The Great Depression

We are all so deep within the apparent reality, that even taking a step backwards and trying to look at the big picture, is something many of us don’t even feel inclined to do. But does that mean that we are collectively adapted and truly see this as the best way to live?

In the United States of America, suicide is the second leading cause of death for all college students (as of 2001 and according to suicide.org). And more people actually die from suicide than homicide.
In general, there is a noticeable contrast between western developed countries where our modern matrix is at its most advanced state (higher suicide rate) and the less developed countries in South America or the Pacific (significantly lower). There is only reliable data for a few 3rd world countries.

Statistics on clinical depression reflect a similar pattern to the above described.

It may be too simplistic to interpret these broad statistics (and to do so is not within my scope here), but to dissociate it from mentality and lifestyle differences is unthinkable.

From The Wall Street Journal, excerpts from the March 9, 2007 article “The Great Depression – Richest country, saddest people, any coincidence?”

…recently reported in Forbes, purporting to show that the U.S. has the highest rate of depression among a survey group of 14 countries. The study, jointly conducted by the World Health Organization and Harvard Medical School and based on more than 60,000 face-to-face interviews world-wide, found that 9.6% of Americans suffer from “bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder or chronic minor depression.” A whopping 18.2% of Americans were also found to be experiencing “mood and anxiety disorders, such as obsessive compulsive disorder and panic disorder.”
…
One can easily understand that Ukraine, land of Chernobyl, would have a comparatively high proportion of depressed people: 9.1%. One can equally understand that the rate of depression in Italy comes in at a low 3.8%. The only mystery there is how anyone could be depressed in Italy.
…
More interesting are the data about depression rates in poorer countries. In Lebanon, which in the last year has endured heavy Israeli bombardment, an internal refugee crisis, several political assassinations and a quasi-coup by Hezbollah, 6.6% of the population is considered to be depressed, a slightly higher figure than Belgium’s (6.2%) but considerably lower than France’s (8.5%). Colombians, with their drug cartels and right- and left-wing death squads, remain, at 6.8%, a slightly cheerier people than the prosperous, permissive Dutch (6.9%). And while some 50 million Mexicans live below the poverty line, they are, at 4.8%, doing twice as well at keeping their spirits up than their richer neighbours to the north.
And then there is Nigeria: desperately poor, infamously corrupt, riven by violent confessional and tribal divides, and generally filthy. It clocked in with a depression rate of 0.8%, by far the lowest of all the countries surveyed.
Could it really be that Nigerians are the happiest people on earth, and Americans the most unhappy?
…
A New York attorney who fails to make partner at a white-shoe firm by his mid-30s may find himself “depressed.” By contrast, a fruit seller in Lagos, Nigeria, who makes enough in a year to feed and clothe her family may be fairly contented.
…
None of this is to say that depression is not, for those who suffer acutely from it, a serious matter or that it doesn’t warrant attention and care. But it is also true that what we now call “depression” is something previous generations also knew, albeit with different names: melancholy, unhappiness, “the blues.” In song, in church, in labor, in philosophy and in the bonds of family, community and tradition they were often able to find genuine consolations.
Such consolations still exist, though we no longer think of them as cures. Given how badly our own “cures” seem to be working, perhaps it would be well if we did.

Bret Stephens

The Matrix part II - The individual and society

To be genuine is almost considered a threat to ourselves in our matrix society, in order to relate to it, we have to abide by whatever is defined by others, not to do so would make us not feel a part of it, not liked, and not accepted. Ironically, to act this way will forever prevent a true sense of belonging.

So, as individuals, we act (consciously or otherwise) in a schizophrenic-like way towards our surroundings. The small and large battles between the true self and the persona happen at a frantic pace, and more often than not, neither side truly walks away victorious.

It is not surprising that we are confused and incongruent at times. We empower freedom and free will, yet we also tend to believe in fate and divine intervention, and the designs of a superior entity. We value that “all men are created equal”, and yet have designed and are surrounded by social ladders to make them distinct, and are even motivated to stand out in a materialistic way from others. We grasp religion, but don’t like to take it too literally, rubbing away whatever is inconvenient, for we only want to believe the bits and pieces that serve us at the time, while upholding it as sacred, holy, transcendental.

By reacting to what is adequate, proper or gives us a larger chance of success, we become a shadow of ourselves, an illusion, an identity we would like to assume, and not by our own free will. As the gap widens, so does our inner conflict, but because we very rarely access it consciously, we feel that we have no choice but to BE the persona that we are not. And we try to become it, brushing our true selves aside as much as we can, and never even acknowledging that they are different.

We are no longer the dreamer, but the dream.

To take the time and look inside ourselves, even the attempt to understand more of anything that is “inner” and not “outer”, has become something for disdained minorities or just used for relaxation and entertainment. We erroneously confuse taking the time to access our inner selves as being idle, while we are happy to sit in front of a television with our minds empty, and our bodies kept active by equally empty sensorial stimuli. This may feed our persona, but it will never fulfil us.

In the desperate search to find meaning outside ourselves, and very consistently failing, we grasp things that are materialistic, certain. Life goals of today are often defined by buying a house or a sports car, and most people, when asked to describe themselves, start by stating what they do professionally.
These are all extensions of our personality, as to the eyes of others, they enhance and sometimes even replace it entirely. Our surroundings tell us everyday, that we can be cooler, more attractive, smarter, more successful, if we can display a sleek new cell phone, a shiny fashion accessory, or a brand new BWM which would serve the exact same practical purpose as our previous car, except it consumes more gas. The more exclusive, the better.

Self-esteem is then obtained by external validation and approval, no wonder we feel the need to pour the majority of our energy there.

Existence is also competitive by nature here and today, but for less natural reasons. There are no rich people without someone poorer, there is no fame without someone to adore and follow oneself.
Work and money are our shelters and safety nets. If we dedicate our time and energy to them, the compensation is relatively certain and static, and god forbid that our happiness and well being should depend on things that are not as controllable or predictable.

But could we adapt to this behaviour and just call it lifestyle? Could we contradict nature, biology, and our true selves and dive into our matrix, letting it envelop us and trust it to provide us with what we truly need as beings?

The big myth is this: contrary to the unconcious common belief, being in touch with your yourself and centered, being brutally honest and sincere thus ignoring the need for external approval or acceptance, often leads to instant trust and empathy from others.

After all we are, inside, not that different from one another.

The G-Spot (is not a myth)

The G-Spot, or Gräfenberg Spot, named after german gynaecologist Ernst Gräfenberg (who first considered it's existance in 1944) is a female erogenous zone, located in the interior front wall of the vagina (see illustration below).

Scientific investigations on the G-spot have not provided "evidence" that this particular area is more sensitive to ant kind of stimulation: it does no possess greater nerve density, like other more sensitive areas do (namely the clitoris).

Also laboratory tests on real women have not yielded consistent results (how you can actually simulate sexual arousal in laboratory is completely outside my knowledge, but hey, they're the scientists).

For these and other reasons, the G-spot has gained myth status. If you ask around a group of friends, answers will vary: "That's a spot that can be anywhere on a woman's body, like the ear or something", "Oh that's just a myth", or "Ehrmmm no idea", are some of the common ones.

But for someone who has tried and enjoyed the experience (on either the giving or receiving end), I am sure that the lack of scientific evidence is of little consequence. Truth is, G-spot stimulation can lead (according to women) to more "full and intense" orgasms, when compared to orgasms obtained through just direct clitoral stimulation.

So how can you guide your girl to a pleasurable new experience in your own body, or ask your guy to try something different?

Insert your middle finger (make sure nails are trimmed and clean and that she is already well lubricated) into her vagina and it rub the soft of the finger (part opposed to your nail) gently up and down, against and along her front wall, gradually increasing pressure, as you feel how she responds (how she breaths, moans, muscle contractions on her genital area). Just explore, vary in pressure and rythm and let her response guide you. Don't be afraid to put extra pressure on as long as se seems to enjoy it, vaginal muscle tissue is far stronger than you may think.

Her response may vary from just pleasurably different to an intense orgasm unlike anything she's experienced, but odds are, she will enjoy it.

Note: You might notice a round or eliptical shaped spot somewhere along the middle of her front wall or not notice a change in texture at all, this does not really imply that she will be more or less sensitive.

Have fun!

Questions and feedbck can be sent to adv_anybody@gmail.com

Persona - The Matrix Within

The Persona was described by Carl Gustav Jung as a mask or appearance that is projected by every, and any one of us, to the outside world.
Importantly, the persona (or ego), used in this sense, is not a pose or some other intentional misrepresentation of the self to others. Rather, it is "the self as self-construed, and may change according to situation and context".

“The persona is a complicated system of relations between individual consciousness and society, fittingly enough a kind of mask, designed on the one hand to make a definite impression upon others, and, on the other, to conceal the true nature of the individual.” - The Relations between the Ego and the Unconscious – 1935 – Carl Gustav Jung

We individually strive for the acceptance of the world surrounding us. Our persona tries to do just that, to envelop a layer around us that makes us feel more adequate, accepted and even loved.
But if we all (although to varying degrees) have the need possess that layer, shouldn’t that mean that we all feel (adequately) inadequate, and, having that in common, shouldn’t we maybe come to a time and place where acceptance is inherent to our human condition? We are all human, and none of us are our persona.

As society’s conventions, rules, morale and prejudices get farther away from our true and primary self, so must our persona. The way we live has changed so dramatically in the last fractions of our existence as humans, that I can’t help but wonder if the way that nature evolves and adapts the species is enough for our frantic changing. It does seem otherwise.

The human body naturally forms fat. It is the most accessible source of energy that the organism can save for later use, and the ability to produce it is obviously priceless for our survival in times or scarcity, just like many other survival mechanisms.
A species evolves to meet demands of survival, and so we did throughout millenniums.

Millenniums of scarcity.

Would our body, in this particular, work in the very same way, if our evolution travelled eras of abundance? If starvation would never be a threat to our survival and existence, would our body still develop or maintain an ability that would never or rarely be necessary? And would our almost universal appetite for fats and sweets be the same, if these weren’t such valuable as energy sources.

Did we not progressively loose the hair in our body after thousands of years, after we learned to keep ourselves warm with animal fur and fire?

In developed countries, we die because we have not adapted to abundance. In the US in 2012, obesity and it’s consequences will be the leading cause of death.

Socially, we have, in a recent past, undergone times of violent and extreme oppression, rooted either on religion or simple tyranny and power (and the border between religion and these, is often blurred, at best).
Today, although more “civilized”, it’s doubtful that we have cut down the distance between social rules and conventions, and our true primary selves.
In fact, the more intricate the web becomes, the further our persona strays away from our true selves, and the deeper the abyss we have to cover to enforce it to the world.

The persona is the projection of our supposed ideal, adapted self. The paradox is, the farther it is distanced from our true selves, the more it has a tendency to work against us.

n

Questions / feedback can be sent to adv_anybody@gmail.com

The Matrix

"I have no faith in human perfectability. I think that human exertion will have no appreciable effect upon humanity. Man is now only more active - not more happy - nor more wise, than he was 6000 years ago." - Edgar Allan Poe

In 1999, Wachowski brother's movie "The Matrix" depicted a dark future for mankind, where freedom was replaced by the mere illusion of it, and ignorance of reality was the ultimate food for an artificial form of existence, and even happiness.
The Matrix would become both an instant success and a cult classic, but the kind of dystopia it illustrates is far from original. From Aldous Huxley's Brave New World to Blade Runner (based on Phillip K. Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"), visions of a darker future, often weaved by humanity itself, seem common.

All science fiction.

Well... yes. But. There may be a common ground if we take time to look at modern times in western culture and developed countries in general.

Modern living is a product of evolution, and of an insatiable search for more. More comfort, more safety, more happiness. More of everything that seems convenient.
Exactly how free is today's freedom? Are we not unconsciously strung to at least some modern principles of living, social rules, and a supposed "way" of life? We clearly are, but even if this sounds too "new age" for you, bear with me and read along.

How do we relate with the environment that surrounds us?

It is no longer a secret nor is it questionable, that the impact we have on the planet is negative and often irreversible (ie. species led to extinction by human action).
In a very short period of time, man has adopted a very aggressive stance towards it’s own cradle and home, causing far more harmful impact in less than 100 years, than in the remaining history of mankind put together, and an impact whose damage is gradually reversed towards humanity itself.

And although all of this is transparent and known today, the most we, as a civilization, can do, is to shyly slow this process with pale actions and measures, for trying to put a stop to it would bring tremendous “costs” that we ourselves determined. Such as a nation’s economy (a human devised, relative, mechanism, nothing more), which is naturally above such matters.

Sustainable agriculture and fishing are known and possible, alternative and renewable energy sources are all around us and motor vehicles that reduce polluting discharges by up to 70% are a reality. But all these are still scarcely used, as they pose a “cost”.

And what can we, as individuals, do? Well, you can recycle, you can use public transports, and you can do whatever you are suggested to do, to try and minimize your share of that negative impact on the planet.
But can you really and altogether refrain from taking part in the process?

Not at all. You are quite simply not given that choice, for you become a part of that process, and it, a part of your human condition and reality, since the day you are born. You are insistently taught all sorts of things, small pieces of the process, every day, and your teachers are all around you.
They tell you what is beautiful, and what is not. They tell you what is moral and what is wrong. They tell you that you should study and learn all sorts of necessary things to one day have a nice job and make money, and have things that can supposedly bring you feelings of accomplishment, fun, relaxation, happiness.
They tell you that you can’t really walk through you life, but instead step into the vehicle where everyone is, and let the rails decide the rest.

We are surrounded by a way of living, and regardless of its consequences, the massive momentum of our evolution as a civilization, is unstoppable. Just like an avalanche that can’t be held suddenly to a stop, only be gradually soothed and calmed throughout its path.

We became entangled in our own web, our own form of matrix, created by everyone else and by ourselves. And in it, we can never be truly free.

(Note: To address such vast concerns such as ecology and the planet is naturally far beyond the scope of this post, and they are mentioned here to illustrate how distanced and powerless we all are towards a reality, that we all learn to accept while growing and living.)

Galileo, whom I quoted in the beginning of this document, lived in an age where tolerance for an individuals thinking was virtually non-existing, and he was eventually a victim of the Catholic Church, spending the last years of his life under house arrest on orders of the Inquisition. He was a right among many wrongs.

In fact, it is surprising how little we question our ways today, given that we look back to our past and more often than not, find our ways back then ignorant, fanatical, inhuman or ridicule.

But I guess we were as sure of ourselves then, as we are now.

n

Questions/feedback can be sent to adv_anybody@gmail.com

Post Zero - Welcome!

"I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him." - Galileo Galilei

The Adventures of Anybody is about you, today, and everything within and outside you that you relate to and that occupies your mind. The encouragement to make this blog came from both people around me (so props to them ;) ) and my own will to share what I wish someone could have shared with me.

It is meant to be readable and accessible, meaningful in a sensible and personally understandeable manner.

When making sense of words and sentences, give yourself room to think and feel. Labelling something as either right or wrong, without really questioning it, is as inconsequent as not reading a word at all. Craft your own truth, regardless of your formed beliefs on the given subject.

Feel free to post comments or send questions/feedback to adv_anybody@gmail.com

/peace

n