FDR Topics Poll

[Wesley]

I recently noticed the poll feature for the threads, and have not seen anyone use them yet.

 

I figured I would just make 3 general questions to see what people respond and raise awareness of the poll feature. I think it could be interesting to add to some of the threads where there are somewhat "sides" or "opinions" that people may take.

 

Could be interesting, I would like to see the results!

[RealP]

Great idea, congratulations

[MysterionMuffles]

Cool! That really caught my eye as I was not aware we had this function.

[Mishelle]

yay, polls are fun!

[Pepin]

I really like the advice that affects my life. A lot of the more self-hep and finance stuff helps me a lot, even if it is stuff I already know or have heard elsewhere. In my mind Stefan is a sort of authority figure, and I find that when he confirms ideas I've heard elsewhere, I have a much easier time fully accepting it and putting it into practice. It is a role similar to my therapist has been playing.

 

I really enjoy the Truth About and current news podcasts because it is difficult to keep the subjects out of your mind until you get some clarity on them. I mean personally I was quite apathetic to the Zimmerman story, but I kept finding part of my brain thinking about it regardless. It is kind of like when someone makes a bad argument and there is this sort of reactionary rebuttal that happens in your head, and you may find yourself arguing against it at random points in the day. Upon watching these videos, that part of my mind gains some sort of clarity and I don't think about it anymore. I want to get the point where I just don't care, but from where I was before in spending a lot of time thinking about these subjects and arguing against them, having some mental quibble and then having it undone by a single video helps me quite a lot.

 

I like interviews and debates because it gives me a model on how to convey myself with interacting with others. I also tend to feel happy and accepted when Stefan is having a conversation with someone like Jeffery Tucker. It somewhat feels like I'm apart of those conversations. Also the listener convos have really helped me in talking with friends and people about these sorts of matters. I really had no ability to do this before. I will admit that there a lot of of convos I don't enjoy, which is more the fault of the caller.

 

I really like dream analysis because it helps me to hone my metaphorical skills. Just through listening to Stefan do it, I have gotten pretty decent at analyzing my own dreams. These sorts of segments also allow me to try to figure out the dream at hand myself, which is pretty fun to do.

 

A lot of my reasons my sound weird. In the past the intellectual and "I've never heard of this" components were the main reason I listened. Now that I have a pretty good understanding of FDR, it seems to be something a little deeper.

[MysterionMuffles]

Yeah 3 simple things I've learned from Stef's call in conversations that have vastly improved my own interactions:

 

Ask and listen.

Express gratitude for openness.

Express sympathy for distress.

 

Before I used to like talking at people, and I would be giving (I think) valid advice, but a lot of it was unwarranted or unrelated to their situation. I didn't take the time to ask and listen first to truly understand what they were going through. And worse, I would just take their vulnerability as a narcissistic queue for me to bask in feeling needed. If they also had things to complain about, I would tell them it's not worth worrying about in this faux optimistic kind of way instead of simply letting them know I am sorry for the way they feel or what they are going through.

 

Nowadays, I can still rant my mouth off with philosophical insight, but I only do that once I've let the other person exhaust every possible angle they perceive their problems at. I help them to identify (IFS style) the competing feelings that are warring in their hearts. When people open up to me now, I am more receptive to the hint that they just want to be listened, so I listen, probe questions that either get them to continue, recoil, or feel closure. Or well I feel like, the conversations don't end until I give my own thoughts on it, but if I just continue to ask away, they have no problem continuing until they feel they've exhausted the story to the point that they just want some perspective on it.

OH and another thing I am a fan of when Stef has debates with people is his ability to express growing disinterest in continuing the conversation, as well as the assertiveness without aggression. I used to yell at people and make even bigger points when I'm arguing about something, but if people aren't paying attention or following a line of thinking that is crucial to the conversation, I simply point that out and express my anxiety about it. Either the conversation ends to expose these people as heartless uncaring individuals, or they apologize, turn off their phones, stop looking at the TV or magazine, or whatever--and just give me their undivided attention.

 

"Hey this is important to me, can you please listen?" Is so much better than "stop ignoring me! Listen or else [insert emotional ultimatum]."

[MattGrimes]

One thing that I really like, which I see very rarely, is Stef trying to present his ideas to new people/debate people who have never heard of some of the ideas this show talks about or whom have a lot of 'false self' defense up. Note that I am only 700 podcasts in (and have seen most of the videos from August 2013—watched those and then started the podcasts), but I can only think of 2 times where this has happened. Once with a participater on the skype call named Michael (was an upper class british physics proffesor—I can't remember which podcast, even roughly), and, one that I liked much more which I think was in the late 500's or early 600's with some dudes wife who was talking about her experience as a hypotherapist who does past-life regression and all that jazz. It was really illuminating and interesting to see how Stef interacts in these situations, and it's a skill that I would like to hone much more, and thus would really like to see more of these.

 

If there are more podcasts like this later on the line that anyone knows of I'd be interested to hear them.

[Wesley]

I think this poll somewhat reflects active forum users. I wonder how things would change if it would record the average podcast listener or the average YouTube subscriber.

[Wesley]

One thing that I really like, which I see very rarely, is Stef trying to present his ideas to new people/debate people who have never heard of some of the ideas this show talks about or whom have a lot of 'false self' defense up. Note that I am only 700 podcasts in (and have seen most of the videos from August 2013—watched those and then started the podcasts), but I can only think of 2 times where this has happened. Once with a participater on the skype call named Michael (was an upper class british physics proffesor—I can't remember which podcast, even roughly), and, one that I liked much more which I think was in the late 500's or early 600's with some dudes wife who was talking about her experience as a hypotherapist who does past-life regression and all that jazz. It was really illuminating and interesting to see how Stef interacts in these situations, and it's a skill that I would like to hone much more, and thus would really like to see more of these.

 

If there are more podcasts like this later on the line that anyone knows of I'd be interested to hear them.

I know that somewhere in the next (few hundred?) he starts getting innto a lot of determinism stuff and there are a nice number of debates in there.

[MattGrimes]

I know that somewhere in the next (few hundred?) he starts getting innto a lot of determinism stuff and there are a nice number of debates in there.

 

There was a dozen or so podcasts about it in the 200's or so... are those the ones you are referring to or is there another wave of determinism stuff? 

[Wesley]

There was a dozen or so podcasts about it in the 200's or so... are those the ones you are referring to or is there another wave of determinism stuff? 

There are more.

[Wesley]

Didn't have a "Self Knowledge" topic category. So bump in case anyone felt like deleting and then re-entering their vote to add that as an option. If nothing changes, then no worries.

 

Plus, maybe a few more votes will be cast in the poll.

[J-William]

I think this poll somewhat reflects active forum users. I wonder how things would change if it would record the average podcast listener or the average YouTube subscriber.

I suspect the appreciation for videos would be higher :-D

 

I never watch videos because it's too much of a bother in China with the great firewall... and also who has time to sit in front of a computer and watch videos?