, not just complain about. Most strangers will treat us the way we treat them. I moved to Montana a little over a year ago and all the "strangers" so far have been kind to me.
In fact we teach it to our kids not to trust. I can remember my early years of school when the 'stranger danger' program was being prescribed to children throughout the state. I was warned of the suicide bomber walking his dogs in the park and the ice cream truck turning onto the proper road for a drive-by shooting.I grew up in India in a crowded city. In the morning at about 6, we would open our front door for the milkman and then it remained wide open, not just unlocked, rest of the day till we went to bed past 1o at night. Neighbors, friends and relatives would drop by, walk in with greetings, go about their business and so it went on. As children, we were taught not to trust total strangers, but neighbors were expected to take care of children in the neighborhood and that seemed to work.

My daughter grew up in the US of A. She was taught in school about stranger danger and I did not mind it perhaps because I kept myself too informed about the goings on in the society. But I did not teach her total distrust of every human being. Most of all, I prayed for her safety and still do even though she lives miles away from me now.

We generally feel inferior to our desired identity; not pretty enough, not as much money. We are distracted by all the concepts of our society and we forget who we are. we don't appreciate eachother and live life as a contest. We are not in touch with ourselves and the earth.Growing up is supposed to take care of this. I was afraid as a boy of many things. And I grew up not to be afraid of just about anything.

We even have sex with one another for addiction.If you are rich and famous, you can check into sex addiction facilities these days. :D

Every individual, if he desires, can stop being disconnected and learn of his connectedness to the world around him.

[Gelatinous Pope]

Dude, don't read my bullshit. :P

[MelissaTaylor]

Dude, don't read my bullshit. :P

But your bullshit is good! :)

[Gelatinous Pope]

Do you think that the same kind of feelings and empathy for people can develop through technological interaction (like this one), as can 'in person' interaction?

[Gelatinous Pope]

This song I wrote a long time ago I just realized is just about the same as my writing here.

called silent screams

why did it have to turn out like this?
a disease of the collective consciousness
this crushing sense of loneliness, don't know if i can go on like this
need to be closer for true happiness

need someone to connect with fully body and mind
but i have my doubts that i will ever find
someone who will come with me and tear down every wall
fantasizing does no good cause there's no one at all

walking down the street, see people in cars
although they are right by me the distance between us is far
your cordial interactions may not be what they seem
behind every phony laugh there is a silent scream

need someone to connect with fully body and mind
but i have my doubts that i will ever find
someone who will come with me and tear down every wall
fantasizing does no good, there's no one at all

[carcharanon]

Most people are. Disconnected from their planet home, from eachother, from themselves.
<...>
A true feeling of meaningful communication and understanding is a rare thing for me to experience with someone. When it happens I am happier than I can tell you.

Not that I trust you. I mean, you could have some CIA connection and zap my computer out if I say the wrong thing the wrong way. But ... it's an interesting topic in applied philosophy, is it not?

Farm wisdom would say, "You have to take each person for what they are. You won't get along with everyone." Psychology / philosophy / marketing would say, "Hit your target market where they live. Do surveys, ask questions, tabulate data, then pitch."

Personally, I hate turning around in a supermarket when I hear, "Hello!!" and seeing some jerk (male or female) on a cell phone. We could communicate a lot more than we do, and we could understand each other more than we do.

I have found that there are few people who tolerate a reality either above or below their own - that is, the range of acceptance is rather narrow. I must presume that I should include myself in that description. I would like to know if that phenomenon is one of career choice (peer group agreement) or if it is something a bit deeper having to do with a sense of, or a level of, responsibility.

The song you wrote is good. A bit too sharp, IMO, but it certainly makes a point.

Carcha.

[carcharanon]

This song I wrote a long time ago I just realized is just about the same as my writing here.

called silent screams

why did it have to turn out like this?
a disease of the collective consciousness
this crushing sense of loneliness, don't know if i can go on like this
need to be closer for true happiness

need someone to connect with fully body and mind
but i have my doubts that i will ever find
someone who will come with me and tear down every wall
fantasizing does no good cause there's no one at all

walking down the street, see people in cars
although they are right by me the distance between us is far
your cordial interactions may not be what they seem
behind every phony laugh there is a silent scream

need someone to connect with fully body and mind
but i have my doubts that i will ever find
someone who will come with me and tear down every wall
fantasizing does no good, there's no one at all


I hope you won't consider it rude if I post this poem I wrote. (It opens with a senryu.)

(10/10/10)

A Yellowish-grey Stone Day

The squirrels don't hunger
for peanut gifts
anymore
bad things have happened.

Light phrases' cantering toss
on yellowish-grey stone falls
without candela for the thoughts,
nor echoes back up canyon walls.

My hotdog vendor's smile is gone,
umbrella'd marionette,
she's frozen to a tuneless song,
damp horn filled New York street.

Up there, to nowhere fly two hawks,
away high from an old couple
revolving about the dingy park
attending endless crepuscule.

Just a slow, collectively foggy day,
visions' withers pressed too close
returning home to yellowed greys,
skewed spectacles and dirty floors.

Carcha.

[JackPat]

Most people are. Disconnected from their planet home, from eachother, from themselves. So disconnected from eachother that we even resort to text on a screen as someone to talk to. We live in neighborhoods but we only see eachother through the windows. People are more attached to how sophisticated their lives are and less attached to eachother. Materialists, they have everything and love nothing. Thinking of their gluttonously unhappy lives as hard earned quality existence. Just look at all the peoples' lives tucked away in their homes, can you say that people don't live in caves?

When I see people on the street or in their cars, the look on their face is usually one of disgust, mistrust. A feeling arises that everyone is thinking terrible thoughts about eachother. They are all stray cats watching eachother over a food bowl. There is no human community among our established cities. All the morality and political correctness is just pretentiousness.

So many interactions with the people whom I cross paths with seem fake. People don't see eachother and they just pass by. When some bit of interaction is offered, it tends to be just polite and meant only to make a pretty face without actually making any effort to make a meaningful connection with someone.



In fact we teach it to our kids not to trust. I can remember my early years of school when the 'stranger danger' program was being prescribed to children throughout the state. I was warned of the suicide bomber walking his dogs in the park and the ice cream truck turning onto the proper road for a drive-by shooting.

Since the day we are born we are taught to be afraid. Afraid of a time-out or being grounded, a form of isolation. Or even far greater parental punishments. At school we are afraid of the teacher's authority. We learn to accept having no power. Having no power of our own we are attracted to joining a 'greater' cause. Changing our identities. Our thoughts are processed just like our food.



We generally feel inferior to our desired identity; not pretty enough, not as much money. We are distracted by all the concepts of our society and we forget who we are. we don't appreciate eachother and live life as a contest. We are not in touch with ourselves and the earth. No one knows how to live, only how to perpetuate life. We abuse pleasure and demand it all in vain. We do not bother to enjoy every passing moment. Love is lost to addiction. We work for addiction. We eat for addiction. We exercise our bodies for addiction. We even have sex with one another for addiction. People falling in love or having sex as an addiction shows that people aren't satisfied with their relationships with others, and themselves. And it is a clear sign of the massive scale of disconnection.

A true feeling of meaningful communication and understanding is a rare thing for me to experience with someone. When it happens I am happier than I can tell you.

Well, I feel that political correctness is okay to some extent until the point where it's just overreaction. Personally, I am not a very talkative person and I am somewhat a recluse (although I go on walks to meditate daily). But I live in the south and I never see this. Perhaps it's because I live in a small town, but people down here are really kind and happy (even if I don't always agree with their politics/religion). They're good people.

[Gelatinous Pope]

I hope you won't consider it rude if I post this poem I wrote. (It opens with a senryu.)

(10/10/10)

A Yellowish-grey Stone Day

The squirrels don't hunger
for peanut gifts
anymore
bad things have happened.

Light phrases' cantering toss
on yellowish-grey stone falls
without candela for the thoughts,
nor echoes back up canyon walls.

My hotdog vendor's smile is gone,
umbrella'd marionette,
she's frozen to a tuneless song,
damp horn filled New York street.

Up there, to nowhere fly two hawks,
away high from an old couple
revolving about the dingy park
attending endless crepuscule.

Just a slow, collectively foggy day,
visions' withers pressed too close
returning home to yellowed greys,
skewed spectacles and dirty floors.

Carcha.

I appreciate that man. I also realized I have another song that fits into the subject matter. Though the satire isn't quite as clear without the music and voice.

called dissociated

everything is going down (slow melody, sounds like nostalgia)
feeling tired, i'm gonna drown
dissociated from reality
what you see, is not me
but i bet you are the same way
putting on an act every day
dissociated from the human race
i see the same thing in every face

but i think that (fast happy chords, sounds like getting marry)
it is ok
for everyone
to pretend to be the same
alienation's
not so bad
when we're in it together
it makes me kinda glad

cut off from the lies at last (slow melody)
darkness rains down very fast
everyone wants to live the lie
this is the rest of our lives
dissociated from reality
i blame you, society
drugs, politics, god, your tv
dissociate you from your true feelings

but i think that (fast happy chords)
it is ok
for everyone
to pretend to be the same
alienation's
not so bad
when we're in it together
it makes me kinda glad

it makes me kinda glad

but i think that
it is ok
for everyone
to pretend to be the same
alienation's
not so bad
when we're in it together
it makes me kinda glad (dissonant chords, sounds like turmoil with a hint of nails on chalkboard)

everyone is the same
everyone is the same
everyone
is the same

EVERYONE is the same
everyone is the same
everyone
is the same

EVERYONE IS THE SAME
EVERYONE IS THE SAME
EVERYONE
IS THE SAME

everyone is the same
everyone is the same
everyone
is the ****ing same
and that's ok
it's ok

[Gelatinous Pope]

Well, I feel that political correctness is okay to some extent until the point where it's just overreaction. Personally, I am not a very talkative person and I am somewhat a recluse (although I go on walks to meditate daily). But I live in the south and I never see this. Perhaps it's because I live in a small town, but people down here are really kind and happy (even if I don't always agree with their politics/religion). They're good people.

It is also possible that I am simply more disgusted by people than you are.

[Gelatinous Pope]

silent screams


dissociated

Oh, crucify me! I'm a bullshitter. My friend Drew wrote these :P

[Ron-the-Elder]

Most people are. Disconnected from their planet home, from eachother, from themselves. So disconnected from eachother that we even resort to text on a screen as someone to talk to. We live in neighborhoods but we only see eachother through the windows. People are more attached to how sophisticated their lives are and less attached to eachother. Materialists, they have everything and love nothing. Thinking of their gluttonously unhappy lives as hard earned quality existence. Just look at all the peoples' lives tucked away in their homes, can you say that people don't live in caves?

Attachment to views and perspectives is just another cause of suffering, stress, and dissatisfaction. Attachment to forms, feelings, perspectives, mentality, and consciousness leads only to the arising of delusional egos, which causes in turn feelings of isolation to arise. Replace all of this with loving-kindness, compassion, joy for the accomplishments of others, while practicing daily for a mind stable as an anvil and what is perceived to be a state of anguish evolves into a place of peace, acceptance, and freedom from all anxiety.

But, like anything else, it will take some effort on our part.

It is also beneficial to investigate the possibility that when we publicly wallow in such depressive feelings, what we may be doing is crying for help out of feelings of loneliness, which have arisen within.

When I see people on the street or in their cars, the look on their face is usually one of disgust, mistrust. A feeling arises that everyone is thinking terrible thoughts about eachother. They are all stray cats watching eachother over a food bowl. There is no human community among our established cities. All the morality and political correctness is just pretentiousness.

Clearly, when such thoughts arise we are projecting, inventing, writing, and composing roles for others, when we cannot actually even do that for ourselves. That is why it is important first to come to an understanding as to how our own minds work first, before trying to fix others and to make them in our own image.

So many interactions with the people whom I cross paths with seem fake. People don't see eachother and they just pass by. When some bit of interaction is offered, it tends to be just polite and meant only to make a pretty face without actually making any effort to make a meaningful connection with someone.

Again, a composition of our mentality to which we have become attached and, because we know nothing better, to which we have become attached. Examination of our own minds and how it operates leads to insights which will allow us to discover our own true nature and therefore discovery of a way out of this pit we have dug for ourselves with our own attachments and their resultants.



In fact we teach it to our kids not to trust. I can remember my early years of school when the 'stranger danger' program was being prescribed to children throughout the state. I was warned of the suicide bomber walking his dogs in the park and the ice cream truck turning onto the proper road for a drive-by shooting.

Sad, but true! What we are speaks so loudly that our children rarely can hear what we are saying. If our behavioral example is isolation, mistrust, and fear, then our children will follow suit.

Since the day we are born we are taught to be afraid. Afraid of a time-out or being grounded, a form of isolation. Or even far greater parental punishments. At school we are afraid of the teacher's authority. We learn to accept having no power. Having no power of our own we are attracted to joining a 'greater' cause. Changing our identities. Our thoughts are processed just like our food.

Is this another projection? This may be the way for many of us and makes for great discussions in self-help groups. (Inner child and all of that.) .... But all it is derived from The Delusion of Self.



We generally feel inferior to our desired identity; not pretty enough, not as much money. We are distracted by all the concepts of our society and we forget who we are. we don't appreciate eachother and live life as a contest. We are not in touch with ourselves and the earth. No one knows how to live, only how to perpetuate life. We abuse pleasure and demand it all in vain. We do not bother to enjoy every passing moment. Love is lost to addiction. We work for addiction. We eat for addiction. We exercise our bodies for addiction. We even have sex with one another for addiction. People falling in love or having sex as an addiction shows that people aren't satisfied with their relationships with others, and themselves. And it is a clear sign of the massive scale of disconnection.

Feelings of not belonging, disconnection are derived from attachment to the Aggregates previously mentioned. Let go of these and the depressing feelings, views, perspectives, and mental formations exit as well.

A true feeling of meaningful communication and understanding is a rare thing for me to experience with someone. When it happens I am happier than I can tell you.

Consider that it may be more important, a higher and more rewarding priority, to understand your own mind first, before attempting to join in communion with others. As Christ put it: "Love others as you love yourself."....Of course, Christ never mentioned the concept Annata (no self/not self), which seems to be a purely Buddhist concept.

[Gelatinous Pope]

Attachment to views and perspectives is just another cause of suffering, stress, and dissatisfaction. Attachment to forms, feelings, perspectives, mentality, and consciousness leads only to the arising of delusional egos, which causes in turn feelings of isolation to arise. Replace all of this with loving-kindness, compassion, joy for the accomplishments of others, while practicing daily for a mind stable as an anvil and what is perceived to be a state of anguish evolves into a place of peace, acceptance, and freedom from all anxiety.

But, like anything else, it will take some effort on our part.

It is also beneficial to investigate the possibility that when we publicly wallow in such depressive feelings, what we may be doing is crying for help out of feelings of loneliness, which have arisen within.



Clearly, when such thoughts arise we are projecting, inventing, writing, and composing roles for others, when we cannot actually even do that for ourselves. That is why it is important first to come to an understanding as to how our own minds work first, before trying to fix others and to make them in our own image.



Again, a composition of our mentality to which we have become attached and, because we know nothing better, to which we have become attached. Examination of our own minds and how it operates leads to insights which will allow us to discover our own true nature and therefore discovery of a way out of this pit we have dug for ourselves with our own attachments and their resultants.





Sad, but true! What we are speaks so loudly that our children rarely can hear what we are saying. If our behavioral example is isolation, mistrust, and fear, then our children will follow suit.



Is this another projection? This may be the way for many of us and makes for great discussions in self-help groups. (Inner child and all of that.) .... But all it is derived from The Delusion of Self.





Feelings of not belonging, disconnection are derived from attachment to the Aggregates previously mentioned. Let go of these and the depressing feelings, views, perspectives, and mental formations exit as well.



Consider that it may be more important, a higher and more rewarding priority, to understand your own mind first, before attempting to join in communion with others. As Christ put it: "Love others as you love yourself."....Of course, Christ never mentioned the concept Annata (no self/not self), which seems to be a purely Buddhist concept.

Yep, that's what it is. Thanks for your contribution, Ron :)