Positive thinking

ice cold pwn.

I generally dislike the term positive thinking. I do not agree with the notion that a cultivation of certain states of mind or feeling is conducive for one's well-being.

I have studied buddhism and practiced Zen for a few years by now, and I have found most of it extremely useful. I don't call myself a buddhist, even though I have consulted and practiced with a couple of teachers, because I consider it a tool for understanding consciousness, not a religion. I am by no means a perfect scholar or practicioner but there are some differing interpretations of key buddhist notions in this thread and I'd like to throw my two cents in.

In general, Zen buddhism practice is based on two things, non-cultivation and compassion. The practice of non-cultivation is something that you can get in endless logical bundles and contradictory discussions about. Even certain people who meditate a lot don't accept the notion of not meditating for a specific purpose. They always want something out of it. They don't realize that it is for the very reason that one keeps wanting specific things out of one's experience that one falls into deeper existential hells.

However, without rigorous practice to break through those delusions, this only results in daydreaming and false, egocentric thinking, so that is why one practices as if it were the only thing that mattered.

Non-cultivation is the absence of judgment in regard to the flow of circumstances, events and sensations. To acknowledge pleasant as pleasant, unpleasant as unpleasant, then let it pass. There are many different types of descriptions, but the Buddha referred to it as "In the hearing, only what is heard, in the seeing, only what is seen, in the feeling, only what is felt, in the thought, only what is being thought" and so on. No complications.

This has lead me away from some deep attachments and dependencies, and opened my eyes to radical acceptance and a changed perspective on my sensory experience. I deeply believe that I live and die in each moment, and should treat each moment as if it is my last. I feel much more natural and content, even during sad moments.

  On 4/4/2013 at 5:49 AM, LimpyLoo said:

You are talking about the Buddhist ideal of a person completely ridding oneself of desire (and thus suffering). I think that is what "nirvana" refers to. However, I think humans can only get glimpses of it. Hell, even the Dalai Lama even admits to getting angry and feeling other such forms of suffering.

Nirvana is the absence of three poisons; greed, hatred and delusion. It is best regarded as without stress, not as an everlasting utopian happiness, but a deep calm and enduring peace in regards to sensory experience. Delusion is to regard what is impermanent and not separate as permanent and separate. Nirvana appears on its own when one accepts that, regardless of the specific details of one's experience. There have of course been people known as private or stone buddhas, who rid themselves of all feelings and desires and either jump off a cliff or lock themselves into a coffin because there is nothing more for them to do. But that is not how buddhism is practiced today.

The goal of buddhism is not to go off into Nirvana, that is more like an intermediary position. The goal is to deal with yourself first, have a rest at Nirvana, then help prevent other people's suffering in whichever way you can, and there's no act that is too small or too great. This is because without compassion, buddhism would be completely useless. Many teachers have said that for people who get stuck in emptiness or nirvana, there is no cure.

So the goal for a proper buddhist is the ability to go into suffering or nirvana as he sees fit, without being stuck in either. The final point of buddhism is that both states are illusory, and buddhism itself is a placebo designed to help you see that, then get on with your life and not be a jerk.

  On 4/3/2013 at 11:21 AM, keltoi said:

 

  On 4/3/2013 at 7:08 AM, murphythecat8 said:

Its YOUR fault if you suffer, never the fault of the other.

 

got a problem with this comment. care to clarify?

As a living being you are potientially subject to the worst kind of treatment you could possibly imagine, but the truth is that no one can make you feel what you don't want to feel. Suffering comes from the perspective of what is experienced, not from physical sensation.

You only suffer when you view pain and unpleasant situations as separate from you. Everything you experience comes from your own mind, and the recognition of that is liberation from suffering, because pain disappears just as soon as resistance does. This isn't something that one groks overnight, but when you practice this as a #1 priority in your life, it becomes a palpable reality.

I read your comment about the little girl scenario, and that's not the point. It's nobody's fault. But there is no reliable way to deal with suffering except to take personal responsibility for it and help relieve others.

Chimera, nice thoughts.

yeah good stuff

chimera lovely post. I recognize greed, hatred and delusion (using those terms in a very generic and non specific way, intensity can vary greatly too) and my judging of events and sensory stimuli all the time. It seems very hard to detach from that stuff. These things lead to an ego, and to suffering really. They are transitory states, they seem to hit me with the things I care most deeply about, and my mind seems to have trained itself to latch on to any and all events or situations that could be judged through my own egocentric filter. I've known about all this for a while, and I can act in a different way, I just find it difficult to change internally. Judging from your post at least I feel I have a longing for the Buddhist mindset... It seems very good.

Hey, thanks guys. Coax, I can't speak for everyone but it was extremely difficult for me at first. Like you said, the habit energy, that your mind builds on for a longer period of time, has a tendency of feeding into itself and becomes a trap. I'm pretty sure I did more battle with myself than actual meditation. I had to force myself to do it with every bit of energy that I had. But after a certain point, it really is worth it. It's like leaving behind all the smog to breath fresh air, and it just keeps deepening. But you can still slip and fall quite badly if you're not wary!

The only reason it gets easier is because it gains priority. The problem is when you haven't had that fresh air in a long time, so you don't give it priority. For me, I barely recall ever having felt that respite, even as a small child, so I didn't even know that it was possible. After my practice had gotten past that point, the choice of whether to give it priority was really easy to make. And so you go, bouncing back and forth between smog and air...

The thing about judgment is that it is not just judging things negatively, but positively and preferable as well. We cannot let go of things we dislike without letting go of things we would rather have. It's usually not very difficult for a short moment, to not obsess with that distinction of whether something is preferable or not. But to actually rest in that, moment after moment, is a challenge!

  On 4/5/2013 at 9:57 PM, LimpyLoo said:

 

  On 4/5/2013 at 9:41 PM, murphythecat8 said:

 

  On 4/4/2013 at 5:49 AM, LimpyLoo said:

 

  On 4/4/2013 at 2:19 AM, murphythecat8 said:

 

  On 4/3/2013 at 6:59 PM, LimpyLoo said:

 

  On 4/3/2013 at 5:09 PM, Lucy Faringold said:

 

  On 4/3/2013 at 3:53 PM, keltoi said:

 

i'm ok with all of the above but i still can't get with this...

 

  Quote

Its YOUR fault if you suffer, never the fault of the other.

 

This is one of those ideas that you can't really understand until you effect a radical perspective shift. I'm not a Buddhist but I spend a lot of time trying to integrate ideas that Buddhism touches upon. I actually don't think the word 'fault' is helpful because that implies judgement of the self, which isn't productive.

 

If you approach the idea from a standard materialist standpoint then yes, obviously the statement is fairly monstrous.

 

But if you held beliefs such as:

 

- The binary of good/bad is a learned construct and in actuality all situations are neutral until we impose meaning on them.

- all human life (and all plains of existence, everywhere) is in actuality a temporary extension of an infinite non-physical consciousness for the purposes of expansion, growth and experience.

- there is no death, only the transition of consciousness from one focus of experience to another.

 

... then it sounds a lot less shady. The general idea being that a highly-conscious person would not judge a circumstance or experience as inherently negative, given that all reality is ultimately for the purpose of experience and growth and all consciousness is ultimately of the same source.

 

But yeah, that kind of perspective shift can be a little bit tricky (but not impossible) to integrate into everyday life.

 

Wow, nobody is clarifying that statement at all.

 

 

I think the point Murphy was trying to make (but completely botched and made Buddhism sound like it likes to blame victims :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: ) is that we have some measure of control over our own suffering.

 

 

 

This idea is at the very heart of Buddhism. It does not mean that when someone hurts us, the suffering is our own fault. It means that once a person has hurt us, we then have some measure of control over how much we suffer.

This is not my opinion! I mean, im not the one who says that. but yeah, primarly, we are the cause of our own suffering.

If you suffer, it is your fault, or use any other word that please the ear. :)

I dont know how to say that differently, but seriously, your post is a bit false, according to the buddha. not its not fault, its just incomplete.

yes you have some control on your feelings, that I agree. and the buddha would say that you have complete control over your feelings. complete, all, everything is created by you. all you feeling are dependant of your senses right, therefore, your mood, your emotions, your sensation towards things in life depends only on you. but seriously, as soon as we go into details, we loose something, or its not totally adequate.

its a quite radical view of the world, I admit. But for me, it all make sense.

 

You are talking about the Buddhist ideal of a person completely ridding oneself of desire (and thus suffering). I think that is what "nirvana" refers to. However, I think humans can only get glimpses of it. Hell, even the Dalai Lama even admits to getting angry and feeling other such forms of suffering.

 

 

You seem like a cool dude but I think you are making lofty pretenses that have no real meaning outside of academia.

k

you should stop making assumption. all this thread is filled with people making assumption.

 

i didn't make any assumptions. i read you words and replied to them.

hey, its just that from the answers you replied,

you may simplify what buddhism is, and a lot. buddhism is really complex, and a simple two line definition cannot cut it

just like a 2 line of all of einstein relativity theory, you need to know a lot of shit about yourself, your life, your realization of the suffering you have in your life. I used to have a lot of suffering, now its been three years im buddhist. The first 2 years, I practised morality. meaning, loving everybody around me. I used to WANT to hat people. Used to walk on the street and look for people to find ugly so I could feel more beautifulk

my look made me suffer, the way I talked to people was concerned by myself telling me all sort of bad things in the conversation. ect.

men, I cannt explain to you what it did in my life. I look like a god damn preacher, fuck that.

all I can say, is that you should at least try to understaind, just for you own culture really, its a fascinating philosophy when you apply certain things in your life.

for a couple of years, ive only practice morality, meaning well not judging people at all, or there action, letting people be, without my grasping to my feeling toward my judgments.

every moments of your existence is created by your senses. thats all there is, your sense right. but there a million thing going on in a second in your head. always thinking,a nalysing, wanting, beleiving, judging, suffering, feeling. this is the motherfucking mind, conditioned by your senses. MOST, not all of them, but MOST of those thoughs/feeling makes you suffer. yet you pursue most of your thoughts, desire, craving, ect.

but seriously, just like einstein relativity CANNOT be understood at all in two lines, yet two pages, the philosophy of buddhsim is a long appraoch to life. which EVERY moment of exisence is crated by you and your ignorance of the truth in life. you beleive, and lie ke you I used to beleive in life, in my feeling, my thought, but I dont anymore, and I am much much much more happy.

peace

all I can say to you, is at least know and understand the four noble truth and the eightfold path. that is all of the practise really

there you go, if anyones interested http://www.accesstoinsight.org/theravada.html

nice one chimera. I've practiced various forms of meditation over the years but never consistently. I had a funny experience once where i tried to turn on one of my old friends to Buddhism. He had already been meditating for years without Buddhist practice. So I sent him a link to a website where it opened with a quote "Life is suffering", he scoffed and said "I don't think I can take this seriously, because i don't agree with the premise'. I was never able to turn him onto it again. end of story

  On 4/6/2013 at 6:13 AM, John Ehrlichman said:

nice one chimera. I've practiced various forms of meditation over the years but never consistently. I had a funny experience once where i tried to turn on one of my old friends to Buddhism. He had already been meditating for years without Buddhist practice. So I sent him a link to a website where it opened with a quote "Life is suffering", he scoffed and said "I don't think I can take this seriously, because i don't agree with the premise'. I was never able to turn him onto it again. end of story

This is not what the buddha says. this is not even close to what the buddha says. you should inform your friend of thatand also inform your self of what the buddha says just so at least you cultivate yourself on the matter.

just like if you think you can say a valid opinion about einstein theory in two line, I dont. same for the buddha.

one can meditate all his life and develop no wisdom or morality. one could not meditate at all and develop wisdom and morality. meditation is not buddhism

I don't know what he said, but isn't one of the four noble truths 'life means suffering' ?
What i was trying to say in the previous post is that meditation is what lead me into reading about but never really putting in practice Buddhism as a concept.

I will however for the fun of it, try to make a 2 line that would define buddhism: here for now

Your feeling, sensations, thoughts, ect are not you. they do not define you. It is your conscience thats define you. the way you deal with those sense. just like two people who lives the same situation but has two complete different reactions, well thats created by their own respective minds.

all the experience you live, beleive it or not, are caused by your relation to the outside world and how you see the world, your body, the way you think, what you love and hate, all have a profound effect on your consciousness.

Life is serious, and every action can be toward more and more hapiness and well being

It could be my ridiculous me, but this sounds - somehow - similar to what I experience when using techniques which are described in Michael Hall's "Mind Lines". It's a book about NLP techniques to change beliefs. Although it presents itself as techniques for changing beliefs of others, I think it's mostly useful in an egocentric way. It's pretty effective in the sense that it helps to move to a completely lucid belief system. At least, that's what I kind of get from your post. That ideal state you describe seems close to what I describe as a completely lucid belief system, or consciousness, if you will.

To the extent that I'm actually resonating with you here, I think it is interesting to see that there are more ways to reach that point than just the orthodox meditation route. There might be a sort of intellectual brute force route which paradoxically can have similar results. But the entire argument hinges on the similarity of my and your notion of being lucid, I guess.

  On 4/6/2013 at 6:31 AM, John Ehrlichman said:

I don't know what he said, but isn't one of the four noble truths 'life means suffering' ?

What i was trying to say in the previous post is that meditation is what lead me into reading about but never really putting in practice Buddhism as a concept.

no, life means suffering doesnt even mean anything logically.

life means suffering? what do you mean the buddha would ask.

well, you can put in practise, certain premise like love, happiness, is required. be non violent, loving, kind, compassionate, is all premise to the path and you absolutely need it before even attempting at meditation. this is called morality. which is not even really a eightfold path.

like right speech is.

right speech means basically. do not say anything which is hurtful to someone. just say things that can makes people happy, or interested, never say anything judgemental, or even that you know it will make him feel bad. bring the subject in a funny way

you have to be kind, all the time happy, conscious of your every thought in relation to our body

how your thoughts affect your feelings, and body, and mind, ect. how your always wanting sensual pleasure, which at the end really, makes you fuckin suffer. we are all so streesed because of ourself, thats for sure. every studies show that at least, scientifically, wehn can prove that the way we think affect our body

  On 4/6/2013 at 6:45 AM, goDel said:

It could be my ridiculous me, but this sounds - somehow - similar to what I experience when using techniques which are described in Michael Hall's "Mind Lines". It's a book about NLP techniques to change beliefs. Although it presents itself as techniques for changing beliefs of others, I think it's mostly useful in an egocentric way. It's pretty effective in the sense that it helps to move to a completely lucid belief system. At least, that's what I kind of get from your post. That ideal state you describe seems close to what I describe as a completely lucid belief system, or consciousness, if you will.

 

To the extent that I'm actually resonating with you here, I think it is interesting to see that there are more ways to reach that point than just the orthodox meditation route. There might be a sort of intellectual brute force route which paradoxically can have similar results. But the entire argument hinges on the similarity of my and your notion of being lucid, I guess.

yeah, men. you sound like a really smart guy, any one who like to be cultivated should at least understand intelectually buddhism. its not a beleif system. its a logical approach to what could be consciousness.

so you can sort of study it, just like you would study platon.

btw, even in platon, you will find resonance in buddhism. most of intelligent people think like buddha, up to a extent. and thats the key, up to the extent. after thinking about this sentence, this is not valid at all, but people I consider smart

nobody in here can say that they dont not suffer at least a little every day. and the body would say that suffering is a problem that can be cause. sort of, but seriously, when we start saying sentence like that, it DESTROYS all the subtilituies, and then becomes NEW age religinon

  On 4/6/2013 at 6:38 AM, murphythecat8 said:

I will however for the fun of it, try to make a 2 line that would define buddhism: here for now

Your feeling, sensations, thoughts, ect are not you. they do not define you. It is your conscience thats define you. the way you deal with those sense. just like two people who lives the same situation but has two complete different reactions, well thats created by their own respective minds.

all the experience you live, beleive it or not, are caused by your relation to the outside world and how you see the world, your body, the way you think, what you love and hate, all have a profound effect on your consciousness.

Life is serious, and every action can be toward more and more hapiness and well being

that's, believe, and happiness

and

ICE COLD PWN BRAH

and now Ive had to add this because I made so much mistake up here

here the correction:

btw, even in platon, you will find resonance in buddhism. I consider someone smart is someone who is kind, compassionate, egoless, sociable, ect.. all the smart people I consider smart shares the same ideology. the buddha up to a extent. and thats the key, to which extent .

nobody in here can say that they do not suffer at least a little every day. and the buddha would say that suffering is a problem that can be cured if you realize why you suffer.

seriously, when we start saying sentence like that, it DESTROYS all the subtilituies, and then becomes NEW age religion

you know that right now, the buddha would say that I shouldnt post in here, because I suffer, and I do right now, I will stop lol.

  On 4/6/2013 at 7:05 AM, Atop said:

 

  On 4/6/2013 at 6:38 AM, murphythecat8 said:

I will however for the fun of it, try to make a 2 line that would define buddhism: here for now

Your feeling, sensations, thoughts, ect are not you. they do not define you. It is your conscience thats define you. the way you deal with those sense. just like two people who lives the same situation but has two complete different reactions, well thats created by their own respective minds.

all the experience you live, beleive it or not, are caused by your relation to the outside world and how you see the world, your body, the way you think, what you love and hate, all have a profound effect on your consciousness.

Life is serious, and every action can be toward more and more hapiness and well being

 

 

that's, believe, and happiness

 

 

and

 

 

ICE COLD PWN BRAH

yes, pain.

once I will feel real pain (physically for me, well physical pain so far for me is still hurtful you know), let me be hurt by pain. but most of our pain comes from our mental self, never really physical pain.

when you get hit by a car, the buddha would still feel the pain, yet not suffer from it, but he would feel it :), thats for sure

lol

Ironically, we've reached a point of suffering in a thread about positive thinking.

;D

  On 4/6/2013 at 7:05 AM, murphythecat8 said:

 

  On 4/6/2013 at 6:45 AM, goDel said:

It could be my ridiculous me, but this sounds - somehow - similar to what I experience when using techniques which are described in Michael Hall's "Mind Lines". It's a book about NLP techniques to change beliefs. Although it presents itself as techniques for changing beliefs of others, I think it's mostly useful in an egocentric way. It's pretty effective in the sense that it helps to move to a completely lucid belief system. At least, that's what I kind of get from your post. That ideal state you describe seems close to what I describe as a completely lucid belief system, or consciousness, if you will.

 

To the extent that I'm actually resonating with you here, I think it is interesting to see that there are more ways to reach that point than just the orthodox meditation route. There might be a sort of intellectual brute force route which paradoxically can have similar results. But the entire argument hinges on the similarity of my and your notion of being lucid, I guess.

yeah, men. you sound like a really smart guy, any one who like to be cultivated should at least understand intelectually buddhism. its not a beleif system. its a logical approach to what could be consciousness.

so you can sort of study it, just like you would study platon.

btw, even in platon, you will find resonance in buddhism. most of intelligent people think like buddha, up to a extent. and thats the key, up to the extent. after thinking about this sentence, this is not valid at all, but people I consider smart

nobody in here can say that they dont not suffer at least a little every day. and the body would say that suffering is a problem that can be cause. sort of, but seriously, when we start saying sentence like that, it DESTROYS all the subtilituies, and then becomes NEW age religinon

Murphy, no offense but you are depressing the fuck out of everyone.

Also you need to work on concision in your communication skills brah.

With deepest respect and admiration,

LimpyLoo

  On 4/6/2013 at 7:35 AM, LimpyLoo said:

 

  On 4/6/2013 at 7:05 AM, murphythecat8 said:

 

  On 4/6/2013 at 6:45 AM, goDel said:

It could be my ridiculous me, but this sounds - somehow - similar to what I experience when using techniques which are described in Michael Hall's "Mind Lines". It's a book about NLP techniques to change beliefs. Although it presents itself as techniques for changing beliefs of others, I think it's mostly useful in an egocentric way. It's pretty effective in the sense that it helps to move to a completely lucid belief system. At least, that's what I kind of get from your post. That ideal state you describe seems close to what I describe as a completely lucid belief system, or consciousness, if you will.

 

To the extent that I'm actually resonating with you here, I think it is interesting to see that there are more ways to reach that point than just the orthodox meditation route. There might be a sort of intellectual brute force route which paradoxically can have similar results. But the entire argument hinges on the similarity of my and your notion of being lucid, I guess.

yeah, men. you sound like a really smart guy, any one who like to be cultivated should at least understand intelectually buddhism. its not a beleif system. its a logical approach to what could be consciousness.

so you can sort of study it, just like you would study platon.

btw, even in platon, you will find resonance in buddhism. most of intelligent people think like buddha, up to a extent. and thats the key, up to the extent. after thinking about this sentence, this is not valid at all, but people I consider smart

nobody in here can say that they dont not suffer at least a little every day. and the body would say that suffering is a problem that can be cause. sort of, but seriously, when we start saying sentence like that, it DESTROYS all the subtilituies, and then becomes NEW age religinon

 

Murphy, no offense but you are depressing the fuck out of everyone.

 

Also you need to work on concision in your communication skills brah.

 

 

 

With deepest respect and admiration,

 

LimpyLoo

you definitely depress me everytime you express a thought towards me boy.

I just wanted to explain a bit precisely what buddhism was. Im sorry to have hijacked here

its kind of true Its depressing now looking back lol

for some who are not interested at all at buddhism, I guess this is uqite boring post hahahah. I have talked awful lot. like if I was takking to a friend or something well sorry, I wont do it anymore.

  On 4/6/2013 at 7:38 AM, murphythecat8 said:

 

  On 4/6/2013 at 7:35 AM, LimpyLoo said:

 

  On 4/6/2013 at 7:05 AM, murphythecat8 said:

 

  On 4/6/2013 at 6:45 AM, goDel said:

It could be my ridiculous me, but this sounds - somehow - similar to what I experience when using techniques which are described in Michael Hall's "Mind Lines". It's a book about NLP techniques to change beliefs. Although it presents itself as techniques for changing beliefs of others, I think it's mostly useful in an egocentric way. It's pretty effective in the sense that it helps to move to a completely lucid belief system. At least, that's what I kind of get from your post. That ideal state you describe seems close to what I describe as a completely lucid belief system, or consciousness, if you will.

 

To the extent that I'm actually resonating with you here, I think it is interesting to see that there are more ways to reach that point than just the orthodox meditation route. There might be a sort of intellectual brute force route which paradoxically can have similar results. But the entire argument hinges on the similarity of my and your notion of being lucid, I guess.

yeah, men. you sound like a really smart guy, any one who like to be cultivated should at least understand intelectually buddhism. its not a beleif system. its a logical approach to what could be consciousness.

so you can sort of study it, just like you would study platon.

btw, even in platon, you will find resonance in buddhism. most of intelligent people think like buddha, up to a extent. and thats the key, up to the extent. after thinking about this sentence, this is not valid at all, but people I consider smart

nobody in here can say that they dont not suffer at least a little every day. and the body would say that suffering is a problem that can be cause. sort of, but seriously, when we start saying sentence like that, it DESTROYS all the subtilituies, and then becomes NEW age religinon

 

Murphy, no offense but you are depressing the fuck out of everyone.

 

Also you need to work on concision in your communication skills brah.

 

 

 

With deepest respect and admiration,

 

LimpyLoo

you definitely depress me everytime you express a thought towards me boy.

As you said earlier: that is your own fault innit.

I like all the positive thinking in this thread.

  On 4/6/2013 at 7:19 AM, goDel said:

Ironically, we've reached a point of suffering in a thread about positive thinking.

;D

lol

yeah, mmm, Buddhism is great but ultimately it is a religion (yeah I know 'it's more a philosophy' but bitch please come on) as such I think it's always best to be aware of this -Chimera seems to have the right idea about it.

Thing is if you are someone who is fairly balanced in your view about yourself than I guess you wouldn't see the need for 'positive thinking'. Maybe it's also to do with the fact Im female and unfortunately I'm judged on my looks more than a male would be (a perfect example being- when I joined here I found that people had searched for pictures of me to judge- nice work WATMM)

This really can fuck someone up and undoing all the negative view my subconscious held of itself was impinging on my life. I have worked through some stuff before I started 'affirmations' and the self hypnosis but I think by just making simple changes to how you think, actively listening to what you were going to say about yourself and questioning it's reality etc.

I understand the Buddhist teachings, but in my view there are actually scientifically proven ways of improving your cognitive way of thinking. If you are a well adjusted person in your morals than buddhist teachings is fairly obvious... but than that's just my opinion on the matter.

Lil B

  On 4/6/2013 at 8:43 AM, rixxx said:

 

  On 4/6/2013 at 7:19 AM, goDel said:

Ironically, we've reached a point of suffering in a thread about positive thinking.

;D

 

 

lol

 

 

yeah, mmm, Buddhism is great but ultimately it is a religion (yeah I know 'it's more a philosophy' but bitch please come on) as such I think it's always best to be aware of this -Chimera seems to have the right idea about it.

 

Thing is if you are someone who is fairly balanced in your view about yourself than I guess you wouldn't see the need for 'positive thinking'. Maybe it's also to do with the fact Im female and unfortunately I'm judged on my looks more than a male would be (a perfect example being- when I joined here I found that people had searched for pictures of me to judge- nice work WATMM)

 

This really can fuck someone up and undoing all the negative view my subconscious held of itself was impinging on my life. I have worked through some stuff before I started 'affirmations' and the self hypnosis but I think by just making simple changes to how you think, actively listening to what you were going to say about yourself and questioning it's reality etc.

 

I understand the Buddhist teachings, but in my view there are actually scientifically proven ways of improving your cognitive way of thinking. If you are a well adjusted person in your morals than buddhist teachings is fairly obvious... but than that's just my opinion on the matter.

Are you sure members (mostly guys) weren't just innocently curious about the new gal on the scene?