Im so happy. I don't have money for a party, but my ex gave me a budget to plan our babys 1st b day party, because he's doing a lot better than me. He's an awesome coparent and friend, and I'm so grateful.
I know our kid wouldn't give a shit yet anyways, but it was weighing heavy on my heart that I didn't have the funds to do anything, and probably won't even months from now (I'm working on being in a better spot); baby is turning 7 months in 2 weeks. Unreasonable mom guilt, I guess... But it's solved, so that's amazing. :)
One part I'm having trouble with is the alcohol thing. I have a lot of friends and acquaintances that have toddlers (7 people; guess something was in the water at that time 🤣). They all had some booze at their party.
Just one of the parties had a lot of alcohol, like hard liquor, for the most part everyone else just had like some beer or one type of wine. But they were all heavily used.
My friends might think it's weird if I don't have alcohol, but I truly don't know. I'm a former alcoholic, and my ex thinks it's "unfair to me" to have alcohol at the party. Seems a little selfish to me tbh, on my part. But it would make things less stressful for me.
Would it be weird to have one without alcohol? Should I just have one type of wine in like a cauldron (Halloween themed party)?
Don't come after me for being a planner 🤣 I know it's far out

I female age 15 was living in a camper in Rhode Island with my mom age 31 and my dad age 33 along with 2 siblings my mom got into a car crash which gave her a concussion so I had to take care of my family and was like a house wife every time I got off from school my dad didn't help unless it involved my siblings with his game console or with nothing other than steal my mom's stuff to go through it to make sure she didnt catch him cheating on her which she did but I hid it all which he had a suspicion of but my mom was acting like a child at the time I wasn't focused on the remarks my dad would make when i was In shorts about how my butt looked like mom's but bigger and how I was better than her while my mom was getting better my was about to be 15 but I notice while my dad made dirty remarks he was reading a online book and I caught him multiple times in my parents bedroom alone rocking his stick and why I mentioned this is because that book he was reading was my whole bathroom situation but with Mafia people in his book while reading my mom was mostly recovered by the week before my birthday and my dad gas lighted her that I did nothing while he did everything and my mom believed him for 2 days before he tattled on himself about looking through her phone and finding evidence of him cheating which make them fight and argue which they were doing before the crash during the week before my birthday I got a road rash which will be a scar for ever a reminder of how my dad was able to look at me in the camper the shower doors were made of glass and if the temperature was lukewarm then you could see everything on the other side I turned 15 on the day of my road rash I got into the shower around 8:00 p.m. while washing my wound my father went in there and didn't say a word and just started brushing his teeth and looking towards the mirror which at the time was not looking my way I was okay with it at first cuz I thought it would just be for that day but the next 3 weeks it went to a transition of him looking at the mirror then to him leaving the bathroom door open lean on the wall towards the shower staring while playing toxic masculinity podcast of how women and Young women should do what men tell them and I wasn't on social media a lot so I didn't know what "alpha" male ment but women would refer them as that or they would refer them selfs as that but then to every couple of days during those three weeks was like him pushing boundary after boundary to the point where I can't handle it cuz he tried to touch the doorknob to open the glass doors I told him that I wasn't comfortable two times along with my younger siblings telling him to get out because they saw him in there because the door was open which he told them that it was okay and that he was my dad and everybody deserve to be in there it was him during the third day of the first week of this happening I wanted to prove to myself that my father wasn't like his stepfather which was a S A @bus€r of mine when I was 4 through 6 and because I thought it was because of my schedule of me getting in the shower late so I changed my schedule throughout the last 2 weeks while he was pushing boundaries I would change the times where it would inconvenience my mother during her naps or whatever she needed to do to get better cuz she had appointments or she would be like dead asleep and she would need me to watch my siblings but I was busy in the shower and they were messing with her while she had a headache and my father was complaining about the hot water for dishes and other women chores I need or my mother needed to complete but the part that makes it the most messed up is that when it was 20 minutes of me being still in the shower he would walk out and I would hurry up and get out and he would go back to his game console or smoke a cigarette and not good to bed or a couple of hours on the last day of the third week my mom asked me about it cuz she was finally starting to be aware of everything and I told her to wait and I would get in the shower as soon as I got home and he will be in there and she didn't believe me but once I got home and got in there he was in there with the door open my mom grabbed him by his shoulder and ripped him out and yelled at him and told him if he ever did that again that she would go get her shotgun cuz now she's more aware than she has ever been after the crash and he said that I was taking a shower late and then maybe I should be taking showers so late and then maybe I should be using all the hot water and that I'm his daughter he changed my diapers so if he wants to be in there he can be in there if you want the door open for some air he can have it open cuz he also pays the bills and owns everything and that I should be grateful which made my mom come up with a plan to start secretly moving after that day I called my aunt and my uncle who did not believe me and thought there was a better explanation but they did see my point of view but still thought I was being dramatic they question my father and he lied and said it was for 3 days more arguments started and one day when I had a school day off my dad as soon as he found out stayed home while my mom had to be at a appointment and thought he already left but instead he went to chill and came back to have a conversation with me and told me that I was delusional and that if I was uncomfortable I should have told him and when I told him I did and that he didn't say a word he said that he must have not heard me and once I told him that I said it loud and clear and that all you did was sigh and looked like he was about to cry and was mad he said that I'm just like my mother and that we deserve each other and then went on to if he had to have boundaries with me then I have to have boundaries with my mother and we can't get changed in front of each other because we are both bisexual and then proceeded to tell me that I don't know what's going on and then told me that I should be ashamed because I don't know how it feels to feel like a predator in your own home which left me speechless because I know what it's like to have predators around you every corner and he knows this and when I told him that he told me to grow up and that my hormones should be kicking in and I should have already forgotten about his stepfather my mom came home and my dad said he wanted a divorce and felt like I would take his side which my mom says working on it and took me for a drive and I told her all about it and then a couple of days later I woke up to my mom crying and naked because my mom had sex with my dad and when he was done and he got her done he kicked her out of the room and when she was wondering why he said she was more convenient then to go get a stranger and do it in the back of a truck my mom told me to go back to bed and I did at the time not fully knowing what was going on till that day that my mom going back on her word thinking she needed him telling me not to break up the family and that if he agrees the counseling we're staying even if I said no and don't like it which he didn't of course and also I told her that I would kill her and him and that I have thought about it and was in their room multiple times with a weapon think about killing them both because of the things they do which made my mom understand that she needed to grow up and leave him now which is sad for me to say but we finished up packing we got a U-Haul and before we left my mom thought it would be fair to him if my siblings had a board game night with him which later I left cuz I couldn't handle that my siblings get a perfect dad well I always got a cursing child beating lying disciplining me for no reason father and couldn't handle that my mom didn't leave them for a military hasn't killed my father or believe me on many occasions or didn't do anything because of him and because of her always needing him he went to go find me a hour later and talked and walked with me said the same things as the other conversation and when I brought up multiple predators in my life and how he did nothing for example I had a high school boy threatened to r@p€ me in the third grade and him and his friends chase me around and has kissed me and touched me multiple times for 2 years and and he said that he couldn't because that high school boy was a friends son but told him to stop but this friend was a mistress of his which later to find out that it would have been 4 years of harassment if my mother didn't threaten to burn his house which again shows that my father is a liar and my mother even proved it to me by showing me pictures of text between the high school boy and the mother and her but at the end of the conversation a dark side of me popped out and just went to try to go grab the nearest gun to shoot him cuz my father has an eye nose twitch when he lies and he has to be active or loud when he's trying to be manipulative and at the end he thought we had a great dad and talk even though I was still crying and he was like a brick wall cuz he thought I was like my mom and I would give up my mom stopped me and told me that I shouldn't go to jail and that we are moving tomorrow she will make sure of it no more delays and no more of letting me down we move to Texas where we're originally from and while living with a relative my little siblings could talk to our father which slowly broke the relationship because he would always try to bring up me and how he wanted to talk to me which later you can't stand not talking to me that he stopped paying child support until I talk to him and in between breaking the relationship with my siblings slowly they started seeing the dad that I saw and while here with my relative my mom got some console and help cuz at the time my dad was paying for child support but there was enough to get me help which my family thinks I desperately need but when child support stopped her console stopped cuz she can't afford it then drama started happening with the relative we were with and we've been moving ever since but now my mom is on the road making a lot of money to make up for no child support until the child support office is get their affairs in order and we are living with relative to relative that will take us in and watches but my mom will be coming back soon to get a rent house so that we can finally settle down after a whole year of dealing with all this without him and I'll be 16 and I don't know how to feel cuz it marks the anniversary of a scar physical emotional and mental and still cuts deep

I (20M) began dating my now ex gf (23F) (I’ll call her J) around last July. J and I met at college and had been really close friends for about a year and I always had a fondness towards her. I hadn’t thought of her romantically really since she was actually in a 3-4yr relationship w/ someone else when we first met.
Anyways, we start dating after they broke up in May and it was amazing and I was as happy as I’d ever been. We didn’t have any issues except for one moment in August where J felt as though I was insulting an insecurity of her’s when what I was trying to do is say that I don’t care about her insecurieties at all because they don’t matter to me. Then sometime around September I get into an accident that makes it so I have to be home for a month to recover from surgery. I was going to be mostly stuck in a wheelchair up until November and was worried about how I was going to be able to move around campus but J reassured me that she’d be there for me as much as she could.
Within a week of being back on campus, J suggests we should break up because I’m “too good for [her]” and it’s unfair that we be in a relationship while she “processes her last breakup.” I was sad to hear this but respected her for making that choice. It gets a little confusing because 1 day later she asks if we can get back together because she realizes that I’m who she mostly hangs out with since most of her friends graduated. I said no because it felt off for her to want to breakup and then immediately ask to get back together. I should add that J expressed that once she was done processing her last breakup she would really like to explore a relationship again.
J pushed to stay friends (even though I suggested us not interacting for a certain amount of time could be good for our new relationship dynamic). I agreed to us still chatting as friends but I also asked that if things ever felt somewhat romantic that we should be open and honest about it to each other.
Fast forwarding, J started mistreating me A LOT towards the end of the year. J would resort to getting easily frustrated w/ me and then screaming and cursing at me. She would offer to help transport me with my wheelchair and then make remarks that made me feel guilty about using it. She started to sort of drift away from hanging out w/ me and when I confronted her about it, she’d claim that I was “being crazy.”
Around December things especially got bad. Turns out she suddenly started remmebering that moment in August and “could no longer forgive me for it” which felt super weird and random to bring up months later. She claimed this was the reason we could never be in a relationship again and added on that she “needs years to understand herself before exploring a romantic elationship w/ anybody”. I was sad to hear this but I was happy to hear that she was going to take some time to work on herslef since she had expressed wanting to do that in the past.
I later found out that she started seeing someone new a few weeks after all that and I was informed that she had actually started talking to the new guy a solid 2 weeks before the messages we exchanged which sort of makes it feel as though she wasn’t being honest with me in the 1st place.
Overall she expressed she didn’t want to be friends anymore because my “expectations are too high”. Then a month later she reaches out for me to add her back on a mobile game we both play even though I explained that I felt that was weird given our new dynamic. Then I come to find out J has resorted to trying to label me as a person who “disrespects people’s boundaries and makes her feel unsafe”. She reached out to a mutaul friend asking if he could help her walk her to and from her car whenever she and I were at the same place.
I have resorted to getting campus police involved so that she can’t contact me and have had to now explain to mutual friends what is going on since everyone is so confused on why she’s trying to paint me as this villain who treats people terribly and only is nice as a facade. I do my best to not have her seem as this completely bad person to others since I don’t feel she deserves that, yet the majority consensus after people have heard both of our sides is that she seems to be “projecting her feelings onto me” and appears to be “vindictive”.
EDIT: Fixed some grammar issues

Writer's Block? Befriend the Blank Page: How to Turn Creative Stagnation into a Goldmine

Ah, writer's block. That looming specter that haunts every wordsmith, from the wide-eyed newbie to the grizzled veteran. But fear not, fellow wordslingers! For even in the face of this dreaded foe, opportunity lurks. Yes, you heard that right. Writer's block, that seemingly insurmountable obstacle, can be your secret weapon, a springboard to unleashing your most creative work yet. Let's delve into the minds of seasoned scribes and discover how they turn their blank pages into bestselling goldmines.
Embrace the Block:
First things first, ditch the self-flagellation. Writer's block is normal, even expected. It's a sign you're pushing boundaries, exploring uncharted territory. So, instead of panicking, befriend the block. See it as a pause, a chance to step back and reassess. As Jodi Picoult wisely says, "Writer's block is a wonderful time to catch up on your reading." Immerse yourself in other authors' work, let their voices spark your own. Remember, inspiration can strike from anywhere, so keep your eyes and ears open to the world around you.
Befriend the Unconventional:
Now, let's get down to the nitty-gritty. Forget the usual "go for a walk" or "stare at a tree" advice. We're talking about weapons-grade creativity here. Here are some battle-tested techniques from the pros:

• Automatic Writing: Channel your inner James Joyce with a stream-of-consciousness freewrite. Set a timer, ignore grammar, and let your subconscious take the wheel. You might be surprised by the hidden gems you unearth. Bonus: Do it in public for maximum awkwardness-induced inspiration.
  
• The One-Sentence Challenge: Craft a single sentence that encapsulates the essence of your story. Then, spend the next hour fleshing it out, exploring every possible avenue. This tightens your focus and forces you to think outside the box.
  
• The What-If Flip: Take a familiar trope and flip it on its head. Think Romeo and Juliet as zombies, or a superhero origin story where the hero is actually the villain. This forces you to break free from cliches and explore new possibilities.
  
• The Sensory Safari: Describe a scene using only one sense. For example, write a scene solely through the sounds your protagonist hears, or the textures they touch. This jumpstarts your imagination and forces you to paint a vivid picture with limited tools.
  
• The Random Object Prompt: Pick a random object (spork, stapler, rubber ducky, anything!) and write a story centered around it. This forces you to think creatively and find connections where you least expect them.
  

Embrace the Insane:
Now, let's unleash the real wild cards. Here are some downright insane prompts that might just spark your next bestseller:

• Write a love letter from a houseplant to its owner.
• Craft a news report from the perspective of a goldfish.
• Compose a grocery list that doubles as a murder mystery.
• Write a children's book about the existential dread of adulthood.
• Pen a sonnet from the point of view of a rogue punctuation mark.

Remember, the key is to embrace the absurd. Don't be afraid to be silly, outrageous, even downright nonsensical. Sometimes, the most unexpected ideas lead to the most brilliant work.
Final Words:
Writer's block is not a dead end, but a detour. By using these unconventional techniques and embracing the insane, you can turn it into a springboard for your most creative work yet. So, the next time you face the blank page, don't despair. Befriend the block, unleash your inner weirdo, and watch your imagination take flight. Remember, the greatest stories often begin with a touch of madness. Now, go forth and write something truly magnificent, even if it involves a spork-wielding goldfish detective. The world awaits your words!

i have been smoking regularly since 8th grade, i started smoking because i had a surgery and kinda got hooked on oxys/abused them but i loved the high and so i switched from pills to weed because i thought it would be safer and it worked and worked well but i think it’s time to take a step back. Because ive been smoking for SO long and mostly using carts sadly i know to pee clean im gonna have to stop smoking for MINIMUM 2-3 MONTHS for this job i really want but im going on a vacation this summer and i’ve literally been dreaming of smoking at this location because it will be the first time i ever legally smoke and ill be able to smoke with my uncle but then that puts me back another 2-3 months probably from peeing clean because i have so much thc in my system. also a couple weeks ago i took a 2 week t break and i was feeling pretty good because i had finally gotten the good side effect but then i got more weed and the past week ive fucked my sleep schedule gained all the weight back that i lost binged so bad i wish i could have a healthy balance with weed but i dont know if i ever will because i literally never had and i have issues with addictions already. I dont drink i dont vape i dont do anything besides smoking and it does help me but when it doesn’t it really doesn’t i dont know wtf this post was i dont know wtf to do, do i smoke on vacation because it’s been my dream, should i stay sober until then, should i just stop overall for the job but i dont need it but i think it will be a good opportunity i dont know what should do (im leaning towards stop smoking until vacation then smoke on vacation and stay sober until i test clean or just stop overall or literally pick up tmrw i dont know wtf i’m gonna do) im sure someone else has to somewhat relate to this i know i should probably stop but its so hard

So, during school recess at the afternoon, a person in my class who is a special needs student with mental health issues, got bullied from their peers in my class, then an unexpected thing happened. He kicked the glass door 2 times. The 3rd times, the glass shattered, and pieces of glass plus metal frame falls onto the ground. Me (which I was sleeping, didn't know what happened) and the others has a huge panic attack over a glass breaking sound fallen onto the ground. The school staff then came to the classroom to clean the messy stuff up, and people who were spectated this situation and class officers were asked to give an explanation to the supervisor about the situation. As an autistic person who has a learning disability and applied for IEP (Individualized Education Plan), I feel saddened to the person who got bullied that lead them an outburst and sometimes destroy stuffs. I did that one time at 1st grade, a person did bully me, I used a mini chalkboard to smash them onto the head. The person then got injured and sent to the hospital after my outburst. People like me are sensitive and sometimes the feelings can be fragile, when it's broke, we can't think up what's happened next if they are in a bad state of feeling. So, hope this message can somewhat be a lesson for you towards your acts, and a small care could be a happiness to both if they are feeling sad and feeling frustrated.

I’m looking to upgrade from my Asus Zephyrs G15. (AMD Ryzen chip, 16gb ram, 3060 gpu) It’s never been the best laptop, but at the time of purchase I didn’t have much work.
Now I’m jumping between different editing tasks and different footage.
Part time job - editing 6k H.265 footage in premier pro - scaled to 9:16 (very heavy colour grading like adding in halation)
The rest is very light editing in premier, bits in After Effects, bits in CapCut, and online editing in Canva (not strenuous at all, even on my current laptop)
Client work - a big part of my client work is heavy editing, using lots of overlays, such as grain and VHS, and then the main one that’s super heavy is film emulation that for me is a necessity to most of my projects, all in Premier Pro. Other tasks include aggressive cropping (I use the 6k to the fullest) and key framing faces/objects frame by frame. This is also 6k H.265, 3:2 open gate that I down scale to 1080p normally in 4:3 or sometimes 9:16 timeline.
Now when I’m super busy jumping between different tasks, I normally have to work amongst all these tasks at the same time. The one thing I’ve never been able to do in my entire life is be able to render a project(s) whilst doing other tasks or even further editing. This, to me, is obscene technology if a laptop is able to do this.
Something I’m finding in my research is I can’t find a lot of people using the laptops for these type of tasks. It’s either low demand video editing in premier (like a wedding or something?) or the highest demand tasks possible like Blender and VFX in After Effects.
Current work flow - I’ve managed to develop a work around for my editing, which is nesting the asset, then I can batch render them over night whilst I sleep. Then if I have time on the editing I will create proxies (also overnight), which makes editing super fun. I think my laptop will explode at some point, I have it power itself off sometimes mid render. It’s also always so so hot to touch when working.
Now the question I have is, I’m willing to pay whatever is required, so if I need to save for longer I will - but do I need to the best spec version if I’m not doing the heaviest tasks out there???
I’m looking to get the M3 Max 16cpu, 30gpu, 36gb of ram, and in short, will that be enough power for what I do or even more then enough power ?? Can I continue to video edit in premier pro whilst it renders in media encoder ??
Correct me if I’m wrong, but from my research I’m seeing that the ram is the component that I should look to upgrade if it’s heavy multitasking that I’m trying to do??

​

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), often known as ME/CFS, has a broad spectrum of symptoms that persist a long period. It is determined by basic signs and criteria. Post-exertional malaise (PEM), substantial impairment in capacity to accomplish tasks that were typical before the illness, and sleep issues are some of the key symptoms of Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) .
Orthostatic intolerance (difficulty sitting and standing) and cognitive issues. Long-lasting discomfort and a broad spectrum of body systems are also frequent symptoms.
The reason is unknown, however it might be due to metabolic, genetic, viral, or physical or psychological stress. For lack of a universal diagnostic test, the diagnosis is figured by symptoms.
A person with CFS becomes weary from working hard, and it doesn't get better when they rest. Many conditions cause fatigue, but none cause the amount of tiredness and functioning issues found in CFS.
Many individuals with CFS may improve with time, but many will remain unwell and incapacitated for a long period. No authorised therapies or medications for the underlying cause. Instead, treatment aims to alleviate distressing symptoms.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends pacing (personal activity management) to prevent symptoms from worsening. Some patients may benefit with Rinatolimod (a medication intended for treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome ), psychotherapy, and tailored activity management, however research is limited.
It affects 1% of persons who see their doctor regularly, although the figure fluctuates since epidemiological studies define the disorder differently. According to official estimates, CFS affects 836,000-2.5 million Americans and 250,000-1,250,000 Britons.
Women have CFS at a rate of 1-2% higher than males. Most individuals acquire it between 40 and 60. Even youngsters may be affected. The prevalence of CFS in children is unknown, however it is thought to be about 0.5 percent. One of the most prevalent reasons students miss class is chronic fatigue syndrome.
CFS affects one's health, happiness, and productivity, as well as loneliness and alienation. However, several aspects of the illness remain unclear. Disability is diagnosed and treated by doctors, researchers, and others. The evidence for the causes and therapies isn't always consistent.

Common Symptoms

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) proposes the following diagnostic criteria for unwell people:

• Ability to perform things before the sickness. Weariness follows a decline in activity. It must last six months.
• Symptoms worsen if you do anything little before the condition. Exercise may make you sick, and the symptoms generally appear 12 to 48 hours later. Some term it a "crash," although it might last a long time. Also known as Post-exercise malaise (PEM).
• Sleep problems make it difficult to remain awake, fall asleep, or stay asleep.
• Memory and reasoning are poor (cognitive dysfunction, sometimes described as "brain fog")
• Standing or sitting upright may cause dizziness, weakness, fainting, or visual issues (orthostatic intolerance)

While other common symptoms may occur that not all ME/CFS people report
People who have a cold or the flu can have pain in their muscles, joints, and neck or armpits.
People who have a sore throat, irritable bowel syndrome, a cold, or night sweats, as well as people who have allergies and sensitivities to food and other things, can have a hard time breathing.

Functional Capacity of a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosed Patient

People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can accomplish many things. Many individuals with CFS live regular lives, while others are bedridden and unable of self-care. Most CFS patients must miss job, school, and family time for a lengthy period.
Men and women have the same symptoms and limitations, and many suffer from severe chronic pain. Inactivity is blamed for this. The complexity of things has also changed.
AIDS causes as much agony and anguish as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, COPD, and end-stage renal failure. Even while major conditions like multiple sclerosis, congestive heart failure, or type 2 diabetes exist, CFS has a greater effect on a person's capacity to function and well-being.
Symptoms go in and out of remission, making treatment difficult. People who feel better may overexert themselves, causing worsening symptoms and relapse of their disease. A percent of persons with CFS are permanently housebound or bedridden for years. An illness that prevents around 75% of them from working.
More over half of them were on disability or sick leave, and just a fifth worked full-time. Children with CFS are the major cause for absenteeism.
The quality-of-life questionnaire found that patients with CFS had reduced "vitality," "physical functioning," "general health," "physical role," and "social functioning." However, CFS patients' "role emotional" and "mental health" subscales were identical to or slightly lower than healthy people's. Every year, the US spends a lot of money on healthcare.

Cognitive Dysfunction of a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosed Patient

Cognitive Dysfunction is one of the most devastating aspects of CFS, affecting people's ability to work and interact. It's estimated that 50-80% of CFS sufferers experience cognitive issues. Problems with attention, memory, and reaction time are typical cognitive symptoms.
Measured cognitive abilities are lacking, which may impair everyday living. For example, they make more errors, forget things, and have problems responding when spoken to.
In addition, activities requiring long-term working memory are slower. These defects generally support up the patient's views. As far as I can see, your ability to move swiftly, think clearly, and talk clearly hasn't altered.
People with poor health were more likely to report cognitive issues. People with CFS who could accomplish more physically had less visual perception and language processing issues.
Several reasons may be at play when it comes to disparities between what individuals claim they are and what they really are. It's difficult to compare participants' cognitive capacities before and after illness since there aren't any measures that accurately evaluate CFS's distinctive cognitive impairments.
CFS patients have higher neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms than non-CFS patients. The cause is unclear. Many theories exist to explain why cognitive symptoms and illness coexist.
Some experts believe psychological factors contribute to or cause the disease. Others believe the sickness generates physiological and social changes that manifest as symptoms.

Therapies Known to Have Worked with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The CDC says talking to a therapist may help patients cope with their conditions. Counseling and behavioural treatments may benefit some patients, but they may not enhance their quality of life, according to a 2015 NIH analysis.
This means that these treatments should not be utilised alone, but rather as part of a larger strategy. The same article claims that therapy may help with weariness, function, and overall improvement. However, these methods have been understudied in several CFS patient subgroups. Those who had psychotherapy or behavioral treatment reported few unpleasant side effects.
IOM 2015 study indicates it's unclear whether Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) assists persons with cognitive disorders. It's unclear why CBT is used to help patients feel better about their illness. A 2014 research found little indication that CBT participants were more active.
The authors claim that those who received CBT were adjusting to the condition rather than improving.
Patient organisations have long opposed CBT as a CFS treatment. Also questioned is the model's explanation The MEA studied 493 CBT patients in the UK in 2012.
Due to the findings of this research, the MEA concluded in 2015 that CBT should not be the principal therapy for CFS. There's a "false model of causality," says Dr. Charles Shepherd, a MEA medical adviser. This paradigm ignores the wide range of clinical manifestations and illness processes that fall within the ME/CFS umbrella.
A 2019 research of ME/CFS patients in the UK revealed that CBT didn't help for over half of them, and that Graded Exercise Therapy made most individuals worse.

All my life I’ve had a problem with understanding things slower than everyone else. At first it used to be with jokes. Now I understand jokes(not always but most of the time) but academically… I barely remember not understanding anything in school. Around third or fourth grade I started struggling with math. Growing up school got difficult but bearable. Even though I struggled sometimes in school I was sure I will pass.
University however… oh God. I’ve never felt so stupid. The professor would be explaining something and my mind would be blank. And I’m too afraid to ask again because Would probably be like “Is she for real?” or would be annoyed that I’m asking stupid questions. Also I’m scared to ask professors because sometimes when someone asks them something they didn’t understand professors say “I already explained this”. I also don’t want people overall not only colleagues but also professors to think i am stupid. I mean I am but I don’t want it to be a public knowledge.
Guys please tell me this is relatable. I can‘t be alone in this.

As we move into 2024, at least the mobile app development landscape is expected to continue to evolve rapidly. In the mobile app business, developers are creating a wide range of apps, from consumer-grade to enterprise-level and high-performing medical solutions. To create dependable and effective software, developers must utilise the newest and most advanced technological stack, regardless of the stage of development. The most widely used frameworks and libraries, which serve as the foundation for creating high-quality apps on various platforms such as Windows, iOS, Android, and so on, are the only ways to accomplish this.
Mobile app technologies are available in the app stores if you want to create apps that work with Internet of Things (IoT) devices, offer social media integration, cloud storage services, and internal device communication.Mobile app developers are creating a wide range of apps, from high-performing to consumer-grade.
Here are some trends for what's likely to be popular in making apps in 2024:

1. AI and Machine Learning: Better Experiences, Smarter Apps:

While machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) have long been buzzwords, 2024 will see them take centre stage in app development. We can looking at applications that provide a more customised experience than ever before by anticipating requirements and preferences in addition to reacting to user input. Apps are becoming smarter and more user-friendly thanks to AI and ML, from sophisticated virtual assistants to complex recommendation engines.
It has the potential to greatly streamline the mobile app development process
By referring to present activity of human , AI can mimic user behaviour.
In this way, we may use apps with AI built into them to govern all of our possessions and feed in the essential data to our mobile devices.
AI-Powered Smartphone Applications to Anticipate:

• Face Recognition
• Adaptive battery
• Translators

1. Voice Technology: Using the Convenience Language;

One of the most sought-after trends in mobile app development for 2024 is voice recognition. Asking your phone to tell you the weather is no longer the only use of voice technology. Voice-enabled apps are becoming increasingly common in 2024, allowing users to communicate with them without using their hands. This is particularly important for accessibility, as it improves the usability of programs for all users.
The development community is becoming more and more interested in developing AI-powered voice recognition software for online and mobile applications. Voice recognition has become a necessary tool in our lives due to the rise of smart speakers and virtual assistants like Siri and Google Assistant. These days, smartphone consumers love using speech-to-text and text-to-speech tools for in-app functionality.
These features improve the user experience overall in addition to improving accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Voice commands enable mobile users to order food, send texts, make calls, and perform other tasks. Including a feature like this in your mobile app can help set it apart from the competition and provide an

1. Integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) to Build a Networked Ecosystem:

Streaming Internet Access
Mobile apps play a critical part in the IoT system as a whole. It enables end users to send commands, transfer, analyse, and configure connected devices in addition to interacting with the smart sensors. Thus, it is crucial to guarantee smooth connection, which requires a certain type of technology when using IoT devices
The world is becoming a networked ecosystem through the Internet of Things (IoT), and smartphone apps are coordinating this connectivity. Apps that monitor and manage wearables, cars, and smart home appliances will be even more prevalent by 2024, improving convenience and productivity.
Industrial Sector: Mobile IoT-based apps for the industrial sector enhance supply chain monitoring, inventory control, predictive maintenance, and simplified asset tracking. In addition, IoT promotes the expansion of industrial, energy, and construction businesses while also offering a secure work environment.
Retail, consumer, and healthcare industries all employ IoT in manufacturing.

1. Augmented Reality:

Developers may now experiment and expand on augmented reality applications, as half of the world's population now has a smartphone. Although web apps have been explored, they lack the same level of appeal as mobile apps.
Game developers will undoubtedly use the well-known AR development tools Unity 3D in 2024 to create a few very addicting augmented reality gaming apps for devoted gamers.
Melting the Bound aries Between the Digital and Physical Worlds AR keeps blending the boundaries between the digital and physical realms, producing immersive, more dynamic, and engaging experiences. By 2024, augmented reality will have expanded beyond video games and social media filters to include the retail, education, and healthcare industries. It will give consumers new options for learning, shopping, and health management.

1. 5G Technology: Advancing Velocity and Creativity:

For app developers, the introduction of 5G technology is revolutionary. This year, we're taking advantage of 5G's blazingly fast speeds to create apps that can manage larger amounts of data, support better-quality content, and provide seamless experiences.
The following are some 5G-capable apps to keep an eye out for this year:

• Precise location trackers: Better coverage and connectivity will allow GPS-enabled apps to provide far more accurate locations.
• Virtual reality-based gaming applications and 3D printing apps
• OTT services offering 4K streaming: Higher speed and lower latency are just what we need to improve our binge-watching experience.
• Quick data transfer will guarantee that your hardware doesn't have to work as hard, which will result in significantly lower battery consumption than 4G.

1. Mobile E-Commerce: A Revolution in Online Buying ;

In 2024, mobile commerce will take centre stage over e-commerce. Apps provide a whole shopping experience - personalised, safe, and with a variety of payment methods - not just a platform for online purchases. Shopping via mobile applications is becoming safer and faster because to the popularity of mobile wallets and one-click purchases.

1. Cybersecurity: An Absolute Need:

With the increasing integration of applications into our daily lives, cyber security is becoming more and more important. In order to safeguard user information, app developers in 2024 will place a high priority on secure code, frequent upgrades, and strong data encryption.

1. Personalised User Experience

AI-powered mobile apps can analyse user behaviour, preferences, and past interactions to deliver a highly personalised experience. This can include tailored content, product recommendations, and intelligent assistants that cater to the individual user's needs.
These developments are changing not only how apps are developed in the future but also how we use technology in our daily lives. Knowing these patterns is essential for anyone wanting to design an app. Do you need help with that? Reach out! We'll see to it that your software stands out in the online environment.
At Wow Infotech, we're always looking at the horizon, anticipating the next wave of trends that will shape the way we build, operate, and think about mobile app Development .
Additionally, if you require app development services, WOWinfotech can help bring your app idea to life with our skilled team of developers. Contact us at +91 9370104077 or info@wowinfotech.com for more details on how we can assist you in enhancing business apps with AI or developing a new app tailored to your needs.

When I was young around grade 1, I had this friend in my street, I can't remember much of the time I spent with this guy but I can remember him hurting me like hitting me and shit when I didn't do what he wanted. He smacked my knee with a wrench once. I just fell to the ground. We were decent friends until I told him that I wanted to be girl, I remember him telling me how to do certain things to men. (Seems like he was a victim too). Anyway, throughout my childhood my mother was pretty abusive, she was dealing with psychosis and paranoid delusions, she coped with alcohol and taking it out on dad and I, we would be kicked out, he would be hit manipulated screamed at all the sorts. Anyway it got too much for her one day and she decided to try and smother Me, she then attempted suicide. (I don't remember how it ended I just remember waking up on my bed)
All throughout primary/highschool, I would let people use me. I had very little back bone for myself, I think I was half trying to figure out things that had happened. One time when I had to leave home for a bit cause dad was being violent the persons whos house I was staying at made me touch him in exchange for the place.
I had this friend, he stayed over one night. I think it was one of our birthdays (btw I've had very mixed gendered friends, all very close) Anyway, we were drinking and smoking and eventually he started to ask me if I wanted to do things. I said no, repeatedly. He just kepted asking and was acting all bummed I just felt like shit, I got more drunk and just said yeah sure. The next thing I remember I was bent over my bed, my god it was horrible, it's just flashes of pain and crying and asking him to stop before I moved and pushed him away. I can't remember how the night ended but the next morning was so horrible, I bled from it all. In the future I wasn't so resistant, he would just make me feel bad, I would let him do whatever, the feeling of bits of him left inside me, makes me want to die all by it self. I felt so disgusting I feel so disgusting
Anyway, later on I had gotten into a relationship with this girl. We were together from the ages 17-20 (She like everyone else in my life knew who I was) She knew that sex was horrible for me, I still put out for her when I could. But when I couldn't, she didn't care, she would tell me I'm responsible for her mental decline and things. So I would just give in, most of the time I would just give her oral I preferred this. Sometimes though she wanted to touch me, i would protest and offer alternatives but she didn't care she would just start touching me, eventually she started to insert her fingers and I would literally have tears I my eyes saying no and she'd just keep going if not harder when I said to stop.
I just, fucking hate myself so much, I can't get it out of my head that I did this shit to myself. I feel so disconnected from it all, like the pain and emotions are there but it's just like watching a movie. I feel so disgusting, on edge I'm always In fight or flight, I'm tired I just want to die most of the time.
I just, idk, I still consider these people friends. I can't convince my brain that this was fucked. Like do I just not care and move on? Not talking with em about it or what idk I'm lost I just wanna cry
Idc if the main account causes problems, I just need my possible reasons heard

Introduction

In this post, we'll be discussing something called "Virtue Ethics." This is a normative theory of ethics that's most associated with Aristotle, though has in recent times experienced a resurgence of sorts from modern philosophers, some of whom have tweaked and modified it, and in doing so have created different branches on this tree of moral theory. We will be comparing these different flavors of Virtue Ethics to that of the New Testament's, pointing out where they're similar, as well as highlighting where the NT differs (and is actually superior) from the heathens' views.
I want to preface all this with a verse and a warning:

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."-Colossians 2:8

The entire Bible, over and over again, warns against syncretism. It's a running theme throughout to condemn the practice, with this verse being one of the more explicit ones to do so.
Mapping the ideas of Pagans (and especially Greek philosophers) onto the Scriptures has always resulted in people severely misinterpreting the Bible, as looking at the Word of God through a Hellenistic lens is and always has been extremely innapropiate to the author's original intent.
Whenever Greek philosophy or ideas are referenced, they're always portrayed in a bad light or otherwise used to make a point. Examples of the latter could be found in the apostle Paul's writings, as he was a fully educated Roman citizen of his day, and so he made use of known Hellenestic philosophy and literature (that he would have been familiar with) by redefining their terms and ideas in a way that would be consistent with the theology of his own religion. The apostle Peter did the same within his own epistles whenever he mentioned "Tartarus," the abyss/prison for certain disobedient angels that rebelled against God, despite the fact that the word has its roots in Greek mythology and not Hebrew religion (though, the belief that there were a group of spiritual beings that rebelled against the highest authority in the heavens was one technically shared between the two ancient cultures; even if the parties involved were vastly different, as well as the contexts of the rebellion itself).
The affect Hellenstic philosophy has had on the way people think (even subconsciously) can still be felt to this day, and can be seen in the confusion modern "Christianity" has brought on through its adoption of Gnostic teachings such as Dualism or the inherently fatalistic views that many unknowingly hold due to the error of Classical Theism.
While yes, I will be commending the heathen (unbeliever) whenever they are right with their ideas as pertaining to this subject, I will also show where they are wrong.
Let's begin.

"What Is Virtue Ethics?"

First, we need to define some terms and point out the differences between this view and others within the larger debate of normative ethics.
There are three major approaches in normative ethics, those being: Consequentalism, Deontology, and Virtue Ethics. The following are definitions of the terms:
Consequentialism – a class of normative, teleological ethical theories that holds that the consequences of one's conduct are the ultimate basis for judgement about the rightness or wrongness of that conduct.
Deontology – theories where an action is considered morally good because of some characteristic of the action itself, not because the product of the action is good. Deontological ethics holds that at least some acts are morally obligatory regardless of their consequences for human welfare.
Virtue Ethics – theories that emphasize the role of character and virtue in moral philosophy rather than either doing one’s duty or acting in order to bring about good consequences. The virtue ethicist would argue that actions themselves, while important, aren't as important as the character behind them. To the virtue ethicist, consequences are also important, but they would say that good consequences ultimately flow from a virtuous character who has made virtuous decisions. Theories of virtue ethics do not aim primarily to identify universal principles that can be applied in any moral situation, instead teaching that the best decisions can vary based on context, and that there are only some actions that would be universally evil, only because those actions could never flow from a virtuous character in the first place (e.g., rape).
Aristotle's idea of ethics is in an important respect different from most people's, especially today. Heirs as we are to Kant’s idea of duty – there is a right thing that one ought to do, as rational beings who respect other persons – and to Mill’s idea of utility – the right thing to do is that which produces the greatest good for the greatest number – most of us see ethics as concerned with actions. "The function of ethics is to help me see what I ought to do in a given situation," the modern says. Aristotle’s approach was different. His ethic is not so much concerned about helping us to see what we ought to do, as about what sort of person we ought to be.
Aristotle was concerned with character, and with the things that go to make up good and bad character; virtues and vices. His sort of ethic does not look at our action to see if it fulfils our duty, or produces a certain outcome, such as the greatest good of the greatest number, and therefore merits approval. Instead, it looks at us; at the character behind the actions, to see whether we merit approval.
Comparing Virtue Ethics with philosophies such as Deontology and Consequentialism, we are able to divide ethical theories into two kinds; act-centered theories and agent-centered theories. Kant’s (Deontological) and Mill’s (Utilitarian) approaches are act-centered, because they concern themselves with our actions, whilst Aristotle’s is agent-centered because it concerns itself with the character of a person, which in his view was ourselves and our own dispositions that prompt our actions.
Both approaches have ardent present-day advocates, and so both are alive and well. Virtue Ethicists are dissatisfied with the answers ‘modern’ act-centered philosophy offers, and look for a more flexible, person-centered approach that takes more account of the subtle varieties of human motivation. Those in this camp see ethics as being about people – moral agents – rather than merely about actions. Of course, your actions matter. But, for Aristotle and his present day advocates alike, they matter as expressions of the kind of person you are. They indicate such qualities as kindness, fairness, compassion, and so on, and it is these qualities and their corresponding vices that it is the business of ethics to approve or disapprove.
All this seems simple and uncontroversial; there are two ways of looking at an action to evaluate it morally. You can take the action in isolation and judge it, or take the agent and judge him or her.
Virtue ethicists argue that act-centered ethics are narrow and bloodless. What is needed is a richer moral vocabulary than just ‘right and wrong’. There are subtle but important differences between actions that are good because they are kind and those that are good because they are generous, and those that are good because they are just. Likewise, there are subtle but important differences between actions that are bad because they are selfish and those that are bad because they are cruel and those that are bad because they are unfair. These, and many other, distinctions are lost when we talk simply about doing one’s duty, or promoting utility. Questions of motive and of character are lost, in these asceptic terms. Modern moral philosophy won’t do: it is cold, technical and insensitive to the many kinds and degrees of value expressed in human actions. Ethics is more than just thought experiments and hypotheticals about what would be the right course of action to take in any given situation we might conjure up from the comfort of our armchair. Ethics is about doing, and about context and character.

The Different Kinds of "Virtue Ethics"

Virtue Ethics has has been developed in two main directions: Eudaimonism, and agent-based theories.
Eudaimonism (Aristotle's view) bases virtues in human flourishing, where flourishing is equated with performing one’s distinctive function well. In the case of humans, Aristotle argued that our distinctive function is reasoning, and so the life “worth living” is one which we reason well. He also believed that only free men in the upper classes of society (i.e., the aristocrats) could excel in virtue and eschew vice, being that such men had greater access to the means in accomplishing this task as they had the wealth and resources to better perform their distinctive function of 'reasoning,' and thus "live well." For the Eudaimonian, inner dispositions are what one ought to focus on in order to cultivate virtuous traits, and thus a virtuous character.
In contrast, an agent-based theory emphasizes that virtues are determined by common-sense intuitions that we as observers judge to be admirable traits in other people. There are a variety of human traits that we find admirable, such as benevolence, kindness, compassion, etc., and we can identify these by looking at the people we admire, our moral exemplars. Agent-based theories also state that the motivations and intentions behind an action are ultimately what determine whether or not said action is actually virtuous. Whereas Eudaimonism understands the moral life in terms of inner dispositions or proclivities to act in certain ways (whether righteous or wicked, just or unjust, kind or cruel, etc.), agent-based theories are more radical in that their evaluation of actions is dependent on ethical judgments about the inner life of the agents who perform those actions, that is, what the motivations and intents are of a person.
[Note: While both Eudaimonism and agent-based theories are both agent-centered, Eudaimonism is not to be confused with an agent-based theory. Both branches concern themselves more with agents rather than acts themselves, but Eudamonism focuses on the self to improve whereas the agent-based theory focuses on others to improve.]

Common Critcisims Toward Secular Forms of Virtue Ethics

Firstly, Eudaimonism provides a self-centered conception of ethics because "human flourishing" (here defined as simply fulfilling our base function as humans, which is "reason" according to this view) is seen as an end in itself and does not sufficiently consider the extent to which our actions affect other people. Morality requires us to consider others for their own sake and not because they may benefit us. There seems to be something wrong with aiming to behave compassionately, kindly, and honestly merely because this will make oneself happier or "reason well."
Secondly, both Eudaimonism and agent-based theories also don't provide guidance on how we should act, as there are no clear principles for guiding action other than “act as a virtuous person would act given the situation.” Who is a virtuous person? Who is the first or universal exemplar?
Lastly, the ability to cultivate the right virtues will be affected by a number of different factors beyond a person’s control due to education, society, friends and family. If moral character is so reliant on luck, what role does this leave for appropriate praise and blame of the person? For the Eudaimonian, one ought to be born into a status of privilege if they wish to excel in being virtuous. For the proponent of an agent-based theory, one ought to be born into a society or family with good role models and preferably be raised by such, else they have no moral exemplars to emulate.

The New Testament's Virtue Ethic

The New Testament authors didn’t sit down and do a self-consciously philosophical exercise, for this was not what they were concerned with. They were concerned with giving practical instruction to disciples of the faith, and merely trying to express the ethical implications of their spiritual experience. That being said, we know the apostle Paul was familiar with the writings of Aristotle. We can actually identify places where Paul displays knowledge of Aristotle and incorporates some of the philosopher's ideas into his own epistles. Before we do this, however, it's important we refute common misnomers about what the Bible teaches concerning ethics in general.
You probably have heard many attack the ethics of the New Testament as being primitive and simplistic. "God dictates universal commands to follow: 'do not lie,' do 'not divorce,' 'do not insult.' And the only motivating factor is escaping hellfire and obtaining the reward of eternal pleasure." But in reality, this is a gross misrepresentation of the ethics laid out in the NT. I will argue the NT advocates for a form of virtue ethics, instead of claiming the NT contains a form of deontic ethics, as it is so often assumed.
Elizabeth Anscombe was one of the most influential virtue ethicists of the 20th century. Her work helped to revive virtue ethics in the modern era, however she also criticized the ethics of the Bible for promoting a form of ethics different than what Aristotle promoted:
"...between aristotle and us came Christianity, with its law conception of ethics. For Christianity derived its ethical notions from the Torah. (One might be inclined to think that a law conception of ethics could arise only among people who accepted an allegedly divine positive law..." (Modern Moral Philosophy, vol. 33, no. 124, 1-19)
We've already dealt with the issue of the Torah in another post. The Torah is not laying down moral laws, but describing justice in the form of ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature. But does the New Testament teach a deontic form of ethics? Anscombe might appear justified in her claim, as some "Christian" theologians have explicitly taught the ethics of the NT is deontic.
However, other theologians have argued the ethics of the NT is best characterized as a form of virtue ethics. In a study of the NT, we'll support this notion. As noted earlier, one of the central features of this approach to ethics is that the aim of ethics should be on living a virtuous life. Other forms of ethics focus on directing actions when confronted with a moral dilemma, but for virtue ethics every action is a moral or immoral action because all of our actions contribute or do not contribute to living a virtuous life. In other words, for a virtue ethicist, everything we do will contribute to living a fulfilled life. Now, the NT promotes a similar idea with a slight modification. The NT changes the distinctictive function and purpose for man in Eudaimonism from "reasoning" to loving God and others instead, and thus "living well" is changed from self-centered 'flourshing' (as defined by Aristotle) to glorifying God instead. The apostles taught everything we do contributes to living a life that glorifies God:

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."-1 Corinthians 10:31
"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."-Colossians 3:17

So we see the same idea in Paul, that everything we do can be seen as a moral or immoral action. Everything we do should be seen as contributing to living a life that glorifies god or not. As a believer, the aim is not just doing good actions to avoid punishments, but to see everything we do as glorifying God. On secular virtue ethics, all our actions are either advancing a good life or not: nourishing your body contributes to living a good life. In a Biblical context: taking the time to properly dress contributes to living a good life, and not giving into the sin of sloth. So all our actions can be moral actions in this context, and so likewise for Paul and Jesus, all we do can contribute to living a life that glorifies God.
Since God made our bodies to thrive and enjoy life, we should nourish our bodies so we can thrive as God intended for our bodies to do, thus ultimately glorifying Him. Since we were created to experience and feel enjoyment, laughing and enjoying things throughout life glorifies God as well since we're experiencing emotions that God created to be experienced. Everything we do should be to glorify God, and often all that is is living our lives in the way that they were intended to be lived. Biblical ethics is very much more than merely performing right actions, but living a virtuous life that brings glory to God.
As Jesus said:

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."-Matthew 22:37b

It is also important to focus on what it means to love, which is an important aspect of what it means to be a believer. Paul makes the radical claim that to love is the entirety of the law of God:

"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."-Galatians 5:14

Jesus also taught that to love God and love others were the two greatest commandments (Mark 12:28-31, Matt. 22:34-40). He also extends the commandment to love beyond one's brethren, and to love our enemies (Matt. 5:44). Loving those around us is central to what it means to be a believer (John 13:34; 15:12-17, Rom. 12:10; 13:8, 1 Cor. 13:1-8; 16:14, 2 Cor. 8:8, Eph. 4:2; 5:2, Phili. 1:9, Heb. 10:24, Jam. 2:8, 1 Pet. 1:22, 1 John 2:10; 3:23).
One might suggest this is no different than the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do to you," or a Kantian rule: "I ought never to act except in such a way that I could also will that my maxim should become a universal law." In other words, "to live well is to perform good deeds or actions and nothing more." But an important point about loving someone is it cannot be done through actions alone. For example, one could buy a gift for their spouse to cheer them up. However, one could perform this action merely because they value performing right actions without any love for the person. One could donate to charity because it is the right thing to do, and not because she cares for the people who would benefit. In such scenarios, they can be seen as idolizing moral laws, not necessarily caring about helping others.
But to love someone requires more than merely performing right actions. You cannot love someone and not care about who they are as a person and where they are heading in life. To love is to will the good of the other. Jesus chastised the Pharisees of his day for only performing right actions, but not loving their brethren in their hearts. His criticism follows Matthew chapter 22, where Jesus says the greatest commandments are to love. The implication is the Pharisees perform proper actions, but have the wrong motivations for doing so. James Keenan puts it like this:
"Essential to understanding this command is that we love our neighbors not as objects of our devotion, but rather as subjects; that is, as persons. Thus, we cannot love others only because God wants us to do so, since then we would love them as means or as objects and not as persons. We can only love one another as subjects, just as God loves us." (Jesus and Virtue Ethics: Building Bridges Between New Testament Studies and Moral Theology, pg. 86)
A critic may bring up that verses of the NT are still phrased as commands, and therefore the structure implies duties were the central aspect of Christian ethics. But the importance of duties is not foreign to Virtue Ethics. Instead of being central to the ethical framework, duties flow from a virtuous character. Virtues are active and have certain demands for which a person must fulfill in their active behavior.
According to Aristotle, knowledge of the virtues gives us practical wisdom in how to properly act. Duties flow from the understanding of the demands of virtues. To put it another way, for virtues to manifest in persons, they have certain demands that must be fulfilled. For the believer, the command of love flows from being virtuous and aligning oneself with the character of God. Commitment to the character of Christ, who perfectly carried out the will of the Father, allows us to perform right and proper actions.
The NT also contains lists of virtues the believer ought to emulate, the most famous of these is in Galatians chapter 5:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (vss. 22-23)
Now, the connection with Aristotle cannot be more pronounced. The Greek phrase "against such there is no law" is almost identical to what we find in Aristotle's politics (3.13.1284a). It seems clear Paul is teaching a similar ethical framework to what Aristotle advocated for. Paul is teaching that the believing community ought to be persons who display key virtues, and that their conduct would not need to be regulated by a law. Instead, their character should be the standard others can measure themselves by. Romans chapter 2 is also a place we see references to Aristotle, where Paul notes that when Gentiles do what the law requires, they are "a law unto themselves" (vss. 14-15). In other words, they do not need to be told to act a certain way. They have the proper virtuous character that directs their actions, to do the good the law requires. Paul is advocating in Galatians that believers should think in a similar way.
So in Galatians 5, we have affinity with the teachings of Aristotle, and in other lists of virtues throughout the NT we see a similar idea, which is that Christians were meant to display virtues primarily (Rom. 5:3-5, 1 Cor. 13:1-8, Col. 3:12-17, 1 Tim. 3:2-3; 4:7-8, Jam. 3:17-18, 2 Pet. 1:5-8). From that, good deeds will properly manifest in our actions.
Anscombe made a great point on what the focus of ethics should be:
"It would be a great improvement if, instead of 'morally wrong', one always named a genus such as 'untruthful', 'unchaste', 'unjust'. We should no longer ask whether doing something was 'wrong', passing directly from some description of an action to this notion; we should ask whether, e.g., it was unjust; and the answer would sometimes be clear at once." (Modern Moral Philosophy, vol. 33, no. 124, 1-19)
Interestingly enough, Paul lays out a similar idea in explaining Christian ethics:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."-Philippians 4:8-9

In other words, the central aspect on living a Christian life was on what is virtuous, not on what is lawfully right or wrong. Right actions flow from whatever is honorable, true, and pure. Correlating with this is how Paul responds to the Corinthians who claimed that "all was lawful." Paul reminded them the emphasis is not on what is lawful, but on what is good for building a virtuous character:

"All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."-1 Corinthians 10:23

One's main focus ought to be on what is good, not on laws that dictate behavior.
One of the key aspects of Virtue Ethics is the idea we ought to learn from virtuous teachers and imitate them. A virtuous character is obtained by imitating what a virtuous person does. This parallels a key aspect of Christian ethics. Imitating Christ was (and still is) crucial to living a virtuous life:

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:"-1 Peter 2:21

Paul says in Romans 8:29 that Christians were predestined "to be conformed to the image of his Son." Jesus often taught his followers to do as he does (Matt. 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 6:40; 9:23, John 13:15, 34). Paul says in 1st Corinthians 11: Be ye followers [i.e., imitators] of me, even as I also am of Christ" (vs. 1). Hebrews 13:7 says to imitate the faith of the patriarchs. 1st Thessalonians 2:14 says to imitate each other. And jesus taught to imitate the good Samaritan from his parable (Luke 10:37). Imitating virtuous teachers was key for Christian ethics.
Aristotle tended to compare acquiring virtues with that of learning a practical skill, like playing an instrument or learning how to become a builder. Such practical skills are best picked up when trained by a master of that particular skill, because a teacher can always provide more insight through lessons they learn from experience. For example, an expert salesman can provide examples from his experience of what works with specific customers that a sales textbook could never provide. Many professions today require on-the-job training or experience before even hiring an applicant. The reason is: experience is key to learning a profession. Merely acquiring knowledge from a textbook or an instruction manual is often insufficient to master a skill, so why would mastering the skill of virtue be any different?
In the NT, a believer is to see the world through the eyes of Christ and to love as he loved. One cannot learn how to be a virtuous person without knowing what that life would look like. A key component of Christian theology is that the Messiah perfectly represented the Father and His will on earth, to show us how to properly live as God intended for man. This central tenet of the NT aligns well with agent-based theories of Virtue Ethics, and modifies it so that the person of Jesus Christ is the universal exemplar that one is meant to emulate. We are called to imitate him through our actions, thoughts, and desires, and to conform ourselves to the way he lived. As Paul said:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."-Galatians 2:20

If learning from Christ is key, we should briefly take a look at the Sermon on the Mount, which is said to be one of Jesus' most important series of teachings. Daniel Harrington notes:
"The sermon begins with nine 'beatitudes' (see 5:3–12) in which Jesus declares as 'happy' or 'blessed' those who practice certain virtues, and promises them an eternal reward and the fullness of God's kingdom." (Jesus and Virtue Ethics: Building Bridges Between New Testament Studies and Moral Theology, pg. 62)
Jesus laid out what a life for those that follow him look like in detail. One ought to be merciful, pure in heart, a peacemaker, thirst for righteousness, etcetera (Matt. 5:2-10). The Sermon does not merely include what right actions are, but includes sections on proper desires. Not only is it wrong to murder, but it is wrong to desire to murder or wish ill on someone (Matt. 5:22). Avoiding adultery is good, but one also should not covet after another man's woman in their heart (Matt. 5:28). In other words, merely avoiding immoral actions is not enough. One must also not desire vices. A believer is called to desire what is good.
The Sermon is not necessarily laying down universal moral commands. For example, Matthew 5:9 says, "Blessed are the peacemakers," but this doesn't imply absolute Pacifism, as it would contradict passages in the Old Testament where it explicitly says there is a time for war (Ecc. 3:8). The point of the Sermon is to teach what a virtuous life ought to look like. A follower of Christ ought to use reason to know what is proper to do in various circumstances. For example, in Matthew chapter 6, Jesus offers guidance on how one ought to pray by presenting the Lord's prayer (vss. 9-15). This is a model of how to pray. It's not a command for followers to always pray in this exact way.
In reality, the Sermon on the Mount mixes in exhortations, parables, hyperbole, declarations, commands, etc. It is best understood as displaying what a virtuous life ought to look like. It's not a law code. Building on this, it's important to understand a proper action is context sensitive. Under Virtue Ethics, one should not necessarily apply a universal maxim to every situation. Sometimes the proper action will depend on what is at stake, who is involved, what is the background, etc. Aristotle advocated against the idea there were fixed universal laws that dictate actions, and instead he argued the right action would depend on the circumstances one finds themselves in. Although the ethics of the NT may be a bit more strict, it still places an emphasis on being sensitive to the context of situations.
In 1st Corinthians chapter 8, Paul lays out instructions on how to deal with meat that has been sacrificed to Pagan idols. Instead of stating an absolute prohibition against meat sacrificed to idols, Paul instructed Christians to use reason to come to the proper ethical decision based on context. In other words, the right action is not determined only by a law. Instead, the Christian had to make the proper decision based on the context: if eating caused another to stumble, then you ought to abstain; if not, then there's no harm done. The value of the action depends on the context.
A Deontologist might reply that there's still a universal law given here: that one should always abstain if it's going to cause another to stumble. This objection can be addressed by asking: how are we to know if eating the meat will cause another believer to stumble? To answer such a question, one must be sensitive to the context, which in this case would be knowledge of the fellow believer and your relation to him. It is the context that determines the right action, not a universal law. Moreover, Paul states that the primary goal for the believer should be to love (1 Cor. 13). The first consideration is once again not the rightness of action, but having love for one another. From this, knowledge of the proper action will follow.
Paul often explains that living a proper life as a believer will take work and practice. He reminded Timothy to attend readings, practice what these things mean, and keep a close watch on himself (1 Tim. 4:13-14). Elsewhere, he directs that all believers must work on their faith (Phili. 2:12). Beyond this, he also noted that not all Christians would have the same gifts, and to accept that this was normal (1 Cor. 12). For some, certain things may be a hindrance, whereas for others it is acceptable (Rom. 14:2-4). What matters is that we love and build one another up (1 Thess. 5:11). Right actions flow from love and knowledge of virtue. Rules are not the primary motives that dictate our actions; rules are secondary in this regard.
An interesting case can be studied with regards to divorce in the Gospels. Jesus preaches against divorce (Mark 10:7-9) and it is often interpreted to mean "divorce is always wrong, regardless of circumstances." However, it should be noted the prohibition on divorce is not a universal law. The context can affect whether or not a divorce is permissible. Jesus says that one can divorce over sexual immorality. Paul also has a situation where divorce is permissible, namely if one spouse is an unbeliever and wishes to leave (1 Cor. 7:15). The implication one can derive is divorce is not ideal, but there are circumstances where it may be the proper action to take. Given the other features of Christian Virtue Ethics we already covered, the proper action to take will depend on the circumstances and what the virtuous agent thinks is the most loving thing to do. A universal prohibition on divorce is not a Christian ethic. Instead, one ought to discern the proper action from circumstances. However, it's clear in most cases divorce would not be the virtuous thing to do.
Building on this, it's important to note that within NT ethics, certain acts are always wrong. For example, idolatry and sexual immorality are always wrong (1 Cor. 10:14, Col. 3:15, 1 Pet. 4:13). There are no possible scenarios where it would be okay to rape, because such an act would never flow from a virtuous character. But this concept is not foreign to theories of Virtue Ethics. Aristotle noted that for some actions, no qualifications could make them virtuous. Actions such as rape or murder are always wrong, because they would never flow from a virtuous character. So it's not as if a Virtue Ethicist cannot claim that some actions are always wrong. They simply are qualified as being unable to flow from virtue, whereas actions like lying or waging war could be considered virtuous for the right reason.
Now, despite Christian Virtue Ethics having many similarities with Eudaimonism (Aristotelian ethics), there are also numerous differences beyond what we've already noted. One of the deficiencies of how Aristotle lays out his ethical theory is that it is essentially an all-boys club. Aristotle writes mainly to aristocratic men, excluding women and slaves. In his view, women were inferior to men and slaves lacked the necessary rational faculty. But the Christians rejected this mentality, as the teachings of Christ and the apostles were available to all (Matt. 28:19). Paul said, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:28). Peter wrote that all Christians were part of the priesthood of Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). Jesus had women followers (Luke 8:2-3), and they were entrusted with delivering revelation (Mark 15:40–16:8). What we find throughout the NT is a radical change to how women were viewed in the ancient world. Paul is also likely building on Aristotle's household structure and refining it. David deSilva says the household codes of the NT are "...following the pairs laid out as early as Aristotle to such a degree as to suggest that these were standard topics in ethical instruction" (Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity, pg. 231). But Paul adds an important preface: submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph. 5:20-21). DeSilva says:
"...husbands, we cannot then ignore the distinctively Christian addition they bring to this arrangement; husbands are to be subject to their wives as well." (Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity, pg. 233)
Thus Paul doesn't break down the traditional perspective on the structure of the family, but he does add the idea that we all must submit to each other in reverence, love, unity, and cooperation because all are equal before God. There is no explicit mention in the NT calling for the abolishment of slavery, but it should be noted that Paul taught that slaves should be seen as equals. In the letter to Philemon, Paul is clear that his slave is no longer "as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved" (vs. 16). Thus, within Christian ethics class distinctions were supposed to evaporate. All were brothers and sisters of one family.
An important aspect of Christian ethics is that it wasn't a standalone ethical theory. It's embedded in the larger Christian worldview. The ethical framework is dependent on Christian doctrines. For Aristotle, his ethical theory is for men who were raised well. This is why these specific men desire to be virtuous and perform right actions. As for why the believer does good and desires to be virtuous, it's not because one was raised well, but because they have been activated by the power of God's Spirit (John 3:6, 1 Cor. 12:13). For believers, the reason as to why we desire to be good and virtuous is because the Spirit of God has regenerated us. He loves us so we can love others (1 John 4:19). One is meant to look to the life of Christ and what he has done by dying on the cross, to know that we are loved and forgiven. This in turn is meant to activate a good life, having seen what we have gained and been forgiven of. He calls and activates us to do similar to those around us. This is a more open system for people of all groups and classes. One only has to call upon the name of the Lord to be included. It does not require a specific gender or to be raised a certain way.
The goal of Aristotelian ethics is to achieve 'eudaimonia.' However, within the Bible the goal is as the Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it: "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever." Since the central aspect of Biblical Eschatology is that humans will continue on forever in resurrected bodies, the aim of ethics is more than living a good life presently. Living a good life now is important, but it was only one aspect in the Christian worldview. Humans are meant to live beyond this life, so the aim is also about building virtuous souls that will continue on. The importance of this is more crucial than it may seem at first. Paul said that we must all appear before judgment, so that "every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. 15:10).
Being a virtuous person requires integrity, because one will still have to answer to God after death. If one can commit an evil act and no one finds out, then from the outside perspective he or she may still appear virtuous. Culturally speaking, the ancient world was very different from our own. All wrongdoings centered around public honor and shame. One did good to receive public honor, and one did not do what was bad to receive public shame. Right and wrong were connected to one's public honor and shame in the ancient Greco-Roman world. Thus good and evil were public ideas, not personal ideas. Ethical demands were grounded in the community in one's public appearance
The Biblical idea of an omniscient God who cared about our ethical status laid a foundation for integrity and personal guilt to emerge. Now one ought to do good because he is beholden to God, not just the community. Believers are to remain focused on God's approval and on the actions that lead them, regardless of the world's response. This lays down fertile ground for integrity to emerge. So the Biblical worldview has another important element built in that encourages ethical behavior, regardless of the honor it brings. One ought to do good because of a commitment to God not, because it might bring honor to one's name publicly.

Implications for Preterists

Paul believed that the Second Coming would happen in his generation, and prescribed certain things in the NT on the basis of that belief. An example of an exhortation that would no longer apppy to us today would be 1st Corinthians 7:24-29, where Paul argues that the times him and his fellow Christians were in called for celibacy, being that the Lord was fast approaching. It wasn't a sin if you did get married, of course; it was just harder to serve the Lord in this context if you had a family to worry about. Thus, Paul encouraged being single.
So, we need to be careful when reading the NT and determining what prohibitions or exhortations are still applicable to us today. Context is key.

I had quite the weird roommate experience. To preface, my situation wasn’t terrible, but did have a major impact on my mental health, academic performance, and socialization this past freshman year of college.
To start off, I met my roommate through a college bios page. What seemed great over the phone turned into a quick nightmare as soon as the end of august rolled around. The first day we were in a room together, you could feel the awkwardness and disconnect and it never went away, even at the end of the second semester. Basically my roommate became good friends with this girl down the hall, and started to treat me and the other girls roommate like garbage.
Long story short, I became friends with the other girls roommate who was in the same situation as me. There was a football game the one day and I was getting ready with my friend in my room, and my roommate was getting ready with my friend’s roommate in her room (2 doors apart). My friend went to grab something from her room and prompted me to get out in the hallway. Not even a foot out of the door, they are blowing us up in that room to some random chick. Mind you, they had NO reason to be talking about us. Their reasoning was that my friend and I came home late and made “too much noise while they were sleeping.” HELP ME NOW BC THEY WERENT EVEN SLEEPING, AS HER ROOMMATE WAS AT A PARTY THAT NIGHT AND I DIDNT EVEN SEE HER LMAO. As for my roommate, she was in her bed on her phone with the big light on. You weren’t sleeping. It was nearing 10pm on a Friday night.
I know this sounds ridiculous up to this point but it’s just hypocritical, because she would have her friend in my room or would be in my friend’s room all the time making noise. My roommate used to let her friend in early in the morning because we all had an early class together, and she would literally come and start socializing when i wasn’t even awake yet. Talk about disturbing someone’s sleep. Well anyway, this may have been wrong on my part as im being fully transparent here, but I muted her contact that day because my friend and I were about to go to the football game, and my roommate and her friend were going separately. I saw them in the lobby and glared at them when they smiled and waved because they had no clue ts I just heard them say. I partly muted her contact for the day so I didn’t have the urge to send her something nasty if Im gonna be honest. I had simply had enough of her.
Well come the next day, I’m laying in my bed feeling so alone. I wanted for the life of me to be able to be friends with my roommate, but after hearing what she said about me, it was pretty disheartening. I put a lot of work into our room. I was the only one who ever cleaned. I was the one to buy the fridge and microwave because she was out of state and I didn’t want her to have the hassle of transporting those things. I was just in a really bad headspace and missing home that I didn’t get out of bed that morning until late. Well, I start to hear fingers slamming the keypad. You don’t have to use the keypad unless you’re in a lock out situation. Here it comes…
This annihilation of a human being bursts into the room and goes, and I quote, Is there a reason you fing blocked me? (Because I wasn’t getting her calls as she was still muted). And I straight up said, yeah there actually is, I heard all the sht you said about me yesterday. The woman was too stunned to speak. But she spoke. “Still that isn’t a reason to not answer my calls. I’m not obligated to you. I swear if you touch any of my s**t, I’m gonna call the cops.”
Runs out and slams the door
Gave me no room to talk whatsoever. And what’s funny about the last part is that my roommate and her friend, while they were talking about us, did in fact touch my friends stuff as her closet was rummaged through, her shoes were messed with, her mirror was broken. Not to mention my stuff was starting to be out of place too. She was really just reflecting herself. She helped herself to all of my food, ate an ENTIRE box of chips my mom had gotten me to take to college. This chick was loaded with money too, there was no reason she was eating my food when I could barely get by.
There’s a lot of small things that happened after that. She apologized the same night but I never saw her the same after. What really burnt me was the fact I gave her a phone wallet for her student id and she never even put it on to this day. She had no reason to be locked out given the fact she wanted the wallet and never put it on. That’s entirely her fault. And up to that point, I’m honestly glad I had her contact muted. This was her karma.
Another comical karma story was when it was a Sunday or something, and I went to the library that day for 6 hours. That’s not terrible long for me for a weekend, but that day I was exhausted. I was heading back to my room when she texted me, “how much longer will you be out of the room?” because her boyfriend was there and she wanted time alone with him. He was also from out of state and would come see her. Mind you, at this point, they weren’t even in the room. They were at a sporting event. I’ve honestly had it up to this point because I would give them PLENTY of time alone all the time, whether they were on the phone together or in person. She never did the same for me, and my relationship is longer than hers.
I simply replied “well I just got back but I guess I can leave again” which was honestly kind of passive aggressive but like atp I was so fed up with her garbage. She had my location and purposely made it a big deal that I was going back to the room. I just grinded for 6 hours, and she never even told me her boyfriend was coming that day. On the way to the room she sprained her ankle and had to be taken to urgent care. Needless to say I got some sleep that day actually. But I walked into my room and her packages were thrown all over my desk, because my space was just hers i guess lmao.
Karma is real. Don’t be a terrible, inconsiderate roommate. Also here is a list of less explained occurrences that have happened throughout this unforgettable freshman year
-took multiple pictures of me while I slept
-she got so sick and coughed all over everything, blew nose loudly all night but complained when I got sick to my face
-bribed me with a stanley cup after threatening to call the cops on me for not answering her
-flooded our room with water from the bathroom when i wasn’t there and posted about it on her instagram story without even texting me about it (the water was mostly on my side and she tried blaming in on someone else)
-left old food in the fridge, the fridge that I bought (and im talking like months old food and drinks
-would call her bf for hours every day but not talk (he could just hear and see me and i wouldn’t even know he was on the phone)
-offered me to live with her next year and oddly enough backed out last second (we were on semi good terms at this point)
-would make me feel unwelcome in my own room
-would look at me weirdly if I came in during one of her day and night long phone calls with her bf
-would be loud asf while getting ready and then expected me to tip toe around her when I got ready
-posted a picture of me on her instagram complaining about having a roommate because she couldn’t cry over her chem grades with me in the room, when she never even left the room for me to do so when I experienced 2 deaths in the span of a few months
I’m sure communication on my end could have helped some, but it came to the point where it was pointless. I didn’t care for her at all. What burnt me is that she started being super nice to me the last two weeks of school which made it hard to just block her like i originally had planned. Would I look like a bad person for doing so, or is this completely validated with my experiences with her. I’ve never met someone so oddly unaware of themselves. It makes me cringe DEEPLY whenever I think about her and what I had to put up with. I also want to mention I did go to my RA and Res Director about this early on, so it’s not like I blatantly didn’t do anything about it.

When I was young around grade 1, I had this friend in my street, I can't remember much of the time I spent with this guy but I can remember him hurting me like hitting me and shit when I didn't do what he wanted. He smacked my knee with a wrench once. I just fell to the ground. We were decent friends until I told him that I wanted to be girl, I remember him telling me how to do certain things to men. (Seems like he was a victim too). Anyway, throughout my childhood my mother was pretty abusive, she was dealing with psychosis and paranoid delusions, she coped with alcohol and taking it out on dad and I, we would be kicked out, he would be hit manipulated screamed at all the sorts. Anyway it got too much for her one day and she decided to try and smother Me, she then attempted suicide. (I don't remember how it ended I just remember waking up on my bed)
All throughout primary/highschool, I would let people use me. I had very little back bone for myself, I think I was half trying to figure out things that had happened. One time when I had to leave home for a bit cause dad was being violent the persons whos house I was staying at made me touch him in exchange for the place.
I had this friend, he stayed over one night. I think it was one of our birthdays (btw I've had very mixed gendered friends, all very close) Anyway, we were drinking and smoking and eventually he started to ask me if I wanted to do things. I said no, repeatedly. He just kepted asking and was acting all bummed I just felt like shit, I got more drunk and just said yeah sure. The next thing I remember I was bent over my bed, my god it was horrible, it's just flashes of pain and crying and asking him to stop before I moved and pushed him away. I can't remember how the night ended but the next morning was so horrible, I bled from it all. In the future I wasn't so resistant, he would just make me feel bad, I would let him do whatever, the feeling of bits of him left inside me, makes me want to die all by it self. I felt so disgusting I feel so disgusting
Anyway, later on I had gotten into a relationship with this girl. We were together from the ages 17-20 (She like everyone else in my life knew who I was) She knew that sex was horrible for me, I still put out for her when I could. But when I couldn't, she didn't care, she would tell me I'm responsible for her mental decline and things. So I would just give in, most of the time I would just give her oral I preferred this. Sometimes though she wanted to touch me, i would protest and offer alternatives but she didn't care she would just start touching me, eventually she started to insert her fingers and I would literally have tears I my eyes saying no and she'd just keep going if not harder when I said to stop.
I just, fucking hate myself so much, I can't get it out of my head that I did this shit to myself. I feel so disconnected from it all, like the pain and emotions are there but it's just like watching a movie. I feel so disgusting, on edge I'm always In fight or flight, I'm tired I just want to die most of the time.
I just, idk, I still consider these people friends. I can't convince my brain that this was fucked. Like do I just not care and move on? Not talking with em about it or what idk I'm lost I just wanna cry
Idc if the main account causes problems, I just need my possible reasons heard

wow i’m a junior now wtf
i’m tispy, bored, and its the summer and nostalgia and late night reddit stalking inspired me to revisit a2c and yap about my college admissions file. also, i found a lot of dms about my collegeresults post even two years later so maybe this can clear up some questions. also, please insert disclaimer about this being my own unique experience, but you guys have probably reach enough of those. apologies if there is any incorrect info - it’s been so long since i’ve even thought abt admissions that i don’t even remember my SAT score. if curious look at collegeresults post on profile which i am too lazy to link
i looked at my admissions file at the beginning of freshman year out of sheer and utter curiosity. honestly it was really anticlimactic, but i’m really happy that i did read it since my interview wrote a couple essays about me, and it makes me tear up and cheers me up to think about when i’m feeling pretty stressed at school.
this was during the co 2026 (hs co 2022) admissions cycle. i applied for RD.
SCORES
Overall:
R1: 3+
R2: 2-
Academics (rip the Bs bro):
R1: 2-
R2: 2-
Extracurriculars:
R1: 2
R2: 2
Athletics:
R1: 4 (LOL)
R2: 5
Personal:
R1: 2-
R2: 3+
All counselors/teacher rec: 3+
INTERVIEW:
Overall: 1 (AHHHHH)
Personal: 1
Openness to new ideas: 1
Potential to contribute to college life: 1
What kind of roommate: 1
Extracurricular: 2+
Academic: 2+
Love of learning: 1
Intellectual curiosity: 1
Intellectual originality: 1
COMMENTS
AO comments were all really positive! tldr;

• very understanding of mediocre teacher recs due to extracurricular family commitment
• very understanding of grades for same reasons
• talked about extremely busy extracurricular load and how it was impressive to juggle a lot
• wanted to interview me, really wanted to interview me
• didn’t mention my supplemental essays / make direct comments on essays

interviewer comments made me actually cry ugly tears when i first read them. he was extremely well written and wrote me an essay. highlights are that he said it was “the rare interview that ran long and didn’t feel like it had been very long at all” and that he was “confident she would make the most of her Harvard experience if she were admitted,” and i got diff tags under the interview for “diamond in the rough,” “rare and rewarding convo,” etc, god imma cry while writing this
i really think i taken advantage of the opportunities, i can’t be more thankful, and i’ve gotten to know my interviewer more now which is cool!!
i think i had strong essays, my recs were meh, grades were meh, extracurricular were alright, and the interview M A T T E R E D. i just wish i can seen yales 🙃 would’ve been so funny
i think it’s been way too long since i’ve seen my file to give my own proper opinions, so i’ll leave it at that. feel free to ask questions in comments / dm, i’ll try to answer to the best of my capabilities until life’s business ramps up again :D i don’t really use reddit, so sorries not sorries to people i haven’t responded to 🙂‍↕️ hopefully this makes up for it

Would like to start a journal on my progress since I am some what anxious to mess with my hormones. Had been on 1600 calorie diet, high on protein and enough fats, 200g/65g so this might play a bit into why I started so low but I am not too sure. Was on this diet about 3 weeks before checking testosterone and about 5 before checking the other levels. Los about 15-18 lbs and about 7-10% body fat. Lifting 5 times a week. 2hours bike cardio while playing video games and watching JJK. I am also doing 20mg daily clomid to keep my nuts working.
So 200mg test weekly with 20mg enclomid a day starting dosages.
Started enclomid at 12.5mg 4 days before testosterone injection and increased it to 20 day of first injection.
Plan on doing injections 1-2 month and then continue enclomid for 6month while titration it down to see if I can get to settle on a better level.
Test blood work taken about 3 weeks before 1st dose. Lh and FSH 1week before 1st dose.
5/14/2024 Age:32 Starting T: 252ng/Dl Starting LH: 3.8 mIU/ml [R 1.4 -18.1] Starting FSH: 2.1 mIU/ml [R 1.5 - 9.3] Starting Estradiol: 19.5 pg/mL Starting Weight: 195lbs, body fat 18-22%?
Abs Starting to show, shoulder and bicep veins. Shoulder and triceps visible and separate heads visible when flexing. Forarm veins Starting to pop out.
As an idiot I did do a cycle about 14 years ago when I was 19 I believe I used 300mg a week for 2 or 3 months? and clomid for pct for 6months? but I can't really recall exactly tbh.
Have had gyno since I was 13 but no lumps anymore mostly puffy might extra fat stored there forever. Never really gotten under 15% body fat. Would like to see if the enclomid has any effects on this. Also curious to see how my estradiol, fsh and lh levels handle both enclomid and testosterone at the same time. Planing to get levels check again in about 10-15 days to see how the markers are moving.
Hope this helps someone in or around the same position as me.
I had very bad depression and 0 motivation. I had to listed to alot of david goggins and jjk to get me through the first weeks of working out. Checked my levels out of curiosity. I also had a ankle injury sprain that did not heal for over a year and it's still bothering me from time to time so I want to see if this helps. Also have had herniated disc for about 6 years and would like to strengthen my core and muscle around vertebrae to help me keep a good posture and reduce strain on the disc. Plan on using bpc 157 as well in the future. I plan on getting off of hrt both enclomid and test becasue I might be able to settle on better levels once I am not on a caloric deficit anymore.

Just finished freshman year and first semester was ROUGH. Second semester I started to figure out what worked for me and what didn’t. Grade wise I’m still struggling, but mental health wise definitely a big improvement. The areas I’m struggling in are social life/finding solid friends/sense of involvement. I did get lucky and meet one real deal friend, honestly probably a friend for life. I have a few other casual friends, and acquaintances but that’s it. Still feel like I haven’t found my people.
I’m at a very good LAC, but don’t feel like I fit in, and have been questioned as to why I chose this school all the time (not sure if everyone experiences that), but it does make me feel like I don’t belong. Im still finding myself, my style, my values, and the people I’d like to surround myself with as an adult. At this school I feel too boring, or not quirky enough. I do think I messed up when chances to make new friends arose because of anxiety and since I’m very introverted. I’m not sure if I should transfer to a more chill relaxed school with more basic people like myself, where I feel like I fit in all the time. I do think I’d thrive because school would be less rigorous, my grades would be better, etc. but I wouldn’t have a poc community like I do here (I’m even planning to live in a program house next year which I’m excited about if I stay). The school I want to transfer to is very not diverse let’s just say. It’s also in a rural area but it’s a beautiful campus.
Also the reason my grades are poor is cause I’m burnt out, and I don’t really care about being at a top school like I did in hs.
Pros at X School: -very diverse (all my classes have been all poc or mostly poc which is shocking for me as I grew up in all white catholic schools) -all sorts of people that I could get to know/make connections with, strong cultural community that I plan to get more involved with next year as well -learned a lot more about/discovered myself in this one year than I did in all 4 years of hs -amazing job opportunities -used to the campus/location, starting to feel like a second home -6 hrs away from home, like the independence from toxic family
Cons: -feel like I haven’t found a core group of like minded people/ hippy/artsy/party culture is not my vibe -feel like I need to change to fit in -feel out of place -struggling academically (withdrawn from a crazy amount of classes (but made it to sophomore year) -lonely/anxiety on campus -cliques/social hierarchies but that’s everywhere -don’t love the campus, feels kinda lifeless/ghetto
Pros at Transfer School -love the campus -more peaceful environment -More majors here, and if I go here I’ll be able to major in something that will directly get me a job -more introvert friendly/wont feel like an outcast (do think both schools are introvert friendly since they’re small tho) -no classism/elitism -get to be a nobody, I think at a top school like X, you should only go if you plan to be somebody (I just want a simple job/life -can drive home 3hrs away -more confident in
Cons: -less diverse -no similar background community like I have here and can grow next year if I stay -might feel isolated again like I did in hs

Dear Reddit users,
My cat Cheeto has recently been having these episodes where he brings his back legs forwards and seems to grab onto the floor. I was hoping someone may have been through similar and have any idea what it could be. Cheeto is a 4.5 y/o neutered male Bengal. I have had him since he was a few months old.
In the past year he has had a few episodes, twice this week, and I am getting more concerned as it seems to be more frequent and changing in symptoms. I have made videos of each episode to document. The episodes start with him staring blank around him and then he seems to want to curl his body forwards as seen in the videos. He’s also clinging onto the carpet. They last anywhere from 1-2 minutes, he comes out the other end like nothing happened.
He has been seen by multiple vets, who now suggest to speak with the neurologist vet directly. He has a grade 2 heart murmur and was seen by a cardiology team who said there isn’t much to be concerned of. He was also seen by a neurologist who described them as vestibular episodes but didn’t suggest an MRI as he makes a full recovery in between the episodes so we most likely wouldn’t find anything down that route. I have been back to this neurologist again with these recent videos and they have put it down to a movement disorder, but I’m not sure if it is.
In the past few months has been to the vets for a full blood profile, urinalysis and blood pressure monitoring which seemed fine. Usual checkup shows him as totally healthy boy. I got the urinalysis and most of the blood tests back and all came back normal.
Next steps were mentioned would be more invasive imaging such as an MRI but I have now used all my insurance and they start at around 3-4K and they were adamant it would come back with nothing.
My gut is telling me to get a second opinion from another neurologist.
I know this is a long shot but I am just so worried for him and would do anything to make sure he is okay. He is my actual world. If anyone has had any similar experience. I would appreciate it. Thank you so much.

I've been consuming the available YT vids that Dr. Mike @ RP has released so far about training after an injury, and I'm mostly clear regarding the phases and their rep, effort, & volume targets. However, one missing piece of the puzzle is exercise selection.
Dr. Mike barely mentions in any video what type of lift to use after an injury, but I found 1 or 2 instances where he implies that you shouldn't use the basic compound lifts at the start of the comeback program. For example, if one has a tendon tear in their leg (knee, ankle, etc.), you shouldn't pick squats or close variations for the 1st phase (20-30 reps, 10 RIR), but rather leg extension (isolation) or leg press (more stable variation).
He doesn't outright say this, but he does say to consider switching from leg extension & leg press to squat (in a smith machine, then free weight) once the load progresses to 10-20 reps @ 0-3 RIR. That's where I deduced that he recommends against squats (or other basic compounds that use the injured body part) before this point.
Am I interpreting his content correctly?