Examples of biography
ExamplesOfGood - Examples of People Being Good to One Another and to the Planet
2012.02.20 01:36 DecidingToBeBetter ExamplesOfGood - Examples of People Being Good to One Another and to the Planet
2012.02.20 01:11 DecidingToBeBetter ExamplesOfEvil - People being awful to each other and our planet
2019.03.04 16:20 raistlin212 Examples of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez killing it
/MurderedByAOC : Comebacks and comments by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and friends on the economic left.
2024.05.14 23:35 olimgari A sad conclusion
Saluto!
I would like to share my observations related to the Ido language from the point of view of two main Wikimedia projects.
Esperanto, despite its initially different concept, is intended to be a second (auxiliary) language for people from all over the world. One would like to say that this is nothing groundbreaking, because in it Ido is identical with its linguistic ancestor. But in my opinion this is not the case. Of course, Ido, as its followers refer to it, is an auxiliary language. The only question is for what/who? I'm not talking about the utopian idea of both languages.
Through Wikimedia projects, I believe that Ido is an auxiliary language of... English. Administrators of these projects (in the Ido language version) are by default dependent on the English Wikipedia, as well as the English vocabulary in en-wiktionary. This is easily noticeable. For example, creating a biography of a person who does not have an article in English ends with adding a page with an error because the template is linked to the English version from above. It is also easy to notice that Ido's wiktionary is not based on six main languages (actually on five, because Ido by definition ignores Slavic languages - Russian is only used as an alibi), but only on English, which is the basis for creating word formation for subsequent languages. This is due to the decisions of the administrators of these projects.
Well, what's wrong with that? The assumption that the world speaks English, even if it were true to a large percentage, would still indicate this language mainly as a second language. So Ido would be a third language and its existence would only make sense with English. But how is this language auxiliary? After all, English does well without intermediaries.
I believe that forcibly cutting yourself off from Esperanto in favor of getting too close to English is a serious mistake that questions the existence of Ido in a broader form. By the way, it is symptomatic that this forum is in English.
Best regards, samideani!
submitted by olimgari to ido [link] [comments]
I would like to share my observations related to the Ido language from the point of view of two main Wikimedia projects.
Esperanto, despite its initially different concept, is intended to be a second (auxiliary) language for people from all over the world. One would like to say that this is nothing groundbreaking, because in it Ido is identical with its linguistic ancestor. But in my opinion this is not the case. Of course, Ido, as its followers refer to it, is an auxiliary language. The only question is for what/who? I'm not talking about the utopian idea of both languages.
Through Wikimedia projects, I believe that Ido is an auxiliary language of... English. Administrators of these projects (in the Ido language version) are by default dependent on the English Wikipedia, as well as the English vocabulary in en-wiktionary. This is easily noticeable. For example, creating a biography of a person who does not have an article in English ends with adding a page with an error because the template is linked to the English version from above. It is also easy to notice that Ido's wiktionary is not based on six main languages (actually on five, because Ido by definition ignores Slavic languages - Russian is only used as an alibi), but only on English, which is the basis for creating word formation for subsequent languages. This is due to the decisions of the administrators of these projects.
Well, what's wrong with that? The assumption that the world speaks English, even if it were true to a large percentage, would still indicate this language mainly as a second language. So Ido would be a third language and its existence would only make sense with English. But how is this language auxiliary? After all, English does well without intermediaries.
I believe that forcibly cutting yourself off from Esperanto in favor of getting too close to English is a serious mistake that questions the existence of Ido in a broader form. By the way, it is symptomatic that this forum is in English.
Best regards, samideani!
2024.05.14 23:11 OldEvening9826 Why do Bollywood Actresses get more hate than Bollywood Actors?
I cannot be the only one who notices this.
Whenever I am surfing the web , specially in the bollywood side, I always see that the women in bollywood recieve disgusting comments and immense amount of hate for the most dumbest things possible. For example , people make fun of Alia for "copying" Deepika's dressing sense. Which makes no sense because neither Deepika nor Alia owns a type of dressing sense. Its a fucking dress that anyone can wear. Or the most recent topics, where people are crying about nepotism but the hate mostly goes to the nepo women such as Jhanvi or Khushi , after the release of Archies. I didn't see anyone making fun of Amitabh and Jaya's grandson.
Most of the hateful comments are on women on the way they dress or talk. Salman still has fans even though he is literally a goon and killed people. Shah Rukh cheated on Gauri with Priyanka , and Priyanka got the blame for it. Not that buddha.
Or people, even women (comes from internalized misogyny) always age shame the older actresses. I never seen no comment on Shah Rukh or Salman uncles. They are almost 60, but people say how "good" they look. Meanwhile, people start shitting on the actresses after 30 , calling them "aunty".We are literally lacking in young and attractive men in bollywood which is why women are resorting to foreign content such as kdramas where the men are in fact young and attractive.
Men, and people find nothing wrong in these grandpas with erectile dysfunctionality and old wrinkly faces romancing with barely legal teens. The moment a woman does it, everyone cries so much. For example, when Aishwarya got so much hate for romancing with Ranbir in ADHM.
Most movies are made by men to cater to the male gaze, I mean. Item songs. Just half naked women dancing in front of ugly and disgusting men. We barely got male item songs. We barely got movies made for women, except for shitty biographies or some "message" to society or smth.
Additionally, people find nothing wrong in men smoking, drinking and fucking around. The moment bollywood actresses makes movies which shows them do it like Veere de Wedding, they all have problems. If you check the youtube comments under Tareefan, its all about men and pick me women crying about how "this is feminism" or how "we lost Indian culture." Their culture doesn't loose when they they got Ae re Pritam Pyaari or Munni.
People, specially you women out there need to stop putting down bollywood actresses. From men , its usually coming, because of how misogynistic this country is. But I plead the women to stop partaking in this.
People are jealous and cannot see a woman can be hot as well as successful and not rely on a man. You shouldn't be hating on her but support her. Only then, you can achieve true feminism.
submitted by OldEvening9826 to BollyBlindsNGossip [link] [comments]
Whenever I am surfing the web , specially in the bollywood side, I always see that the women in bollywood recieve disgusting comments and immense amount of hate for the most dumbest things possible. For example , people make fun of Alia for "copying" Deepika's dressing sense. Which makes no sense because neither Deepika nor Alia owns a type of dressing sense. Its a fucking dress that anyone can wear. Or the most recent topics, where people are crying about nepotism but the hate mostly goes to the nepo women such as Jhanvi or Khushi , after the release of Archies. I didn't see anyone making fun of Amitabh and Jaya's grandson.
Most of the hateful comments are on women on the way they dress or talk. Salman still has fans even though he is literally a goon and killed people. Shah Rukh cheated on Gauri with Priyanka , and Priyanka got the blame for it. Not that buddha.
Or people, even women (comes from internalized misogyny) always age shame the older actresses. I never seen no comment on Shah Rukh or Salman uncles. They are almost 60, but people say how "good" they look. Meanwhile, people start shitting on the actresses after 30 , calling them "aunty".We are literally lacking in young and attractive men in bollywood which is why women are resorting to foreign content such as kdramas where the men are in fact young and attractive.
Men, and people find nothing wrong in these grandpas with erectile dysfunctionality and old wrinkly faces romancing with barely legal teens. The moment a woman does it, everyone cries so much. For example, when Aishwarya got so much hate for romancing with Ranbir in ADHM.
Most movies are made by men to cater to the male gaze, I mean. Item songs. Just half naked women dancing in front of ugly and disgusting men. We barely got male item songs. We barely got movies made for women, except for shitty biographies or some "message" to society or smth.
Additionally, people find nothing wrong in men smoking, drinking and fucking around. The moment bollywood actresses makes movies which shows them do it like Veere de Wedding, they all have problems. If you check the youtube comments under Tareefan, its all about men and pick me women crying about how "this is feminism" or how "we lost Indian culture." Their culture doesn't loose when they they got Ae re Pritam Pyaari or Munni.
People, specially you women out there need to stop putting down bollywood actresses. From men , its usually coming, because of how misogynistic this country is. But I plead the women to stop partaking in this.
People are jealous and cannot see a woman can be hot as well as successful and not rely on a man. You shouldn't be hating on her but support her. Only then, you can achieve true feminism.
2024.05.14 07:31 04Aiden2020 Will we reach “post nostalgia era” in the 2020s?
I use movies as my example
I’ve seen a lot of discussions all over the internet about nostalgia culture grievances. From Facebook that has a majority gen x audience constantly shitting on new reboot announcements in comments, to Reddit constantly complaining about these trends, to young people on reels and TikTok discussing the un-originality of the past 10 or so years. It seems like all ages are fed up with the nostalgia bait. There was also last years box office; Barbie and Oppenheimer were the biggest earners last year. They were both fully original, not relying on past movies. Barbie of course is a loaded brand but most people went in knowing it was this meta self aware movie. And to my knowledge it’s the first life action Barbie movie. Oppenheimer is a biography completely reliant on dialogue and is mostly a gritty court drama. I got to the movies a lot and a TON of young people fill the seats for mid budget, independent, A24 movies. Or Terrifier 2 which went viral on TikTok. It is a sequel, but the series started in 2016 so it’s atleast a new IP and it’s breaking the mould. There’s Dune this year which while it is a remake, I think the main selling point was the fact that it was a high scifi concept. The TV front is pretty great too. Look at the success of Shogun. Anyways, while some franchises and sequels, prequels, amd remakes will always do well, it seems like there is a big thirst for original content. I think the Barbenhiemer success was a taste of what’s to come.
submitted by 04Aiden2020 to decadeology [link] [comments]
I’ve seen a lot of discussions all over the internet about nostalgia culture grievances. From Facebook that has a majority gen x audience constantly shitting on new reboot announcements in comments, to Reddit constantly complaining about these trends, to young people on reels and TikTok discussing the un-originality of the past 10 or so years. It seems like all ages are fed up with the nostalgia bait. There was also last years box office; Barbie and Oppenheimer were the biggest earners last year. They were both fully original, not relying on past movies. Barbie of course is a loaded brand but most people went in knowing it was this meta self aware movie. And to my knowledge it’s the first life action Barbie movie. Oppenheimer is a biography completely reliant on dialogue and is mostly a gritty court drama. I got to the movies a lot and a TON of young people fill the seats for mid budget, independent, A24 movies. Or Terrifier 2 which went viral on TikTok. It is a sequel, but the series started in 2016 so it’s atleast a new IP and it’s breaking the mould. There’s Dune this year which while it is a remake, I think the main selling point was the fact that it was a high scifi concept. The TV front is pretty great too. Look at the success of Shogun. Anyways, while some franchises and sequels, prequels, amd remakes will always do well, it seems like there is a big thirst for original content. I think the Barbenhiemer success was a taste of what’s to come.
2024.05.14 05:55 ExcitingBelt A Writer's Guide to Dark Fantasy Themes and Imagery
Explore the depths of dark fantasy writing with our all-inclusive guide on enhancing your themes and drawing readers in with symbolism. Discover key strategies, delve into the background of dark fantasy literature, and let your imagination run wild with an enjoyable writing assignment. Regardless of your level of experience as a writer or your level of interest, this guide will assist you in creating dark fantasy stories that are memorable and impactful.
Writing in the dark fantasy genre is a journey into the depths of the human psyche, where symbolism and imagery rule supreme, and it goes beyond simple stories of magic and monsters. We'll look at how to use symbolism to enhance your themes, draw in readers, and craft worlds of dark fantasy that will stick with you in this extensive guide.
Pick Your Symbols Wisely: Whether it's a menacing raven perched atop a gravestone, a mysterious amulet with dark powers, or a sinister castle shrouded in mist, pick symbols that speak to your themes and characters.
Establish Symbolic Motifs: To reaffirm themes and provide a feeling of coherence and unity, incorporate reoccurring symbols and motifs into your narrative. Including symbolic elements in your story can enhance its depth and richness. Some examples of such elements are the moon, which denotes mystery and transformation, or a colour like red, which stands for blood and passion.
Employ Symbolic Imagery: To evoke mood and atmosphere, use rich descriptive language to paint vivid pictures with your words. Use imagery to draw readers into the dark fantasy world you've created, whether you're describing a haunted forest shrouded in shadows or a dilapidated mansion full of secrets.
Investigate Archetypes and Myths: Use mythological motifs and archetypal characters as inspiration to give your narrative enduring themes and universal lessons. Using these classic themes, such as the hero's journey, the underworld's descent, or the conflict between light and darkness, can give your dark fantasy story more depth and resonance.
Determine Your Symbols: The next step is to make a list of images and symbols that are connected to the theme you have selected. These could be places with symbolic meaning, animals, colours, or even objects. For example, you could use symbols like a decaying city, a black rose, or a serpent if you're examining the theme of corruption.
Create Your Story: After deciding on a theme and symbols, begin creating your story by incorporating these components into it to give it depth and resonance. Employ evocative language to create a sense of atmosphere and mood, and allow your symbols to direct the course of your story and the character development.
After writing your story, consider how the symbolism you employed enriched your themes and make any necessary revisions. Seek chances to hone your imagery or add more nuance to your symbolism in order to produce a more compelling and meaningful reading experience. And don't be scared to edit and polish your narrative until the power of symbolism shines through!
The Cthulhu Mythos of H.P. Lovecraft: Lovecraft is recognised as one of the pioneers of contemporary horror literature, and the dark fantasy subgenre has been greatly impacted by his Cthulhu Mythos. Lovecraft's stories, replete with cosmic horror.), ancient gods, and secret knowledge, tackle existential dread and humanity's smallness in the face of cosmic forces that are beyond our comprehension.
Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman": This graphic novel series is a masterwork of dark fantasy that masterfully combines dream sequences, mythology, and folklore. With its sophisticated storyline, nuanced characters, and rich, vivid imagery, "The Sandman" has won both praise from critics and a devoted readership, solidifying Gaiman's place as one of the leading authors of contemporary dark fantasy literature.
George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire": George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire" is a sprawling saga of political intrigue, war, and magic set in the fictional continent of Westeros. With its morally ambiguous characters, intricate plot twists, and gritty, realistic world-building, "A Song of Ice and Fire" has redefined the boundaries of the dark fantasy genre and inspired a cultural phenomenon with its adaptation into the hit HBO series "Game of Thrones".
So embrace the power of symbolism, let your imagination run wild, and set out on an amazing adventure into the shadowy depths of fantasy literature. Your readers are just waiting to be enthralled with the wonders of your writing!
The GC Luxury Quill Set transforms writing into an art form, drawing you into the intricate web of your own invention whether you're creating suspenseful dialogue or narrative twists. It becomes an extension of your will, channelling the raw emotion and atmosphere necessary to creating a genuinely unforgettable dark fantasy tale thanks to its ergonomic form and fluid ink flow.
submitted by ExcitingBelt to talesofgwyn [link] [comments]
Writing in the dark fantasy genre is a journey into the depths of the human psyche, where symbolism and imagery rule supreme, and it goes beyond simple stories of magic and monsters. We'll look at how to use symbolism to enhance your themes, draw in readers, and craft worlds of dark fantasy that will stick with you in this extensive guide.
Understanding Symbolism in Dark Fantasy Writing
Let's examine the history and development of symbolism in dark fantasy literature before delving into its specific applications. Gothic literature is the source of dark fantasy literature; early works such as Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" established the themes of terror, mystery, and the paranormal. Dark fantasy has evolved over time as authors like H.P. Lovecraft, Anne Rice, and Clive Barker have explored themes of power, corruption, and the human psyche.The Power of Symbolism in Dark Fantasy Writing
A powerful tool in the dark fantasy writer's toolbox, symbolism enables you to give your works a deeper resonance and meaning. You can add layers of intricacy and depth that captivate readers and hold their interest throughout by employing symbols and imagery to symbolise abstract ideas, feelings, and themes.Essential Techniques for Using Symbolism in Dark Fantasy Writing
Let's now examine some crucial methods for enhancing themes in your dark fantasy writing with symbolism:Pick Your Symbols Wisely: Whether it's a menacing raven perched atop a gravestone, a mysterious amulet with dark powers, or a sinister castle shrouded in mist, pick symbols that speak to your themes and characters.
Establish Symbolic Motifs: To reaffirm themes and provide a feeling of coherence and unity, incorporate reoccurring symbols and motifs into your narrative. Including symbolic elements in your story can enhance its depth and richness. Some examples of such elements are the moon, which denotes mystery and transformation, or a colour like red, which stands for blood and passion.
Employ Symbolic Imagery: To evoke mood and atmosphere, use rich descriptive language to paint vivid pictures with your words. Use imagery to draw readers into the dark fantasy world you've created, whether you're describing a haunted forest shrouded in shadows or a dilapidated mansion full of secrets.
Investigate Archetypes and Myths: Use mythological motifs and archetypal characters as inspiration to give your narrative enduring themes and universal lessons. Using these classic themes, such as the hero's journey, the underworld's descent, or the conflict between light and darkness, can give your dark fantasy story more depth and resonance.
Fun Writing Exercise: Unleash Your Imagination
Select a Theme: Choose a theme or idea that you wish to explore in your dark fantasy story to begin with. Select a theme that appeals to you and piques your interest, such as the nature of power, the duality of human nature, or the quest for salvation.Determine Your Symbols: The next step is to make a list of images and symbols that are connected to the theme you have selected. These could be places with symbolic meaning, animals, colours, or even objects. For example, you could use symbols like a decaying city, a black rose, or a serpent if you're examining the theme of corruption.
Create Your Story: After deciding on a theme and symbols, begin creating your story by incorporating these components into it to give it depth and resonance. Employ evocative language to create a sense of atmosphere and mood, and allow your symbols to direct the course of your story and the character development.
After writing your story, consider how the symbolism you employed enriched your themes and make any necessary revisions. Seek chances to hone your imagery or add more nuance to your symbolism in order to produce a more compelling and meaningful reading experience. And don't be scared to edit and polish your narrative until the power of symbolism shines through!
Famous Writers and Works in Dark Fantasy Literature
Dark fantasy literature boasts a rich history and a wealth of influential writers and works. From classic tales of Gothic horror to modern masterpieces of dark fantasy, here are a few notable examples:The Cthulhu Mythos of H.P. Lovecraft: Lovecraft is recognised as one of the pioneers of contemporary horror literature, and the dark fantasy subgenre has been greatly impacted by his Cthulhu Mythos. Lovecraft's stories, replete with cosmic horror.), ancient gods, and secret knowledge, tackle existential dread and humanity's smallness in the face of cosmic forces that are beyond our comprehension.
Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman": This graphic novel series is a masterwork of dark fantasy that masterfully combines dream sequences, mythology, and folklore. With its sophisticated storyline, nuanced characters, and rich, vivid imagery, "The Sandman" has won both praise from critics and a devoted readership, solidifying Gaiman's place as one of the leading authors of contemporary dark fantasy literature.
George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire": George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire" is a sprawling saga of political intrigue, war, and magic set in the fictional continent of Westeros. With its morally ambiguous characters, intricate plot twists, and gritty, realistic world-building, "A Song of Ice and Fire" has redefined the boundaries of the dark fantasy genre and inspired a cultural phenomenon with its adaptation into the hit HBO series "Game of Thrones".
Embrace the Power of Symbolism
To sum up, symbolism is a powerful tool that can enhance your themes, draw readers in, and help you write darker fantasy fiction to new heights. You can write dark fantasy stories that stick in the reader's mind long after the last page is turned by carefully selecting your symbols, coming up with symbolic motifs, employing vivid imagery, and taking inspiration from myths and archetypes.So embrace the power of symbolism, let your imagination run wild, and set out on an amazing adventure into the shadowy depths of fantasy literature. Your readers are just waiting to be enthralled with the wonders of your writing!
Elevating Your Writing Experience
With pen and paper in hand, set off on your dark adventure, reflect on the deep experience that the GC Luxury Quill Set provides. Each stroke of the quill seems like a fall into the depths of darkness, capturing the essence of your darkest fantasies with unmatched precision thanks to its superb craftsmanship and timeless elegance.The GC Luxury Quill Set transforms writing into an art form, drawing you into the intricate web of your own invention whether you're creating suspenseful dialogue or narrative twists. It becomes an extension of your will, channelling the raw emotion and atmosphere necessary to creating a genuinely unforgettable dark fantasy tale thanks to its ergonomic form and fluid ink flow.
My Own Dark Fantasy Realm
Hi there, fellow fans of dark fantasy! Thanks to your unflinching support, our blog—which is packed with tales and inspirations of dark fantasy—is making waves on TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube. Even more thrilling is the fact that we're creating a captivating Trading Card Game to further engross you in Twilight Citadel's eerie mysteries. Explore the depths of the shadows with our website, where you can get eerie yet lovely phone wallpapers and posters. Furthermore, we've got you covered with free resources like desktop wallpapers and profile pictures to make sure your gadgets are brimming with eerie fantasy atmosphere. Come along with us on this surreal adventure, where fears come true and shadows dance. Are you prepared to welcome the gloom?2024.05.14 00:08 Fast-Armadillo1074 “Composer biography & list of compositional activities” needed for a composition contest
I’m applying for composition contests. Sometimes I’m asked by “anonymous” contests to provide composer biographies, compositional activities, et cetera.
One contest specifically required a list of “awards, degrees, ect.” I can guarantee that if degrees and exclusive summer music camps have any bearing on the winner of the competition, I won’t win.
I’m sure that there are plenty of spoiled trust fund babies whose parents paid for the best teachers and sent them to the WASPiest music schools while paying for all their tuition and expenses.
Shouldn’t composition contests be about the music? Why is it necessary for me to provide this unnecessary information?
If these contests were truly fair and anonymous, none of this information should matter. Shouldn’t the competition be about judging the quality of the music?
If competitions discriminate based on degrees, they unfairly advantage artists who came from privilege and silence the voices of the diverse artists who did not. Maybe straight white male trust fund baby No. #41 who lives in Long Island and who’s grandparents are in the social register has that expensive Juilliard degree his parents paid for and a picture perfect resume. Is he the only one who deserves accolades and awards? Is he the only composer who deserves to be heard?
If a composition contest is truly anonymous or fairly judged, there’s no reason I should have to provide any of this information. The only thing that should matter is the quality of the music that was submitted to the contest.
That being said, if I were to try an exercise in futility because I’m a desperate composer and submit these PDFs anyways, how long should they be and what sort of information should they include? Are there any examples online of a good composer bio or list of compositional activities?
submitted by Fast-Armadillo1074 to composer [link] [comments]
One contest specifically required a list of “awards, degrees, ect.” I can guarantee that if degrees and exclusive summer music camps have any bearing on the winner of the competition, I won’t win.
I’m sure that there are plenty of spoiled trust fund babies whose parents paid for the best teachers and sent them to the WASPiest music schools while paying for all their tuition and expenses.
Shouldn’t composition contests be about the music? Why is it necessary for me to provide this unnecessary information?
If these contests were truly fair and anonymous, none of this information should matter. Shouldn’t the competition be about judging the quality of the music?
If competitions discriminate based on degrees, they unfairly advantage artists who came from privilege and silence the voices of the diverse artists who did not. Maybe straight white male trust fund baby No. #41 who lives in Long Island and who’s grandparents are in the social register has that expensive Juilliard degree his parents paid for and a picture perfect resume. Is he the only one who deserves accolades and awards? Is he the only composer who deserves to be heard?
If a composition contest is truly anonymous or fairly judged, there’s no reason I should have to provide any of this information. The only thing that should matter is the quality of the music that was submitted to the contest.
That being said, if I were to try an exercise in futility because I’m a desperate composer and submit these PDFs anyways, how long should they be and what sort of information should they include? Are there any examples online of a good composer bio or list of compositional activities?
2024.05.13 19:45 TheIronDuke18 History writing in Ancient India
It's often said that ancient Indians didn't have much of a tradition of history writing similar to that of the Greco Romans or the Chinese. We did have the Puranas and the Itihasas but they are riddled with myths and legends which makes it hard to distinguish which event is historical and which is mythical or legendary. The vast timespan of the Puranic timeline also doesn't help our case. The Buddhist sources also talk of various events and though they are comparitively milder with myths, still mostly has a didactic nature. Something similar could be said for the Jaina sources.
The Puranic chronology of Kings and their dynasties give adequate information about the dynastic chronology of the Kings in ancient India. However, they are quite inconsistent with their lists and apart from a few succession conflicts and details about a few kings and dynasties, the Chronologies barely give us any information about the events associated with those kings.
Apart from these we mostly rely on later works of literature which are usually biographies rather than a formal form of history writing, plays which talk of possible events of the past and finally inscriptions.
One could clearly see that none of these sources have a descriptive historical nature. Something that we find in Ancient Sinitic and Greco Roman sources.
However, is it possible that there did exist a tradition of history writing similar to that of the Greeks or the Chinese among the Indians but it has been lost because of unknown reasons? Think about it. The plays and the literary works written on various events of the past were written several centuries after the supposed events took place. For example we find mentions of the Mauryan empire well until the times when James Princep deciphered the inscriptions of Ashoka. A diverse genre of texts mention them in Religious literature, plays, biographies etc etc all written in various time periods since the fall of the Mauryan empire. For the poets, playwrights and biographers to mention the Mauryas in their works, there has to be a way by which they have a knowledge about them and their existence. Also the fact that the Ashokan pillars were used to inscribe inscriptions by subsequent kings like Samudragupta for example, shows that there seems to be a powerful legacy attached to them.
The Mauryas are just one example. There are many such events about the past related to other political entities described in the vast corpus of ancient and early Medieval Indian literature. This only makes sense if there exists a medium through which these events were known by the people of those times. Which points out that there seemingly did exist a form of history writing that wasn't just a didactic form of text riddled with myths like the Puranas and the Itihasas or the Buddhist and the Jaina texts.
Why do we have no traces of this form of historical literature? There could be multiple reasons for it. One of the reasons could be that this genre of literature wasn't taken as seriously as the other genres. Which is why there could have been many inconsistencies in this type of literature. Which explains the inconsistency in the puranic chronology of Kings. The Brahmanas who composed the Puranas could have referred to these texts when they were constructing the list of rulers and because of their inconsistencies, it led to the subsequent inconsistency in the puranic list as well. This genre of texts was probably used mostly by poets and playwrights for their works and as a result didn't seem to have a serious importance in society as plays and poems are usually associated with pleasure. It possibly didn't have much of a political importance similar to the one we see in the other contemporary civilizations.
Another reason could be that this genre of historical literature simply died out with the fall of imperial powers in the sub-continent. With the emergence of feudal polities in the later half of the 1st millenia AD, the importance to record the dynastic history of large imperial powers in the north of India might have decreased. Which is why this supposed tradition of historical literature might have died out until the emergence of the turkic powers would introduce a new form of historical literature derived from the Islamic tradition of history writing.
The final and the most simplistic explanation would be the turkic invasions themselves. The Turkic invasions led to the destruction of multiple religious institutions of the native Indians like temples and viharas which were the leading storehouses of knowledge in pre Medieval India. The destruction of these institutions might have led to the destruction of multiple of this kind of historical literary works. However this would be refuted as other genres of literature did survive the Islamic invasions. Why would the turkic rulers only eliminate this kind of literature and not the other kinds?
Ofcourse there is no physical proof of the existence of such a type of historical literature in ancient and early Medieval India. One may only hypothesize the existence of such. However, this seemed to be an interesting theory in my head. Give your views on this if you like.
submitted by TheIronDuke18 to IndianHistory [link] [comments]
The Puranic chronology of Kings and their dynasties give adequate information about the dynastic chronology of the Kings in ancient India. However, they are quite inconsistent with their lists and apart from a few succession conflicts and details about a few kings and dynasties, the Chronologies barely give us any information about the events associated with those kings.
Apart from these we mostly rely on later works of literature which are usually biographies rather than a formal form of history writing, plays which talk of possible events of the past and finally inscriptions.
One could clearly see that none of these sources have a descriptive historical nature. Something that we find in Ancient Sinitic and Greco Roman sources.
However, is it possible that there did exist a tradition of history writing similar to that of the Greeks or the Chinese among the Indians but it has been lost because of unknown reasons? Think about it. The plays and the literary works written on various events of the past were written several centuries after the supposed events took place. For example we find mentions of the Mauryan empire well until the times when James Princep deciphered the inscriptions of Ashoka. A diverse genre of texts mention them in Religious literature, plays, biographies etc etc all written in various time periods since the fall of the Mauryan empire. For the poets, playwrights and biographers to mention the Mauryas in their works, there has to be a way by which they have a knowledge about them and their existence. Also the fact that the Ashokan pillars were used to inscribe inscriptions by subsequent kings like Samudragupta for example, shows that there seems to be a powerful legacy attached to them.
The Mauryas are just one example. There are many such events about the past related to other political entities described in the vast corpus of ancient and early Medieval Indian literature. This only makes sense if there exists a medium through which these events were known by the people of those times. Which points out that there seemingly did exist a form of history writing that wasn't just a didactic form of text riddled with myths like the Puranas and the Itihasas or the Buddhist and the Jaina texts.
Why do we have no traces of this form of historical literature? There could be multiple reasons for it. One of the reasons could be that this genre of literature wasn't taken as seriously as the other genres. Which is why there could have been many inconsistencies in this type of literature. Which explains the inconsistency in the puranic chronology of Kings. The Brahmanas who composed the Puranas could have referred to these texts when they were constructing the list of rulers and because of their inconsistencies, it led to the subsequent inconsistency in the puranic list as well. This genre of texts was probably used mostly by poets and playwrights for their works and as a result didn't seem to have a serious importance in society as plays and poems are usually associated with pleasure. It possibly didn't have much of a political importance similar to the one we see in the other contemporary civilizations.
Another reason could be that this genre of historical literature simply died out with the fall of imperial powers in the sub-continent. With the emergence of feudal polities in the later half of the 1st millenia AD, the importance to record the dynastic history of large imperial powers in the north of India might have decreased. Which is why this supposed tradition of historical literature might have died out until the emergence of the turkic powers would introduce a new form of historical literature derived from the Islamic tradition of history writing.
The final and the most simplistic explanation would be the turkic invasions themselves. The Turkic invasions led to the destruction of multiple religious institutions of the native Indians like temples and viharas which were the leading storehouses of knowledge in pre Medieval India. The destruction of these institutions might have led to the destruction of multiple of this kind of historical literary works. However this would be refuted as other genres of literature did survive the Islamic invasions. Why would the turkic rulers only eliminate this kind of literature and not the other kinds?
Ofcourse there is no physical proof of the existence of such a type of historical literature in ancient and early Medieval India. One may only hypothesize the existence of such. However, this seemed to be an interesting theory in my head. Give your views on this if you like.
2024.05.13 18:05 Moonkeyvek My fight
Hi, I'm Alessandro from Colombia, and I'm still in the fight.
A couple days ago I relapsed. And I posted the following in PornAddiction during my guilt phase. I deleted it later in the day. I got lost out of focus in telling my story, but my main reason to go online was to seek for help about relapsing. After the post, I didn't actually continued reading the book. After some days whitout using, I relapsed again, I've had about 7 relapses since my fight started. Today I did it again, and opened the book just after doing it. I went to the ¨nature¨ section and reviewed ¨A pleasure or a crutch?¨... ¨Porn isn't pleasant¨... That is the only thing I do not agree with the book, and this doubt has cost me several of my relapses. Today I reviewed that part, comparing porn with food, and the book says that they are exact opposites. I read it again, and again, asking myself, analizing the arguments, but it just doesn't seem correct. Actually, the hackauthor doesn't say it isn't a pleasure, it just says that it's sabotaging happines mechanisms. So I went to science direct and found this: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.05.004 . And thought ¨ok, it is correct that porn is in fact, a pleasant cue. But it is also correct that is the kind of pleasant stimulli of a heroine injection¨. Then I read this: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2015.06.005 . And found that it's an pleasant stimulli not only for addicts, but also for normal people. So my biggest argument against the book rings true for me. So today I just did a desperate google search: ¨is porn enjoyable?¨, and that led me to find this subreddit. I read a few posts and felt saved, this is the kind of community I need, PornAddiction disappointed me. I'll keep reading you and the book to learn what to do with that question: ¨is porn enjoyable?¨.
The following is that post:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________,
Why did I fail? My story, let's talk.
I spent almost 1 month reading Easy peasy. Long ago I realized I'm an addict, this wasn't a problem for me, I'm very self-conscious, kind of a hobby writer (obviously not in English as you can tell by now). The day I "clicked" while reading the book I spent almost 12 hours in a row writing something like a biography, focused in how porn have changed my life for over 11 years of addiction since I was 8yo. That "click" moment (maybe you know how it is, if you've completed the book) was in January 2024.
Just after completing the book I lived a couple weeks enjoying what is like to remember how to live a human life of freedom. But this surely wasn't the end of this illness. Back in the day I tried all methods. Willpower, streaks, even paid a subscription to app-block just before I gave up and threw it all, all my life, career and aspirations to thrash. After that I accepted I needed help, and then discovered the book (more than discovering it, because I discovered it in habitica in a time before the first suicide note and academy failure, I accepted I have to give it a serious try, not like the first time). Then, after for once in my life trying to be open minded in something, in my most beaten, broken spirit, soul naked moment, I took a learner role with the book, and I could manage to understand it. I understood the things I understand today, this sounds funny but you may know what I mean, those sort of things you simply can't un-understand. Like how you were thinking before how you thing now, discovering that you aren't alone. That old mind was like being a monkey living in a desert island, didn't know how I got there, didn't know how to get out of there, just making poor, illusory conclusions to survive, like: "I'm feeling depressed and hollow inside because of the death of my brother", the sad truth being that, I wasn't even capable of feeling something about it, because the fog in my brain. Used a lot of things to fill the void, not only porn, but also collecting videogames, thinking that playing games is my purpose in life (that, sadly, isn't an exaggeration of my way of thinking back then) That was the life before the mere act of understanding. That understanding is the same click I'm talking about the click that marked the end of a live of making up false realities to cope with existence, all by myself.
But hear me out, just understanding is not everything. That I realized after living a couple weeks of remembering what living a real life is, like the one I was living when I was a kid, before all of this shit.
The most hearth and mind braking thing was beggining to happen to me. The unavoidable relapse. Even when feeling the most hard trained mind, after feeling one of the best stories in the sea of life of war stories versus this monster, this begun to happen to me: forgetting. I thought forgetting was impossible for things that you just understand. But that's a lie, another made up conclusion of the monkey, now you understand me how it works? Subtle logical ideas that you just have and you don't question. Thruth is, you can un-understand things.
I started to forget how the life was before, that literal hell in this world. Despite of how vastly low my life got in those times, the way I felt in real time how my brain was literally rotting, like the room that all week long, contained my endless cycle of waking up, jacking up, feeling like shit, have to study, don't study, feeling like shit, jacking up because I'm feeling like shit, and playing games in the night because the night is for playing games and rest for the arduous work day, even that literal hell I could forget.
I started to forget it day after day of joy and happiness.
Until the day that it just seemed no so bad to me to watch just one peek, it was by waiting for the ads of an anime page to load, knowing exactly what this pop-up page will show. That day I booked a date with a psychologist (right before starting to read the book I was getting to the neuro psychiatrist) and she told me to keep writing as I was doing for necessity in my most anxious days. But after everything just kept going downstairs. Even after reading the book, before this announced and hyped relapse I wasnt doing it right. I couldn't have a date with my girlfriend, which I told all of this process, making sex and orgasms uncomfortable for her, without having sex. Saying to myself that sex and orgasm with a real woman is ok, but knowing deep inside, that I just don't want to do it right know, and even if this is real, it feels like it is triggering the cycle again, even if it doesn't, I personally feel like it does.
So after finishing the book for the first time, yes I enjoyed freedom, but it wasn't for long. Even before the relapse, every single sex session with my girlfriend seemed to harm my mind. I felt guilty.
Why I failed?
After reading the book one time, I started to have the capability to read other books. I started reading a bunch of them at the same time. "Un día en la vida de Iván denisovich", "la república", and digital minimalism by cal Newport, because I knew that the second problem in my life, born because of and also being a backward feedback to the porn addiction, is internet addiction. So I thought the right next step to take is reading a book to help that addiction too.
I think that was the mistake.
I hate social media, but today I'm posting this because I truly want to know the opinion of people that have the same or more knowledge that me. Usually I write this things for myself, and sometimes I share them with my girlfriend and close ones. But this time I want real competent minds in this field to give me it's opinion, it's the first time I write this kind of things in other language, but I read easy peasy in English so I'm thinking genuinely in spite of "translating" my thoughts.
Today I did the thing I think is the correct step that I didn't saw the first time I read the book. Mainly because of one sentence at the end of it, of one guy saying "some people go on in a eternal cycle of re-reading easy peasy" so I understood ok doing so is bad, then I started reading about digital minimalism, not even the recommended lectures by the hackauthor like the addictive voice recognition technique. And after even watching some coomer meme archive (I know is a good movement, but being realistic, those memes are made by a wide range of people, not everyone of them are psychologists like Allen Carr or the hackauthor, not even people with the introductory science based knowledge of the ones who read the book, and besides of the few memes that cleverly show deep and hard to digest realities, like the ones that helped me realize that even though sex with my partner might be good, I'm acting like a depravate thinking of sex everytime I se her alone with me, the majority of memes are made by people that make memes, not artists, I saw a lot of people still thinking about streaks, and a lot of Christianity, and above all of that, what am I doing watching memes to help an addiction man... )
So after reaching that point I had enough. "I'm walking a long ago twisted path, it's time to go back by the road I've been walking, and pause, and think, and solve... " And today I decided to just read the book again. And I have a number of conclusions to share.
What do you think? This is my story in a nutshell, that text I wrote that day after the click, was a 12 hours long, this was just 1, that is the impact of this book in my life, and this post is the new way of feeling that I'm not alone in this, and you can help me, and I can help you, than I'm trying. I thing that text is valuable to share with you, because it can help you, but I'll have to translate it and censor it, maybe one day. The psychologist told me months ago I should share everything I write online, but again, I'll have to censor it, so I kept doing in for me, this is the first time I follow her advice, let's see how we do.
I'll keep reading, keep living, keep working on this, actually I have a decent streak, but I would hate being counting days like my prehistoric times. Hope you don't hate my poor writing so much, hope I'll read your opinions, see ya
submitted by Moonkeyvek to pmohackbook [link] [comments]
A couple days ago I relapsed. And I posted the following in PornAddiction during my guilt phase. I deleted it later in the day. I got lost out of focus in telling my story, but my main reason to go online was to seek for help about relapsing. After the post, I didn't actually continued reading the book. After some days whitout using, I relapsed again, I've had about 7 relapses since my fight started. Today I did it again, and opened the book just after doing it. I went to the ¨nature¨ section and reviewed ¨A pleasure or a crutch?¨... ¨Porn isn't pleasant¨... That is the only thing I do not agree with the book, and this doubt has cost me several of my relapses. Today I reviewed that part, comparing porn with food, and the book says that they are exact opposites. I read it again, and again, asking myself, analizing the arguments, but it just doesn't seem correct. Actually, the hackauthor doesn't say it isn't a pleasure, it just says that it's sabotaging happines mechanisms. So I went to science direct and found this: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.05.004 . And thought ¨ok, it is correct that porn is in fact, a pleasant cue. But it is also correct that is the kind of pleasant stimulli of a heroine injection¨. Then I read this: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2015.06.005 . And found that it's an pleasant stimulli not only for addicts, but also for normal people. So my biggest argument against the book rings true for me. So today I just did a desperate google search: ¨is porn enjoyable?¨, and that led me to find this subreddit. I read a few posts and felt saved, this is the kind of community I need, PornAddiction disappointed me. I'll keep reading you and the book to learn what to do with that question: ¨is porn enjoyable?¨.
The following is that post:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________,
Why did I fail? My story, let's talk.
I spent almost 1 month reading Easy peasy. Long ago I realized I'm an addict, this wasn't a problem for me, I'm very self-conscious, kind of a hobby writer (obviously not in English as you can tell by now). The day I "clicked" while reading the book I spent almost 12 hours in a row writing something like a biography, focused in how porn have changed my life for over 11 years of addiction since I was 8yo. That "click" moment (maybe you know how it is, if you've completed the book) was in January 2024.
Just after completing the book I lived a couple weeks enjoying what is like to remember how to live a human life of freedom. But this surely wasn't the end of this illness. Back in the day I tried all methods. Willpower, streaks, even paid a subscription to app-block just before I gave up and threw it all, all my life, career and aspirations to thrash. After that I accepted I needed help, and then discovered the book (more than discovering it, because I discovered it in habitica in a time before the first suicide note and academy failure, I accepted I have to give it a serious try, not like the first time). Then, after for once in my life trying to be open minded in something, in my most beaten, broken spirit, soul naked moment, I took a learner role with the book, and I could manage to understand it. I understood the things I understand today, this sounds funny but you may know what I mean, those sort of things you simply can't un-understand. Like how you were thinking before how you thing now, discovering that you aren't alone. That old mind was like being a monkey living in a desert island, didn't know how I got there, didn't know how to get out of there, just making poor, illusory conclusions to survive, like: "I'm feeling depressed and hollow inside because of the death of my brother", the sad truth being that, I wasn't even capable of feeling something about it, because the fog in my brain. Used a lot of things to fill the void, not only porn, but also collecting videogames, thinking that playing games is my purpose in life (that, sadly, isn't an exaggeration of my way of thinking back then) That was the life before the mere act of understanding. That understanding is the same click I'm talking about the click that marked the end of a live of making up false realities to cope with existence, all by myself.
But hear me out, just understanding is not everything. That I realized after living a couple weeks of remembering what living a real life is, like the one I was living when I was a kid, before all of this shit.
The most hearth and mind braking thing was beggining to happen to me. The unavoidable relapse. Even when feeling the most hard trained mind, after feeling one of the best stories in the sea of life of war stories versus this monster, this begun to happen to me: forgetting. I thought forgetting was impossible for things that you just understand. But that's a lie, another made up conclusion of the monkey, now you understand me how it works? Subtle logical ideas that you just have and you don't question. Thruth is, you can un-understand things.
I started to forget how the life was before, that literal hell in this world. Despite of how vastly low my life got in those times, the way I felt in real time how my brain was literally rotting, like the room that all week long, contained my endless cycle of waking up, jacking up, feeling like shit, have to study, don't study, feeling like shit, jacking up because I'm feeling like shit, and playing games in the night because the night is for playing games and rest for the arduous work day, even that literal hell I could forget.
I started to forget it day after day of joy and happiness.
Until the day that it just seemed no so bad to me to watch just one peek, it was by waiting for the ads of an anime page to load, knowing exactly what this pop-up page will show. That day I booked a date with a psychologist (right before starting to read the book I was getting to the neuro psychiatrist) and she told me to keep writing as I was doing for necessity in my most anxious days. But after everything just kept going downstairs. Even after reading the book, before this announced and hyped relapse I wasnt doing it right. I couldn't have a date with my girlfriend, which I told all of this process, making sex and orgasms uncomfortable for her, without having sex. Saying to myself that sex and orgasm with a real woman is ok, but knowing deep inside, that I just don't want to do it right know, and even if this is real, it feels like it is triggering the cycle again, even if it doesn't, I personally feel like it does.
So after finishing the book for the first time, yes I enjoyed freedom, but it wasn't for long. Even before the relapse, every single sex session with my girlfriend seemed to harm my mind. I felt guilty.
Why I failed?
After reading the book one time, I started to have the capability to read other books. I started reading a bunch of them at the same time. "Un día en la vida de Iván denisovich", "la república", and digital minimalism by cal Newport, because I knew that the second problem in my life, born because of and also being a backward feedback to the porn addiction, is internet addiction. So I thought the right next step to take is reading a book to help that addiction too.
I think that was the mistake.
I hate social media, but today I'm posting this because I truly want to know the opinion of people that have the same or more knowledge that me. Usually I write this things for myself, and sometimes I share them with my girlfriend and close ones. But this time I want real competent minds in this field to give me it's opinion, it's the first time I write this kind of things in other language, but I read easy peasy in English so I'm thinking genuinely in spite of "translating" my thoughts.
Today I did the thing I think is the correct step that I didn't saw the first time I read the book. Mainly because of one sentence at the end of it, of one guy saying "some people go on in a eternal cycle of re-reading easy peasy" so I understood ok doing so is bad, then I started reading about digital minimalism, not even the recommended lectures by the hackauthor like the addictive voice recognition technique. And after even watching some coomer meme archive (I know is a good movement, but being realistic, those memes are made by a wide range of people, not everyone of them are psychologists like Allen Carr or the hackauthor, not even people with the introductory science based knowledge of the ones who read the book, and besides of the few memes that cleverly show deep and hard to digest realities, like the ones that helped me realize that even though sex with my partner might be good, I'm acting like a depravate thinking of sex everytime I se her alone with me, the majority of memes are made by people that make memes, not artists, I saw a lot of people still thinking about streaks, and a lot of Christianity, and above all of that, what am I doing watching memes to help an addiction man... )
So after reaching that point I had enough. "I'm walking a long ago twisted path, it's time to go back by the road I've been walking, and pause, and think, and solve... " And today I decided to just read the book again. And I have a number of conclusions to share.
- This is an example by me, a medical student: what I did the first time reading the book is like reading one article for the exan and getting to the next one just after finishing the last sentence of the previous one. The day of the test, and the test is stumbling across accidental peaks some day, like a pop-up, a social night (don't underestimate this shit like me, even if like me you are poorly social, and while reading those sentences in the book you thought "that advice is not for people like me", one day you'll have to socialize, and damn... That's some relapse factory), or being alone and late in the night, that real life test situations, will ask for your knowledge, and if you just studied it one single time, without the most important thing in learning, which is recalling and "repasar", you are most likely to fail that exam, like I did.
- The information in the book never ceases to be enough for me. Even for the most stubborn, egocentric mind, this book schools. I'm not a newbie, one big chunk of the book is focused to helping people lose the fear and accept the addiction, a lot of time ago I'm not longer in that step, and I understand a lot of the brainwashing pillars and went deeper in those, bun even though, finally reading it again makes me feel like the first time. It feels like there are new words between each paragraph that wasn't there the first time. It feels like there are some ideas that are only readable for people that have live that success time, encountered new traps, and failed.
- This time I'll take my time for this. I've been addicted since 8yo, more than 12 years. Even if I spend another 12 years working on this, it's fine for me as long as I'm free. I felt like I beated the game, and that I'm no noob that have to go back to the tutorial, that the next step would be other books, treat other problems in my life fast, but this is not like a game that you beat, actually you beat the game at the very time you open the book for the first time.
What do you think? This is my story in a nutshell, that text I wrote that day after the click, was a 12 hours long, this was just 1, that is the impact of this book in my life, and this post is the new way of feeling that I'm not alone in this, and you can help me, and I can help you, than I'm trying. I thing that text is valuable to share with you, because it can help you, but I'll have to translate it and censor it, maybe one day. The psychologist told me months ago I should share everything I write online, but again, I'll have to censor it, so I kept doing in for me, this is the first time I follow her advice, let's see how we do.
I'll keep reading, keep living, keep working on this, actually I have a decent streak, but I would hate being counting days like my prehistoric times. Hope you don't hate my poor writing so much, hope I'll read your opinions, see ya
2024.05.13 12:02 BohemianPeasant 13 May 2024: What Le Guin Or Related Work Are You Currently Reading?
Welcome to the /ursulakleguin "What Le Guin or related work are you currently reading?" discussion thread! This thread will be reposted every two weeks.
Please use this thread to share any relevant works you're reading, including but not limited to:
Feel free to select from a variety of user flairs! Here are instructions for selecting and setting your preferred flairs!
submitted by BohemianPeasant to UrsulaKLeGuin [link] [comments]
Please use this thread to share any relevant works you're reading, including but not limited to:
- Books, short stories, essays, poetry, speeches, or anything else written by Ursula K. Le Guin
- Interviews with Le Guin
- Biographies, personal essays or tributes about Le Guin from other writers
- Critical essays or scholarship about Le Guin or her work
- Fanfiction
- Works by other authors that were heavily influenced by, or directly in conversation with, Le Guin's work. An example of this would be N.K. Jemisin's short story "The Ones Who Stay and Fight," which was written as a direct response to Le Guin's short story "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas."
Feel free to select from a variety of user flairs! Here are instructions for selecting and setting your preferred flairs!
2024.05.12 23:50 Odd_Ant_6674 PrepSwift: Permutations with Restrictions Quiz. Question 3
https://preview.redd.it/bucc3703g20d1.png?width=1952&format=png&auto=webp&s=5c34264b1bd97628078f3c550303dfe172ff321e
Could someone critique my work/approach to solving this problem? I used the no restriction minus restriction approach to solve, but I couldn't get it right. I had a final answer of 720.
https://preview.redd.it/1uwupev9g20d1.png?width=1052&format=png&auto=webp&s=3eab04876f4dcac30270a385ee9455e714a4693d
https://preview.redd.it/mywqjqzng20d1.png?width=1948&format=png&auto=webp&s=0f60573044f83fc1a831cd87c67285f8ec26698e
submitted by Odd_Ant_6674 to GRE [link] [comments]
Could someone critique my work/approach to solving this problem? I used the no restriction minus restriction approach to solve, but I couldn't get it right. I had a final answer of 720.
https://preview.redd.it/1uwupev9g20d1.png?width=1052&format=png&auto=webp&s=3eab04876f4dcac30270a385ee9455e714a4693d
https://preview.redd.it/mywqjqzng20d1.png?width=1948&format=png&auto=webp&s=0f60573044f83fc1a831cd87c67285f8ec26698e
2024.05.12 15:16 EarlyReleaseFiend Faction / Player Encyclopedia (IDEA) + Basic Faction Warfare Mechanics
The idea is to have a hotkey/menu that opens up the PCM / Player and/or Faction Encyclopedia.
It can list every player in your faction (Across all servers);
Each with their own stats and character portrait / gear / civilian clothing
Stats could include;
Name - Rank - K/M walked - LZ Drops - Preferred Weapon - Wealth - K/D Ratio -
And also, an optional
Biography -
Section, such as EVE Online; where players can fill out their biography
e.g 'Peter Baile is an X ADF officer, who travelled to Asia to find a wife after reoccurring PTSD. Peter found himself at __ when the event happened, and quickly signed up to Crimson Special Forces. Peter now serves as a PCM, often joining squads as a rifleman; with his preferred weapon the Mosin Nagant and the AKSM.' (The UI may also include a 'send message' / 'invite to squad' option.
This could also lead into a faction tab;
Which could introduce further mechanics. As it would be fantastic to have faction-based missions;
e.g 'Patrol from xyxy to xyxy in a minimum 3 man squad and return to HQ with no KIA.'
Reward - 1500 Action Points
These points / influence could be used to claim territories / gain Faction wide resources. (Faction resources for example could be field medical tents setup for 24 hrs {Accessible only by the faction that has deployed it - at POI's and AI Mission Spots, or Special Guns / Ammo available at the market to all faction members for a specified time window etc}
Etc ~ Futhermore, by doing so, introducing a global faction system in some way.
Anyway, thank you for reading my ideas.
The Player Encyclopedia idea is just another example of further immersion to be added simply to this beautiful game.
Yours Sincerely, LCP Peter Baile (Crimson Rifleman)
submitted by EarlyReleaseFiend to GrayZoneWarfare [link] [comments]
It can list every player in your faction (Across all servers);
Each with their own stats and character portrait / gear / civilian clothing
Stats could include;
Name - Rank - K/M walked - LZ Drops - Preferred Weapon - Wealth - K/D Ratio -
And also, an optional
Biography -
Section, such as EVE Online; where players can fill out their biography
e.g 'Peter Baile is an X ADF officer, who travelled to Asia to find a wife after reoccurring PTSD. Peter found himself at __ when the event happened, and quickly signed up to Crimson Special Forces. Peter now serves as a PCM, often joining squads as a rifleman; with his preferred weapon the Mosin Nagant and the AKSM.' (The UI may also include a 'send message' / 'invite to squad' option.
This could also lead into a faction tab;
Which could introduce further mechanics. As it would be fantastic to have faction-based missions;
e.g 'Patrol from xyxy to xyxy in a minimum 3 man squad and return to HQ with no KIA.'
Reward - 1500 Action Points
These points / influence could be used to claim territories / gain Faction wide resources. (Faction resources for example could be field medical tents setup for 24 hrs {Accessible only by the faction that has deployed it - at POI's and AI Mission Spots, or Special Guns / Ammo available at the market to all faction members for a specified time window etc}
Etc ~ Futhermore, by doing so, introducing a global faction system in some way.
- Perhaps, we could introduce outposts, that control sectors of the map (circle radius).
- Perhaps, they could serve as extra spawn points instead of base, and can be attacked and overwhelmed.
Anyway, thank you for reading my ideas.
The Player Encyclopedia idea is just another example of further immersion to be added simply to this beautiful game.
Yours Sincerely, LCP Peter Baile (Crimson Rifleman)
2024.05.12 06:18 personally_sam CALLING THE THEATER KIDS FOR ADVISE
If you manage to see this, I NEED ADVISE. My town has a summer musical and I am in the Pit Orchestra. This my first time in a theater production, so I have no idea what in the world I am doing. There's a actoproduction/pit biography application that everyone has to fill out. I need help from the theater kids to somehow create a draft of sorts. Here's the criteria:
Write in the third person. (For drafts sake you can just put Y/N or a pronoun)
Try using a clever adjective or two. For example: madcap, self-assured, feisty.
Avoid overusing words like thrilled, excited, debut, and mainstage.
Hit the highlights of your theatre experience.
Write using the inverted pyramid style - putting the most important details first.
Feel free to include one or two hobbies, interests, or career points.
THANK YOU <3
submitted by personally_sam to highschool [link] [comments]
Write in the third person. (For drafts sake you can just put Y/N or a pronoun)
Try using a clever adjective or two. For example: madcap, self-assured, feisty.
Avoid overusing words like thrilled, excited, debut, and mainstage.
Hit the highlights of your theatre experience.
Write using the inverted pyramid style - putting the most important details first.
Feel free to include one or two hobbies, interests, or career points.
THANK YOU <3
2024.05.12 03:22 Stellanima Signed Copy
Type: Specialization.
Tldr: The user can get a book they read "signed" and depending on the theme of that book, 1 of 6 abilities can be activated holding the book. Signed books are like limited use spellbooks and specifically about who signs them.
If the user has a book in one hand and with the other hand touches a living or dead person whose name is known, the book and all copies of it that the user touches will receive the "signature" of this other person. Using this method you can only have that person's signature in those specific books. Signed books cannot be altered.
Holding a signed book in one hand allows the activation of a special ability. Books that lack coherence, the user doesn't understand, or have been created with the intention of satisfying this hatsu are invalid. The books can be used by anyone who hasn't signed them.
The effectiveness of the book ability is based on the percentage read. The uses are related to the number of pages read also by the user. Once it runs out of uses, the user will need to find other copies of the same book. The type of ability it provides depends on what theme the user genuinely considers to be the main one.
As stated, the signature remains even with the death of the person.
If, upon further reading the book, the user considers that the theme is another, then the next time they touch a copy, its theme will change with the same number of uses.
Forgetting the content of a book lowers its percentage.
Touching another book about the same story from one already signed, gives them the same signature. Each book has its number of uses, whether it has more or fewer pages, affects it.
Although I stated that the number of pages is the meassure, this is more of an approximation based on the number of words. Books with larger or smaller fonts have the same length and uses.
submitted by Stellanima to HatsuVault [link] [comments]
Tldr: The user can get a book they read "signed" and depending on the theme of that book, 1 of 6 abilities can be activated holding the book. Signed books are like limited use spellbooks and specifically about who signs them.
If the user has a book in one hand and with the other hand touches a living or dead person whose name is known, the book and all copies of it that the user touches will receive the "signature" of this other person. Using this method you can only have that person's signature in those specific books. Signed books cannot be altered.
Holding a signed book in one hand allows the activation of a special ability. Books that lack coherence, the user doesn't understand, or have been created with the intention of satisfying this hatsu are invalid. The books can be used by anyone who hasn't signed them.
The effectiveness of the book ability is based on the percentage read. The uses are related to the number of pages read also by the user. Once it runs out of uses, the user will need to find other copies of the same book. The type of ability it provides depends on what theme the user genuinely considers to be the main one.
Themes
- Love (Manipulation): The person who signs can be controlled every time they come into contact with the book. There is no need to continue holding it if it is given to the person.
- Number of pages: How much time (seconds) the person can be controlled.
- Percentage: How much control you have of the person.
- Life and Death (Conjuration): A unique nen weapon depending on who signs it.
- Number of pages: Time in seconds that the summoned weapon lasts.
- Percentage: Quality of the summoned weapon.
- Nature (Enhancement): Reading the book from the beginning and touching the person who signed it, heals him.
- Number of pages: Rereading pages has no effect until you reach the end of the book and pick up another copy.
- Percentage: Healing effectiveness.
- Identity (Specialization): Data about the person who signed will be revealed in the form of a biography. This permanently uses up read pages. The information is always the same, but the quantity and clarity vary.
- Number of pages: Number of words.
- Percentage: How detailed the information is.
- Society (Emission): Allows two-way remote communication with the person who signed.
- Number of pages: Amount of information that can be shared until it runs out.
- Percentage: A higher percentage allows you to send more complex information such as images, sounds and memories.
- Time (Transmutation): You can transfer the signature to several books that you have already read and that have the same or fewer pages added in total than the original. All versions of those books will receive the same signature. This allows you to get several uses from the same signature. To be usable, these books also require passing the uses from a copy of the original Time themed book. The copies of the original book will basically work as batteries for these new ones and can recharge the same book. Example: Book about Time signed by A (300 pp.) > Nature Book (50), Life Book (150), Society Book (97) now all also signed by A.
- Number of pages: Pages that you can dedicate to another book and can be used to recharge it with other copies.
- Percentage: How different the new book is allowed to be from the original.
Other details
The user can use nen to create an identical copy of a book by passing it to another that has the same or more pages (not signed). This takes one second per page.As stated, the signature remains even with the death of the person.
If, upon further reading the book, the user considers that the theme is another, then the next time they touch a copy, its theme will change with the same number of uses.
Forgetting the content of a book lowers its percentage.
Touching another book about the same story from one already signed, gives them the same signature. Each book has its number of uses, whether it has more or fewer pages, affects it.
Although I stated that the number of pages is the meassure, this is more of an approximation based on the number of words. Books with larger or smaller fonts have the same length and uses.
2024.05.12 02:27 MirkWorks Excerpt from The Culture of Narcissism by Christopher Lasch (The Narcissistic Personality of Our Time)
II. The Narcissistic Personality of Our Time
Narcissism as a Metaphor of the Human Condition
…
Theoretical precision about narcissism is important not only because the idea is so readily susceptible to moralistic inflation but because the practice of equating narcissism with everything selfish and disagreeable militates against historical specificity. Men have always been selfish, groups have always been ethnocentric; nothing is gained by giving these qualities a psychiatric label. The emergence of character disorders as the most prominent form of psychiatric pathology, however, together with the change in personality structure this development reflects, derives from quite specific changes in our society and culture - from bureaucracy, the proliferation of images, therapeutic ideologies, the rationalization of the inner life, the cult of consumption, and in the last analysis from changes in family life and from changing patterns of socialization. All this disappears from sight if narcissism becomes simply “the metaphor of the human condition,” as in another existential, humanistic interpretation, Shirley Sugerman’s Sin and Madness: Studies in Narcissism.
The refusal of recent critics of narcissism to discuss the etiology of narcissism or to pay much attention to the growing body of clinical writing on the subject probably represents a deliberate decision, stemming from the fear that emphasis on the clinical aspects of the narcissistic syndrome would detract from the concept’s usefulness in social analysis. This decision, however, has proved to be a mistake. In ignoring the psychological dimension, these authors also miss the social. They fail to explore any of the character traits associated with pathological narcissism, which in less extreme form appear in such profusion in the everyday life of our age: dependence on the vicarious warmth provided by others combined with a fear of dependence, a sense of inner emptiness, boundless repressed rage, and unsatisfied oral cravings. Nor do they discuss what might be called the secondary characteristics of narcissism: pseudo-self-insight, calculating seductiveness, nervous, self-deprecatory humor. Thus they deprive themselves of any basis on which to make connections between the narcissistic personality type and certain characteristic patterns of contemporary culture, such as the intense fear of old age and death, altered sense of time, fascination with celebrity, fear of competition, decline of the play spirit, deteriorating relations between men and women. For these critics, narcissism remains at its loosest a synonym for selfishness and at its most precise a metaphor, and nothing more, that describes the state of mind in which the world appears as a mirror of the self.
<…>
Scribe Note:
I think the moment Pathological Narcissism is taken as an opening through which contemporary culture and subjectivity can discussed, in concrete relation to socioeconomic or historical particularities, is the moment the Pathological Narcissus is transformed into a metaphor. Here I understand the metaphor as intrinsically concrete. Serving as a connective tissue, medium, and threshold. Alternatively a meeting place. The shape of the Pathological Narcissus orients and organizes. Find Lasch’s approach implicitly architectural. He approaches his work as a craftsmen. Reading Lasch I envision a series of papers detailing seemingly disparate cultural phenomena unfolding and filling in a human-outline, this outline is the Pathological Narcissus. Flipped right-side up, the Pathological Narcissus reveals the real framing device. Contemporary technologies and the move away from the Industrial without properly buffering the agrarian or the small and mid-sized manufacturing that contained/shaped the animating brilliance, innovativeness, and sociality of the American peoples. The Pathological Narcissus cannot be concrete without the abstract as its genesis. Abstract in so far as it is an atomized or segregated sequence of symptoms (an individual reduced to his symptoms) that emerges into view within the transferal space(eros-field) of the analyst’s office. Detailed and expounded upon in the literature. The grounding is perhaps necessarily abstract (to clarify, my usage of the term is distinct from spectral).
Lasch appears at the verge of anticipating and integrating the easy criticism one might levy against him, that this all rests on the presupposition that psychoanalysis has any genuine scientific validity, that Melanie Klein and Otto Kernberg’s contributions to psychoanalysis serve as the standard bearer of psychoanalytic theory and practice (concretely if I’m not mistaken this is absolutely the case in the United States) and more to the point that the psychoanalyst is a trustworthy authority - into his own Criticism. In my reading of The Culture of Narcissism and The Minimal Self, Lasch spirals around this particular critique and the implications. As if it’s a thread we mustn't risk pulling on lest the whole thing unravels. Serves almost like a therapeutic fiction or ‘noble lie’. Still I think it’s implicit in Lasch’s broader critique. In the essay From Mirror to Window: Curing Psychoanalysis of its Narcissism, James Hillman (who I believe had a superior approach to the question of the Image or Icon compared to Lasch who expresses a stunningly consistent Anglo-Germanic and Reformationist contempt for imagery, indeed Lasch’s Iconophobia is nigh Islamic) notes as much,
“Eminent culture critics - Karl Krauss, Thomas Szasz, Philip Rieff, Christopher Lasch, Paul Zweig, and the notorious Dr. Jeffrey Masson - have each seen that psychoanalysis breeds a narcissistic subjectivism inflicting on the culture an iatrogenic disorder, that is, a disease brought by the methods of the doctors who would cure it.”
The “personality disorder” viewed in this light is a diagnostic category that could only come about thanks to the faddish popularity of psychoanalysis. The mother-tongue and womb-religion of the narcissist is psychoanalysis.
The metaphor serves as the site of agonism. Что делать? What is to be done?
What Lasch does here, in my opinion, is update the Narcissus. Can see why this continues to prove a difficult task. One of the issues with the Metaphor is that it becomes very very difficult to differentiate it from the Phantasmatic Type. Especially once it enters into popular usage. Danger of using psychoanalytic terminology in this manner outside of the institution of psychoanalysis. The Pathological Narcissus is that thing the other person is. The tinge of recognition is painful. Or perhaps the greatest danger comes from over identification with the Spectral Narcissus which is easily syncretized with seductive literary or cinematic types i.e., the Superfluous Man or whatever Woody Allen is- and/or falling into a masochistic hypochondria loop of psychic despair. Important to have the example of what an actual Pathological Narcissist is.
<…>
Psychology and Sociology
Psychoanalysis deals with individuals, not with groups. Efforts to generalize clinical findings to collective behavior always encounter the difficulty that groups have a life of their own. The collective mind, if there is such a thing, reflects the needs of the group as a whole, not the psychic needs of the individual which in fact have to be subordinated to the demands of collective living. Indeed it is precisely the subject of the individuals to the group that psychoanalytic theory, through a study of its psychic repercussions, promises to clarify. By conducting an intensive analysis of individual cases that rests on clinical evidence rather than common-sense impressions, psychoanalysis tells us something about the inner workings of society itself, in the very act of turning its back on society and immersing itself in the individual unconscious.
Every society reproduces its culture - its norms, its underlying assumptions, its modes of organizing experience - in the individual, in the form of personality. As Durkheim said, personality is the individual socialized. The process of socialization, carried out by the family and secondarily by the school and other agencies of character formation modifies human nature to conform to the prevailing social norms. Each society tries to solve the universal crises of childhood - the trauma of separation from the mother, the fear of abandonment, the pain of competing with others for the mother’s love - in its own way, and the manner in which it deals with these psychic events produces a characteristic form of personality, a characteristic form of psychological deformation, by means of which the individual reconciles himself to instinctual deprivation and submits to the requirements of social existence. Freud’s insistence on the continuity between psychic health and psychic sickness makes it possible to see neuroses and psychoses as in some sense the characteristic expression of a given culture. “Psychosis,” Jules Henry has written, “is the final outcome of all that is wrong with a culture.”
Psychoanalysis best clarifies the connection between society and the individual, culture and personality, precisely when it confines itself to careful examination of individuals. It tells us most about society when it is least determined to do so. Freud’s extrapolation of psychoanalytic principles into anthropology, history, and biography can be safely ignored by the student of society, but his clinical investigations constitute a storehouse of indispensable ideas, once it is understood that the unconscious mind represents the modification of nature by culture, the imposition of civilization on instinct.
Secondary narcissism, on the other hand, “attempts to annul the pain of disappointed [object] love” and to nullify the child’s rage against those who do not respond immediately to his needs; against those who are now seen to respond to others besides the child and who therefore appear to have abandoned him. Pathological narcissism, “which cannot be considered simply a fixation at the level of normal primitive narcissism,” arises only when the ego has developed to the point of distinguishing itself from surrounding objects. If the child for some reason experiences this separation trauma with special intensity, he may attempt to reestablish earlier relationships by creating in his fantasies an omnipotent mother or father who merges with images of his own self. “Through internalization the patient seeks to recreate a wished-for love relationship which may once have existed and simultaneously to annul the anxiety and guilt aroused by aggressive drives directed against the frustrating and disappointing object.”
Narcissism in Recent Clinical Literature
The shifting emphasis in clinical studies from primary to secondary narcissism reflects both the shift in psychoanalytic theory from study of the id to study of the ego and a change in the type of patients seeking psychiatric treatment. Indeed the shift from a psychology of instincts to ego psychology itself grew partly out of a recognition that the patients who began to present themselves for treatment in the 1940s and 1950s “very seldom resembled the classical neuroses Freud described so thoroughly.” In the last twenty-five years, the borderline patient, who confronts the psychiatrist not with well-defined symptoms but with diffuse dissatisfactions, has become increasingly common. He does not suffer from debilitating fixations or phobias or from the conversion of repressed sexual energy into nervous ailments; instead he complains “of vague, diffuse dissatisfactions with life” and feels his “amorphous existence to be futile and purposeless.” He describes “subtly experienced yet pervasive feelings of emptiness and depression,” “violent oscillations of self-esteem,” and “a general inability to get along.” He gains “a sense of heightened self-esteem only by attaching himself to strong, admired figures whose acceptance he craves and by whom he needs to feel supported.” Although he carries out his daily responsibilities and even achieves distinction, happiness eludes him, and life frequently strikes him as not worth living.
Psychoanalysis, a therapy that grew out of experience with severely repressed and morally rigid individuals who needed to come to terms with a rigorous inner “censor,” today finds itself confronted more and more often with a “chaotic and impulse-ridden character.” It must deal with patients who “act out” their conflicts instead of repressing or sublimating them. These patients, though often ingratiating, tend to cultivate a protective shallowness in emotional relations. They lack the capacity to mourn, because the intensity of their rage against lost love objects, in particular against their parents, prevents their reliving happy experiences or treasuring them in memory. Sexually promiscuous rather than repressed, they nevertheless find it difficult to “elaborate the sexual impulse” or to approach sex in the spirit of play. They avoid close involvements, which might release intense feelings of rage. Their personalities consist largely of defenses against this rage and against feelings of oral deprivation that originate in the pre-Oedipal stage of psychic development.
Often these patients suffer from hypochondria and complain of a sense of inner emptiness. At the same time they entertain fantasies of omnipotence and a strong belief in their right to exploit others and be gratified. Archaic, punitive, and sadistic elements predominate in the superegos of these patients, and they conform to social rules more out of fear of punishment than from a sense of guilt. They experience their own needs and appetites, suffused with rage, as deeply dangerous, and they throw up defenses that are as primitive as the desires they seek to stifle.
On the principle that pathology represents a heightened version of normality, the “pathological narcissism” found in character disorders of this type should tell us something about narcissism as a social phenomenon. Studies of personality disorders that occupy the border line between neurosis and psychosis, though written for clinicians and making no claims to shed light on social or cultural issues, depict a type of personality that ought to be immediately recognizable, in a more subdued form, to observers of the contemporary cultural scene: facile at managing the impressions he gives to others, ravenous for admiration but contemptuous of those he manipulates into providing it; unappeasably hungry for emotional experiences with which to fill an inner void; terrified of again and death.
The most convincing explanations of the psychic origins of this borderline syndrome draw on the theoretical tradition established by Melanie Klein. In her psychoanalytic investigations of children, Klein discovered that early feelings of overpowering rage, directed especially against the mother and secondarily against the internalized image of the mother as a ravenous monster, make it impossible for the child to synthesize “good” and “bad” parental images. In his fear of aggression from the bad parents - projections of his own rage - he idealizes the good parents who will come to the rescue.
Internalized images of others, buried in the unconscious mind at an early age, become self-images as well. If later experience fails to qualify or to introduce elements of reality into the child’s archaic fantasies about his parents, he finds it difficult to distinguish between images of the self and of the objects outside the self. These images fuse to form a defense against the bad representation of the self and of objects, similarly fused in the form of a harsh, punishing superego. Melanie Klein analyzed a ten-year-old boy who unconsciously thought of his mother as a “vampire” or “horrid bird” and internalized this fear as hypochondria. He was afraid that the bad presences inside him would devour the good ones. The rigid separation of good and bad images of the self and of objects, on the one hand, and the fusion of self- and object images on the other, arose from the boy’s inability to tolerate ambivalence or anxiety. Because his anger was so intense, he could not admit that he harbored aggressive feelings toward those he loved. “Fear and guilt relating to his destructive phantasies moulded his whole emotional life.”
A child who feels so gravely threatened by his own aggressive feelings (projected onto others and then internalized again as inner “monsters”) attempts to compensate himself for his experience of rage and envy with fantasies of wealth, beauty, and omnipotence. These fantasies, together with the internalized images of the good parents with which he attempt to defend himself, become the core of a “grandiose conception of the self.” A kind of “blind optimism,” according to Otto Kernberg, protects the narcissistic child from the dangers around and within him - particularly from dependence on others, who are perceived as without exception undependable. “Constant projection of ‘all bad’ self and object images perpetuates a world of dangerous, threatening objects, against which the ‘all good’ self images are used defensively, and megalomanic ideal self images are built up.” The splitting of images determined by aggressive feelings from images that derive from libidinal impulses makes it impossible for the child to acknowledge his own aggression, to experience guilt or concern for objects invested simultaneously with aggression and libido, or to mourn for lost objects. Depression in narcissistic patients takes the form not of mourning with its admixture of guilt, described by Freud in “Mourning and Melancholia,” but of impotent rage and “feelings of defeat by external forces.”
Because the intrapsychic world of these patients is so thinly populated - consisting only of the “grandiose self,” in Kernberg’s words, “the devalued, shadowy images of self and others, and potential persecutors” - they experience intense feelings of emptiness and inauthenticity. Although the narcissist can function in the everyday world and often charms other people (not least with his “pseudo-insight into his personality”), his devaluation of others, together with his lack of curiosity about them, impoverishes his personal life and reinforces the “subjective experience of emptiness.” Lacking any real intellectual engagement with the world - notwithstanding a frequency inflated estimate of his own intellectual abilities - he has little capacity for sublimation. He therefore depends on others for constant infusions of approval and admiration. He “must attach [himself] to someone, living an almost parasitic” existence. At the same time, his fear of emotional dependence, together with his manipulative, exploitive approach to personal relations, makes these relations bland, superficial, and deeply unsatisfying. “The ideal relationship to me would be a two month relationship,” said a borderline patient. “That way there’d be no commitment. At the end of the two months I’d just break it off.”
Chronically bored, restlessly in search of instantaneous intimacy - of emotional titillation without involvement and dependence - the narcissist is promiscuous and often pansexual as well, since the fusion of pregenital and Oedipal impulses in the service of aggression encourages polymorphous perversity. The bad images he has internalized also make him chronically uneasy about his health, and hypochondria in turn gives him a special affinity for therapy and for therapeutic groups and movements.
As a psychiatric patient, the narcissist is a prime candidate for interminable analysis. He seeks in analysis a religion or way of life and hopes to find in the therapeutic relationship external support for his fantasies of omnipotence and eternal youth. The strength of his defenses, however, makes him resistant to successful analysis. The shallowness of his emotional life often prevents him from developing a close connection to the analyst, even though he “often uses his intellectual insight to agree verbally with the analyst and recapitulates in his own words what has been analysed in previous sessions.” He uses intellect in the service of evation rather than self-discovery, resorting to some of the same strategies of obfuscation that appear in the confessional writing of recent decades. “The patient uses the analytic interpretations but deprives them quickly of life and meaning, so that only meaningless words are left. The words are then felt to be the patient’s own pression, which he idealizes and which give him a sense of superiority.” Although psychiatrists no longer consider narcissistic disorders inherently unanalyzable, few of them take an optimistic view of the prospects for success.
According to Kernberg, the great argument for making the attempt at all, in the face of the many difficulties presented by narcissistic patients, is the devastating effect of narcissism on the second half of their lives - the certainty of the terrible suffering that lies in store. In a society that dreads old age and death, aging holds a special terror for those who fear dependence and whose self-esteem requires the admiration usually reserves for youth, beauty, celebrity, or charm. The usual defenses against the ravages of age - identification with ethical or artistic values beyond one’s immediate interests, intellectual curiosity, the consoling emotional warmth derived from happy relationships in the past - can do nothing for the narcissist. Unable to derive whatever comfort comes from identification with historical continuity, he finds it impossible, on the contrary, “to accept the fact that a younger generation now possesses many of the previously cherished gratifications of beauty, wealth, power and, particularly, creativity. To be able to enjoy life in a process involving a growing identification with other people’s happiness and achievements is tragically beyond the capacity of narcissistic personalities.”
submitted by MirkWorks to u/MirkWorks [link] [comments]
Narcissism as a Metaphor of the Human Condition
…
Theoretical precision about narcissism is important not only because the idea is so readily susceptible to moralistic inflation but because the practice of equating narcissism with everything selfish and disagreeable militates against historical specificity. Men have always been selfish, groups have always been ethnocentric; nothing is gained by giving these qualities a psychiatric label. The emergence of character disorders as the most prominent form of psychiatric pathology, however, together with the change in personality structure this development reflects, derives from quite specific changes in our society and culture - from bureaucracy, the proliferation of images, therapeutic ideologies, the rationalization of the inner life, the cult of consumption, and in the last analysis from changes in family life and from changing patterns of socialization. All this disappears from sight if narcissism becomes simply “the metaphor of the human condition,” as in another existential, humanistic interpretation, Shirley Sugerman’s Sin and Madness: Studies in Narcissism.
The refusal of recent critics of narcissism to discuss the etiology of narcissism or to pay much attention to the growing body of clinical writing on the subject probably represents a deliberate decision, stemming from the fear that emphasis on the clinical aspects of the narcissistic syndrome would detract from the concept’s usefulness in social analysis. This decision, however, has proved to be a mistake. In ignoring the psychological dimension, these authors also miss the social. They fail to explore any of the character traits associated with pathological narcissism, which in less extreme form appear in such profusion in the everyday life of our age: dependence on the vicarious warmth provided by others combined with a fear of dependence, a sense of inner emptiness, boundless repressed rage, and unsatisfied oral cravings. Nor do they discuss what might be called the secondary characteristics of narcissism: pseudo-self-insight, calculating seductiveness, nervous, self-deprecatory humor. Thus they deprive themselves of any basis on which to make connections between the narcissistic personality type and certain characteristic patterns of contemporary culture, such as the intense fear of old age and death, altered sense of time, fascination with celebrity, fear of competition, decline of the play spirit, deteriorating relations between men and women. For these critics, narcissism remains at its loosest a synonym for selfishness and at its most precise a metaphor, and nothing more, that describes the state of mind in which the world appears as a mirror of the self.
<…>
Scribe Note:
I think the moment Pathological Narcissism is taken as an opening through which contemporary culture and subjectivity can discussed, in concrete relation to socioeconomic or historical particularities, is the moment the Pathological Narcissus is transformed into a metaphor. Here I understand the metaphor as intrinsically concrete. Serving as a connective tissue, medium, and threshold. Alternatively a meeting place. The shape of the Pathological Narcissus orients and organizes. Find Lasch’s approach implicitly architectural. He approaches his work as a craftsmen. Reading Lasch I envision a series of papers detailing seemingly disparate cultural phenomena unfolding and filling in a human-outline, this outline is the Pathological Narcissus. Flipped right-side up, the Pathological Narcissus reveals the real framing device. Contemporary technologies and the move away from the Industrial without properly buffering the agrarian or the small and mid-sized manufacturing that contained/shaped the animating brilliance, innovativeness, and sociality of the American peoples. The Pathological Narcissus cannot be concrete without the abstract as its genesis. Abstract in so far as it is an atomized or segregated sequence of symptoms (an individual reduced to his symptoms) that emerges into view within the transferal space(eros-field) of the analyst’s office. Detailed and expounded upon in the literature. The grounding is perhaps necessarily abstract (to clarify, my usage of the term is distinct from spectral).
Lasch appears at the verge of anticipating and integrating the easy criticism one might levy against him, that this all rests on the presupposition that psychoanalysis has any genuine scientific validity, that Melanie Klein and Otto Kernberg’s contributions to psychoanalysis serve as the standard bearer of psychoanalytic theory and practice (concretely if I’m not mistaken this is absolutely the case in the United States) and more to the point that the psychoanalyst is a trustworthy authority - into his own Criticism. In my reading of The Culture of Narcissism and The Minimal Self, Lasch spirals around this particular critique and the implications. As if it’s a thread we mustn't risk pulling on lest the whole thing unravels. Serves almost like a therapeutic fiction or ‘noble lie’. Still I think it’s implicit in Lasch’s broader critique. In the essay From Mirror to Window: Curing Psychoanalysis of its Narcissism, James Hillman (who I believe had a superior approach to the question of the Image or Icon compared to Lasch who expresses a stunningly consistent Anglo-Germanic and Reformationist contempt for imagery, indeed Lasch’s Iconophobia is nigh Islamic) notes as much,
“Eminent culture critics - Karl Krauss, Thomas Szasz, Philip Rieff, Christopher Lasch, Paul Zweig, and the notorious Dr. Jeffrey Masson - have each seen that psychoanalysis breeds a narcissistic subjectivism inflicting on the culture an iatrogenic disorder, that is, a disease brought by the methods of the doctors who would cure it.”
The “personality disorder” viewed in this light is a diagnostic category that could only come about thanks to the faddish popularity of psychoanalysis. The mother-tongue and womb-religion of the narcissist is psychoanalysis.
The metaphor serves as the site of agonism. Что делать? What is to be done?
What Lasch does here, in my opinion, is update the Narcissus. Can see why this continues to prove a difficult task. One of the issues with the Metaphor is that it becomes very very difficult to differentiate it from the Phantasmatic Type. Especially once it enters into popular usage. Danger of using psychoanalytic terminology in this manner outside of the institution of psychoanalysis. The Pathological Narcissus is that thing the other person is. The tinge of recognition is painful. Or perhaps the greatest danger comes from over identification with the Spectral Narcissus which is easily syncretized with seductive literary or cinematic types i.e., the Superfluous Man or whatever Woody Allen is- and/or falling into a masochistic hypochondria loop of psychic despair. Important to have the example of what an actual Pathological Narcissist is.
<…>
Psychology and Sociology
Psychoanalysis deals with individuals, not with groups. Efforts to generalize clinical findings to collective behavior always encounter the difficulty that groups have a life of their own. The collective mind, if there is such a thing, reflects the needs of the group as a whole, not the psychic needs of the individual which in fact have to be subordinated to the demands of collective living. Indeed it is precisely the subject of the individuals to the group that psychoanalytic theory, through a study of its psychic repercussions, promises to clarify. By conducting an intensive analysis of individual cases that rests on clinical evidence rather than common-sense impressions, psychoanalysis tells us something about the inner workings of society itself, in the very act of turning its back on society and immersing itself in the individual unconscious.
Every society reproduces its culture - its norms, its underlying assumptions, its modes of organizing experience - in the individual, in the form of personality. As Durkheim said, personality is the individual socialized. The process of socialization, carried out by the family and secondarily by the school and other agencies of character formation modifies human nature to conform to the prevailing social norms. Each society tries to solve the universal crises of childhood - the trauma of separation from the mother, the fear of abandonment, the pain of competing with others for the mother’s love - in its own way, and the manner in which it deals with these psychic events produces a characteristic form of personality, a characteristic form of psychological deformation, by means of which the individual reconciles himself to instinctual deprivation and submits to the requirements of social existence. Freud’s insistence on the continuity between psychic health and psychic sickness makes it possible to see neuroses and psychoses as in some sense the characteristic expression of a given culture. “Psychosis,” Jules Henry has written, “is the final outcome of all that is wrong with a culture.”
Psychoanalysis best clarifies the connection between society and the individual, culture and personality, precisely when it confines itself to careful examination of individuals. It tells us most about society when it is least determined to do so. Freud’s extrapolation of psychoanalytic principles into anthropology, history, and biography can be safely ignored by the student of society, but his clinical investigations constitute a storehouse of indispensable ideas, once it is understood that the unconscious mind represents the modification of nature by culture, the imposition of civilization on instinct.
- Freud should not be reproached [wrote T. W. Adorno] for having neglected the concrete social dimension, but for being all too untroubled by the social origin of… the rigidity of the unconscious, which he registers with the undeviating objectivity of the natural scientist… In making the leap from psychological images to historical reality, he forgets what he himself discovered - that all reality undergoes modification upon entering the unconscious - and is thus misled into positing such factual events as the murder of the father by the primal horde.
Secondary narcissism, on the other hand, “attempts to annul the pain of disappointed [object] love” and to nullify the child’s rage against those who do not respond immediately to his needs; against those who are now seen to respond to others besides the child and who therefore appear to have abandoned him. Pathological narcissism, “which cannot be considered simply a fixation at the level of normal primitive narcissism,” arises only when the ego has developed to the point of distinguishing itself from surrounding objects. If the child for some reason experiences this separation trauma with special intensity, he may attempt to reestablish earlier relationships by creating in his fantasies an omnipotent mother or father who merges with images of his own self. “Through internalization the patient seeks to recreate a wished-for love relationship which may once have existed and simultaneously to annul the anxiety and guilt aroused by aggressive drives directed against the frustrating and disappointing object.”
Narcissism in Recent Clinical Literature
The shifting emphasis in clinical studies from primary to secondary narcissism reflects both the shift in psychoanalytic theory from study of the id to study of the ego and a change in the type of patients seeking psychiatric treatment. Indeed the shift from a psychology of instincts to ego psychology itself grew partly out of a recognition that the patients who began to present themselves for treatment in the 1940s and 1950s “very seldom resembled the classical neuroses Freud described so thoroughly.” In the last twenty-five years, the borderline patient, who confronts the psychiatrist not with well-defined symptoms but with diffuse dissatisfactions, has become increasingly common. He does not suffer from debilitating fixations or phobias or from the conversion of repressed sexual energy into nervous ailments; instead he complains “of vague, diffuse dissatisfactions with life” and feels his “amorphous existence to be futile and purposeless.” He describes “subtly experienced yet pervasive feelings of emptiness and depression,” “violent oscillations of self-esteem,” and “a general inability to get along.” He gains “a sense of heightened self-esteem only by attaching himself to strong, admired figures whose acceptance he craves and by whom he needs to feel supported.” Although he carries out his daily responsibilities and even achieves distinction, happiness eludes him, and life frequently strikes him as not worth living.
Psychoanalysis, a therapy that grew out of experience with severely repressed and morally rigid individuals who needed to come to terms with a rigorous inner “censor,” today finds itself confronted more and more often with a “chaotic and impulse-ridden character.” It must deal with patients who “act out” their conflicts instead of repressing or sublimating them. These patients, though often ingratiating, tend to cultivate a protective shallowness in emotional relations. They lack the capacity to mourn, because the intensity of their rage against lost love objects, in particular against their parents, prevents their reliving happy experiences or treasuring them in memory. Sexually promiscuous rather than repressed, they nevertheless find it difficult to “elaborate the sexual impulse” or to approach sex in the spirit of play. They avoid close involvements, which might release intense feelings of rage. Their personalities consist largely of defenses against this rage and against feelings of oral deprivation that originate in the pre-Oedipal stage of psychic development.
Often these patients suffer from hypochondria and complain of a sense of inner emptiness. At the same time they entertain fantasies of omnipotence and a strong belief in their right to exploit others and be gratified. Archaic, punitive, and sadistic elements predominate in the superegos of these patients, and they conform to social rules more out of fear of punishment than from a sense of guilt. They experience their own needs and appetites, suffused with rage, as deeply dangerous, and they throw up defenses that are as primitive as the desires they seek to stifle.
On the principle that pathology represents a heightened version of normality, the “pathological narcissism” found in character disorders of this type should tell us something about narcissism as a social phenomenon. Studies of personality disorders that occupy the border line between neurosis and psychosis, though written for clinicians and making no claims to shed light on social or cultural issues, depict a type of personality that ought to be immediately recognizable, in a more subdued form, to observers of the contemporary cultural scene: facile at managing the impressions he gives to others, ravenous for admiration but contemptuous of those he manipulates into providing it; unappeasably hungry for emotional experiences with which to fill an inner void; terrified of again and death.
The most convincing explanations of the psychic origins of this borderline syndrome draw on the theoretical tradition established by Melanie Klein. In her psychoanalytic investigations of children, Klein discovered that early feelings of overpowering rage, directed especially against the mother and secondarily against the internalized image of the mother as a ravenous monster, make it impossible for the child to synthesize “good” and “bad” parental images. In his fear of aggression from the bad parents - projections of his own rage - he idealizes the good parents who will come to the rescue.
Internalized images of others, buried in the unconscious mind at an early age, become self-images as well. If later experience fails to qualify or to introduce elements of reality into the child’s archaic fantasies about his parents, he finds it difficult to distinguish between images of the self and of the objects outside the self. These images fuse to form a defense against the bad representation of the self and of objects, similarly fused in the form of a harsh, punishing superego. Melanie Klein analyzed a ten-year-old boy who unconsciously thought of his mother as a “vampire” or “horrid bird” and internalized this fear as hypochondria. He was afraid that the bad presences inside him would devour the good ones. The rigid separation of good and bad images of the self and of objects, on the one hand, and the fusion of self- and object images on the other, arose from the boy’s inability to tolerate ambivalence or anxiety. Because his anger was so intense, he could not admit that he harbored aggressive feelings toward those he loved. “Fear and guilt relating to his destructive phantasies moulded his whole emotional life.”
A child who feels so gravely threatened by his own aggressive feelings (projected onto others and then internalized again as inner “monsters”) attempts to compensate himself for his experience of rage and envy with fantasies of wealth, beauty, and omnipotence. These fantasies, together with the internalized images of the good parents with which he attempt to defend himself, become the core of a “grandiose conception of the self.” A kind of “blind optimism,” according to Otto Kernberg, protects the narcissistic child from the dangers around and within him - particularly from dependence on others, who are perceived as without exception undependable. “Constant projection of ‘all bad’ self and object images perpetuates a world of dangerous, threatening objects, against which the ‘all good’ self images are used defensively, and megalomanic ideal self images are built up.” The splitting of images determined by aggressive feelings from images that derive from libidinal impulses makes it impossible for the child to acknowledge his own aggression, to experience guilt or concern for objects invested simultaneously with aggression and libido, or to mourn for lost objects. Depression in narcissistic patients takes the form not of mourning with its admixture of guilt, described by Freud in “Mourning and Melancholia,” but of impotent rage and “feelings of defeat by external forces.”
Because the intrapsychic world of these patients is so thinly populated - consisting only of the “grandiose self,” in Kernberg’s words, “the devalued, shadowy images of self and others, and potential persecutors” - they experience intense feelings of emptiness and inauthenticity. Although the narcissist can function in the everyday world and often charms other people (not least with his “pseudo-insight into his personality”), his devaluation of others, together with his lack of curiosity about them, impoverishes his personal life and reinforces the “subjective experience of emptiness.” Lacking any real intellectual engagement with the world - notwithstanding a frequency inflated estimate of his own intellectual abilities - he has little capacity for sublimation. He therefore depends on others for constant infusions of approval and admiration. He “must attach [himself] to someone, living an almost parasitic” existence. At the same time, his fear of emotional dependence, together with his manipulative, exploitive approach to personal relations, makes these relations bland, superficial, and deeply unsatisfying. “The ideal relationship to me would be a two month relationship,” said a borderline patient. “That way there’d be no commitment. At the end of the two months I’d just break it off.”
Chronically bored, restlessly in search of instantaneous intimacy - of emotional titillation without involvement and dependence - the narcissist is promiscuous and often pansexual as well, since the fusion of pregenital and Oedipal impulses in the service of aggression encourages polymorphous perversity. The bad images he has internalized also make him chronically uneasy about his health, and hypochondria in turn gives him a special affinity for therapy and for therapeutic groups and movements.
As a psychiatric patient, the narcissist is a prime candidate for interminable analysis. He seeks in analysis a religion or way of life and hopes to find in the therapeutic relationship external support for his fantasies of omnipotence and eternal youth. The strength of his defenses, however, makes him resistant to successful analysis. The shallowness of his emotional life often prevents him from developing a close connection to the analyst, even though he “often uses his intellectual insight to agree verbally with the analyst and recapitulates in his own words what has been analysed in previous sessions.” He uses intellect in the service of evation rather than self-discovery, resorting to some of the same strategies of obfuscation that appear in the confessional writing of recent decades. “The patient uses the analytic interpretations but deprives them quickly of life and meaning, so that only meaningless words are left. The words are then felt to be the patient’s own pression, which he idealizes and which give him a sense of superiority.” Although psychiatrists no longer consider narcissistic disorders inherently unanalyzable, few of them take an optimistic view of the prospects for success.
According to Kernberg, the great argument for making the attempt at all, in the face of the many difficulties presented by narcissistic patients, is the devastating effect of narcissism on the second half of their lives - the certainty of the terrible suffering that lies in store. In a society that dreads old age and death, aging holds a special terror for those who fear dependence and whose self-esteem requires the admiration usually reserves for youth, beauty, celebrity, or charm. The usual defenses against the ravages of age - identification with ethical or artistic values beyond one’s immediate interests, intellectual curiosity, the consoling emotional warmth derived from happy relationships in the past - can do nothing for the narcissist. Unable to derive whatever comfort comes from identification with historical continuity, he finds it impossible, on the contrary, “to accept the fact that a younger generation now possesses many of the previously cherished gratifications of beauty, wealth, power and, particularly, creativity. To be able to enjoy life in a process involving a growing identification with other people’s happiness and achievements is tragically beyond the capacity of narcissistic personalities.”
2024.05.11 23:00 AutoModerator What is #VALZUBIRIAGENDA and some ideas and insights
The 3 basic parameters of hashtag #Valzubiriagenda:
- We artists and everyone else can write and self-publish art- and artist-related books: memoirs, biographies, art books and art catalogs. Books are forever. Pamphlets and brochures are not books.
- We announce a schedule of increasing prices of our art pieces, which includes quantities (scarcity numbers) per price point and overall (the total quantity of art pieces we might ever make). This helps art traders, art investors and art collectors speculate or even stop speculating and instead join a community of investors working together to hopefully skyrocket to the higher announced prices in a shorter span of time.
- We can use the NFT world, because NFTs provide the tracking (who owns what) and trading.
Valzubiriagenda NFTs
NFTs only came about a few years ago. But I had been working on this since the 1990s. I wrote a book, Valzubiriagenda, along with fellow artist Silverio Perez, and released it in 2018 (Amazon and elsewhere), tackling everything related to #1 & #2. We'll come up with #3 in a later book/ memoi marketing book.
Any artist, including tangible artists can release 10,000 NFTs if the artist chooses to do so. For tangible artists, the NFT first becomes an Art Commission Contract for sight unseen, yet-to-be made art. Once the art is made, the NFT becomes proof of ownership that the actual, tangible art is theirs.
Warehousing our tangible art
Another related idea is that the tangible art may be warehoused by the artist so that the NFT traders continue to trade. This means that even 10-ton 10-foot tall sculptures can be owned and traded by anyone without worrying about shipping, reshipping, scratches, smudges, parts breaking off, etc. The newness of the pieces remain because they are stored by the artist, source, gallery, etc. The art piece gets shipped to the art collector, the ultimate owner.
An artist who makes ceramic coffee mugs - smaller art pieces, can release 10,000 NFTs with a schedule of increasing prices so that NFT traders can trade immediately. The 10,000 coffee mugs can get damaged, so as they are made, they continue to be stored by the artist, until the time when art collectors decide to have the art pieces shipped to them.
Why only now?
I decided to write as many book-length memoirs as I can before I came out to promote this.
I'm an artist and an author. Both need time to "master." I would not even fully use "master" on myself, because there's always something new, even to my own art, my own writing and publishing.
I am now claiming that I'm the visual artist who has produced the most artist memoirs in the world. I have 5 on Amazon. I count Valzubiriagenda as both a marketing book and a memoir-of-sorts, because it has a lot of my own life lessons on writing and publishing. I would not care to contest my claim of having the most memoirs. I will release 5 more over the next 3 years.BARTER! Get help to write, photograph art and publish your books!
Anyone can hire 11 ghostwriters for 11 memoirs. If you can make art, but you cannot write, then barter your forever art with those who can help you produce forever books.
I don't feel the pressure of writing and publishing because I feel my focus should be on art students and art experts who would study my art and my books 100 years from now. Don't expect relatives and friends to read your books.
I call myself the Dollman
For my NFTs, I am proposing to make dioramas - my original, costumed, bejeweled porcelain dolls in backdrops that will also have precious metals and gemstones. This way I can incorporate precious metals and gemstones in my work, to make sure that people perceive my art as expensive, just in case I myself don't become "famous" - there's no need to get world famous. We are artists and all we need to do is to satisfy the art niche.
Use your laptop now!
I will encourage you to start writing your book-length memoir. Write, Edit and then Self-publish it. Get help. Why wait a hundred years for someone to write about you when all you need is a laptop and a nearby coffee shop.
Don't start counting chickens before the eggs hatch. I have encountered a lot of would-be writers who immediately see themselves as bestselling. world famous assets to society. Two even wanted me to sign NDAs (Nondisclosure agreements), because they did not want me to steal their book ideas.
Here's a suggestion. I would not personally do it. From one manuscript can come 2 books: The Original Draft (unedited, with misspellings, considered to be an art piece, scanned pages(?) of your handwritten original effort), and The Final Edition (edited).
PROVENANCE!
Another way to enhance our investability, tradability and collectability is PROVENANCE - how art ownership proceeds through time. The way this can be done is also through publishing books. Everyone can write their memoirs, biographies, art books and art catalogs, including traders, investors and art collectors. In effect, we artists can continue to be included or mentioned in even more books, without any additional effort by us.
You as an investor, reseller, trader, art collector should be able to publish a catalog with 250 works by 250 different artists, but they need to agree to this right from the start - it's your money, you should require them to follow your version of the hashtag #valzubiriagenda parameters, which preferably should include permission for you to publish their art. Why would you track down 250 artists later?
No exclusive contracts
If you're a café, you can call for artists, and come up with a book with for example, 30 artists, with a chapter devoted to each artist's profile and images of the artist's art.
You can distribute your catalogs to businesses and individuals near and far and online.
The book Valzubiriagenda even cites that funeral homes and janitors closets can sell art, with or without exclusivity. Airline catalogs can include million dollar art pieces. Car manufacturers, showrooms and even car repair shops can sell art as well. Everyone should be able to do this, anywhere in the world, especially not just because of the pandemic, but right now, we are in really bad economies.
What's with the name #Valzubiriagenda
I was into conspiracy theories in 2018, and this term, "The Mandela Effect," was popular. I had read many times that an artist coined the term, but I had to research online, for her name, many times, before remembering it. I'm not good at remembering names. It took me a year and a half to finally tell you that Fiona Broome coined "The Mandela Effect."
I also thought I might have to research trademarks and copyrights just to come up with a generic name. So I decided on "Valzubiriagenda." I was not really sure at first, but I decided to use it as the title for my book (with co-authoartist Silverio Perez) so that there would be no turning back and I can move on.
Am I a FUTURIST?
Someone I recently met this May 2022 just called me a futurist.
In the 1990s, I proposed to a pension fund that they can raise billions of dollars, especially for emergencies, or as needed, or out of desperation, if the pension fund purchases a quantity of art from an artist who not only has a current, reasonable price, but an announced future price that the artist wants to reach.
That future price would obviously be higher than the current price. The art commission contract for multiple art pieces can be taken to the fund's financial lender for a loan. The higher future price can be used for financing purposes.
The pension fund's treasurer, a publicly elected official, said this idea might work, but we had to keep this a secret and discuss this some more, because other pension funds might copy and do this prematurely. This idea had to come from the two of us. The treasurer needed his votes and I needed credentials.
Added into the pot was my idea that I, as the artist, will also write one book-length artist memoir. This was and still is a strong factor, because the leadership and marketing books I had read then mentioned a strong tip. If you want to advance in your field, write a full-length book that is related to the field.
Unfortunately, the elected official, the treasurer of the pension fund, who was also a friend, passed away - he was old and had ailments. At that point in time, I cannot just approach another pension fund treasurer to share this idea with.
I realized I had to write a few memoirs. I needed to set an example for other artists, so I needed to write more than one memoir. Then I felt I should also make ready another book - the how-to of what I'm up to. I wrote Valzubiriagenda, which was a memoir of sorts. I knew how long it would take me to write a book, so I had to make sure I can also consider this book a memoir.
In 2008, I imagined that someone like Bernie Madoff, or a fund like Lehman Brothers, would be desperate enough to use this to save themselves and their companies. I was not ready. I had only written 1 manuscript for a memoir.
In 2012, I released Dollman the Musical, A Memoir of an Artist as a Dollmaker. Once again, I was not ready because writing it depressed me a little, and I knew I had to write more.
In 2014, I released 3 memoirs, and re-released Dollman the Musical. Besides releasing regular books, I released special editions of the 4 books, which had a "Special Secret Insert for Bankers," which explains my ideas of an announced schedule of exponentially increasing prices, to satisfy investors, and the publication of artist memoirs, to satisfy art collectors.
In 2014, I also issued out a press release. Google "Can Billion Dollar Artist Save Investors and World Economy Valentino Zubiri PRWeb August 19 2014" and you will see the press release.
What I did was stake a claim on my ideas. I did not promote my books and the press release. I just wanted them to stay online, like a sleeping giant or a dormant volcano. I even designed 3 of the book covers to look like indie books from the 1980s. I was planting the seeds, thinking they will eventually grow and bear fruit in the future.
In 2015, I was interviewed by Richard Syrett, about one of my memoirs, Hocus Pocus Lately. This book is my memoir with paranormal stories. I could have pursued promoting my paranormal stories, but I wanted to be known first as a visual artist and memoirist, so I allowed myself one interview related to Hocus Pocus Lately. Richard Syrett has(had?) his own syndicated radio show, The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett, about the paranormal. He also guest hosts on Coast to Coast AM, another internationally syndicated show about the paranormal.
In 2018, I released Valzubiriagenda (co-authored by artist Silverio Perez, a fellow artist). Finally, this book is "the how-to of what I'm to."
I'm going to end this with some strangeness. In 1986, a lady at a religious gathering went into a trance and left a good number of messages. Supposedly, anyone who got into a trance would have messages, but once the trance was over, the person would not remember what was said.
I was not part of the group, but the lady turned her head to face me. She "foretold" that whatever I would decide to do in the future, it will take time, but it will be the right thing. This is one of my stories in one of my memoirs, Hocus Pocus Lately.
The Tulipmania of 1634-37
I discovered that there was this incident of rare tulips becoming collectible during the Dutch Golden Age. There were tulips so rare and so well-desired that their prices equaled to that of a house. You can read more about this online (Wikipedia) or watch a few YouTube videos about it.
Here is the most useful idea that I gleaned from the Tulipmania. The tulip bulbs remained safe inside nurseries. The traders were carrying the deeds of ownership to the tulip bulbs.
Then NFTs came to the forefront
I started learning PHP, an HTML scripting language, and MySQL, the database that PHP can connect to in the background, in 1999, when there were only 3 books about PHP and MySQL at the bookstores.
By 2014, I was trying to figure out how to make the "ledger," or database that can be used to update ownership and who can be contacted. If we are trading art, then the art ownership should be updated.
Then NFTs came about. This can be used as our ledger. Everyone can immediately trade NFTs of future, yet-to-be made art pieces, especially because it takes time to make tangible art.
NFTs actually went a step ahead, by allowing digital art to be traded.
The only setback with NFTs, in my opinion, is that it still lacks a commission system for resellers and representatives.
For example, if a café wants to represent me, then they can promote me at their café and on their online pages. If I make one piece of art that will be exclusively represented by a gallery, then that commission will be different and more specific. As ownership is transferred, the subsequent owners should be able to reset the commission. We should also have the option of giving commissions to hundreds of representatives at one time with different percentages if need be.
The recent crypto crash
Lately, we have observed that NFTs and cryptocurrencies have been behaving like the stock market and other markets. They have been fluctuating.
I believe that it is time for a trend which discourages fluctuation of prices.
I have also seen YouTube videos where social influencers are encouraging us to be on the lookout for exponentially profitable ventures, because we have all seen this happen with the exponential increase of Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Let's see if #Valzubiriagenda trends
We can announce present and future art prices. The galleries won't do this (yet?) because they follow a more traditional approach to the business of art.
We have a choice of using incrementally or exponentially increasing prices. We still reserve the right to change things in the future, so everyone should know to follow the latest update.
If this trends, if you as an artist simply announces that you will write an artist memoir, or that you will include the future works in future art books, you might have more art traders, investors and collectors approaching you.
Get your pen, paper and calculator
Imagine yourself as an artist, where you are right now. Let's just say you still do not have a book about yourself and your art yet. Imagine now that you have a memoir out there. Don't you think it makes sense to charge more than what you are charging now? Writing and publishing books is just the beginning. I'm just standardizing this approach. The books also say to do other related projects. In my case, getting Dollman the Musical onstage is one idea. You will have other related projects, but the publication of memoirs, biographies, art books and art catalogs will help all of us.
You can also imagine that a law firm that has meeting rooms, with someone who wants to form a local #valzubiriagenda group, can have meetings. A local café can do the same. Local photographers for your art, writers, editors, book designers, proofreaders and others can join in.
I suggest have printed books to share. 15 copies of your memoir or art books will be better than an e-reader or laptop or your phone to show. These gadgets can be stolen, sabotaged, broken, have coffee spilled on them, etc. 15 printed books means simultaneously showing to 15 people. You can even give them away to potential resellers, investors, traders and collectors.
When it rains, it pours, as in the days of Noah
There's a saying, "When it rains, it pours." There is a negative interpretation and a positive interpretation.
Negative: When trouble comes, they cascade to even more.
Positive: When opportunity comes knocking, more follow suit. We can assume that if one gets our art because of #valzubiriagenda, more want to do it now, because of the rising prices, and FOMO - fear of missing out. What will they lose if they miss the boat?
As I have said earlier, if the #valzubiriagenda trends, if you announce a future memoir or art catalog, you might have an increase of investors, traders and art collectors who would want to check you out. You might encourage more sales. Just remember to write and publish that memoir and art catalog.
There's this saying, "As in the days of Noah." Imagine Noah, building his ark, with members of his own family, putting all his time and effort into it. Noah was a nice guy. I'm sure every once in a while a neighbor offered him coffee, or chai latte, or whatever refreshing drink they might have back then.
Here's the lesson to be learned. Just because they offered him some type of bubble tea drink, or coca cola, they still didn't make it to the ark. Rubbing shoulders with actors does not make you an actor. I have told my artist friends to write their memoirs. They told me that once they see me succeed, after all these many years of seeing my seemingly useless efforts, then they will write their memoirs and follow the road that I had paved for them.
Good luck to them, but if I were you, act now, get my art or make art. Support the 5-year old artist whose parent promised to release a comprehensive art catalog. If you get that 5-year old's art, and mine, I would be honored to be in the same art catalog that you will produce. I'm already successful at that point. You have gotten the mission just right.
I have already claimed to have written the most book-length artist memoirs in the world. Dethrone that claim. Barter. Use ghostwriters. Success to me means facing God one day and saying, I wrote my memoirs and left the world a legacy of books and art. I will not tell God, smiling and proudly, that I encouraged a run for my art by announcing a schedule of exponentially increasing prices that reached 9 figures. I'm sure God knows we had fun.
JOIN THIS GROUP
If you want to try out #valzubiriagenda, in any capacity, join this group. Let others know about this group as well.If you are an artist, you can let everyone know here that you will produce your memoir, art catalogs, etc. It's okay if you don't know how to go about publishing yet, I will discuss this. Please be honorable enough to produce what you promise to produce.
If you want to meet fellow artists, investors, resellers, etc., join us here.
If you are a book writer, editor, proofreader; if you can photograph art pieces; if you are a book designer, etc., join us here. Let us know if you charge, barter for art, or both.
If you have your own tips and knowledge to share, join us here.
If you have underaged artists you are managing (parents, etc.) join us here.
Join this group if you want to sell works. Post your works. You web links. I'm sure I will.
You can announce meetings in your area. You might have meeting rooms, a café, restaurant, etc. where people can meet. In the future, you can have the regular show and tell, where books can be shown and shared.
Thanks for reading. Please let me know if I need to edit some parts. Please share and join this group. - Valentino Zubiri, Dollman, Artist, Memoirist
Underaged artists are welcome here, so please be mindful of your language. We cannot post your adult-oriented art pieces, but you can direct us to a separate page or community. There will be limits to your posts, and there will be adult-oriented art that we cannot allow to be posted.
Thanks for reading. Please let me know if I need to edit some parts. Please share and join this group. - Valentino Zubiri, Dollman, artist & memoirist
2024.05.11 12:28 softtechhubus Making the Most of Amazon's Six-Day Book Sale
 | https://preview.redd.it/qadnqip8yrzc1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=5207b41a22df00fcd695d09ca6f76341cca6f224 submitted by softtechhubus to u/softtechhubus [link] [comments] IntroductionAs an avid reader, few things excite me more than the promise of a great book sale. Being able to stock up on new reads at a discount is literally the best. So when I learned about Amazon's upcoming six-day Book Sale from May 15th to 20th, I could hardly contain my excitement. This was the perfect opportunity to expand my digital library without breaking the bank.However, with thousands of titles on sale and new deals dropping each day, I knew it would be all too easy to get overwhelmed browsing through page after page. I needed a plan of action if I wanted to make the most of this event. So I decided to do some research on the sale and put together some tips and strategies to help guide my shopping. My hope is that these insights will allow other readers to dive into the sale feeling prepared and confident they can find many great deals. With a little guidance, we can all curate vibrant personal libraries through Amazon's Book Sale. So read on for my best advice on navigating the sale like a pro! Key Details About the SaleBefore diving into strategies, it's helpful to understand some fundamentals about Amazon's upcoming Book Sale. Here are a few important details to keep in mind:DatesAs mentioned, the sale will run for six consecutive days from May 15th through May 20th. This gives shoppers a full week to browse deals at their leisure without feeling rushed.SelectionThousands of book titles across all genres will be discounted during the sale. This includes both print and digital formats like Kindle eBooks. Major genres like fiction, non-fiction, children's books and more will all be represented.Deal TypesShoppers can expect to find straight-up percentage discounts on individual titles (eg. 50% off). But there will also be bundle deals, collections curated by genre/interest, and daily doorbuster offers with extra-deep discounts.EligibilityThe sale is open to all Amazon customers, regardless of Prime membership status. However, Prime perks like Kindle Unlimited may allow additional savings potential that non-members can't access.GeographyThe Book Sale will only be available to shoppers in the United States. Readers in other major markets like the UK, Canada, and Australia will have to look for local book promotions instead.Keeping these core details in mind will set the stage for making smart purchasing choices throughout the weeklong event. With the basics covered, here are some targeted strategies. Strategies for Finding the Best DealsHave a Wish List ReadyBefore the sale even begins, take some time to compile a comprehensive wish list on Amazon. Browse through genres you enjoy, check out Editors' Picks, and note any highly anticipated new releases. Having specific titles already in mind will make the shopping process much more focused and efficient. You'll be able to quickly check prices against your list instead of endlessly scrolling.Check Daily Deal CatalogsBeyond regular discounted titles, Amazon will feature curated lists of particularly deep discounted "Daily Deals" each day of the sale. Be sure to check these dedicated catalogs near the top of the featured/kindle daily deals page for extra savings on select books. The doorbusters here can save you 50% or more off regular prices at times.Pay Attention to Genre-Specific PromotionsCertain genres may see increased discounts or bundle promotions on given days. For example, there could be a Spotlight on Science Fiction bundles one day, 75% off Thrillers the next. Follow u/amazongoodreads on social media for announcements on genre-focused deals each morning to optimize your shopping for favorites.Search Specifically Within Sale SectionsDo targeted keyword searches within the Digital Book Deals, Print Book Deals, or Daily Deals sections rather than searching Amazon overall. This will surface all sale titles related to your search terms upfront for easy comparison shopping against regular prices.Tap Into Additional Services if a Prime MemberPrime members have access to Kindle Unlimited, Prime Reading, and First Reads which allow sampling book catalogs for additional possible savings. Use those perks alongside sale shopping to maximize value from your membership.Consider Pre-Ordering Anticipated TitlesIf that highly anticipated new release you've been eyeing is being discounted during the sale, it may save you money to pre-order it now versus buying after release when the price bumps up. Just be sure you'll have time to read your pre-orders during the return period.Set Reminder Alerts for Specific DealsIf you see a great promo but the sale price is only good for one day, use the « Remind Me » feature to flag it for easy rebrowsing later. Amazon will send an alert when the deal is about to expire so you're more likely to catch fleeting promotions.Using a mix of these targeted strategies can you help curate an optimized shopping experience that ensures you find all the best deals across six days of savings. With the right approach, your digital library and to-read pile stand to grow tremendously for much less money spent. Additional Perks for Prime MembersWhile Amazon's Book Sale is open universally, Prime members will enjoy some extra advantages that amplify savings potential even more:Prime Reading CatalogFor starters, active Prime subscriptions unlock a rotating selection of thousands of books, magazines, comics and more through Prime Reading at no additional cost. During the sale, Prime members can check if particular titles they want are available here for zero dollars alongside discounted options.Kindle First ReadsEach month, Prime members get early access to a curated selection of pre-release books from Amazon Publishing. These don't technically have list prices yet, but the advance access allows snagging new fiction and non-fiction before anyone else for just the monthly Prime subscription charge alone. First Reads books announced during Book Sale weeks are an extra perk.Kindle Unlimited LibraryFor those interested primarily in ebooks and audiobooks, a Kindle Unlimited membership opens a full digital catalog for borrowing included with Prime. KU subscribers will see sale prices listed but members pay nothing additional to read Kindle Unlimited selections during (and long after) the promotion ends. The service is essentially a coupon-doubling perk when paired with sale browsing.Two-Day Shipping on Physical ItemsPrime's expedited delivery ensures sale books you purchase in paperback or hardcover arrive sooner than waiting the standard delivery window. Faster shipping helps put exciting new reads in-hand without delays, getting you to the good stuff more rapidly.With perks like these in their digital reading arsenal year-round, it's clear Prime members can capitalize on Amazon's Book Sale discounts to an even greater degree. The additional value of included catalogs, early access titles, and faster shipping makes their membership that much more worthwhile when deals are flying. Make sure Prime members make the most of their extra bonus resources during sale weeks! Best Practices for Your BookshelfMaking the most of a great book sale calls for more than just deal-hunting skills - it requires smart strategies for building your home library too. Here are some organizational and storage best practices to put those purchased titles to their full use:Designate Reading SpacesWhether you keep books on desks, nightstands, or built-in shelves, dedicating areas of your home to reading helps prevent clutter. Know where books "live" based on if being currently read, for later, or reference/collection.Implement the Dewey Decimal SystemGiving sections of your shelves consistent call numbers based on genre makes books easy to browse. Organize by 100s, 200s, etc. for fiction, then non-fiction groups like biography, history, travel etc. Bonus: kids can learn the library organization tool too!Interfile Series TogetherReaders enjoying following character arcs or storylines through book series will want physical copies kept in proper order. Leave space between titles to add later installments. Use placeholder volumes to avoid zig-zag rearranging.Label Shelves by GenreFor visual browsing, utilize labels, bookends or signs denoting what types of titles are housed on each shelf - Mysteries, Classics, Suspense etc. This makes finding the right mood of reading much simpler.Curate Displays SeasonallyFeature seasonal-themed books together whether it's beach reads for summer or spooky tales for Halloween. Rotating displays keeps your library feeling fresh and offers new perspectives on your collection.Go Digital with DuplicatesIf you've purchased the same book on sale in both print and ebook formats, use the digital version for reading-on-the-go while preserving the physical copy as part of your collection on the shelf.With a well-organized home library built using strategies like these, you'll get far more mileage out of every book acquired during mega sales. The titles become not just consumption items but lasting pieces in a thoughtful collection - yours to be explored again and again for years to come. Getting the Most from Sale PurchasesOnce the shopping rush of Amazon's great Book Sale is over and packages start arriving, it's time to start tackling those newly acquired tomes! Here are some tips for optimizing the experience of each new read:Digitize Notes & BookmarksFor non-fiction and references and libraries heavy on information, using a note-taking app or software to digitally compile insights keeps organized ideas in one place. Jot down quotes, page numbers and thoughts as you read directly into your notes for easy future reference across devices.Try Bookish Subscription BoxesIf sale purchases left room in the budget, sign up for themed bookish subscription boxes delivering monthly bundles around particular genres, interests or classics to further fuel your new library. Each shipment is a new adventure and perk of sale shopping.Start a Reading JournalChronicling thoughts, predictions, favorite passages and review in a dedicated reading journal transforms the experience. Later it's fun to revisit past entries and see perspectives change on re-reads. Special sale volumes deserve documented reflections.Read With a Book ClubIndependently read selections that align with an online or local book club read schedule. Bring new sale volumes to virtual discussions or meet-ups and gain fresh insights through collaborative chats.Try the Serial ApproachIf an especially long sale series grabbed you, pare titles down into more manageable weekly reads rather than powering through continuously. This makes the experience last longer while preventing reading exhaustion.Record Audiobook NarrationFor selections with amazing narration, record yourself reading along with the audiobook performance. Then play it back to hear the differences in your interpretation. A fun way to gain public speaking practice too!Trade Reviews For More CreditWrite detailed, helpful reviews of sale books on sites like Goodreads and Amazon to gain credit towards future reading material. Give value back to the community that enhanced your new library.Getting full value and enjoyment from books means more than just consumption. Using strategies to maximize each new read, discuss and apply its lessons will make every discounted volume purchased feel even more worthwhile down the road. In conclusion, with a little preparation and strategy, Amazon's multi-day Book Sale offers readers a tremendous opportunity to stock up on new reading material for our personal libraries at deep savings. By being smart about wish lists, daily deal alerts, organization techniques and full engagement with newly acquired titles, we can each grow our understanding and take full advantage of this literacy-fostering promotion. I hope book lovers everywhere feel empowered to dive into this great reading event feeling confident and equipped to discover many worthy new reads! |
2024.05.11 10:38 IamTimNguyen [R] Marcus Hutter's work on Universal Artificial Intelligence
![[R] Marcus Hutter's work on Universal Artificial Intelligence](https://b.thumbs.redditmedia.com/Mr6-eZ6SEd--BeWmjkFbtrV66rVAoqM3efJZKW_EVXE.jpg "[R] Marcus Hutter's work on Universal Artificial Intelligence") | Marcus Hutter, a senior researcher at Google DeepMind, has written two books on Universal Artificial Intelligence (UAI), one in 2005 and one hot off the press in 2024. The main goal of UAI is to develop a mathematical theory for combining sequential prediction (which seeks to predict the distribution of the next observation) together with action (which seeks to maximize expected reward), since these are among the problems that intelligent agents face when interacting in an unknown environment. Solomonoff induction provides a universal approach to sequence prediction in that it constructs an optimal prior (in a certain sense) over the space of all computable distributions of sequences, thus enabling Bayesian updating to enable convergence to the true predictive distribution (assuming the latter is computable). Combining Solomonoff induction with optimal action leads us to an agent known as AIXI, which in this theoretical setting, can be argued to be a mathematical incarnation of artificial general intelligence (AGI): it is an agent which acts optimally in general, unknown environments. More generally, Shane Legg and Marcus Hutter have proposed a definition of "universal intelligence" in their paper https://arxiv.org/abs/0712.3329 submitted by IamTimNguyen to MachineLearning [link] [comments] In my technical whiteboard conversation with Hutter, we cover aspects of Universal AI in detail: https://preview.redd.it/o6700v1udrzc1.png?width=3329&format=png&auto=webp&s=c00b825dbd4d7c266ffec5a31d994661348bff49 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TgOwMW_rnk&list=PL0uWtVBhzF5AzYKq5rI7gom5WU1iwPIZO Outline: I. Introduction
|
2024.05.11 06:05 Mysterious_Meet_4122 What are some good history books or tv shows?
I am looking to start self studying history because I just finished APEuro and I loved it. I am looking for some history books that not only dive into to a good deal of the economic, artistic (I love art history whether it is paintings, sculptures, music, or architecture), social, political, and some religious (like the Protestant rev, 30 years war, ect) but also dive into people’s lives. For example I loved reading about Lady Grey Jane too a Danish serf. And I want to learn about anything anywhere before 1950ish. The problem is I get really bored with the fancy writing most textbooks have and I am really bad at reading poems and books (like biographies) in older English which sorta puts me in a tough spot. I am down for a book/textbook or tv show or movies but I don’t want something that is historical fiction, I want to focus on what really happened in history. Sorry for the whole essay but finding a good way to learn is hard :).
submitted by Mysterious_Meet_4122 to AskHistorians [link] [comments]
2024.05.10 11:00 AutoModerator May 10, 2024 - Weekly FAQ and Beginner Q&A Thread If you are new to Neville, please post your questions here! How do I manifest X? What does Y mean?
Feel free to ask any type of question on this thread. More importantly, feel free to answer questions that have been asked!
Additionally, please refrain from posting multiple questions in the subreddit, and instead post the question in here. Moderators may remove or lock posts that are asking frequently asked questions.
If you believe you have a question that hasn't been answered, or would like to open a broader discussion that you feel it deserves its own thread, feel free to create an individual post! If you make an individual post, make sure to add as much context as possible, and be sure the question hasn't been answered elsewhere, or the post will be disapproved.
Old Scheduled Q&A Threads
Neville's Basic Manifestation Techniques:
If you want a physical copy of his books, publishers continue publishing new copies of Neville's works. Please check your library, locally owned book store, or search online for Neville's works. If you purchase a new physical copy, we recommend The Power of Imagination: The Neville Goddard Treasury, as it contains all of Neville's books in one volume.
All of Neville’s books and lectures are in the public domain and can be searched online for free, and are included in the Wiki and Sidebar links mentioned previously.
See also: Revision: The Complete Guide
submitted by AutoModerator to NevilleGoddard [link] [comments]
Additionally, please refrain from posting multiple questions in the subreddit, and instead post the question in here. Moderators may remove or lock posts that are asking frequently asked questions.
If you believe you have a question that hasn't been answered, or would like to open a broader discussion that you feel it deserves its own thread, feel free to create an individual post! If you make an individual post, make sure to add as much context as possible, and be sure the question hasn't been answered elsewhere, or the post will be disapproved.
Old Scheduled Q&A Threads
New to Neville's teachings? Start here!
The below links contain essentially the entirety of Neville's teachings.Frequently Asked Questions
Can I manifest xyz?
Yes, anything is possible.How do I manifest xyz?
All manifestations use the same technique(s). To get good simply takes practice and imagination.Neville's Basic Manifestation Techniques:
What scene should I choose?
Any scene which you believe you would encounter after your wish is fulfilled.What should I start reading?
We recommend The Law and The Promise or The Power of Awareness first for beginners. This is because Neville includes several examples and success stories from students, in addition to being lighter on Bible references, which can be off-putting or confusing to beginners.If you want a physical copy of his books, publishers continue publishing new copies of Neville's works. Please check your library, locally owned book store, or search online for Neville's works. If you purchase a new physical copy, we recommend The Power of Imagination: The Neville Goddard Treasury, as it contains all of Neville's books in one volume.
All of Neville’s books and lectures are in the public domain and can be searched online for free, and are included in the Wiki and Sidebar links mentioned previously.
What is an SP?
Specific Person. Usually in reference to a person’s romantic interest or crush. The term was popularized by so-called, self-professed online manifestation coaches and "experts". /NevilleGoddardSP is a dedicated, expert subreddit for that.What is a Mental Diet?
Avoiding negative conversation and media, paying attention to positive conversation and media.What is SATS?
State Akin To Sleep (SATS) refers to the deep state of consciousness during meditation or just before falling asleep. In SATS, the body is relaxed, but control over the mind is retained. It is used to create vivid visualizations in imagination for the purposes of manifesting.After you have decided on the action which implies that your desire has been realized, then sit in your nice comfortable chair or lie flat on your back, close your eyes for the simple reason it helps to induce this state that borders on sleep. The minute you feel this lovely drowsy state, or the feeling of gathered togetherness, wherein you feel- I could move if I wanted to, but I do not want to, I could open my eyes if I wanted to, but I do not want to. When you get that feeling you can be quite sure that you are in the perfect state to pray successfully.
Neville Goddard, 1948 Lecture Series, Lesson 4
What is the Lullaby Method?
In SATS, instead of visualizing, repeat an affirmation to oneself again and again, building the feeling of it being true.What is Revision?
Revision is revising in imagination events that have happened in the past as a way of mitigating their effects in the future.See also: Revision: The Complete Guide
What is Door Slamming/You are in Barbados/Living in the End/State of the Wish Fulfilled?
Closing your mind to any other possibility besides your outcome. Assuming your desire is true and not questioning it.Do we have Free Will?
Yes, and no. It’s complicated. See here.What is "Everyone is You Pushed Out" (EIYPO)?
On a practical level, what you believe is what you get. The world only shows you your own beliefs. On a metaphysical level, we are all the same God interacting with Itself through an infinite number of different points.The whole vast world is no more than man's imagining pushed out. I must qualify that by saying that the world outside of man is dead, but Man is a living soul, and it responds to man, yet man is sound asleep and does not know it. The Lord God placed man in a profound sleep, and as he sleeps the world responds as in a dream, for Man does not know he is asleep, and then he moves from a state of sleep where he is only a living soul to an awakened state where he is a life-giving Spirit. And now he can himself create, for everything is responding to an activity in man which is Imagination. "The eternal body of man is all imagination; that is God himself." (Blake)
Neville Goddard, The Law lecture
What if everything is going wrong? What if I am manifesting the opposite of my desire?
Failure is generally due to a lack of consistent faith or belief in the outcome, not feeling as though it had already happened. However, if the one has consistently been loyal to their faith, then we are reminded that all manifestations have their appointed hour (Hab 2:3). Neville writes about the causes of failure here.What about (my sick mom, my crazy grandpa, the homeless, starving children, etc.)?
In Neville's view, there is one being that is God (who is pure imagination), and has split Itself into infinite smaller forms to undergo a series of good/bad experiences across lifetimes until these smaller pieces realize they are God and reintegrate. The less fortunate are to be helped, not looked down upon, but understanding it is necessary for God to realize Itself (to experience bad and good).What happens after I die? What is The Promise?
Neville’s prophetic vision of an individual’s reintegration with God.Can I manifest multiple things at once?
Yes. Here is Neville's answer regarding how to manifest multiple things from Lessons Q&A:\5. Question: Is it possible to imagine several things at the same time, or should I confine my imagining to one desire?
Answer: Personally I like to confine my imaginal act to a single thought, but that does not mean I will stop there. During the course of a day I may imagine many things, but instead of imagining lots of small things, I would suggest that you imagine something so big it includes all the little things. Instead of imagining wealth, health and friends, imagine being ecstatic. You could not be ecstatic and be in pain. You could not be ecstatic and be threatened with a dispossession notice. You could not be ecstatic if you were not enjoying a full measure of friendship and love.
What would the feeling be like were you ecstatic without knowing what had happened to produce your ecstasy? Reduce the idea of ecstasy to the single sensation, "Isn't it wonderful!" Do not allow the conscious, reasoning mind to ask why, because if it does it will start to look for visible causes, and then the sensation will be lost. Rather, repeat over and over again, "Isn't it wonderful!" Suspend judgment as to what is wonderful. Catch the one sensation of the wonder of it all and things will happen to bear witness to the truth of this sensation. And I promise you, it will include all the little things.
What if I have another question?
Please use Reddit's search feature or post it here in the Q&A thread.2024.05.10 03:59 floppydo Generative AI is an amazing tool for dad-ing. If you've never tried it, I suggest you give it a shot.
Some examples of what I've used it for:
My kids love to play a game where I imagine something silly and I ask DALL-E or Midjourney to generate an image and then they use the image as inspiration and they draw and color the silly thing.
My kids often ask for made up story time in place of books at bedtime. My wife is quite good at this and I do a serviceable job but find it pretty difficult to have any significant plot happen. I'm much more about describing a scene, dialog, etc., which in the context of a 10 minute bedtime story leads to the whole thing basically being all the characters meeting each other and then it's time to sleep. Terrible. I prompt ChatGPT to provide 10, one-sentence plot points to a story for kindergarteners about [insert idea here] and it does and then I just elaborate on each of those and it makes it easy to keep the story stepping.
I asked ChatGPT to provide a biography of 30 significant women from history written in the style of a storybook for kindergarteners and read them one per day to my daughter during the month of March.
I've got the ChatGPT app on my phone and whenever my kids ask why about something or how about something I don't have an answer for, I can just hit the microphone button and repeat their question in the form of a decent prompt specifying that the answer should be written for young children and normally get a good answer.
Basically, whenever you have an idea of something to do for your kids, try to make it a habit to immediately start it with generative AI. Do that instead of thinking "I'll do that later." It's a labor saver and takes a little idea that before would have passed into nothing because you don't have time, and makes it into a plus in your kid's day.
submitted by floppydo to daddit [link] [comments]
My kids love to play a game where I imagine something silly and I ask DALL-E or Midjourney to generate an image and then they use the image as inspiration and they draw and color the silly thing.
My kids often ask for made up story time in place of books at bedtime. My wife is quite good at this and I do a serviceable job but find it pretty difficult to have any significant plot happen. I'm much more about describing a scene, dialog, etc., which in the context of a 10 minute bedtime story leads to the whole thing basically being all the characters meeting each other and then it's time to sleep. Terrible. I prompt ChatGPT to provide 10, one-sentence plot points to a story for kindergarteners about [insert idea here] and it does and then I just elaborate on each of those and it makes it easy to keep the story stepping.
I asked ChatGPT to provide a biography of 30 significant women from history written in the style of a storybook for kindergarteners and read them one per day to my daughter during the month of March.
I've got the ChatGPT app on my phone and whenever my kids ask why about something or how about something I don't have an answer for, I can just hit the microphone button and repeat their question in the form of a decent prompt specifying that the answer should be written for young children and normally get a good answer.
Basically, whenever you have an idea of something to do for your kids, try to make it a habit to immediately start it with generative AI. Do that instead of thinking "I'll do that later." It's a labor saver and takes a little idea that before would have passed into nothing because you don't have time, and makes it into a plus in your kid's day.
2024.05.09 13:45 Independent_Pen_1841 Абайшылық - new to-be-religion in Qazaqstan?
So, during the Bastard's case (ain wanna call him human name, bloody fvcker), we all have seen that Abay's Қара Сөздері were used by both sides during final-debates to validate their positions (not discussing the quality of implementation), and that seemed to me as if they were citing the holy script.
It is, of course, not serious statement or anything, just an entertaining thought to tinker with before the bed or at 3am table with a friend.
It has like everything you need, only time's a question:
The Figure who is treated as Teaching figure/Holy figure? Check ✅. Holy script? Check ✅ (a few of Abay's own өлеңдер and Қара Сөздері specifically). Full (quite artistically tinkered) biography treated as national treasure? Check ✅ (Epic of Abay, "Abay's Path"). And everybody treat the main figure as prime example of perfectivity or the Polaris? CHECK ✅. Abay is heavily depersonified, and everybody try to use his skin as the cover for their own moral, political values and beliefs. And people are capable of committing mental gymnastics to "fix him" into perfectivity. And it is not so often to criticise him: I mean, even the "Ойға түстім толғандым" (with which we will leave it out if it's actually written by him or not, since we are talking about the ones who already accept it as his own work), with its first person point of view, where main character has self-doubts and criticisms of what he committed, cannot be even hypothetically be read as about Abay, but somebody other! (Usually Abay's contemporaries). Isn't it like fascinating?, also, quite depressing, because, it's literally killing his heritage to shape it into the Legend of put your option here
And, the little additional point at the end: Noticed how I specified in parenthesis that "Abay's Path" was "artistically tinkered"? Now, could you see somebody attacking this specific phrasing or lining it as "Yes, the epic was a little bit artistically tinkered, but otherwise it's very truthful to reality, and all main events and characters are kept to the core"? When it was written decades after Abay's death by somebody to whom he was a legendary figure from his Grandfather's tales. I mean, even these last words about Mukhtar and his relation to Abay are gonna make me look potentially "dumb", "надан" and "uneducated", at least, in modern school (maybe quite justified, considering it is a hyperbola)
Abay was deconstructed literally by everybody; the government, зиялылар, politicians, scientists, artists and so on did that, to then revive him as their Jesus. Whatcha think?
(Waiting for when Sufis will make him their Пірі, Christians put him into purgatory by Dante and people giving their oath with hand on "Қара Сөздері жинағы" 😎)
submitted by Independent_Pen_1841 to Kazakhstan [link] [comments]
It is, of course, not serious statement or anything, just an entertaining thought to tinker with before the bed or at 3am table with a friend.
It has like everything you need, only time's a question:
The Figure who is treated as Teaching figure/Holy figure? Check ✅. Holy script? Check ✅ (a few of Abay's own өлеңдер and Қара Сөздері specifically). Full (quite artistically tinkered) biography treated as national treasure? Check ✅ (Epic of Abay, "Abay's Path"). And everybody treat the main figure as prime example of perfectivity or the Polaris? CHECK ✅. Abay is heavily depersonified, and everybody try to use his skin as the cover for their own moral, political values and beliefs. And people are capable of committing mental gymnastics to "fix him" into perfectivity. And it is not so often to criticise him: I mean, even the "Ойға түстім толғандым" (with which we will leave it out if it's actually written by him or not, since we are talking about the ones who already accept it as his own work), with its first person point of view, where main character has self-doubts and criticisms of what he committed, cannot be even hypothetically be read as about Abay, but somebody other! (Usually Abay's contemporaries). Isn't it like fascinating?, also, quite depressing, because, it's literally killing his heritage to shape it into the Legend of put your option here
And, the little additional point at the end: Noticed how I specified in parenthesis that "Abay's Path" was "artistically tinkered"? Now, could you see somebody attacking this specific phrasing or lining it as "Yes, the epic was a little bit artistically tinkered, but otherwise it's very truthful to reality, and all main events and characters are kept to the core"? When it was written decades after Abay's death by somebody to whom he was a legendary figure from his Grandfather's tales. I mean, even these last words about Mukhtar and his relation to Abay are gonna make me look potentially "dumb", "надан" and "uneducated", at least, in modern school (maybe quite justified, considering it is a hyperbola)
Abay was deconstructed literally by everybody; the government, зиялылар, politicians, scientists, artists and so on did that, to then revive him as their Jesus. Whatcha think?
(Waiting for when Sufis will make him their Пірі, Christians put him into purgatory by Dante and people giving their oath with hand on "Қара Сөздері жинағы" 😎)
2024.05.08 23:21 monkey_sage To kindness (and beyond) in 108 beads — Michael Lobsang Tenpa
 | Article Text: submitted by monkey_sage to Buddhism [link] [comments] Michael Lobsang Tenpa To kindness (and beyond) in 108 beads May 8, 2024 This article was originally written for the Jamyang Buddhist Center in London Very few things in the Dharmic traditions of the Indian subcontinent are as enigmatic as the origins of the number 108. While Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Jainism and Buddhism—along with the modern-day New Age authors—all have their own ideas about the signifance of the figure, no particular way to trace this number to its ultimate historical root seems to exist. Just like the mantric syllable OM itself, it is both mysterious and perennial. While Buddhism in no way claims to be the original source of this intriguing number, it does use it extensively. By the time of the great philosophers Chandrakirti and Shantideva, an important sutra they both quoted from, Descent into Lanka, already contained a chapter in which Bodhisattva Mahamati posed a hundred and eight questions to the Buddha, seeking to clarify such issues as "How is a thought purified?" and "Where do thoughts originate?" The Buddha responds with a hundred and eight statements of his own, quoting the awakened beings of the past as the source for his replies. In the Sūtra of Boundless Life (Tsedo), the Buddha repeatedly references the 108 names of Buddha Āmitāyus, praising the benefits of reciting and praising these names. For the Vajrayāna textual tradition, at least two early Tantric hymns (one of them translated here) listing the hundred and eight names of Tara were preserved in Tibet preserved, both beautiful in their way of praising our ultimate potential as exemplified by the goddess. Similar texts listing one hundred eight names exist for Avalokiteśvara, Khamgarbha, Samantabhadra, Maitreya, and for the Buddha himself. These, of course, mirror hymns of the same genre that exist in the Hindu tradition. On a more institutional side, the monastic university of Vikramashila is said to have had 108 temples: the main one, 54 smaller ones dedicated to the common teachings of the Buddha, and 53 for the practice of the uncommon tantric teachings. In addition to that, the Indian king Dharmapala was providing the means for the 108 panditas of Vikramashila to continue their studies and practice; this is perhaps the earliest recorded case of benefactorship associated specifically with this number. Still a powerful basis for rejoicing! Furthermore, the great master Vasubandhu, author of many quintessential treatises still used by the Tibetan and Chinese traditions, is quoted as creating 108 Dharma centres in Magadha, and the same number of centres in Odivisha (modern-day Orissa). When Buddhism arrived to Tibet, the sacred number became similarly embedded in the religious thinking of the country. Sources related to Padmasambhava's life state that a hundred and eight gifted youngsters were sent to the Indian subcontinent to train in languages and to bring back scriptures for the great translation project initiated by King Trisong Deutsen. When the translated teachings of the Buddha were being compiled into Kangyur (most likely during the period of the new translation schools, or sarma, with the final editions produced by Buton Rinchen Drup), the editors chose to organize the most important texts in 108 volumes. Almost 800 years later later, in the 19th century, the prolific non-sectarian scholar Jamgon Kongrul Lodro Thaye wrote a biography for the most important tertons, or treasure teaching revealers, once again symbolically enumerating them as one hundred and eight; this shows that the number remained highly significant throughout the entire history of the Tibetan literary tradition. 108 beads For people who did not grow up in an environment associated with one of the Dharmic traditions, the first encounter with the number 108 often has more to do with merchandise than anything philosophy- or practice-oriented: most mass-produced malas (prayer beads) used for practice or simply as jewelry have 108 beads. While scrolling through the numerous malas offered on Etsy and similar platforms, one might get to see a huge variety of bead-related creations, many of them beautiful as an ornament—even if not fully usable as a tool for serious Tibetan Buddhist practice. A mala (trengwa in Tibetan) literally means “garland”; in both Sanskrit and Tibetan this term can be used to refer to a string of flowers, to a range of mountains, or to any other garland, metaphorical or literal. However, when the word “mala” itself is used as a borrowed term in modern English, it almost exclusively refers to an Indian-style rosary, commonly used by the practitioners of the Dharmic traditions. The specific way of using a mala is slightly different in the different lineages of spiritual practice. Certain common points exist (such as the number of beads or the respect afforded to the rosary), and yet there are major differences as well, even when it comes to the material that a mala is made of. For example, while rudraksha seeds are used by both Hindus and Buddhist, other materials remain fairly exclusive to a specific tradition: tulsi basil malas are only popular amongst the followers of Vishnu, while the so-called “bodhi seeds” and “lotus seeds” are exclusively used by Buddhist. In many places, like the Pashupatinath complex and the Swayambhu hill in Nepal (where Hindu and Buddhist holy sites overall), an experienced eye would immediately recognise which tradition one belongs to by seeing one’s prayer beads. For Buddhists, malas, as a sequence of beads on a looped string, represent the unending flow of positive qualities. When explaining the significance of the crystal mala held by the four-armed form of Avalokiteśvara,famed translator Tulku Thondup Rinpoche notes that it is held “to symbolise that Buddha’s loving-kindness never ends”. On the Vajrayāna level of teachings, the beads also come to represent the deities of a specific mandala and the syllables of a mantra (or all the mantras one recites). The best way to create, keep and use malas in the Indo-Tibetan tradition is described in great detail in the Vajrayāna sources. A lot of these teachings are said to originate with Padmasambhava (quite appropriate, since one of his most important philosophical works is called A Mala of Views). According to these instructions, the rosary of a serious Vajrayāna practitioner becomes such an indispensable part of one’s life that it is never to be separated from the warmth of one’s body—never to be left behind. Of course, before forming such a bond with a rosary, strengthened by using it again and again on a daily basis, one would typically carefully choose a suitable one and bless it (or have it blessed), turning it into a valuable tool for one’s practice of mind training through mantra and prayer repetition. Parts of a mala Any Buddhist male made in accordance with the traditional instructions would have the following elements: Counting beads. These are the beads actually used for counting; they would always number as a 108 and be of the same material. While souvenir malas would sometimes combine multiple materials in order to look ornamental, that is not common for practice-oriented malas. Thread. While traditional sources recommend a cord woven out of 3, 5 or 9 threads and made by a young girl, most malas in this day and age are made using durable synthetic strings. The cord needs to be long enough for the beads to move around easily, but not so long that one has to struggle to reach the next bead. Head bead / Guru Bead. This is a bead (usually larger in size) that begins and closes the loop. Since it represents the guru, one would not go over this bead while counting; instead, one is supposed to turn the mala around and continue moving in the opposite direction.The string goes through this bead towards the bumpa and the knot. Bumpa. This little piece crowning the head bead often looks like a three-tier stupa, representing the three bodies of a Buddha; because of that, some mala-makers colloquially refer to it as a “stupa”. In some styles of mala making, the head bead and the bumpa are replaced with three guru beads following each other: white (closest to the counting beads), red, and blue (closest to the knot), also representing the three bodies of an enlightened being. Knot. Buddhist malas do not typically use tassels, as those are not durable and do not add any practical value. Instead, the bumpa is followed by a strong knot. These are of two primary types: fixed and adjustable. Having an adjustable knot on one’s mala allows one to adjust the tightness and the distance between the counting beads. However, since it takes some of effort to learn the way to make sliding knots (see a video instruction here), people who string their own malas sometimes go for a simpler fixed version. The following elements are added sometimes, but are not indispensable: Dividers. These three additional beads divide the mala into four equal parts; alternatively, they can be placed at irregular intervals, such as after the first 21 beads, in the very middle of a mala and so on. Often made from another material or from beads of a larger (or smaller) size, these bring up the overall number of beads to 111. Different masters have different views on whether having dividers is good in terms of creating positive interdependence. However, one of the malas used by the late Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, now preserved as a precious relic, includes multiple coral dividers—some even placed right next to the guru bead in a relatively unconventional design! Counters. There are two types of counters. One type (chu dzab) consists of ten small rings on a string, often combined with a vajra or a bell (or another auspicious symbol) at the end. Having completed one mala, one moves a small ring towards the body of the mala itself; when ten rings on one counter have been moved, one moves the first ring (representing one thousand repetitions) on the other counter, and then restarts the process. Some Himalayan practitioners have 6 or more of such counters on their mala, making the whole process a bit tricky to navigate but helping them keep track of the incredible numbers they are accumulating. Another type of counters is made of metal and is only moved around for keep track of larger numbers. These would often be shaped as an auspicious knot, a flower, a Dharma wheel, and so on. End beads. These are usually small decorative beads, often of the same material as the main beads, attached to the end of the mala string after the knot. On occasion, other decorative elements, such as metal flowers or even dzi beads, are added for auspiciousness or ornamentation. Plain malas might not have any of these. Common materials for creating malas Although a mala can be made from anything that can be fashioned into a bead, two distinct principles are often quoted as the basis for making one’s choice: that of general value and that of associated activities. When it comes to the value of malas, Padmasambhava (as quoted by such modern-day masters as Gyatrul Rinpoche and Zurmang Rinpoche) outlines three levels. The most valuable malas, according to him, would be made from such precious materials as gold, silver, diamond and coral—due to their worldly worth, we would also feel very special about them (although walking around with a diamond mala, as Zurmang Rinpoche jokingly points out, might not be the safest option for most of us). Medium-grade rosaries are made from seeds of beneficial plants, and the least valuable rosaries (that are still perfectly good for practice) would be made from wood, clay, stone, or medicinal substances. If one wants to choose a mala based on the activity one seeks to perform through one’s practice, a different logic is applied. Malas made of conch shells, crystal, seeds or most types of wood are appropriate for pacifying practices. Beads made from yellow and gold-coloured materials, along with apricot stones are good for expanding, or enriching. Coral, rubies, carnelian, red agate, mahogany and so on are used for magnetising, and finally, lava stone, rudraksha, bone and steel are meant for wrathful activities. Bone malas, although inexpensive and very easily accessible in Himalayan stores, are said to be exclusively meant for wrathful practices, which would normally already imply a certain level of Vajrayāna mastery already. Certain materials are also mentioned to have the power to multiply the power of one’s mantras; among those, bodhi seeds are praised most highly, with silver, copper, rudraksha, rubies, pearls and some other materials described as having similar, though less strong, properties. In terms of the malas most commonly used by lamas and common practitioners alike, some of the most popular materials for modern-day rosaries include the following. Bodhi seeds. Contrary to a common misconception, these have no connection to the bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa) that the Buddha sat down under prior to attaining enlightenment. The bodhi seeds used for making malas are primarily divided into two big categories: “Indian bodhi” (often sold in Bodhgaya and other places of Buddhist pilgrimage) and “Nepali bodhi”. While Indian bodhi seeds can be inexpensively purchased in India and abroad and are perfectly good for making malas, it appears that most texts praising the benefits of bodhi malas are referring to the Nepali variety (Ziziphus budhensis), originally planted in a specific region of Nepal by Padmasambhava himself. Due to their popularity, the price for these seeds skyrocketed in the recent years and is kept high by the demand in the Chinese market. The smaller the bead, the more expensive it is, to the point where a mala with 8-9mm beads can sometimes cost up 800-1000 US dollars. Some sellers occasionally try to pass a much cheaper type of seed, known in Nepal as raktu, for proper bodhi seeds. While somewhat similar in terms of their look, raktu seeds are extremely cheap (to the point where a whole mala can cost about 1 US dollar) and not very durable; when they dry down, a bead can easily be cracked by applying a little bit of pressure. Raktu malas often have an actual Nepali bodhi seed as the guru bead. Lotus. In the Chinese market, these seeds are also known as “moon and stars”: they can be distinguished by a number of smaller dots (representing stars) and a small hole (representing the moon). In terms of botany, these have no connection to the actual lotus plant (or any other flower resembling lotuses, such as water lily) and are the polished seeds of rattan (Daemonorops jenkinsiana). These seeds are relatively popular in the Kagyu tradition — the Sixteenth Karmapa used to give “moon and stars” malas as gifts on occasion — and are either dyed reddish brown or left white/beige. One should note that these seeds can also be imitated using plastic. Real rattan seeds would gradually get darker through use, while the plastic imitation would retain its original color. Sandalwood. There are two types of sandalwood primarily used for creating malas: the aromatic white sandalwood (Santalum album), known in India as safed chandan, and the non-aromatic red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus), known as rakta chandan or lal chandan. Both are used to make beautiful malas, but it is white sandalwood in particular that is popular for making debate malas commonly used in the Gelug tradition. It is because of this connection that His Holiness the Dalai Lama can often be seen using a white sandalwood rosary. Rudraksha. Although often associated with Shiva worship and the Hindu tradition in general, rudraksha beads of different varieties (and with a different number of “faces”, or sides) are also used in Buddhism, especially in the Nyingma tradition. Some Nyingma lineages even recommend them as the primary material to use for three-year retreats—most likely because the main practices to be performed in such retreats have to do with advanced Vajrayāna techniques. That being said, such malas are not common amongst beginners and are not usually used for peaceful mantras. Stones and minerals. Multiple types of precious, semi-precious and common stones are used for making malas. One should note these stone-based malas typically a bit heavier than malas made from seeds or wood—if the beads are large (8mm and above), the sheer weight of the mala is likely to damage the string much faster than with wood-based malas. If that happens, the mala simply needs to be restrung, ideally (as the teachings state) within 1 day. Being the most common mineral on earth, quartz in particular is often used for making relatively inexpensive malas, including those made from transparent crystal; in India, these rosaries are known as sphatik, also commonly used by Hindu practitioners. Citrine, amethyst, rose quartz and other varieties of the same mineral are frequently used as well, along with lab-dyed and lab-grown quartz of different types. Lab-dyed quartz stones (painted and then heated so that the paint can enter the small cracks) are also frequently passed for other minerals, including peridot and jade. Two mineral-based materials to be careful with—often serving as ornaments in the Tibetan folk culture—are turquoise and coral. With turquoise, one has to be very careful with finding genuine stones, as most modern turquoise malas are made from imitation stones (including dyed howlite and magnesite), since the reserves of genuine unadulterated turquoise in the world are dwindling. Real coral is similarly extremely expensive; one large red bead made from sea coral can cost as much as 1000 US dollars, so if a full “coral” mala is affordable, it is definitely made from other stones or imitation materials. Two more stone-like substances that are popular in the Buddhist world are pearls (available in various colours, including pink and black) and amber. Buddhist monastics in India and Nepal are often seen using amber malas, desirable for their yellow color that is seen as auspicious for Mañjuśrī practice; however, checking whether the amber is real can be a bit tricky unless a mala is purchased with an authenticity certificate from the Baltic countries where most of the amber in this world is still found. A cheaper, younger form of amber known as copal can also sometimes be used, but even that is often imitated using tree resins or simply plastic. At the end of the day, the material of the mala one uses depends on one’s personal inclinations; while some materials are historically praised above others, it also crucial that one’s mala sits comfortably in the hand and brings one joy. Having met many high teachers from the different Buddhist traditions of Tibet—Rinpoches, tulkus, khenpos and geshes—I have seen them use a wide variety of malas, from humble plastic to beautiful natural amber, with almost everything in between. The most common materials have always been Nepali bodhi, rudraksha, and white sandalwood. In his book on mala creation and use, Zurmang Rinpoche also mentions that the following types of malas are to be avoided:
|
2024.05.08 01:46 LupaSENESE RIP to my absolute favorite ancient Rome historian, Karl Galinsky (1942 - 2024)
I wanted to pay tribute to my absolute favorite ancient Rome historian, Karl Galinsky (February 7, 1942 – March 9, 2024). He was a professor at the University of Texas in Austin. He was considered one of the foremost experts on Augustan Rome. I wanted to write briefly what I love about his writing and history, and why I prefer his work on Augustus above anyone else’s.
I’ve read a veritable mini-library on Augustus. His principate and life is my favorite period in Roman history. In a great deal of these books, there is this pervading cynicism about Augustus that no doubt stems from Tacitus and Sir Ronald Syme. Both of these legendary historians wrote about Augustus with a heavily biased lens. Tacitus wrote from the perspective of an optimate who valued the libertas of a small faction, the Roman oligarchy. Galinsky writes, “Libertas has both an active and passive meaning. It could mean freedom to do something actively, or it can be the freedom from something or someone. Tacitus and Cicero reflect on this matter, they espouse the former (active freedom). But of course, they are extremely biased and are purely referring to senatorial freedom and not the people’s.” Sir Ronald Syme, and understandably so, wrote from the perspective of a historian in the late 30’s, amid encroaching totalitarian dictators. Mussolini revived Augustus’ reign and Augustus was depicted as the “godfather of European dictators.” Galinsky writes, “After Mussolini, for instance, effectively usurped the Augustan era for Fascism, the association stuck for decades, and scholars were reluctant to say anything positive about Augustus so as not to appear as sympathizers.”
Andrew Wallace-Hadrill in Augustan Rome writes, “The fact that Mussolini (and even to some degree Hitler) made use of Augustus as a supposed model had a strong and largely negative impact on the reception of Augustus in the post-fascist period. Sir Ronald Syme's devastating account of Augustus in The Roman Revolution (1939) made plain a lack of sympathy for a figure who, having been deployed as a model for fascist dictators, started to look like one. Even Maecenas came to look like Hitler's minister of information, Goebbels, in manipulating public opinion. Half a century after the fall of fascism, more nuanced viewpoints became possible.”
And indeed, more than half a century after the fall of fascism, more nuanced viewpoints became to emerge and the pinnacle of this newer, fresher, and less biased reception of Augustus is that of Karl Galinsky. Galinsky praises Augustus as someone who only adversely affected the senatorial oligarchy in his reign. He was a necessary monarch and most importantly, the monarch of all, and not just of the select few oligarchs. Similar to Jochen Bleicken’s assessment of Augustus (by the way, Bleicken’s biography of Augustus is the best out there), they both view Augustus as - along with Alexander the Great - the most important figure of antiquity in western civilization. Below, I wanted to provide some of my favorite passages from two of Professor Galinsky’s books. One is Augustus: An Introduction to the Life of an Emperor, and the second one is my all-time favorite book, Augustan Culture. I will provide page numbers for each passage.
"Now “having power over all things,” did Augustus exercise power for its own sake, or did he use it as the means to an end? The answer is, quite unambiguously, the latter." (82)
"How Augustus governed: His personal imprint clearly was discernible, but, quite typically, was not the result of a constant series of executive orders. Such steps were rare. An example is edicts which addressed a number of concerns that had been directed to his attentions by non-Romans in Cyrene: he decreed that Roman citizens should be subject to local laws and that in trials involving Greeks half the jury should be Greek. Similarly, he interfered little in the affairs of the towns in Italy, which numbered around 400. Road building was a priority to tie the empire together just on a material level, and imperial officials were put in charge of the task. But, as we know from what happened in Italy, they had to work though local authorities and contractors. The emperor would not have it otherwise, and balanced approaches like these characterize his style of governing. In short, Augustus was an involved ruler. There was constant communication and consultation rather than intervention. He tapped into existing networks and structures but provided a sense of direction." (164)
"For most people around the Mediterranean, the end of ruinous wars and a return to normal life, domestic tranquility, and some material security would have been enough. If it took a monarch to guarantee these basic blessings, so be it. At least he was “the monarch of everybody” (Momigliano 1940, 80) instead of being interested only in the welfare of a small clique; of course, that monarch should not be a paranoid dictator or bloodthirsty tyrant, either. A return to “laws and rights” would have sufficed, but other frameworks were available besides the republican constitution, which had not been up to the task. The converse parameter for Octavian was that, no, he was not about to give up his power but would try to exercise it in a way that was acceptable to most." (182)
"The other quality that allowed Augustus to achieve all he did was his capacity to grow. Conquest and warring down the enemy was one thing; effectively governing the resulting reign was another – here is where Augustus saw the biggest difference between himself and his model Alexander. Given the generally static view of character in Greco-Roman antiquity, his development after 30 BC was not to be expected, and some understandable mistrust kept lingering. This change should not be rendered simplistically with phrases like “a kinder, gentler Augustus” and similarly reductive characterizations. He still was the same man with the same steely determination. But he saw the task he was facing now, and the way he chose to engage it, required qualities beyond those that had been in evidence. He addressed the problems that had been neglected, and he planned for the long term and not just for his own gain. The way he and his advisers went about this with hard work, patience (we may recall his motto “make haste slowly”), fairness, and vision resonated. This was a ruler and leader one could respect." (185)
Augustus led a moral revitalization and followed through on it; it was a time for rededicating the state to values, virtues, ideas, and ideals. Especially in the arts and literature, the phenomenon is more complex than mere “propaganda”. (on supposed “propaganda”. 20)
To calls coins propaganda is way too simple. It was a lot more nuanced than that. There is no evidence that indicates a pattern of control by the princeps himself. Barbara Levick has proposed that the coins do not produce a message from the emperor to his subjects, but rather are an offering of respect by the subjects to the emperor. (On coins and propaganda. 30)
Maecenas, in his pro-monarchic advice to Augustus, counseled him that “none of the cities should be allowed to have their own separate coinage… they should all be required to use ours” (Dio 52.30.9). Augustus neither did so nor did he need to; Auctoritas once more triumphed over potestas. (40)
The basic change under Augustus only affected the senatorial oligarchy adversely. On several occasions Cicero stresses the importance of preserving the appearance of popular freedom while keeping all the power in the hands of the leading citizens… expressed by Cicero’s spokesman, Scipio in The Republic (1.47-48): “The people hardly possess more freedom under an aristocracy any more than under a monarchy.” (55)
During the late republic, the common people were essentially double losers. They had no meaningful political freedom, nor were they freed from oppressive misery – economic, social, or political – caused by incessant party strife. The fact that a monarch who guaranteed them domestic tranquility and not the aristocracy, was irrelevant to them. At least he was a monarch of everyone instead of looking out only for the interests of a small clique as the senatorial regime had done in the name of its libertas. (55)
submitted by LupaSENESE to ancientrome [link] [comments]
I’ve read a veritable mini-library on Augustus. His principate and life is my favorite period in Roman history. In a great deal of these books, there is this pervading cynicism about Augustus that no doubt stems from Tacitus and Sir Ronald Syme. Both of these legendary historians wrote about Augustus with a heavily biased lens. Tacitus wrote from the perspective of an optimate who valued the libertas of a small faction, the Roman oligarchy. Galinsky writes, “Libertas has both an active and passive meaning. It could mean freedom to do something actively, or it can be the freedom from something or someone. Tacitus and Cicero reflect on this matter, they espouse the former (active freedom). But of course, they are extremely biased and are purely referring to senatorial freedom and not the people’s.” Sir Ronald Syme, and understandably so, wrote from the perspective of a historian in the late 30’s, amid encroaching totalitarian dictators. Mussolini revived Augustus’ reign and Augustus was depicted as the “godfather of European dictators.” Galinsky writes, “After Mussolini, for instance, effectively usurped the Augustan era for Fascism, the association stuck for decades, and scholars were reluctant to say anything positive about Augustus so as not to appear as sympathizers.”
Andrew Wallace-Hadrill in Augustan Rome writes, “The fact that Mussolini (and even to some degree Hitler) made use of Augustus as a supposed model had a strong and largely negative impact on the reception of Augustus in the post-fascist period. Sir Ronald Syme's devastating account of Augustus in The Roman Revolution (1939) made plain a lack of sympathy for a figure who, having been deployed as a model for fascist dictators, started to look like one. Even Maecenas came to look like Hitler's minister of information, Goebbels, in manipulating public opinion. Half a century after the fall of fascism, more nuanced viewpoints became possible.”
And indeed, more than half a century after the fall of fascism, more nuanced viewpoints became to emerge and the pinnacle of this newer, fresher, and less biased reception of Augustus is that of Karl Galinsky. Galinsky praises Augustus as someone who only adversely affected the senatorial oligarchy in his reign. He was a necessary monarch and most importantly, the monarch of all, and not just of the select few oligarchs. Similar to Jochen Bleicken’s assessment of Augustus (by the way, Bleicken’s biography of Augustus is the best out there), they both view Augustus as - along with Alexander the Great - the most important figure of antiquity in western civilization. Below, I wanted to provide some of my favorite passages from two of Professor Galinsky’s books. One is Augustus: An Introduction to the Life of an Emperor, and the second one is my all-time favorite book, Augustan Culture. I will provide page numbers for each passage.
Augustus: Introduction to the Life of an Emperor
“Augustus, then, did not “restore the constitution of the Republic” but rather “restored constitutional government” (Scheid 2007, 89). And it is good to question how many people really wished for a return of that Republic with all its instability, aristocratic jockeying for power, and the government’s neglect of the basic needs of people such as the ability to pursue happiness, domestic tranquility, and a productive life for themselves and their families. Hence, as Dio reports on that occasion (53.11.2), there were members of the senate “who abhorred the republican constitution as a breeder of strife, were pleased at the change in government, and took delight in Caesar.” If that was true of senators, it was all the more true of the vast majority of Italians. They were not interested in the politics of the capital, by which they were deeply affected but in which they could not participate unless they went to Rome and voted there. The libertas they welcomed was not the liberty to engage in cliquish competition for status, and office in Rome but freedom from the effects of discord, factionalism, and hardships that system had produced. Hence the end of the Res Gestae echoes its beginning where Augustus proclaimed to have liberated the republic from the tyranny of a faction. From all this, yet another reason emerges why Augustus wanted to “restore” the republican system: precisely as a constant reminder of its built-in weakness and risks. The republic, without a strong leader, was not the way most people wanted to be governed; there was no nostalgia for its excesses and the economic and political havoc that had resulted. If the system was to work again it required an Augustus. Leaving it to its own devices was a guarantee to return to the bad old days.” (68)”"Now “having power over all things,” did Augustus exercise power for its own sake, or did he use it as the means to an end? The answer is, quite unambiguously, the latter." (82)
"How Augustus governed: His personal imprint clearly was discernible, but, quite typically, was not the result of a constant series of executive orders. Such steps were rare. An example is edicts which addressed a number of concerns that had been directed to his attentions by non-Romans in Cyrene: he decreed that Roman citizens should be subject to local laws and that in trials involving Greeks half the jury should be Greek. Similarly, he interfered little in the affairs of the towns in Italy, which numbered around 400. Road building was a priority to tie the empire together just on a material level, and imperial officials were put in charge of the task. But, as we know from what happened in Italy, they had to work though local authorities and contractors. The emperor would not have it otherwise, and balanced approaches like these characterize his style of governing. In short, Augustus was an involved ruler. There was constant communication and consultation rather than intervention. He tapped into existing networks and structures but provided a sense of direction." (164)
"For most people around the Mediterranean, the end of ruinous wars and a return to normal life, domestic tranquility, and some material security would have been enough. If it took a monarch to guarantee these basic blessings, so be it. At least he was “the monarch of everybody” (Momigliano 1940, 80) instead of being interested only in the welfare of a small clique; of course, that monarch should not be a paranoid dictator or bloodthirsty tyrant, either. A return to “laws and rights” would have sufficed, but other frameworks were available besides the republican constitution, which had not been up to the task. The converse parameter for Octavian was that, no, he was not about to give up his power but would try to exercise it in a way that was acceptable to most." (182)
"The other quality that allowed Augustus to achieve all he did was his capacity to grow. Conquest and warring down the enemy was one thing; effectively governing the resulting reign was another – here is where Augustus saw the biggest difference between himself and his model Alexander. Given the generally static view of character in Greco-Roman antiquity, his development after 30 BC was not to be expected, and some understandable mistrust kept lingering. This change should not be rendered simplistically with phrases like “a kinder, gentler Augustus” and similarly reductive characterizations. He still was the same man with the same steely determination. But he saw the task he was facing now, and the way he chose to engage it, required qualities beyond those that had been in evidence. He addressed the problems that had been neglected, and he planned for the long term and not just for his own gain. The way he and his advisers went about this with hard work, patience (we may recall his motto “make haste slowly”), fairness, and vision resonated. This was a ruler and leader one could respect." (185)
Augustan Culture
It was the self-interest of the senate and its neglect of the larger interests of the res publica that gave rise to the Gracchan unrest and undermined the senate’s own auctoritas: it became auctoritas in form, but not in essence. Auctoritas is not simply a given, but needs to be reacquired and validated. In that sense, it is part of the Augustan ethos that emphasized process and ongoing effort rather than fulfillment. On the political level this activity ultimately fell to Augustus. He did not usurp the auctoritas of the senate, but came to supersede it because of his ability to take the senate’s virtual unwillingness to solve the various long-standing problems that were afflicting the Roman state. Roman political practice was familiar with the role of the princeps and ‘auctor’ who would guide the senate and ensure stability and concord in the res publica. Augustus came to utilize that role to the fullest. (How Augustus saved Rome. Reasoning for Late Republic’s decline. 15)Augustus led a moral revitalization and followed through on it; it was a time for rededicating the state to values, virtues, ideas, and ideals. Especially in the arts and literature, the phenomenon is more complex than mere “propaganda”. (on supposed “propaganda”. 20)
To calls coins propaganda is way too simple. It was a lot more nuanced than that. There is no evidence that indicates a pattern of control by the princeps himself. Barbara Levick has proposed that the coins do not produce a message from the emperor to his subjects, but rather are an offering of respect by the subjects to the emperor. (On coins and propaganda. 30)
Maecenas, in his pro-monarchic advice to Augustus, counseled him that “none of the cities should be allowed to have their own separate coinage… they should all be required to use ours” (Dio 52.30.9). Augustus neither did so nor did he need to; Auctoritas once more triumphed over potestas. (40)
The basic change under Augustus only affected the senatorial oligarchy adversely. On several occasions Cicero stresses the importance of preserving the appearance of popular freedom while keeping all the power in the hands of the leading citizens… expressed by Cicero’s spokesman, Scipio in The Republic (1.47-48): “The people hardly possess more freedom under an aristocracy any more than under a monarchy.” (55)
During the late republic, the common people were essentially double losers. They had no meaningful political freedom, nor were they freed from oppressive misery – economic, social, or political – caused by incessant party strife. The fact that a monarch who guaranteed them domestic tranquility and not the aristocracy, was irrelevant to them. At least he was a monarch of everyone instead of looking out only for the interests of a small clique as the senatorial regime had done in the name of its libertas. (55)