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unoisveimved-un-proffesional · 2 years ago

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!Warning!: Long post. Very unimportant stuff, you don’t need to waste your time reading this like I did, and I apologize if you choose to. I have a tendency to write english papers when I should just be writing a social media posts. On to the Brain Dump:

Maybe the flicky heart thing is like what was going on with Gamma in Sonic Adventure, in Gamma’s story ending. Maybe using creatures to power robots has unseen side effects that The Big Egg never decided to follow up on in research. Maybe Rusty is exceptionally different, as not only a partly roboticized being, but also one that had organic origins and has a living power source.

I personally think it’s a scientific failure on the doctors part in the main universe for never exploring the full possibilities and mixtures of organic and robotic beings. He’s very obviously inspired by nature, designing a lot of his most iconic bots and badniks on living creature, from Crabmeat to Metal Sonic, obviously believing he can improve nature, which is as mad science as gets but wouldn’t be entirely evil if he also wasn’t so obsessed with his self image and indulged so much in technocracy and a dictatorship built around him and his accomplishments, as well as his disrespect towards nature, no matter how inspired by it he is. Maybe his atonement and way of expanding on previously dark scientific matter is Rust Rose with the help of the Council, pushing the boundaries into even more inhumane and terrible but far more effective and enlightening results, like most things the good doctor has done but taken to an extreme.

Nature is also a chaotic force, it spirals and blossoms and blooms, and any sense of true orderly-ness is simple logistics as a result of chaos and disorder refining itself with itself as iron sharpens iron. Nature is chaos energy in its natural habitat in a way, and so it’s reasonable that the creatures of nature also embody the spirit of chaos and disorder, but also harmony and balance as a natural result of chaos equalizing itself until it’s sustainable, like how ecosystems are naturally formed. Eggman’s ultimate goal may be world domination as a military leader, but as a scientist his ultimate goal seems to be the harnessing of this chaos energy and bringing order and refinement to its raw untamed natural power. This gives him a scientific and ideological incentive on top of a personal and practical one for pursuing Sonic and the people who naturally form around him, as well as the chaos emeralds, and his desire of merging and synthesizing nature with machines that persists across all iterations of the story.

What I’m getting at is, I think Rusty may be a crude semi-punishment of a resistor, but also an alpha-testing of a more chaotic and unrefined ultimate mixture of machinery and organisms, using both a flicky as a power source and an already existing organic creature as a baseline to build off of, less metaphorical as it was for designing like the Buzz Bombers, and more literal as the council has literally attached and replaced an organic creatures body parts with machines, literally building off of her, to create not only a powerful and loyal underling to oversee the Egg Council’s empire, but also a thesis statement to their ultimate idea of synthesizing, corrupting, and building on top of predefined nature and harnessing it to their own ends, to boost their own ego’s and justify their incredible narcissism with even more incredible accomplishments in science.

Back to Gamma, who I briefly mentioned in the beginning; Gamma had a unique relationship to nature and the self, especially with that end scene with the flicky, which is what ultimately brought me to making the connection and thinking maybe there’s something deeper going on with the flicky’s, and maybe they’re more than just a battery. It reminds me a lot also of Android 16 from Dragon Ball Z , who also so happens to be associated with birds. This is more of a narrative parallel instead of a superficial one like I often see between DBZ and STH, but parallels are there, for better and for worse, but I think this one in specific is very interesting.

Anyway sorry for going off, it’s mostly meta-analysis and fluff and isn’t directly plot or lore related so I don’t see it becoming very important in the future, but I think it’s all very interesting and am incredibly invested to see where Nine and Rusty are in the future, no doubt being my two favorite characters with plot relevance, as well as narrative weight. Sonic as a franchise is very surprisingly good at this distinction and messaging of chaos, nature, harmony, and technology that, while surface level it seems to be in some media, is ever present and delivers great food for thought, and while definitely leaning more towards the good nature vs evil machines kinda theme, again does better than you’d expect to put these two forces on more equal footing without ever being too blunt. Again, it’s not top tier fiction with incredible delivery of its message and themes across the franchise, but it does better than I’d initially think. Well that, or I’m highly susceptible to even the most insignificant inklings of themes and messaging, spiraling into intense speculation and analysis. Incredibly sorry for the waste of time, but my mind had built up brain juice and needed to excrete it somewhere.

(This ask has spoilers for the first episode of Sonic Prime)

What do you think about Nine? Also Rusty Rose

I talked about my thoughts about Nine here before I watched the episode, and after seeing it I still stand by them!! I do have more to add though!! ESPECIALLY about his name. I want to write an actual cohesive post on it at some point but for now here's some screenshots from when I was ranting about it in the server sbdjsn

I have. So many thoughts on him. I'm gonna wait until I've seen the rest before typing up the entire essay though sbdndn

As for Rusty Rose. I haven't thought about her a lot just because I've been soooo occupied with Nine 😭 But!!! I'm sooo intrigued!! Like how she became roboticised??? Why is SHE powered by a flicky (I'm not sure if her one has a name)?? Why did she refer to it as her HEART, and not just a battery? Is that significant or was it just a play on words??

I think. If I had to guess. Hmm. I haven't given this much thought and once again I'm so sleepy but I think her story won't be a simple "she was captured and robotised", especially since we haven't seen anyone else robotised iirc. It's going to be something like a punishment, being made an example of, or something like she sacrificed herself. Her having a flicky seems very intentional. I don't see Amy NOT joining the rebellion before all this, she is so passionate and stubborn and cares so much about the things she loves, there isn't any chance she WOULDNT step to the eggmen. Especially if Knuckles "get off my island and leave me in peace" Echidna and Rouge "Chaotic Neutral, just wants to steal some shit" Bat have joined.

There's like half an hour before it releases I'm shaking sbdjjd

#very sorry for catching your attention with this post made so long ago that you only got thinking about again #because someone else already reblogged it #must be very annoying for you i am so sorry

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 4 years ago

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What attracts people to Trump? What is their animus or driving force?

The reasons are multiple and varied, but in my recent public-service book, Profile of a Nation, I have outlined two major emotional drives: narcissistic symbiosis and shared psychosis. Narcissistic symbiosis refers to the developmental wounds that make the leader-follower relationship magnetically attractive. The leader, hungry for adulation to compensate for an inner lack of self-worth, projects grandiose omnipotence—while the followers, rendered needy by societal stress or developmental injury, yearn for a parental figure. When such wounded individuals are given positions of power, they arouse similar pathology in the population that creates a “lock and key” relationship.

“Shared psychosis”—which is also called “folie à millions” [“madness for millions”] when occurring at the national level or “induced delusions”—refers to the infectiousness of severe symptoms that goes beyond ordinary group psychology. When a highly symptomatic individual is placed in an influential position, the person’s symptoms can spread through the population through emotional bonds, heightening existing pathologies and inducing delusions, paranoia and propensity for violence—even in previously healthy individuals. The treatment is removal of exposure.

Why does Trump himself seem to gravitate toward violence and destruction?

Destructiveness is a core characteristic of mental pathology, whether directed toward the self or others. First, I wish to clarify that those with mental illness are, as a group, no more dangerous than those without mental illness. When mental pathology is accompanied by criminal-mindedness, however, the combination can make individuals far more dangerous than either alone.

In my textbook on violence, I emphasize the symbolic nature of violence and how it is a life impulse gone awry. Briefly, if one cannot have love, one resorts to respect. And when respect is unavailable, one resorts to fear. Trump is now living through an intolerable loss of respect: rejection by a nation in his election defeat. Violence helps compensate for feelings of powerlessness, inadequacy and lack of real productivity.

Do you think Trump is truly exhibiting delusional or psychotic behavior? Or is he simply behaving like an autocrat making a bald-faced attempt to hold onto his power?

I believe it is both. He is certainly of an autocratic disposition because his extreme narcissism does not allow for equality with other human beings, as democracy requires. Psychiatrists generally assess delusions through personal examination, but there is other evidence of their likelihood. First, delusions are more infectious than strategic lies, and so we see, from their sheer spread, that Trump likely truly believes them. Second, his emotional fragility, manifested in extreme intolerance of realities that do not fit his wishful view of the world, predispose him to psychotic spirals. Third, his public record includes numerous hours of interviews and interactions with other people—such as the hour-long one with the Georgia secretary of state—that very nearly confirm delusion, as my colleague and I discovered in a systematic analysis.

Where does the hatred some of his supporters display come from? And what can we do to promote healing?

In Profile of a Nation, I outline the many causes that create his followership. But there is important psychological injury that arises from relative—not absolute—socioeconomic deprivation. Yes, there is great injury, anger and redirectable energy for hatred, which Trump harnessed and stoked for his manipulation and use. The emotional bonds he has created facilitate shared psychosis at a massive scale. It is a natural consequence of the conditions we have set up. For healing, I usually recommend three steps: (1) Removal of the offending agent (the influential person with severe symptoms). (2) Dismantling systems of thought control—common in advertising but now also heavily adopted by politics. And (3) fixing the socioeconomic conditions that give rise to poor collective mental health in the first place.

What do you predict he will do after his presidency?

I again emphasize in Profile of a Nation that we should consider the president, his followers and the nation as an ecology, not in isolation. Hence, what he does after this presidency depends a great deal on us. This is the reason I frantically wrote the book over the summer: we require active intervention to stop him from achieving any number of destructive outcomes for the nation, including the establishment of a shadow presidency. He will have no limit, which is why I have actively advocated for removal and accountability, including prosecution. We need to remember that he is more a follower than a leader, and we need to place constraints from the outside when he cannot place them from within.

What do you think will happen to his supporters?

If we handle the situation appropriately, there will be a lot of disillusionment and trauma. And this is all right—they are healthy reactions to an abnormal situation. We must provide emotional support for healing, and this includes societal support, such as sources of belonging and dignity. Cult members and victims of abuse are often emotionally bonded to the relationship, unable to see the harm that is being done to them. After a while, the magnitude of the deception conspires with their own psychological protections against pain and disappointment. This causes them to avoid seeing the truth. And the situation with Trump supporters is very similar. The danger is that another pathological figure will come around and entice them with a false “solution” that is really a harnessing of this resistance.

How can we avert future insurrection attempts or acts of violence?

Violence is the end product of a long process, so prevention is key. Structural violence, or inequality, is the most potent stimulant of behavioral violence. And reducing inequality in all forms—economic, racial and gender—will help toward preventing violence. For prevention to be effective, knowledge and in-depth understanding cannot be overlooked—so we can anticipate what is coming, much like the pandemic. The silencing of mental health professionals during the Trump era, mainly through a politically driven distortion of an ethical guideline, was catastrophic, in my view, in the nation’s failure to understand, predict and prevent the dangers of this presidency.

Do you have any advice for people who do not support Trump but have supporters of him or “mini-Trumps” in their lives?

This is often very difficult because the relationship between Trump and his supporters is an abusive one, as an author of the 2017 book I edited, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, presciently pointed out. When the mind is hijacked for the benefit of the abuser, it becomes no longer a matter of presenting facts or appealing to logic. Removing Trump from power and influence will be healing in itself. But, I advise, first, not to confront [his supporters’] beliefs, for it will only rouse resistance. Second, persuasion should not be the goal but change of the circumstance that led to their faulty beliefs. Third, one should maintain one’s own bearing and mental health, because people who harbor delusional narratives tend to bulldoze over reality in their attempt to deny that their own narrative is false. As for mini-Trumps, it is important, above all, to set firm boundaries, to limit contact or even to leave the relationship, if possible. Because I specialize in treating violent individuals, I always believe there is something that can be done to treat them, but they seldom present for treatment unless forced.

#quotes #articles #Scientific American #shared psychosis #Tanya Lewis #psychology

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erika-jordan · 4 years ago

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Visualization is a powerful form of meditation. If you’re not in line with what you want you can’t expect it to materialize. We know what we don’t want. The more energy we spend on what we don’t want the more likely it is to happen. I grew up in fear of ending up like my mother. The fear was so prevalent I managed to attract someone as abusive as my father. So many similarities. The language, tone and narcissism.. I attracted it into my life by fearing it. Instead of drowning in misery I had to accept if I had given my energy to what I wanted I would have manifested a better life. We are to blame for our problems. Once you take ownership you can harness the power and lead yourself to a better life. #Manifesting #DreamBig #ThighHighBoots #Lingerie #NewPic https://www.instagram.com/p/CMr5VGyhe7i/?igshid=4iizo3tbhhqv

#manifesting #dreambig #thighhighboots #lingerie #newpic

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unluckyadept · 6 years ago

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Though the Mountains May Fall

venusadeptintraining

Was ‘all of it’ an acceptable answer? But maybe he should just pick a starting point.

“Umm… Ancient history.” Maybe if he knew more about the old history, he could understand the recent history better.

Rowan rubbed the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. “I’d like to hear about anything, really.” He just wanted to learn. As much as he could, about everything he could.

[Felix smiled at this.

And then he started using Venus Psynergy to gather rocks, dirt, and grow moss of different colors as he put together a miniature of Weyard for purposes of storytelling.

This, along with pure energy displays, had become a practiced talent of his.]

In the beginning…

[He couldn’t help but use that phrase. It was a powerful phrase.

And so he looked down as he continued, fighting the urge to slip into Proxan.

For this was largely documented by the Lemurians and by Proxans, the only living cultures to have any proper documentation regarding matters of the truly ancient world.]

In the beginning, Weyard was as one.

[He refined the hovering display to match the map he had once been shown, long ago.]

There were places of ancient power, with stones that had been there since the world was formed.

[He highlighted Air’s Rock, Aqua Rock, Magma Rock, and Gaia Rock—Mt. Mikage.]

They were rich in Alchemical and Elemental power. The greatest of these was Mt. Aleph, where the strongest source of Alchemical power had root.

[This, too, was highlighted.]

In the days of old, the difference between men, beasts, and the fair folk were less distinct. Intelligence was dispersed among them, so that even beasts took on intelligence, man took the shape of beasts, and other races such as the elves, the dwarves, and the merfolk developed societies.

[He looked down with a thoughtful gaze.]

As taught in Proxan lore, the Proxans did not originally have their draconic traits. Those were granted as a gift to them. Which is a long story that will have to wait until later.

[He let swirls of energy flow across the “map”. Not a sphere, so not a globe—but the closest thing to it, for a world that was flat.]

It is known that the ability to use Psynergy and the ability to use Alchemy were not present in the earliest stages of society. However, most agriculture was developed largely by the Venus Adepts, and spread by their nomadic tribes across Weyard. And so societies began to develop, and the traits became more and more pronounced.

Those were traits that would become pronounced over time. Over a VERY long time, but quite rapidly after a certain point.

These were the days of the ancient world—an era of conquest and expansion.

The four Clans existed in some form since the ability to use Psynergy first became prominent, for the distribution was quite intense around the wellsprings of Elemental and Alchemical power.

[He highlighted six other places on the “map” in addition to the five mountains.]

The might of the ancient Proxans was fierce, and their territory was quite vast. The Proxan Empire stretched across most of the Northern Reaches, and would grow to cover much of Western Weyard as well.

They were opposed by another Empire—that of the Mercury peoples, which had not yet become so drastically differentiated. That would not happen until after the wars ended.

[He shook his head.]

These were the days in which the Venus Clan first truly suffered. They were nomadic, and the northern lines got caught between the warring empires. Being nomads and farmers, they were seen as inferior for battle by the Proxans, and incapable of enlightenment and the prestige of healing by the people of Imil. Those who were not killed as the armies clashed in battle were usually forced to serve hard labor to provide food for their captives.

[He lowered his eyelids somewhat.]

-Calmly- They were not the only ones to suffer. Those with no Psynergy at all—the Fori—had it even worse. They were utterly incapable of defending against fully realized Jenei, who had the powers of raging infernos, torrential floods, violent tornadoes and thunderstorms, and massive earthquakes and landslides. No—they could not withstand such power, and as a result… many more were killed outright. Not even fully intentionally. Carelessly and thoughtlessly, and senselessly? Yes. But purposefully? No; the Jenei were not out to make war against the Fori, but against each other. The fact that other peoples—even other Jenei—were caught up in it was of little consequence to them.

The reality was—and still is—simply that the amount of force that fully realized Jenei level when fighting one another is absolutely lethal to most Fori. For you see, Rowan, the ability to channel energy allows for energy to be channeled—diverted, dispersed, reflected. But without that physical ability, then energy inflicted is horrifically destructive. This is true for anything better disposed for an Element being assaulted by any other Element—especially the opposing one—and also for anything not disposed being subject to Elemental energy at all.

[He frowned.]

This war raged on for many generations. It was not until the rise of the Exathi in the discovery of basic Alchemy that the wars died down.

[He sighed inwardly.]

Thus began the era of Alchemy. Items made with Alchemy were far superior in quality. This went not only for tools and furniture, but also for buildings. This began the rise of many kingdoms in central and southern Weyard.

[He was not entirely pleased.]

This was, in my opinion, the greatest time in Weyard. Trade prospered. Knowledge was increased through study. Rich history and culture, which was reflected in the construction of many walled cities. Art flourished.

-Distantly- And the Venus Clan nomads lived in many communities, well fed and the second greatest of the craftsmen…

[Felix shook his head.]

But…

[His eyes took on a menacing glow.]

…Knowledge is power. And power… corrupts.

[He narrowed his eyes, his tone gradually becoming MUCH darker and harsher.]

The great scholars came across not only the revelation which I dare not share, but also had the means to do something about it.

Magnificent cities and civilizations rose in Central Weyard, in what would become Angara. For the first time, predominantly Fori and Exathi civilizations had the power over the world itself—not, in the case of the Fori especially—by directly channeling Elements, but by making use of Alchemy.

This, Rowan, was The Lost Age of man—the era of machines.

But the uses of Alchemy went beyond architecture and crafting, my friend. For it became twisted by greed, and put to use for war.

Thus, they were able to make weapons. Weapons of conquest. Which they used on one another, and on the Venus Clan nomads who were in the way.

This reached, as has been taught, a terrible point.

For man grew Proud. And in his Pride, he sought to eradicate and dominate.

[He suddenly spoke sharply.]

Listen, Rowan, and listen well.

Confidence and satisfaction, being pleased with work well done, love—these are not Pride.

Pride and Love are incompatible.

It is the detriment of our language that they are often treated as one and given the same name, but I am not speaking of affection at honorable achievement.

No.

Pride is hubris. It is arrogance. It is disdain, conceit, condescension, haughtiness, and narcissism! It is antipathy, enmity, scorn, loathing, contempt, rancor, hatred, and vanity! Pride is the poison that drives one to treat any other who are different in ANY way as inferior—the malice that drives one to then be abusive, even unto torture and death!

And man grew Proud indeed, Rowan. He grew so Proud that he wanted to harness the power of Creation itself—all of creation, including the forbidden and unusable Aspects…

Sol, and Luna.

[His voice dropped to a growl.]

I have been shown visions of the atrocities that followed. Atrocities that were buried and all but forgotten in the following ages.

It was of such horrific bloodshed and slaughter that once the ceasefire had been agreed, it was decided that man must never, never be able to use Alchemy again.

At all.

[The model shifted, showing the rising structures that soon became clear as the Lighthouses and similar buildings.]

The Alchemy Wars ended abruptly. All of man’s creative power went into making the seal on Alchemy. To do this, the power of locking away the free flow of Elemental energy was crucial in weakening Alchemical energy. And so… the Elemental Stars were devised, and the Lighthouses built along with them.

[The miniature representation of Anemos broke free and lifted high into the air, leaving an absolutely (scale-wise) massive crater.]

But the ancients were—in the most bitter irony of all—more powerful than they intended to be. For they meant only to lock away the ability of MORTALS to use Alchemy. But instead?

They locked ALCHEMY itself.

And let me tell you, Rowan…

[The model cracked and shifted, almost violently so, as it was torn apart and began drifting in different pieces.]

The weakening of Weyard first became known in the fissures that divided it, tearing it apart into different continents.

This, and nothing less, is how and why the continents came to be.

#cje #Golden Sun #Golden Sun: The Lost Age #Golden Sun: The Broken Seal #Golden Sun: Dark Dawn #Golden Sun 4 #GS #GS: TLA #GS: TBS #GS: DD #venusadeptintraining #unluckyadept

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theliterateape · 6 years ago

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"You’ll Never See His Like Again!": Revisiting Comics Legend Stan Lee’s Best, Most Literary (and Vastly Underrated) Story, The Silver Surfer (1978)

By Jarret Keene

Stan “the Man” Lee is dead, but his creations are alive, pouncing across theaters, game screens, and t-shirts with equal parts vitality and sorrow. Today, Spider-Man and Thor and Captain America and Black Panther and so many others dominate our media landscape to a degree unthinkable 40 years ago when my father bought me The Silver Surfer graphic novel from a B. Dalton inside Tampa Bay Mall.

Back then comics (22-page floppies) were relegated to a single spinner rack in mall bookshops, a gimmick to draw kids into the store so their parents felt obliged to pick up garbage Sidney Sheldon’s thriller Bloodline. But The Silver Surfer didn’t fit in a metal rung; instead it was displayed amidst the regular literary trade paperbacks. Today it is vaguely praised on obscure blogs as being among the very first efforts to push comics into the realm of the literary epic during a brutal moment in the history of the comics industry. Staggering inflation, a crushing 1977 (and then a 1978) blizzard, and rising paper costs nearly sank DC Comics. Marvel, though, endured such challenges with Stan Lee’s relentless cheer, his grace under pressure, his courage to always try something new when everyone else cowered, caved.

In the late 1970s, the U.S. continued to fall apart. There was the ongoing energy crisis, serial killers like Ted Bundy lurked in every shadow, the Jonestown mass suicide played out like a dress rehearsal for a larger and more diabolical event, toxic waste burbled in landfills adjacent to pleasant neighborhoods, and Soviet Russia rattled its nuclear saber. You wouldn’t know this from reading Marvel Comics, every issue offering a column called Stan’s Soapbox, wherein Lee waxed passionately, positively, and with the eloquence of a poetry-reading pitchman, about what was forthcoming from “the House of Ideas.”

Today Marvel is an idea-resistant shell of the company Lee built and oversaw, a house of ideology teeming with dour, OMG-chirping social-justice superheroes (gay mutant Iceman, lesbian Latinx warrior America Chavez, Muslim teenager Kamala Khan a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, female cancer-stricken Thor). Instead of debuting new characters, the current editorial team is content to reverse race and flip gender of, and add a dash of disability to, classic characters. In its prime, though—and starting in 1961 with the first issue of Fantastic Four — Marvel excelled at depicting authentic outcasts who felt a fierce responsibility to protect even those who hated them, feared them, wanted them dead. Lee’s characters — which he co-created with Jack Kirby, the artist who visually defined comics for an international audience — didn’t nurture wounds of identity and grievance; they waged their internal battles on a mythic scale. In the same way Oedipus confronted the ignorance of his birth, in the same way petulant Achilles struggled to overcome his narcissism, so did hapless high school reject and science nerd Peter Parker combat his own teenage doubt and ego and feelings of inadequacy.

Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962) containing the debut of Spider-Man, is arguably the single greatest and most important comics story ever written, its 11 pages defining not just the Marvel superhero but also the last half-century of U.S. comics. “With great power comes great responsibility” wasn’t merely an inspirational and moral slogan; it was also a metaphor for American exceptionalism, which could only result in senseless death (like, say, the murder of Peter’s uncle, Ben) if not applied toward just and proper ends. Parker is spoiled, his own worst enemy. He’s a purveyor of fake news, taking photos of himself in action as Spider-Man and selling them to the Daily Bugle to cover the cost of college tuition. We love Parker for his flaws, though, and for his commitment to overcoming them. We cherish his humanity even as we’re thrilled by his brawls with violent predators like Kraven the Hunter, bulky crime boss Kingpin, hideously armed Doctor Octopus.

The Silver Surfer isn’t human like Parker. The Surfer is carved from the “doomed messiah from beyond” mold a la Superman (or Beowulf or Jesus). But he isn’t adopted as a baby and given a Midwest upbringing. He is a silver-skinned alien riding a floating board, arriving on Earth to determine if it’s suitable for his planet-eating master Galactus. Lee and Kirby made a wise choice in never pinning down the exact size of this god of interstellar death, who, like the Surfer, was first introduced in the pages of Fantastic Four #48–50 (1966). That three-part story is a must-read, yes, but then, a decade later, Lee and Kirby collaborated on a 100-page retelling of the Surfer-and-Galactus saga, only this time the superheroes were removed, leaving just the god and his fallen angel. The result is a romantic, philosophical, and artistic statement that outstrips everything else Lee and Kirby collaborated on prior — which is saying a lot. It is also the last major work either of them would produce for Marvel, or for any company thereafter.

Today Marvel is an idea-resistant shell of the company Lee built and oversaw, a house of ideology teeming with dour, OMG-chirping social-justice superheroes

The Silver Surfer was published by arrangement with Fireside Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster in New York known for publishing a famous chess book. Based on a Kirby sketch, the cover is by artist Earl Norem, known for painting the covers of men’s adventure magazines and more than a few Marvel mags (like Savage Sword of Conan). Indeed, the painted cover gives the book literary gravitas. The interior art is all prime Kirby, with eloquent inks by Joe Sinnott, colors by Glynis Wein (first wife of the late Len Wein, who created Wolverine). The Silver Surfer is a feast for a comics-lover’s eyes; my battered copy still radiates visual power. But it’s the heartbreaking story and dialogue that set this effort apart from anything else in the history of comics and in the bibliography of Lee and Kirby.

Here the protagonist must choose between living forever to serve a devourer of worlds, or else die alongside eight billion earthlings to be rejoined with the obliterated love of his life, lovely and golden Ardina. In The Silver Surfer, Lee gives us a hero who sells his soul to the devil so as to thwart a holocaust and save a populated globe. He only meets a few dozen — many of who attack him physically. But he understands their potential to grow beyond their limitations. It’s not a story in tune with the 1970s, that post-Vietnam, post-JFK, post-Watergate era during which Marvel delivered dark, humorous characters like Ghost Rider. No, this was something else entirely.

The opening splash page is the closed fist of the planet-eater: Behold! The hand of Galactus! Behold! The hand of him who is like unto a god. Behold! The clutch of harnessed power — about to be released! The tone here is elevated, serious, Lee is writing in a style that evokes the Old Testament of the King James. The second page is a splash, too; in it, the mitt of Galactus opens and from it erupts the Surfer, who “streaks through the currents of space — ever-seeking, ever-searching — for he alone is herald to mighty Galactus.” The image is the visual distillation of an artist’s self-confidence, his arrogance. After all, doesn’t every artist believe himself to be God as he manipulates his characters, his images, to suit his imaginative fancy? It’s also a breathtaking rendering of a big bang, or a biblical birth of the universe, without a benevolent designer in control. Here the god of the universe is a destroyer.

The universe seems endless and infinitely alluring to this mysterious star-wanderer, who yearns for his own homeworld, Zenn-La, lost to him forever for reasons Lee doesn’t initially explain, but we presume Galactus ate it.

The Surfer enters the atmosphere of “a verdant sphere” unlike any he’s seen before. Soaring high above the streets of New York, he doesn’t hide from view. He is fascinated by the fear in the eyes of people, noting “how it is always the young who are the first to accept — and to trust.” He sees a woman who reminds him of Shalla Bal, a woman the Surfer loved on his own world. Haunted by her memory, he pursues this woman through the alleyways of Manhattan while imagining a conversation with this Shalla Bal lookalike. We learn that, years ago, the Surfer sacrificed his mortal body to Galactus to save Zenn-La from destruction.

Finally, the woman abandons him to his painful recollections… and then Galactus suddenly appears in a whirlwind of crackling energy, ready to devour Earth.

He congratulates the Surfer on a job well done and articulates in excruciating detail how he plans to sate his appetite: “Here shall I drain the gently rolling seas. Here shall the bountiful land yield to me its gift of life.” It is an impending act of reverse creation, a backward Genesis. But the herald of Galactus isn’t having any of it. When the Surfer fails to convince his master that the price of eight billion souls is too high, he lashes out at Galactus with “the power cosmic,” using it seal the destroyer in a concrete cocoon. It doesn’t hold Galactus for long. Disgusted, the world-eater blasts the Surfer from the sky, cursing the herald to live amidst “the dunghills of man” for a spell in order to ponder his mistake. Then Galactus disappears.

The Surfer recovers from his fall, then disguises himself by altering his appearance to resemble a male fashion model from a billboard. He wanders the city with admiration for its denizens until muggers approach him in Central Park. The Surfer shoos them away with a pyrotechnical display, then pledges to walk around without hiding his identity; concealment did nothing for him anyway. Meanwhile, we witness Galactus gorging on a planet in another solar system. Sated, his thoughts turn toward his missing herald. What can Galactus do to make the Surfer submit? The world-eater’s counsel, a sniveling Master of Guile, advises Galactus to provide the Surfer — our alien Adam — with an Eve, someone to betray the Surfer’s heart.

And so beautiful Ardina enters the picture. She sneaks the instantly smitten Surfer beyond Earth’s atmosphere, and they share in the pleasures of the spaceways. Floating now on a patch of green ringed with bright flowers in a neighboring galaxy, our hero is tempted to give up his standoff with Galactus. In the same way Dido tempted Aeneas to give up his destiny to found Rome, so does Ardina begin to entice the Surfer to submit to her — and by extension Galactus. He refuses, says he’s willing to die to save Earth, and so Ardina leads the Surfer on a journey into human darkness. “You will perish for a worthless cause,” she warns. She shows him “brutal images, a morbid montage of heart-rending scenes filled with carnage and strife.” Domestic violence. A child killed by a hit-and-run driver. A mass execution. Bombed ruins of a once-thriving city. The Surfer is jarred but not dissuaded.

And then something interesting happens: Ardina, designed to coldly seduce the Surfer to make him betray his convictions, ends up feeling a warm love for him.

So much so that when the Surfer, driven mad from having set foot inside a suburban home where the walls seem to be closing on him:

The ceiling — almost touching my head! No room to move! No place to soar! I see no sun — no sky — no endless reaches of rolling space! Wherever I face — wherever I turn — I am surrounded by smothering objects! Shelves and books! Pictures, clocks, and lamps! Chairs and drapes and shuttered windows! But where is the sky? Where is the cold, crisp touch of rolling space? Where are the hills, the seas, the nourishing stars in endless profusion? Without them I perish!

Interestingly, the aspect of humankind that nearly causes the Surfer to surrender his mission is man’s stultifying existence inside tract-housing boxes.

Troubled by the experience, the Surfer races to escape Earth’s atmosphere. Riding bitch, Ardina screams: “The barrier! You have forgotten the barrier!”

The Surfer falls to Earth while Ardina re-materializes before Galactus inside his giant space vehicle. She admits she has failed. She confesses her love for the Surfer. Displeased, Galactus recalibrates her cloned body for one last mission. A mission that involves shattering the Surfer’s heart.

Meanwhile, the Surfer continues to be attacked by various humans. He is shot at, shackled and hammer-smashed, then the U.S. military blasts him with an ultra-sonic cannon, which nearly kills him. Ardina consoles him for a moment, kisses him, telling the Surfer she is with him and by his side, even after death. Which is when Galactus dissolves her into dead particles using a matrix-drone.

Now Galactus asks the Surfer to again join him in scouting the universe for other edible planets. It’s the only way Earth can be saved. The command is agonizing, for what Galactus offers is a living hell. To save Earth, the Surfer must cast off death, the ultimate escape and the one chance he has at being reunited with Ardina. But as the Surfer himself says: “Never was there a choice!”

The curse of immortality at the cost of true love is a familiar idea in ancient epics. The sea nymph Calypso offered Odysseus eternal life, but he refused it in order to be with his wife Penelope. But the Surfer has no options; he can’t be selfish enough to die and thus doom the Earth. What makes him a hero is his refusal to surrender and his willingness to embrace the agony of existence, of enslavement. He must deny himself every exit for humans to live on until they hopefully change themselves for the better. They must have a chance; the Surfer and Galactus give them one.

The Surfer returns to the gauntlet of Galactus, disappearing within the destroyer’s fist.

✶

In this story, there is no Fantastic Four. No cameo appearances by Lee and Kirby. No clever narrative captions. Just the purest narrative of a hero fighting for an ideal, for the steadfast belief in our ability to one day rise above our petty evils, our arrogance and wrath. Lee wrote so many masterpieces of comics literature, but this one is his best because it best speaks to the principle he and his characters lived by: Never succumb to nihilism and despair. Never forget that we are similar in our anxieties and weaknesses, and that our individual identities matter less than our collective aspiration to improve our world and the lives of the people who inhabit it.

It’s a moral stance that today remains obscured by Internet social-justice frothing and the political insanity of being ruled by a reality-TV star. But the embers of Lee’s views are there for anyone to ignite and carry forward. Make no mistake: the world is poorer now without Lee. As the blurb on The Silver Surfer ’s back cover announces: “You will never see his like again!” We can, however, always see Lee’s passion and his love for humanity — for life! — in the work he and Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko and others left for us to enjoy.

Lee didn’t need to die for our sins. He endures, and so will we.

Never was there a choice.

Jarret Keene is an assistant professor in residence in the English Department at UNLV, where he teaches creative writing and ancient and medieval literature. His fiction, essays and verse have appeared in literary journals such as New England Review, Carolina Quarterly, and the Southeast Review. He is the author of several books and editor of acclaimed short-fiction anthologies. He is currently working on a critical biography of comic book legend Jack Kirby.

#Stan Lee #Silver Surfer #Marvel Comics #Comics as literature #Silver Surfer First Appearance

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noface-writes · 4 years ago

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The toxicity of white environmentalism

BIPOC environmentalists should be wary of the toxic white environmentalists who will shamelessly virtue signal while silencing and gaslighting those who dare speak truth to power.

“I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice…” — Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963)

Beware the climate karens

The mainstream climate movement tends to frame climate change as a global issue, though it is frontline communities who bear the brunt of climate effects. In the United States, Black and Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by climate issues. Outside of the U.S., the Global South pays to fund the Global North’s indulgent lifestyles.

While climate change continues to be deeply polarized among party lines and has a stronger association with the Democratic party, the mainstream climate movement is also overwhelmingly white, making it a bastion for performative, white environmentalists.

Meanwhile, the mainstream climate movement consistently excludes, silences, and speaks over voices from front lines. On an institutional and individual level, the rampant racial gaslighting from white environmentalists makes the mainstream climate movement incredibly toxic for BIPOC environmentalists.

The toxic white environmentalist’s danger is that they’re more deceitful and hypocritical. Climate-deniers are easy to spot, but toxic white environmentalists act as racial narcissists, virtue-signaling to gain tokenized BIPOC environmentalists’ trust.

A personal anecdote

For a recent project, I attended an anti-racism workshop with a white environmentalist I was working with. That white environmentalist walked out and spent the next 3 months lambasting the workshop and the environmental justice movement for being too “divisive,” not focusing on enough “solutions,” and not centering the “social safety” of “moderates” like herself. She also explicitly “scoped” her solution to exclude racial issues, exemplifying white narcissism by centering her feelings above the actual lives of those in the frontline communities. For months, she used white tears, self-victimization, and blatant lies and gaslighting to evade any form of accountability and self-reflection. In addition, being in a primarily white institution meant that no one would hold her accountable either, and my request for boundaries was continually dismissed.

In environmentalism, these behaviors aren’t just monumentally annoying, they are weaponized to silence and erase the most immediate, pressing issues that threaten the lives of frontline communities, thus upholding the systems of white supremacy.

Towards an intersectional environmentalism

To survive toxic white environmentalism, understand what white tears are. Familiarize yourself with the DARVO technique, 7 Circles of Whiteness, and racial gaslighting and narcissism so you can quickly recognize the red flags and walk away. Ensure that you have genuine allies by your side. Remember that the “performatively woke person takes up a lot of space while the ally makes space.” And remember that even the most critical institutions may not protect you. If you are in academia, you may find this survival guide helpful. The toxic white environmentalist is simply another form of the white moderate. Do what you need to do to survive.

(From “White Fragility In The Workplace”)

Until someone invents a way to harness the boundless energy of a white woman’s tears, BIPOC environmentalists should seek out climate justice or intersectional environmentalist spaces where their voice will be heard and honored. After my project, I joined a long lineage of BIPOC environmentalists that grew irredeemably frustrated with the mainstream climate movement. In the process, I also recognized how Black and Indigenous environmentalists had led the climate movement (among other movements) for decades. The revolution will be intersectional.

Resources

Intersectional Environmentalist — Resources for intersectional environmentalism.

Front and Centered — Washington state coalition of climate justice-focused organizations.

Got Green Seattle — South Seattle-based organization based on environmental, racial, and economic justice

Green Voices of Color — A curated list by @MaryHeglar

50 Black Voices in the Green Space — A curated list by @alluviamag

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lilaetleloup · 4 years ago

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the six voices

These are not, of course, voices with different tonalities and sources that would give us the impression that someone else is living with us in our head and Napoleon wants to talk to us. Of course not!

It’s just that as time went by – too much of it!- and maturity is coming upon me, with, I hope, the least possible wrinkles, I tried to identify the source and pertinence of each of my thoughts… And I felt we could attribute each one of them to six different voices.

The easiest one to notice, for example is the voice of intelligence. It’s the one that thinks, counts, evaluates

And we feel its cogs turning. As it’s the voice going through every possibility, it’s also the one which is scared. When you board a plane, for example, and your frenetic thoughts are showing you every chance this could go wrong ? Till the tiniest duck who could tickle the turbines? Well, this is your cleverness going on overdrive.

Being smart enables you to find solutions, but by showing you all the possible disastrous outcomes, it also prevents you from acting, simmering as you are, in a soup of fears.

And I find intelligence is a little over-evaluated in school. The smartest among us are not necessarily the ones who will succeed better, if they haven’t managed to subdue their fear to act.

Dumb people dare anything, I’ve been told. And clever ones don’t dare enough.

The voice of your cleverness has no empathy for others and will clinically analyse situations and people, the better to help you deal with them or manipulate them.

Luckily, this side effect has begun to be more and more taken into account recently and more and more schools give importance to the emotional intelligence.

This emotional cleverness is what I call the voice of the heart.

Which I find, as well, easy to identify because it’s the one that has you feel: love for others, an animal or an activity, compassion for the suffering of others – not to be confused with the compassion some have for themselves which has them drown in everlasting victimhood -, empathy…

The third voice is one that has also been more and more acknowledged lately: the voice of intuition, that is also called sixth sense. Or gut feeling for the less spiritual among us who think with their stomachs. Happens to me when I’m really hungry, though.

This voice is the one that I have the worst trouble identifying when it’s so important to: it’s the wise one, the one that is never wrong. It’s the one you should listen to, for example, when it disagrees with your intelligence. Your brain is whispering all the horrible ways you could die in a plane? Your intuition is assuring you that you’ll arrive safely. And it knows best.

Because the voice of intuition is connected.

To the collective unconscious, the energies, and, for those who believe in them – and it’s my case – to invisible presences.

After some decades on this earth, I only begin to perceive its peculiar tone: it’s much wiser than I would be on my own, it points to a luminous evidence and it’s so immediate, you know you hadn’t the time to think.

When I ask myself something, and in the following silence an immediate answer comes to me and feels right? Most of the time, it’s intuition.

The fourth voice is the ego voice. And this, I also find easy to identify.

It’s the “me me me voice” that rings when it feels someone is walking on your turf and his. It surely has been created, this voice, out of a primitive need to defend you in an hostile world. To give you the impulse to fight, because you deserve everything, and to forbid compassion for others and the lion who would eat you because, poor animal, you feel he’s hungry. He’s hungry, hears the ego? “It means he is feeble. Eat him.”

Your ego thinks you are more important than this lion, the savanna and the whole planet. You are just what has been the most important creation so far. The greatest. Number one.

And to give you the best survival chance, it’s the ego that will blow on the fire of your temper.

Your divine rights have been trampled on? Aux armes! No pity for this fool who hasn’t understood your rightful place in the universe, right in the centre.

The ego voice begins to make itself heard, when a baby realizes that he has a distinct identity from his mother. The famous temper of a two years old? For something or nothing and a toy that has been refused? Ego. And the most part of the education we give a kid, to enable him to be an emotionally balanced adult, is to teach him that no, the stars don’t gravitate around his navel. And no, neither does the moon.

And this voice, made at first for you, to enable the carcass to survive, can drag you easily on the narcissism path. Mainly because to give you self-confidence, it will flatter you shamelessly. The ego voice is also the one to always compare. Do you have more than the neighbour? Less than your sister? No? Yes? Beware, the ego knows you deserve better!

And he will find here another reason to defend you and get annoyed in the process. Why you? Why me? To him, you are obviously a victim of an unjust situation. And that alone should give him all leeway to change matters. Too bad if others must suffer in the process. “It doesn’t matter, says the ego, you are the most important.”

We all have an ego. Some chose to self-isolate in mountains and pray to get detached from it To dissolve it in a superior energy. Well, I’m not there yet.

Another simpler solution, which I favour, doesn’t include so much meditation: it’s to balance the ego voice with the voice coming from the heart. Which has you think something like this: ” yes, you are important, also imperfect, and this other human being is important too. And so is this animal, and this tree…”

But if Ego, looking for a co-conspirator, despising the heart, finally meets Intelligence, bam, nitro has found glycerine. More often than not, it’s Intelligence, hypersensitive, full of doubts and easily scared that runs to Ego, to have him protect her.

Well yes, now Intelligence is a she when Ego is a he: I’m French and we put a gender on anything.

But whoever went in search of the other, a person, when dominated by these two, permanent victim of some real or imaginary wrongdoing, has now the means to get revenge, to manipulate and obtain everything ego wished. Honours, money, power, disciples, electors, victims, kids, family… he’ll get his fill. Hello, there, psychopaths!

In the process, he’ll have strangled the fifth voice, the voice of the conscience.

It’s the one who reminds me, when I reproach something to somebody – often my husband – that I did the same. This traitor doesn’t like bad faith and can pitch for the other camp.

This voice also tells me to be more understanding, doesn’t appreciate it when I’m angry. He wants me to be a better person. And he is so annoying!

But it’s his job. And I forgive him because I know it’s for me, in a broader sense: to enable me to become the best version of myself.

And the sixth voice?

Well, it’s simply the one from your soul or your personality. The one that is uniquely yours. The paradox being that ego could never be that, as it’s the same in everyone.

Mine has a ferocious sense of humour that prevents me to be too serious about myself and loves having fun.

And when we harness cleverness and its fears, calm ego and its volatility listen to our heart and conscience and learn to recognize our intuition, we can finally become who we were destined to be.

#forempaths #helpforempath #stopmanipulators #knowledgeispower #knowthenarcissist #thesixvoices

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surrepo-iuvenisdomina · 7 years ago

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tagged by: No one :p

REPOST, DON’T REBLOG!

Sign: Virgo Dates: August 23 - September 22 Element: Earth Planet: Mercury Sign Characteristics: Analyzing, Practical, Reflective, Observation, Thoughtful. Can be scrutinizing and critical. Appreciates the high integrity. Understand the true definition of value and quality. Disdains waist and excess. Prefers to work with small details and may sometimes become lost in them. Often relied upon to manage effectively. Highly intelligent and deft at problem-solving.

The ISFJ ( “THE DEFENDER”) personality type is quite unique, as many of their qualities defy the definition of their individual traits. Though possessing the Feeling (F) trait, ISFJs have excellent analytical abilities; though Introverted (I), they have well-developed people skills and robust social relationships; and though they are a Judging (J) type, ISFJs are often receptive to change and new ideas. As with so many things, people with the ISFJ personality type are more than the sum of their parts, and it is the way they use these strengths that define who they are. ISFJs are true altruists, meeting kindness with kindness-in-excess and engaging the work and people they believe in with enthusiasm and generosity. There’s hardly a better type to make up such a large proportion of the population, nearly 13%. Combining the best of tradition and the desire to do good, ISFJs are found in lines of work with a sense of history behind them, such as medicine, academics, and charitable social work.

FOUR TEMPERAMENTS: Sanguine | Melancholic | Choleric | Phlegmatic

Your temperament is phlegmatic. The phlegmatic temperament is fundamentally relaxed and quiet, ranging from warmly attentive to lazily sluggish. Phlegmatics tend to be content with themselves and are kind. They are accepting and affectionate. They may be receptive and shy and often prefer stability to uncertainty and change. They are consistent, relaxed, calm, rational, curious, and observant, qualities that make them good administrators. They can also be passive-aggressive.

If you are born under the energy of the Hazel, you are highly intelligent, organized and efficient. Like the Holly, you are naturally gifted in academia and excel in the classroom. You also have the ability to retain information and can recall, recite and expound on subjects you've memorized with amazing accuracy. You know your facts, and you are always well informed. This sometimes makes you appear like a know-it-all to others, but you can't help that; you're genuinely smart and usually know the right course of action because of your impressive knowledge base. You have an eye for detail, and like things to be “just so.” Sometimes this need for order and control can lead to compulsive behaviors if left unchecked. You have a knack for numbers, science and things that utilize your analytical skills. You like rules, although you are typically making them rather than playing by them. The Celtic tree astrology sign of Hazel joins harmoniously with Hawthorn and Rowan's.

The quintessential characteristic of a Caregiver type is the desire to take care of others. For this reason, Caregivers may be drawn to the long-term care of children or the elderly. Though some Caregivers find their need to nurture satisfied by raising a family, many others seek out work in such venues as schools, hospitals, and animal shelters. The long-term care of those with Alzheimer’s, autism, and mental illness often becomes the responsibility of Caregivers.

HOGWARTS HOUSE: Gryffindor | Hufflepuff | Ravenclaw | Slytherin

DARK TRIAD: Psychopathy (0.6) | Machiavellian (0.2) | Narcissism (2.2)

Narcissism is an egotistical preoccupation with self. Because of all their experience with maintaining their self-image, people who score high for narcissism will often appear charming but their narcissism will later lead to extreme difficulty in developing close relationships.

Mice personalities are enormously successful and are well represented throughout cities and suburbs. Living in close proximity to larger animal personalities, they survive by utilizing the resources others consider insignificant, and because of their limited consumption mice place very little stress on the environment. They are quiet, compliant people and they disappear into their homes after work without ever drawing attention to themselves.

Physically small and emotionally timid, mice personalities adopt a typically rodent pattern of self-reliance in order to survive. Their canny minds have long since learned that the only free cheese is to be found in a mousetrap and they wouldn't dream of depending on others for support. This independence is quite understandable, given that they get so little respect from others.

LIFE PATH NUMBER: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 22

The Master Builder

The Life Path 22 is one of the most powerful and influential paths in numerology. Your own abilities may seem overwhelming at times, and difficult to manage, but learning to harness your gifts will allow you greater control over your destiny, and in some cases, the destiny of others. This may cause you to feel as though a heavy burden rests on your shoulders. Be careful not to take on too much at once. And at the same time, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

22s are some of the biggest thinkers and innovators of our world and often use their big ideas to change lives, in some cases even inspiring hundreds if not millions through their voice, art, ideals, or strength of character.

If you embrace the catalyst that you can be, the impact you can potentially have on others is enormous. If you allow fear of your power to stifle you, it can spread like a weed and prevent you from reaching your true potential. Please don’t let this happen, the world needs all the 22’s to move us into a more enlightened tomorrow.

In many cases, the Life Path 22 gains full control over their abilities later in life when they are most open and accepting of their power, though a person with a strong sense of self can unlock these gifts at a comparatively young age. To give you an idea of what can be achieved when a Life Path 22 fully embraces their ability early on in life.

ROSENBERG SELF-ESTEEM SCALE: 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30

BRAIN LATERALIZATION TEST: Left (74%) | Right (26%)

Left brain dominant individuals are more orderly, literal, articulate, and to the point. They are good at understanding directions and anything that is explicit and logical. They can have trouble comprehending emotions and abstract concepts, they can feel lost when things are not clear, doubting anything that is not stated and proven, The left brain dominant type suffers from limited approaches, narrow-mindedness.

tagging: anyone who has enough patience tbh!!

#♕ ╾ ･ ⁎ ╱ ╱ headcanons.#long post #really long tbh >.>#i refreshed the links since they were no working anymore sdfjsbhgsdf #the tests label her as a very intelligent woman but i am very dumb lmao how is that possible xD #the power of love for your muse -that's the answer

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chriscanwell · 5 years ago

Link

https://youtu.be/Du-N5VkxAa0

If you want to attract girls in a way that most men can't, you first need to understand some disturbing truths about attraction.

Attraction isn't comfortable

You must do what is counter-intuitive

Attraction grows in anxiety and uncertainty

To attract girls, you must make an impact

Nice guys starve, while bold men eat

Women respond to attitude and behavior

In relationships, attraction comes first, then love

During breakups, attraction leaves first, then love

The idea that attraction flourishes in a swamp of anxiety, selfishness, and uncertainty doesn’t sit well with men who prefer to believe that love and attraction exist in perfect harmony.

Love and attraction can exist in harmony, but to have love you must first have attraction. It’s a classic case of the chicken or the egg, which comes first?

If your goal is to attract girls, it’s crucial to separate the sweet, tender nature of love from the harsh reality of attraction.

Love does exist, and it does grow out of attraction, but if you think you must be sweet, caring, and kind to win a woman’s heart, you’re sure to be disappointed.

The Attraction X Factor

One area we’re yet to touch on, however, is how to make yourself irresistible to women—to find the elusive X-factor in attraction.

We know the X-factor exists, but for most men, any attempt to harness the power of attraction and channel its energy remains elusive.

The X-factor continues to remain an abstract concept, in much the same way that nuclear fission remained an abstract concept until the day Trinity—the first atomic bomb—exploded into reality in 1945.

Right now, you hold in your hands all the concepts and theories to attract women. Bringing these theories into reality, however, requires its own kind of nuclear fission.

For this to happen, you must be able to turn theory into reality by smashing abstract concepts together like atoms.

Only then, when you look into the blast crater can you catch a glimpse of the elusive X factor—attitude. Attitude is everything.

Nice Guys Starve

Men who are smart, handsome, educated, and who understand key concepts of attraction often come to me with the complaint that women still don’t find them attractive.

Women often tell these men how “nice” they are, effectively telling these men that they have no attraction for them whatsoever.

Men who are considered anti-seductive, lack that all-important element of attraction—attitude.

They smile too much; they’re too nice; they’re unsure of themselves; they communicate with weak words like “perhaps,” “maybe,” and “possibly,” words that mirror the uncertainty of their mind.

When women snap at them, act bitchy, and try to push them around, these men tolerate the abuse without putting up the slightest amount of resistance.

Bringing an edge to your character doesn’t mean being an asshole, it means eradicating your desire to please and be nice.

Attitude Attracts Girls

If a woman calls you a “nice guy,” take it as an insult not a compliment. If a woman has the audacity to call you “nice” you mustn’t respond with “thanks,” instead, you must respond by telling her to “shut the fuck up.”

“What?” She says, shocked by your crude response.

“Just kidding.”

“Uhhh.” She looks around, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

“Still think I’m nice?”

She laughs. Maybe not, but you’re certainly a lot more attractive. Yes, attracting girls really is that counter-intuitive.

As we dig deeper into the depths of attraction, it becomes clear that women adore men who score high on dark triad traits.

These dark triad traits include narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.

Men who score high on dark triad traits are usually more confident and selfish than their less self-assured peers.

They’re also more likely to be self-interested and attempt to manipulate and exploit other people without any sense of guilt or remorse.

Among such men, there’s a dark, apathetic quality that often underpins their relationships with women; a quality that challenges women and keeps them around despite the man’s “asshole” behavior.

Research has found evidence to suggest that men who possess dark triad traits are more likely to date more women, have more sex, and be seen as more attractive.

A study published in the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology suggests that self-absorbed, narcissistic men are more desirable for both one-night stands and short-term relationships.

If research into attracting women is anything to go by, women are more attracted to men who wear flashy, stylish clothes, have humorous verbal expressions, and display open, confident body language—all qualities that narcissists possess in abundance.

It’s for this reason that narcissists strike such a powerful first impression: they are natural born charmers who stand out from the crowd.

Dark Triad Traits are Attractive

https://youtu.be/agA0kcLd1h8

Another trait that makes dark triad men so appealing is their self-absorbed nature. The dark triad man puts himself and his needs first.

Taken to an extreme, men who score high on dark triad traits are often highly destructive, not just to themselves but to the people around them.

And even though it’s estimated that approximately one percent of the world’s population is psychopathic, the majority of psychopaths are fully functional, productive members of society.

Instead of becoming serial killers and mass murderers, as depicted by Hollywood, most “functional psychopaths” live highly productive lives, only resorting to manipulation and deception to get what they want.

The benefits of selfishness and narcissism mustn’t be underestimated. The man who’s selfish and self-centered is much more likely to be successful in life.

He’s more likely to get promoted, get what he wants, and acquire more skills and knowledge along the way.

He’s more likely to start his own business. And he’s more likely to acquire a greater number of assets and resources in the process. This is part of the reason why women find dark triad men so attractive.

Dark triad men are not only more resourceful and assertive—two important components of attraction—they’re also more likely to be charming and humorous.

Take Risks, Get Rewards

Another aspect that makes dark triad men so alluring is their propensity to take risks and go after what they want without fear of reprisal.

This was corroborated by a study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

The study found that men who displayed nonconformist traits such as risk-taking and assertiveness were seen as more attractive.

After all, in a world where most people are conformist, the man who’s unafraid to stand out is a unique and valuable commodity able to attract girls with ease.

Women want men who have a sense of purpose and ambition. The last thing a woman wants is a man who’s focused exclusively on her and her erratic emotions.

A woman must feel safe pouring her emotions into you without having to worry that you’ll fold under pressure.

In the same way, you wouldn’t want to keep your money in a bank that isn’t safe and secure, women don’t want to invest their emotions into men who are weak and vulnerable.

This doesn’t mean you should go out of your way to be mean or obnoxious.

Don't Be Aggressive, Be Assertive

Research shows that women aren’t attracted to aggressive men who commit reckless acts of violence, they’re attracted to assertive men who have the courage to go after what they want in life.

A man’s innate aggression is only valued when it comes to protecting his loved ones from outside aggressors.

Are evil, aggressive men attractive? The answer is no.

Research has confirmed that men who were “known to be evil” or “mean,” regardless of appearance, were classified as highly “unattractive” by both men and women.

As you read this, you might start to feel unsettled, wondering if you really have to be an “asshole” or selfish to attract women.

In the world of seduction, being selfish and self-centered is not as bad as it sounds. It simply means focusing on you as opposed to focusing on her.

What’s more, displaying dark triad traits communicates to women that you have the ability to stand up for yourself and focus on what’s important in life: you, your goals, and your mission.

You must have purpose, you must have goals, and you must have a mission to give your life meaning.

It doesn’t matter whether you want to become a doctor, artist, businessman, entrepreneur, athlete, soldier, or entertainer.

Put Yourself First

If you can harness the dark triad traits that already exist within you, you’ll not only achieve greater focus and clarity, you’re much more likely to be successful as well.

The man who fails with women is the man who seeks out relationships to give his life meaning.

Without clear goals and a sense of purpose, you’ll be left feeling unsatisfied, and no amount of love or tenderness from a woman will make you feel better.

That’s not to say that having a loving relationship with a woman is impossible, far from it.

In fact, I’m here to tell you that you can have love, you can have sex, you can attract girls, you can have trust, and you can have loyalty. But before you have any of these things, you must first build attraction.

After all, the purpose of this book is not to show you how attraction should be, it’s to show you how attraction really is.

And once you appreciate and understand the true nature of attraction, you can have all the love, sex, and intimacy your heart desires.

Once you have the balls to implement these concepts you'll be able to attract girls in no time. Remember, the key to attraction is attitude.

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phynxrizng · 8 years ago

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ROCK THESE LUCKY STONES FIR YOUR ZODIAC SIGN, PART 1

ROCK THESE LUCKY STONES FOR YOUR ZODIAC SIGN

Did you think your birthstone was your only lucky stone? Think again! For the most part, birthstones are marketed by jewellers to sell those particular gems! There are many stories about the origins of birthstones, with the oldest dating back to Moses in the Bible. Later on, those 12 stones were associated with the 12 astrological sun signs. There is more than one stone for each sign though, depending on different traditions and cultures. Here are your lucky stones and crystals for your element/zodiac.

Aries Your motto is “I Am.” Aries is a fire element. Aries is a cardinal quality. Aries traditionally rules the first house of the zodiac. Aries positive traits are passion, purpose, and confidence. Aries challenging traits are self-centredness, impatience, and a quick-temper. My favorite alternative birthstone for Aries is the beautiful fire opal. This translucent stone has an opalescent glow that contains flashes of flame colors. It harnesses the qualities of the fire element and gives them an emotional connection, awakening your passion for life. This stone can also help in developing your sense of self-expression and creativity. Fire opal helps you become more optimistic in your life and promotes confidence when you′re socializing.

Taurus Your motto is “I Have.” Taurus is an earth element. Taurus is a fixed quality. Taurus traditionally rules the second house of the zodiac. Taurus positive traits are sensuality, compassion, and reliability. Taurus challenging traits are over-sensitivity, stubbornness and laziness. A fabulous alternative birthstone for Taurus is chrysocolla. It′s called the ‘stone of communication,′ and its beautiful, near-turquoise color blends the energies of the heart chakra and the throat chakra, so you learn to speak from the heart. It helps you overcome your anxieties, and is a powerful ally when you feel low or despondent. Using chrysocolla will help you determine when to speak and when to listen, and will assist you with finding truth, both in your own words and in those of others.

Gemini Your motto is “I Think.” Gemini is an air element. Gemini is a mutable quality. Gemini traditionally rules the third house of the zodiac. Gemini positive traits are communication, flexibility, amiability. Gemini challenging traits are restlessness, superficiality and unreliability. One of the best alternative birthstones for Gemini is the wonderful moss agate. It reflects the colors of the air element with its dappled milky inclusions. This isn′t a high energy stone, and many Geminis would benefit from this quality to ground their nervous energy or restless mind. This stone helps to bring peace of mind, and to calm frazzled emotions. Moss agate is a heart chakra stone, and it helps Geminis—and others, for that matter—to learn to love themselves. It also encourages Geminis to not be too controlling in a relationship, or to allow someone to have too much control over them.

Cancer Your motto is “I Feel.” Cancer is a water element. Cancer is a cardinal quality. Cancer traditionally rules the fourth house of the zodiac. Cancer positive traits are understanding, nurturing, and loyalty. Cancer challenging traits are indecision, moodiness, and melancholy. I adore carnelian as an alternative birthstone for Cancer. It may seem like a contradiction, with Cancer being a water sign and carnelian being a fire element stone, but sometimes Cancers need that extra push so that they can find their courage and motivation. Cancers are so sensitive and empathic that they frequently lose themselves in their water qualities, making them moody and melancholic. A good dose of root chakra energy to get them motivated again is often all it takes to light a spark under them and bring them back to life.

Leo Your motto is “I Will.” Leo is a fire element. Leo is a fixed quality. Leo traditionally rules the fifth house of the zodiac. Leo positive traits are gregariousness, warm-heartedness, and optimism. Leo challenging traits are conceit, narcissism, and jealousy. For an alternative birthstone for Leo, you can′t go wrong with garnet. Even though it is frequently associated with the month of January, garnet is a fire element stone, and echoes Leo′s warm and gregarious nature. Leos have a lot of vitality and natural energy, and garnet harnesses those traits, directing them down more positive avenues. Leos often set themselves up to fail by expecting everyone to be as warm and sincere as they are, and garnet helps when it comes to accepting that not everyone lives up to Leo′s high standards.

Virgo Your motto is “I Analyze.” Virgo is an earth element. Virgo is a mutable quality. Virgo traditionally rules the sixth house of the zodiac. Virgo positive traits are sincerity, patience, and practicality. Virgo challenging traits are criticism, aloofness, and perfectionism. Amethyst is often attributed to other months, but this gentle purple stone is my favorite alternative birthstone for Virgo. It′s not an accident that the Pope′s ring has an amethyst stone! This is a very spiritual and soothing stone, and most Virgos need that—they′re known for being high strung! Ruled by Mercury, Virgos usually have a lot of mental activity going on in their heads, and amethyst helps to calm that down, so they can actually hear what their spirit is trying to tell them. Amethyst is a crown chakra stone, and promotes connection with spirit guides and ascended masters.

Source, ASTROLOGY ANSWERS.com

Posted by, PHYNXRIZNG

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couldthisbetrue · 8 years ago

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When a show becomes really popular and people recognize you and come up to you, it’s really important to not forget that you’re an actor on a show and you need to have humility. I see a lot of young actors lose themselves and they really start believing it. It’s important to harness that energy and that power and use it for good, but I also think a lot of people these days take fame and it becomes about narcissism and ego. I hope it never got that way for me. But I would hope that, for me, regardless of what happens in my career in the future, I always want to maintain a level of humility. I think it’s so important to not lose yourself.

Paul Wesley (x)

#Paul Wesley #TVD #The Vampire Diaries #vampire diaries

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justalternateuniverse · 8 years ago

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If there’s one thing I hope I learned from this experience it’s: When a show becomes really popular and people recognize you and come up to you, it’s really important to not forget that you’re an actor on a show and you need to have humility. I see a lot of young actors lose themselves and they really start believing it. It’s important to harness that energy and that power and use it for good, but I also think a lot of people these days take fame and it becomes about narcissism and ego. I hope it never got that way for me. But I would hope that, for me, regardless of what happens in my career in the future, I always want to maintain a level of humility. I think it’s so important to not lose yourself and to just understand that you’re a conduit.

Paul Wesley

#he's so sweet #bless him for staying grounded and not getting caught up in fame #paul wesley #stefan salvatore #tvd #fav #the vampire diaries #vampire diaries

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paulwesleychronicles · 8 years ago

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New Post has been published on Paul Wesley Chronicles

New Post has been published on http://paulwesleychronicles.com/ew-pauls-opinion-on-when-tvd-was-the-best/

EW ~ Paul's Opinion On When TVD Was The Best

With one season left in The Vampire Diaries’ run, we decided it was time to start collecting everyone’s final diary entries. Every week during the final season, EW is asking those involved with the show to look back on one of their favorite moments from the series. So grab your tissues and join us on this trip down a vampire-filled memory lane.

This week, Paul Wesley looks back on playing Stefan Salvatore…

I remember watching episode two and thinking, “This is pretty good.” The pilot was so much set up and there was so much over-analyzing and I was so worried about this and that, and you want to do well. There’s so much that goes into a pilot. You can’t view it objectively. And then I remember watching episode two and that was when it really hit me.

I think the show’s at its best when the stakes mean something. So I think seasons 1, 2, 3 were very real and all the consequences meant something. The show’s best when it’s able to do that and when people really do die and when tragic things do occur and there’s no going back. And I also think the show’s at its best honestly when it’s about the relationship between the brothers. The show’s really about brothers — two brothers fighting over a girl — but it’s really about two brothers and their relationship with each other and their story.

In season 3, I had been the hero and the good guy for two years and I think when they gave me the opportunity to become the anti-hero, to go against all the things that I had been stereotyped as and all the things that the character had personified, I felt like that was an opportunity to show not only a different range as an artist, but also, as someone watching the show, I thought, “This is great for the fans, to see their hero become the villain.” So that was exciting for me.

–As told to Samantha Highfill

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zenruption · 7 years ago

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Just A Tool

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

By Skot Ward

As social creatures, a large majority of us continually chase after a never-ending barrage of wealth representation and positions of status. We seek to capture and harness their elusive and symbolic power like the mirage of an oasis in the desert. But what is it that we are truly thirsty for? Do we seek these symbols to complete the circle of our own individual happiness, or are we merely attempting to out do one another to prove that we are perfect and unique snowflakes deserving of a place upon society's pedestal for all eyes to see? Why do we entertain and pursue these elusive intangible spirits? What motivates us upon this never-ending quest to be the solemn example everyone aspires to?

Our fallible human egos seek attraction. They seek to be subscribed to by the energy of others as a formidable defense against the loss of their own definition. Our individual identity screams out to be sieved and separated from underneath an undulating sea of souls rising and falling in unison to the rhythm of remorse generated by the lack of a meaningful purpose. The problem with ourselves individually is that we have never agreed and decided upon what our purpose is collectively, and therefore we are awash and drowning in a rapid current, which is sweeping all of us along together down a river of selfish narcissism and individuation.

Inevitably what we are truly seeking is unity for all underneath our own flag. We are seeking to be the spokesperson for our own generation and generations to come. Each with our own unfurled banners of principles and causes to justify and legitimize. An outspoken ascension to a distinctive individual purpose gives rise to a following of that purpose; and sometimes to a revolution in its name. Along the way, we are subjected to distractions which are specifically manifested and placed within our path to draw our attention away from the work of making the world a better place for all. Distractions such as power, material wealth, and status, interrupt and derail us all from the betterment of humankind. Unless we can find a way for these things to assist us in our purpose, they inevitably become our purpose.

We must never forget that all these tempting illusions within our world which we are so attracted to are merely tools which we can employ to provide a greater purpose for our continued existence; they are not the reasons themselves.

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°8°

Skot Ward describes himself as such: I've had 41 trips around the sun to make sense of this little blue dot floating inside infinite space. I truly believe that if enough people care, we can all make sense of it together.

Brian McKay describes him as the coolest guy he has ever met at a wedding.

#spirituality #peace #unity

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