Jorell Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 Greetings FDR friends, My name is Jorell and I am from Utah. Long-time listener, first time participant.I have been on here for just a few days now, bouncing around the boards having a ball - this really is a one-of-a-kind enlightened community and after a few years of just drinking it in... the water looks really nice so I'm gonna jump in! My Story: I was a lifelong 'Mormon' (LDS / Christian) until three years ago (age 28), I became disenfranchised with my religion after many years of shaming myself for my my many sinful natural behaviors that just refused to adapt to my belief system - eventually my pitiful self-esteem just said enough... and I took an indefinite break. I read some Ayn Rand and for the next few years the floodgates on my previously quarantined ability to reason began to trickle and burst; my first exposure to FDR was none other than "The Story of your Enslavement", and I remember watching it on a Friday while at my desk - and I couldn't sleep all that night, or the following Saturday night. Since then I have listened to hundreds of Podcasts and kept wondering why I'm not swimming in the deep end with the rest of the nice boys and girls. About Me: - My girlfriend and I live together, we're both are big FDR listeners and we have no children (yet) - Fitness, I'm hopeless ectomorph but it doesn't stop me from getting the itch.- Nutrition, I really enjoy experimenting with Nutrition; mostly I enjoy the Primal / Paleo approach - Philosophy, go figure - seriously though, since my 'awakening' I simply cannot get enough - Reading, I will read 8-10 books a year, from Fantasy to Business motivation - very random. - I enjoy outdoors (Camping, Hiking, Fishing) - anyone that's been to Utah will know why - I am a firearm enthusiast, I enjoy the range, gun-safety, technique and benefits of possession. - I work in IT, I currently support the EMR systems for a Hospital here in Utah. - I like to relax to some Netflix with my lady-friend after work and cook meals together- I enjoy gaming, namely World of Warcraft when I can spare the time- I used to be more involved in my local LP community, but been more attracted to this community - We have 4 pet rats (this was her idea at first, but they've really grown on me - they're just so cute!) So, that's me - I look forward to meeting you all (also, the thread title is a reference to Abbot and Costello's routine "Who's on First")
Lians Posted February 28, 2014 Posted February 28, 2014 Welcome to the board, Jorell! I'm glad you made it here, and I very much enjoyed the energy in your writing! Were you always this passionate or did philosophy rekindle the fire that religion was trying to put out?
Jorell Posted March 1, 2014 Author Posted March 1, 2014 Were you always this passionate or did philosophy rekindle the fire that religion was trying to put out? Firstly, thank you for the compliment Lians, and a great question. I was always very passionate about new ways to look at old things - I just couldn't peek beyond certain barricades. Interestingly, the Mormon religious community is quite ambitious in it's intra-philsophical community, it maintains the illusion of both religions and secular authenticity by churning out literature written by every esteemed Mormon academic and ecclesiastical authority; it creates a veneer of overwhelming 'proof' and testimony. Very well supported and polished system... and with that, making it very much the same tired old religious racket - just with newer magazines Bringing that back to your question though, I did reach a point where my appetite for answers was feeling increasingly claustrophobic, but ultimately it was my lifeless self-esteem that pushed me over the edge, the years of literally being deemed 'unworthy' to marry or participate in the Church did a number on me. Once I had a stepped away for a few months, emotional healing came and closed many of those wounds and helped to correct those damaging beliefs. Around that point I discovered my desire for truth without boundaries, and haven't looked back.How about you? (and feel free to link it if you don't want to re-write - hehe)
Lians Posted March 1, 2014 Posted March 1, 2014 Your unconscious got you out of a trap that not many are able to escape. I think having such an invisible ally is a cause for celebration! My passion was somewhat of a dirty secret prior to encountering philosophy. It was there but I had to keep it in the closet to avoid attacks from people around me. I managed to dodge the death grip of religion but there was no running away from family, culture and state propaganda. The reality distortion produced by these three institutions really screwed up with my passion for knowledge. Nothing made sense - up was down, black was white and taxation was voluntary. Philosophy rekindled the fire of authenticity for me. It took a lot of sleepless nights during which it felt like new ideas were setting ancient fractures in my mind. I eventually concluded that a life of self-erasure wasn't worth living, gritted my teeth and crossed over to the world of the living. It's still an exciting journey for me!
Jorell Posted March 1, 2014 Author Posted March 1, 2014 It's incredible how intimate these little paragraphs can be - if I hadn't experienced much of what you describe myself, they would just descriptive and poetic... but instead they are almost tangible. It's such an experience, it feels trite to compare it to anything - it's just such a personal experience. Glad to meet you Lians! I also look forward to reading the link you posted in your sig - very comprehensive
Lians Posted March 1, 2014 Posted March 1, 2014 It's incredible how intimate these little paragraphs can be - if I hadn't experienced much of what you describe myself, they would just descriptive and poetic... but instead they are almost tangible. It's such an experience, it feels trite to compare it to anything - it's just such a personal experience. To outsiders, these paragraphs will be pretty words devoid of meaning. There really is no substitute for experience. Enjoy this haven for reason and take care!
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