Krishnamurti: "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."

So what keeps the madness going? Why do the masses strive to "fit in" with the other insane? The answer is simple. People want to fit in. Most want to live a relatively smooth life without bumps along the way, even if this means succumbing to a mirror image of madness. Nazi Germany is, of course, the best example. While there were indeed those that opposed the tyrannical regime of Hitler, many others simply sat by and allowed for the insanity to take place. But that is the most obvious of recent examples. What about current times? What, in our society today, are we standing by and letting happen? Does it not seem that our society is crumbling beneath its feet; in a manner no amount of voting can change? Could it be that the ideals we have been brought up to believe in were largely a ploy to conjure support for another's agenda?

As of yet, societies today are largely constructed on ideologies. And, as fearful as it may sound, all ideologies fail. They fail because they are not real and cannot stand up to the test of reality, as they are too rigid. If I were a betting man, I'd say that the ideological bubble that serves as a foundation for many nations is soon to burst.

In the four corners of the world, there exists a common trait between people. No matter what happens, no matter the circumstance, it seems that the initial human reaction, during some problem or dilemma, is to search for someone or something outside of themselves to blame. The case is, of course, the opposite should something beneficial occur. In such a scenario, people are all too happy to claim credit. So why do people feel the need to blame? Is it just an aspect of laziness? Is it the byproduct of if ignorance? Or is it simply due to a lack of introspection? As is the usual case, the answer is a combination of all three. Some recent cases that pop into my mind are:

Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda: Indeed, what they did was horrendous, but blaming "terrorists" for the world's problems is not a solution to anything. It in fact only covers up far more severe issues. And could it be that there are some actions perpetrated by this nation and others that are viewed as "terrorist" acts in the eyes of others?

Barack Obama: Your candidate of choice may have lost or he may be disappointing your decision but he, also, is not to blame for your problems (neither is any president) nor is he the cause of the Armageddon (contrary to what some may think).

Global Warming, 2012, Planet X or any other disaster: Your life may end in relatively quick period of time, but I can guarantee Earth will be here for several BILLION more years.

In the end, we search for others to bear the load of our mental instability, but all this does is prolong the madness. If we truly want to be rid of our "problems" we've got to start looking within, because it is our perception that creates trouble for US.

There will always be something to complain about.

As tough as times may get, life, with all of its troubles and hurdles to jump, is pretty simple. However, the bulk of our problems come from our insatiable craving to complicate things. The irony is complicating your life is very simple. Unlike other creatures that roam the world, we have a mind that craves problems to find solutions too. In fact, it is not uncommon for the mind to create problems where there are none to be found (this is often called boredom). The cause of this behavior is rooted in our thinking. Because we have grown to be so mind dominated, we rely less on our instincts and thus pay less attention to nature, and nature is extremely simple. An example of this would be the wide spread dilemma of ADHD (and like problems), especially with children. Instead of exploring the notion that their child's lifestyle is the problem, many parents stick their children on mind altering drugs in hopes their child will be cured. This of course only adds to the difficulty of a child or person's life.

Life is indeed simple, but it is up to us to keep our minds in check and ensure that we don't complicate it.

A change in tune can change the world. Tune, in this case, refers to the tune of your energy vibration. How you feel within will most certainly alter your outer reality. If you're walking around praying for change to come your way, but within you feel that all is hopeless, chances are, your situational state will remain the same. This is where your investigative awareness comes in handy, and it is also why awareness is so important. If you are aware of the problem, you now have the power to take action. This awareness also immediately changes the tune you feel within. You may not feel instantly better, but you have severed the identity with your emotion and so given room for change to occur. An important aspect to your energetic tune is: what you put in you get out. So if there is a situation you are trying to change, engaging the situation with a negative (frustrated, angry, sad…) energy will reproduce that same energy as your outcome. Likewise, if you engage with a balanced, confident (not cocky) energy, you are sure to be far more pleased with your results.

"The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry" – Brooks

And that it did. With the holidays approaching, people have a tendency to speed up from their already impatient ways. Where is everyone going? And why do they have to get there so fast? In reality, there is no destination that such a speedy trip. People just lack the power to slow themselves down. On the road, drivers even grow violent when they must drive at a slower pace. Test it out. You will see how insane people get (if you are not one of them) when you drive slower than they are. This is, of course, only a symptom of a much larger problem, but that problem can have a solution when you pay attention to your behavior. Put some space in your life. Be aware of your unconscious drive to rush through everything. If you do not, you will speed from one moment to the next only to find yourself 80 years old and wondering where your life went.

Violence and aggression can act like a bad spread of the flu virus; when a carrier inters the vicinity many others are likely to catch it. However, while puffing your chest out and breathing hard may seem like the best thing to do, such an act only puts you level with the perpetrator of confrontation. Perhaps you are bigger than he or she. Maybe you do know the right Judo chop to knock him out. But, in today's world, as mighty as some of us think we are, size or skill does little in the face of a knife or bullet. And there are plenty of fools in world willing to use these methods to prove that they are bigger than your biceps.

So what, pray tell, is one to do in the light of confrontation? Here are some methods I find very useful to remaining above the perpetrator's level:

1. Don't look the opponent in the eyes. If you feel fear in the situation, you can feed them power by challenging them in the eyes and "loosing".
   
2. Treat the person like they are too ignorant to know what they are doing and avoid talking to them.
   
3. Don't react. When you react to their childish thwarts you are again feeding them. Instead respond to the situation with as much clarity as possible.
   
4. Understand the individual's angle. Understanding is not justification and it will elevate you beyond their level of ignorance.
   

All of the above are methods of avoiding conflict and remaining aware if caught by someone else' aggression. Of course, one cannot always plan his moves when caught in a situation, but with these ideas in your mind, chances are you will respond with better clarity.

For physical self defense contact this man: Victor Gojcevic @ paradoxical_vg@yahoo.com

Yes, the world is ending. All will be lost. All people will die!

Eventually, that is. And the world really isn't ending, it's just constantly changing. So why do such apparently silly notions creep into the consciousness of society? Where does all the fear originate (aside from marketing ads for water and movies)? Could it be that we citizens love the excitement and drama of grand ol' end of the world tale? This sort of event not only gives those feeling bored a sense of purpose and destination, but also keeps an obsessive mind occupied.

The more positive angle about such a scenario is that it foreshadows the end of our current problems as a whole. Many issues would be solved by eliminating the bulk of the erroneous garbage that plagues our beliefs and ideologies with a global catastrophe. However, like the struggling man who wins 12 million dollars, he will create a struggle soon again (only now with more access). Problems are manifested from a deeper psychosis, and our drive to create a fear based end of the world scenario is often only a mechanism for a troubled mind to find a way out. However, like all problems, relief ultimately lies within.

"Patriotism ruins history" said Goethe, and I must say that I agree. I do not contest the natural inclination to defend and feel proud of one's home. But there is an aspect of patriotism that indeed proves detrimental to public sanity. There is a tendency of many "patriots" to downplay the past events of America's history, specifically early American history. Often people consider the historic genocide to be an act of "wrong doing" but nowhere near as bad as the acts of Hitler or other maniacal acts committed in human history. My question is: how can one deem any of these events better or worse than the other. The slaying of Jews, the elimination of Native Americans, the enslavement of blacks are all acts of bloody insanity, none of which are to be taken lightly. However, people downplay these events because they happened by the hands of their forefathers.

One might ask: What is the problem with this form of denial?

But a better question might be: If someone is willing to overlook this sort of insanity, due to some sick form of tribal defense, what else is he or she in denial about?

To hold an idea as an individual is one thing. To dehumanize someone because their beliefs are different is another. There are many different countries with different cultures and beliefs in the world. In fact, it is fair to say that every individual holds their own perception and no two perceptions are the same. Knowing this, it would be ignorant to think that one particular set of ideals is "better" than another. This is not to disregard obvious negatives that some ideologies hold. But that's just it. These are ideologies we are talking about. And there is a difference between a person and their ideas. This holds especially true when we speak of national ideologies. To look at an entire culture or country and deem them as hostile or evil is, in fact, an act of evil on its own. Often, phrases like "Oh, they hate us for our beliefs…" or "Those people are crazy…" rolls off of the tongue of the average American with ease. And often the person saying such ignorance knows little to nothing about the accused. Recently, someone stated (mid conversation) "Oh, but they're communist…" as if somehow the Chinese bled red… oh wait, we all do. Words and beliefs like this are dehumanizing, demeaning and detrimental to awareness. We would be wise to discard them.

You know, I've been thinking. America has become a little crowded, am I right? What we as a people need to do is start kicking people out; you know, the ones who don't belong. Things are starting to look a little too different if ya know what I mean. I mean different beliefs, different backgrounds… different view points! What the he!! is going on here? What happened to the nation that was unified; where everybody believed in the same basic principles of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness? How dare others come here (especially illegally) and try to build a life! That's just wrong. Our founding fathers discovered this country from the natives and rightfully constructed what we have today with high moral fiber and a sense of morality (not murder, pillage and genocide). Today, you've got people wanting to put the wrong religious institutions next to the Twin Towers, folks not wantin their kids to pray to God in schools. And worst of all, they want to teach science to our youth. What has the world come to?

The ability of cognitive thinking was the revolutionary ability that jolted the human being to the dominant species of planet Earth. It allowed us to build technological works of wonder so marvelous that we can defy the very forces that bind us to Earth. Cognitive thought has also created language, a tool for turning an arbitrary idea into an understandable sound wave or mental construct. However, with just as many benefits comes a plethora of problems. Because we as of yet have failed to, as a majority, overcome our addiction to primal urges, cognitive thought often fuses with those primal urges and becomes insanity. Today, the average person cannot stop thinking. Mention the ability to stop your thoughts from running without pause and people will mention that some evil Devil or spirit will take you over or that a break in thought will turn you stupid. The truth is constant mental chatter is where the evils of the mind manifest. And, it is also how ignorance inundates the mind. Thinking is much like the other functions of the body. There is a flow or balance to which it runs perfectly. If it is overworked, chaos emerges. You need space in your mind. You need a pause in thought. This is the only way to allow for clarity. A few times a day, make the effort to pause and pay attention to your surroundings. Listen, even, to the thoughts rolling through your mind. This, at least, is a cognitive process and provides space within.

Failure is perhaps the greatest gift life can offer you. We somehow have a tendency to think that success comes without any skill or experience. This just isn't so. In fact, should you happen to get what you want without any prior experience or knowledge, chances are you'll turn your pleasure into pain instantly. This is like a lottery winner getting that instant ticket and suddenly finds himself blessed with one hundred million dollars. Suddenly, his old problematic habits just found an opening into the extreme. Yes, I know many of you are saying "not me, not me". But honestly, take a look at what you last did when you found yourself bored and judge from there.

The truth is: failing is the gateway to success. We must wobble on the bicycle or even fall before we become experts. We must have our hearts broken before we realize who, what and when to place our faith in a relationship. Failure is a beauty. Little else can show you what you did wrong and how to improve at the same time. Embrace your failures, learn from them.

Life is here for you to play the game, not simply to watch the ending.

"Life, liberty and the pursuit of hypocrisy"

With brutal honesty, the foundations of this country are indeed rooted in the sweat and labor of slaves and "savages". And in accord with America's time old traditions, much of the same behavior still carries on today. Look at your clothing and see where the product was made. It's hard to avoid buying slave labor, but this is a fact we must admit. For those who claim that sweatshops provide relative prosperity in those countries… well, there is little to say to a man with deaf ears. Indeed, it is all a shambles; a game hosted by a perpetuating system run not by the rich, but by us all. Democracy for this nation (and many others) is largely an illusion; upheld by the belief that we choose based upon truthful knowledge. Most politicians are merely skilled marketers. Most government decisions are ruled by big business. And big business requires loads of money, most of which you will never see. In essence, money rules the country. Yes, I know this is an obvious statement. But, I ask the question: How do you contribute to the illusion? The fact is our constant chase for the all mighty dollar keeps the hypocrisy in place and prevents us from attaining our goal. And if you say your goal is to be rich, ask yourself why. What is the benefit of having hordes of dollars?

Why? The answer is simple… and will be continued on the next article……