The Herd Mentality

[Mutant Funk Drink]

I really like this video:

The Story of Your Enslavement - YouTube

The Story of Your Enslavement - YouTube
Video: click to display

[typedthiswithmytits]

Does the herd bahh, moo or neigh?

[Ambient]

Originally Posted by kingOfCrash

I can agree with the bold. But, while I find the idea of transcending the ego interesting... I can't help but consider that we are just animals and our consciousness can be misleading... that perhaps once the lights go out, that is the end. (Despite how I may really feel about the subject)

There are two fundamental meanings or interpretations I can think of for the statement "You are not your body/I am not this body".

Firstly, there is the interpretation of soul. This kind of soul is the ethereal type of soul. People think "well, all of this world is material, but I am alive, and I can think, and I can feel, so there must be some fundamental difference between me and the world, and this is my soul". According to this kind of thinking, a body is not something which you are, but something that you have, like a possession or property of sorts... Because inside the body, there is some centre, some sort of ego/soul/"I"ness which exudes intelligence over the crude material nature.

There is another concept. This concept comes from the same statement "You are not your body, I am not this body". This concept also deals with fundamental identity. However, instead of interpreting the quote by getting more specific (i.e. "I am a soul"), it gets broader and more general. In other words, my true identity is not a snippet or a selection or a part of existence, but the whole of existence. It is easy to understand that if the whole of existence is my identity, then a particular part of it (i.e. a body) is not that identity, or at the most a lesser/fractional aspect of that identity. It's almost like saying "I am not this body, I am all bodies".

So those are the two interpretations:

a) "I am not this body, I am a soul"
b) "I am not this body, I am the whole"

[kingOfCrash]

b) is interesting, and I've strongly felt that this is true while tripping, and the feeling remains... But at the moment I can't say that I believe it. It seems like an epiphany that many people have, so I can believe that the it is just an intrinsic idea of the human mind.

The same can be said of a), which I find a laughable idea. But that may be due to my long held doubt of the idea, as it was all around me as a kid due to being involved with Christians. I think that a) is less likely to be true, but I don't see any reason why I should. They're both so questionable.

But actually... a) seems to be an idea gathered from others. I can't see anyone of reasonable mind being struck with the epiphany that they have a soul.

[Psych]

Originally Posted by ArmsMerchant

You are not your body.

You are not what you think.

You are not what you do.

You are not what you feel.

[Danger]

I've read a few of his books, & most of his predictions came true.. %90++ no joke..


About the "lizard land"
I think the reptilians are a projection of your own "shadow" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_(psychology)...

[&Zenith]

I think the overarching message to this thread is to think for yourself, not to think outside of the group. If one contemplates the situation at hand and decides to go the way the group is, then so be it. But do not follow the herd simply because you have been told to or because it is easier to. Don't conform for acceptance; but only because you want to. I think this message is fairly overplayed for this community, but it's a valuable one for people at large and perhaps it serves as a good reminder for us. No, I did not watch the video and that's because I'm listening to music. Sorry to disappoint anyone here. In case you were wondering:

Phutureprimitive - Drifting.wmv - YouTube

Phutureprimitive - Drifting.wmv - YouTube
Video: click to display

[typedthiswithmytits]

Is the herd really a herd?
Could it be a flock?

Or is it more like a murder?

[&Zenith]

Originally Posted by typedthiswithmytits

Is the herd really a herd?
Could it be a flock?

Or is it more like a murder?

No, sorry. Herds are reserved for mammals, unless you're talking about metaphorical flocks. It isn't also murder, unless you're talking about the metaphorical murder of individuality, in which case, you are correct in some circumstances.

[typedthiswithmytits]

Originally Posted by &Zenith

No, sorry. Herds are reserved for mammals, unless you're talking about metaphorical flocks. It isn't also murder, unless you're talking about the metaphorical murder of individuality, in which case, you are correct in some circumstances.

you sure youre not just another kitten in the litter?
Bit of a runt too

[&Zenith]

Originally Posted by typedthiswithmytits

you sure youre not just another kitten in the litter?
Bit of a runt too

Nah, ever since I killed my brother I've been an only child. No litter here.

[typedthiswithmytits]

Ah the metaphorical murder, or is it just the flock taking flight?

[&Zenith]

Originally Posted by typedthiswithmytits

Ah the metaphorical murder, or is it just the flock taking flight?

No, as in, I actually killed him. Banged him out and then held him under water still he stopped breathing. You can bet I took flight after.

[typedthiswithmytits]

Its safe now

[Figure-8]

Originally Posted by a224

lol at OP thinking he's not in also in a herd.

You better be in a herd. Just not the one that's trying to cross the raging river to get to the food now.

Originally Posted by Vizier

So, you speak of humans being one and together sometimes, and now you're against humans forming groups and having a herd mentallity when we evolved as gregarious, social creatures with the need to belong in groups.

The herd that is the "herd mentality" being talked about is not human in nature. It is organized by external influence, the overabundance of fear and greed that doesn't originate from reality. That herd, is not actually real, it is a reaction and based upon a fail-safe. When in doubt, fuck, eat, and steal what you need to live. This is basically the system we live in now, we just use money as an intermediary.
We are all apart of every herd mentality simultaneously, it is whichever one we appeal to in the moment that causes that particular one to grow and expand to cover more people and influences.

[Om Namah Shivaya]

Originally Posted by Figure-8

You better be in a herd. Just not the one that's trying to cross the raging river to get to the food now.

be the bridge building herd.

[typedthiswithmytits]

Mind your not feeding the troll as you cross that bridge

[Om Namah Shivaya]

ok I won't feed you if you don't want it

[Vizier]

Dayum, Arms watched some Fight Club.

[typedthiswithmytits]

Originally Posted by Om Namah Shivaya

ok I won't feed you if you don't want it

harsh dude real harsh

[Figure-8]

All this is crucial to how the few control the world. Because we have become, yes in many cases, terrorsized into denying what we are, unique. And we once do that we become a herd, a herd mentality and it it the herd mentaility that is the vehicle for the manipulation of the world by very few people.

If we all respect ourselves as unique people, we respect each other. If we respect each other, we respect ourselves. We can learn.