Why Thinking About Politics/The World Is Pointless

Worrying about the world's affairs is completely useless. It's all for nothing really. We go about worrying about every little political aspect of the world, and no matter what we do, nothing will really happen. The agenda of the world is not for us to choose. Not to be a pessimist, but as the world (seems) to be descending towards chaos, all we can really do is try to enjoy life itself. 

We can go about thinking about every little thing. "Oh My God, ISIS is going to screw up the world." "For heaven's sake, the situation between Russia and USA is getting worse by the day." We can sit alone at night, wondering how it'll all play out, that's true. But, can we sit around wondering what we can do about it? No. Basically, if one doesn't have that needed power, there's no need to think about anything beyond one's control. If one keeps doing that, he'll only lead himself to further negative thinking. And honestly, I've had my share of negative thinking. And after all the assumptions and realizations I've had about the world, I really don't care anymore. It's not the idea of being nihilistic, but rather of acceptance. 

Okay, ISIS is messing things up. What are we going to do? Stand up atop a pedestal of fate and shout out to them, "Hey! What?! Please, chill out. There's no need for world conquest. People just want to get on with their lives." Unfortunately, the world is losing understanding more by the day. So trying to use understanding is like trying to construct an artistic masterpiece with no tools. I say, let it slide. 

Maybe the only thing we can so is hold on to prayer. And in prayer, one needs to learn to perform action as well. Prayer is action; or, prayer is words based on action. We just carry on through this breeze of life, knowing that maybe the dream of people like Bob Marley will play out. I don't know. The main problems that are caused by the world, and in my own life, is that sometimes we take things too seriously. When that happens, people develop these over exaggerated dreams about the future, thinking that they know exactly what the world needs. And thus is the case with ISIS. 

Trying to solve the world's problems is like trying to build a hotel by the use of only your hands. We need other people to do the job. Basically thinking about how the world is or isn't going to end or go to disaster, is pointless. Who knows? Maybe just our presence, of being happy, relaxed, and optimistic, will somehow alter the divine structure of the Earth's magnetic field to the world's favor. And for people who are wondering about what the hell that means, there are many, many sources of knowledge and information, pointing out to the fact that we are all, somehow and in some way, connected. 

People who assumed that they were able to solve the world's problems, decided that they needed to construct a Utopian world, where everyone always lives in peace. Unfortunately, the dark side to such an equation would be that all those who don't abide by the rules of such a 'Utopian' system would die in the most gruesome ways possible. Everything goes on completely well in such a world, and everyone appears as an angel, until someone breaks a single rule. And then everyone turns into a non relenting demons. 

Politics keep changing. It's like a grocery store. Everyday, there is a new batch of vegetables. One day things may going to complete disaster, and the next, the leaders get along like in fairy tales.

It's not being selfish to not care about the world. It's being realistic. It's being normal. Just care about how you can achieve a better life. It's not apathy. Again, it's acceptance. For so many nights of my life, I wondered how I can solve things. But all that was really happening, was that I was thinking while staring at the ceiling at night. Life is too short to be dreaming of doing things we can't do. 

Even though love is the only solution to everything, evil will always exist. Even though the entire world was filled with love, it takes one evil man to mess everything up. And although we all wanted a world filled with love, everyone who preaches love ends up shot in an alley way. So just spread love in whatever ways you can, but don't go out trying to change things. Just love your family and friends, and that's all that really matters. 

In short, the evil in the world will never be eradicated. It has existed since the dawn of mankind, and before it. So all we can learn to do is deal with it. We carry on, doing whatever good we can, and whatever we can't do, we throw out the window. Keeping a filter in the brain is important. Throw out the garbage, and keep in the needful. Keep what we can actually use. Throw out what is out of our control. 

Of course, we can raise awareness. We can let people know what's going on. But we can't make judgments about what the world needs. If we have this idea of how the world should be, there will always be at least one person who would throw what we said in the trash. On the other hand, we can be politicians, and try to pull strings here and there. But being a politician is a long process which needs to meet certain standards. Not everyone can be a politician, and thus, not everyone can alter things. Basically, being negative is dreaming about doing and achieving things which can't be done. Who knows? Maybe we can do it. But, that'll only happen on a small scale. Usually, negativity comes upon someone who dreams of being in world he isn't in. And, when he/she tries to achieve that wanted world, and ends up failing a kazillion times, that leads to further negativity. Being positive is realizing one's limits. We should go out and experience the world. We can't go on thinking about how it should be. We should live it. 

How To Conquer OCD

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be conquered. I personally have. For a very long time, it had ruined my life. And when I say that, I really mean it. But as time passed, I've learned to gain a complete grip on it. Before I say how I did it, I want to share what I believe OCD is.

I believe that OCD is nothing more than a control mechanism. All it means is that our brains are moving so fast and wildly, that some part of the brain needs to control it, through some mechanism. When all the parts of our brain are shooting so rapidly in thousands of places, without us being prepared for such movement, the brain starts to develop 'what-if' statements to place such activity in a cage. I have come to learn that, despite conventional belief, that OCD is there to PROTECT us. I have a major feeling that if the OCD was just taken away from us, we'd probably be diagnosed with schizophrenia.

There were several articles I read a while back that stated that: OCD and schizophrenia have very similar brain activity. If you want you can Google "Similarities between OCD and Schizophrenia", and you'll find so many websites pointing to the same fact. Now, I know it's hard to believe this at first, but it makes so much sense to me. OCD is just the brain's way of protecting us from having no control of our brains, leading to schizophrenic/psychotic episodes. Think about it. Whenever we give in to the compulsion, we get this feeling of relaxation within our brains. It's this sudden feeling of relief. Why is that though? Why? Is it because initially our brains were swaying around in a schizo-like manner, and then it needed some sort of control mechanism to calm it down? Who knows?! Maybe OCD was there to protect us! But even though there is that possibility, that doesn't change the fact that OCD still SUCKS, BIG TIME!

It is true that Psychiatrists and Psychologists are men and women of good hearts, and are willing to do what it takes to help you. But at the end of the day, they don't have first hand experience. One needs to go into the mind of an OCD sufferer to truly understand what it means. It seems that OCD almost takes away one's free will! There are so many things we wish to do in life, but it always takes such things away from us. And from such misery, we drown further and further down into a completely voided life. I know it's hard, and that it drains all the life in you. However, there are ways to deal with it. There is no such thing as a cure or 'full remedy'. But there are ways to deal with it. All over the planet, everyone seems to be dealing with this one little thing, or one big thing, that they just can't get rid of. To you, it's OCD, but to them, it's something else. Everyone has their personal curse. Yet we were made not only to survive, but to learn how to cope.

Since OCD is a control mechanism, how do we deal with it? WE GO OUT OF CONTROL! And when I say that, I don't mean that we literally go crazy and start breaking the first thing we see. No. What I mean is that we do things in an extravagant manner. When in the car, listen to very loud music. When you walk around, keep your eyes alert, scanning everything and maintaining wild eyes. When we jog, instead of running at a low pace, run as fast as hell. When you go out with friends, go to places you've never been before. Expand you experiences. If you have a punching bag at home, punch it and punch it until you feel your knuckles go numb. If OCD is there to control our brains from not going crazy, then go crazy one bout at a time. OCD is your friend. It's telling you, "John Doe, I know that I suck. But if you measure the lesser of two evils, I am there to protect you." So if you'd ever want to relieve yourself from OCD, you have to exceed the limits of the things you do. It's not about going crazy and wild all the time. It's only about letting your mind free, by doing new things everyday, and exceeding the limits in the things you do, even though you do so only in certain hours of the day.

So basically the solution is this: Find HEALTHY ways to go out of control. You can't go out of control by causing emotional harm to those you love. If you paint: Go into a room, get a large poster, and go wild by throwing random colors on the poster. A long time ago, in the days of barbarity, people used to use this excess energy in the mind to run away from and hunt animals. Who knows? Maybe if we were back in those times, we would've been pretty decent hunters! But that doesn't change the fact that we live in an era with excess technology and relaxation from the dangers of beasts. Thus, we have to find channels, or methods, with which to allow this wild side within us to be expressed.

At the end of the day, we can't put all our hopes on the traditional methods to treat OCD. We need to find our own ways, because everyone is different. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. Every single day, we learn new ways to cope. It's not easy at all. Sometimes with OCD, you begin to feel as though everything is a dream of some sort, because when the suffering gets so immense, our grip on reality somewhat lessens. Finding new ways to cope is a personal thing. Each OCD sufferer has to find his own techniques that would give him that grip on OCD. I wish I could say I found a cure, but I haven't. I believe OCD is far too complex to be dealt with by a certain antidote. Who knows, maybe you can use OCD to your advantage. Since we are SO persistent in fulfilling those compulsions, we can use that quality of persistence on something else productive. Although, it doesn't change the fact that it totally sucks. The way I dealt with it, is by trying to push the limits of everything. I don't mean breaking the law or harming others. I mean doing NORMAL things extravagantly, because the more you allow life experiences to be embraced, the more neural connections we would form. And when that happens, our brains reprogram themselves. 

The method I gave of 'going crazy one small bout at a time' is merely a philosophy. And I believe that philosophies define the core root of our psyching. If we are able to change our philosophy on life, then we can also change the working of our mind. Who knows? Maybe the 'philosophy' I mentioned above may not work for you. Maybe you'd need to find another one. The one that works for you may be hard to find (which means that nothing is certain. Although, you must learn to deal with uncertainty!). Sometimes you can find the right philosophy in a great book, or from a life experience. We have to keep seeking for that peace we crave. It takes a lot of hard work, but in the end, if you stick to your plan, it'll work out. 

How To Deal With ISIS Ideology

The only thing we can do in such times, is remain strong; stronger than we can ever imagine. Especially with this ISIS ordeal, and whatever is going on between USA and Russia. I have no idea how things will play out. Yet truth and light always prevail. It's like a cycle. Darkness comes, then light does. And it goes on to repeat again and again. Although, if we face this darkness together, we can see this through. 

What drives ISIS? They just want to destroy. It's simple. When they endure so much poverty, the only thing left to hold on to is religion. And when they do that, they grip on to it more and more firmly, holding it to be beyond ultimate truth, thus forming clans and cults in order to spread their realm of influence. Sometimes when people don't have anything, instead of building, they want to destroy, and that is the case of ISIS. The actions necessary aren't exclusive to destroying ISIS physically. The Middle East needs an ideological revolution. In other words:

The Middle East needs TONS of schools of thought on Islam. 

People ARE what they think. And thoughts come from books. You probably have at LEAST read 10 books, or 20, ranging from several different topics. However, in the case of ISIS members, all of their thoughts come from a single holy book! And even more than that, all the other books they read are BASED on that holy book, the Koran. There needs to be variance in the thoughts that are introduced to Middle Eastern culture. Although unfortunately, the Bible and the Torah are banned over there, and there is unbelievable censorship of just about any topic critical of Islam. The only way for minds to flourish is by being introduced to newer thoughts everyday.

Here's the problem though. All the thoughts being introduced about Islam stem from the religious figures and leaders. And those leaders get their thoughts from particular university and scholarly sources. And the narrow of focus goes narrower and narrower. Until we reach the Muftis, whose word about the constructs of Islam are considered to be fully true. Besides them, we ought to think of Al Azhar University, which writes most of the books in children's educational system. Unless we go back to such roots, and convince them to reiterate their religious discourse, as President Sisi of Egypt suggests, then the Arab world will never progress.

It's simple. The only way to see clear into reality, is to allow thoughts from different sources reach the mind of the future generation of the Middle East. And thankfully, this is what the internet is doing. Although to many of the high religious leaders, they consider the internet to be a very evil place; as it is, in a certain way, raising doubts in future Muslim generations, regarding to non good ideas spread about Islam. Yet even though it may be painful to them, it may be necessary. The world can't be going down the same road forever.

Yet such a change may never happen. Why? Because change is the scariest thing to the East. Certainty is the one thing keeping them in the realm of sanity and comfort. The whole mindset of a chaos theorist is extremely hard for someone raised in a type of surrounding that would breed destructive cults such as Boko Haram and ISIS. It's ALL they know. It's like trying to rewrite mathematical equations to their minds. It takes a lot of work. Yet if we'd offer ISIS members solutions with the mindset of understanding, it won't work; because they have lost understanding. The only way for things to change, is for voices WITHIN the tribe of the East, speak out from the top of their lungs. 

No matter how much people in the West try to solve such issues, their efforts won't really work. It's because conspiracy theorists will keep claiming that there is some sort of plot behind the media and the thoughts it introduces. The opposing voice has to come from within the tribe. People from the East need to speak up against this darkness. Yet even though they'd wish to, and I'm sure that many do, they won't. Why? Because they are completely terrified. They are fully petrified. It's because the fear factor is extremely strong when it comes to being critical of Islam. And thus the cycle continues. The only way to break it, as I said, is for voices within the tribe speak up.

War is inevitable. Maybe throughout the course of human history, when peace goes on for long enough, the 'beast' inside keeps trying to resurface through that time of peace. And then, it just comes out. And when that happens, it becomes contagious. One person spreading hate reflects upon someone else, and the epidemic of fury has its way of spreading like wildfire. Maybe if the Earth is between heaven and hell (if they exist), then it's just a mixture of both.

Sometimes it seems as though reason is impossible. No matter what, humans will trigger some sort of chaos; be it externally or internally. In the case of ISIS, for example, they are just BRINGING the demons inside, and throwing them straight towards all others around them. There is just too much mayhem, especially int he Middle East. Is there a  real, solid solution to all this? I don't know; probably not. I have come to the conclusion that the only way for peace to be between people, is for it to start from one self. Maybe we need some sort of herald to stand atop the highest building, and shout out peace slogans to the world. But then again, people would call him crazy.  

Let us hope the world won't descend further into chaos. Surely I do. It seems as though the world is spiraling down towards an oh so darkened road. Yet I can't just say, "Hey, stop!" Wars have been fought since the dawn of mankind. So basically, someone can't just be some sort of hero all on his own. We'd need assistance from others. Maybe we need mass awareness in the name of love. I know that may sound corny, but maybe love is the only way.

There are so many of us humans on the planet, more than there ever was. I saw this video on TED saying that literally "THE EARTH IS FULL!". I really do love my fellow mankind. It's not that I lost faith in humanity. However, if there are that many of us on the planet, and if we choose not to coexist, then complete disaster would happen. 

I mean, what can I do? Can I just walk the streets with a banner trying to instill love into our hearts? Surely, there are MANY of us who want nothing more than for love to spread among us all. But the Devil is a smart being. He wants us separated. He wants us to remain subservient to his all powerful need for war. We don't really have to call him the "Devil with horns", we can just refer to him in a symbolic way: The darkness that exists inside us. It's normal to have darkness inside us. We are humans of both light and dark. That's what makes us human. What's not human, is to purposefully express the darkness, turning it into something which can lead to chaos.