There are only 2 main intentions and every other action and intention is based off of these, and the

Intention 1: To Give to others

Advantages

- Less worries about self by focusing on giving to others
- Bringing joy to the world
- Less conflicts such as Arguments, Fights, or Wars
- Humility rather than feeling overconfident

Disadvantages

- Less aware of own dreams and desires
- Less opinionated, less expressive of self and more agreeable
- Will probably have people who continuous take and take

Intention 2: To Take for self

Advantages

- More likely to stand up for oneself
- More likely to be aware of own's own preferences, hopes, and desires
- More likely to careless about the opinions of others (when absorbed with self)

Disadvantages
- More worries about self (due to focusing more on self)
- More conflicts when a clash of intentions happen
- Less likely to find love, since that involves less selfishness
- May feel more important than others which may cause problems with others
- Less happiness when noticing many unfulfilled desires

Which would you choose knowing all of the pros and cons and why? You can switch it up, but by doing so, you are more likely to go back and forth between belief systems and opinions and therefore less stability (whether for self or for others)

reply to post by arpgme


I just let my subconscious guide me through the moments. Sometimes I live by the first, sometimes by the second. The instability only comes when you experience an unbalanced mixture of both. If you can find a healthy balance and get them to half-half, you have now mastered the yin-yang.

I think the key is to find the middle ground.

It is a more peaceful existence when one isn't self-absorbed, until someone continually tries to take advantage of such a nature.....then it may become necessary to put forth these other characteristics in order to regain/maintain balance.

arpgme
Intention 1: To Give to others

Advantages

- Less worries about self by focusing on giving to others
- Bringing joy to the world
- Less conflicts such as Arguments, Fights, or Wars
- Humility rather than feeling overconfident

Advantages

- More likely to stand up for oneself
- More likely to be aware of own's own preferences, hopes, and desires

adding these advantage from intention 2
- More likely to stand up for oneself -because it is righteous to be humble and respectful usually, but you have to stand up for yourself sometimes to prevent from being taken advantage of.
- More likely to be aware of own's own preferences, hopes, and desires -knowing allows the ability to see the direction in existence some or 1 is willing to go. So you have to know your preferences, hopes and desires to prevent another from manipulating your unknown desires-hopes and preferences.

@ times some may associate supporting others acts done as being a way to receive gratitude from the supported to feed some odd ego. But to 1 it is just good to see another better off then they may not of been before being supported, even if they don't know they were supported.

arpgme
Intention 1: To Give to others
Advantages

- Less worries about self by focusing on giving to others
- Bringing joy to the world
- Less conflicts such as Arguments, Fights, or Wars
- Humility rather than feeling overconfident

You are speaking of overriding the Ego basically. Its a grand effort, but ego involves self preservation (youd have to be able to truly sacrifice yourself to accomplish this). Think in terms of Jesus or Ghandi. If everyone were on the same 'love' page there would be no premature physical violent death.

Arpgme Disadvantages
- Less aware of own dreams and desires
- Less opinionated, less expressive of self and more agreeable
- Will probably have people who continuous take and take
Intention 2: To Take for self

Once again, if you are operating in a theater whereby there are others say (VisaGoths) trying to destroy your Roman civilization you would be at a disadvantage. This physical construct is one of duality, that of achieveing a balance, another poster said 'ying-yang'.

Arpgme
Advantages
- More likely to stand up for oneself
- More likely to be aware of own's own preferences, hopes, and desires
- More likely to careless about the opinions of others (when absorbed with self)

Ego reduction is more about getting rid of excessive fear based material accuisitions and more pursuit of "cant take it with you YOUR STUFF". You are really speaking of free will and determinism; nothing wrong with having a healthy dose of survival mentality which has nothing to do with Ego, a self centered winner take all fear based mentality that has no humility or compassion for its fellow humans, their right to live as they wish in whatever country or effective laws they please.

arpgme
Disadvantages
- More worries about self (due to focusing more on self)
- More conflicts when a clash of intentions happen
- Less likely to find love, since that involves less selfishness
- May feel more important than others which may cause problems with others
- Less happiness when noticing many unfulfilled desires

Disadvantages to what exactly, you mean being a dictator?
You will not be contributing to the system as a positive growth. You will be undermining it as a cancer in the body. You potenticaly could kill the host and in the larger realm of things will be terminated as a negative soul that refuses enlightenment. Yes, spirit forms can be eliminated if not salvageable.

ArpgmeWhich would you choose knowing all of the pros and cons and why? You can switch it up, but by doing so, you are more likely to go back and forth between belief systems and opinions and therefore less stability (whether for self or for others)

If you have a belief system you have already failed, they are nothing but dogma. I dont see a choice, just a path; and that is the one that leads to ones individual soul progression, which is a journey personal to that beings growth. No one can do this for you, no group no system of others influencing you (you are on your own; which is why it is seldom accomplished). Prophets in the old days had help from the demi gods; those meddlers were tossed out, no more messiahs, no more bombastic prophets; only the reincarnated teachers are left. Who are they?

reply to post by arpgme

They are not mutually exclusive. Life is Give and Take. You cannot give what you do not have.

Best policy is to use both intentions.