Spiritual gain, social loss?

I am becoming increasingly anti social......I attribute this to my feeling more introverted as I strive to understand my true origin and spirit.

I am getting very tired of other people and their opinions, and them trying to impose their negative energy on me.

At the end of my day I want nothing to do with anybody else unless they have something really valuable to say.

But I'm supposed to love everybody?

Fixed my title.

I guess my question is, does my social disintegration mean I suck as a person? Or is it part of spiritual growth?

originally posted by: GoShredAK
I am becoming increasingly anti social......I attribute this to my feeling more introverted as I strive to understand my true origin and spirit.

I am getting very tired of other people and their opinions, and them trying to impose their negative energy on me.

At the end of my day I want nothing to do with anybody else unless they have something really valuable to say.

But I'm supposed to love everybody?

First off sorry to hear this is happening to you! Before any guidance can be given, could you elaborate more on what specifically is happening to you? Example: Work, family, friends etc..

a reply to: RobertDeniro

I'll try,

I guess WORK is the big one, the people surrounding me at work just destroy my very lifeforce with their negativity, yet they think I want to socialize still after work, when really, all I want is to be with my FAMILY.

My FRIENDS are few, and one of my best friends has been annoying the $h!t out of me and that is what finally drove me to create this thread.......and consider the notion that maybe I'm just a jerk....

And ECT.......ect is all the random nonsense I encounter every day. Everyone seems to be obsessed with discussing someone else, instead of discussing ideas, or better yet, nothing at all.

a reply to: GoShredAK

I wonder if you feel the way you do because if you think back to the origins of our current religiouns/spiritual people often decided to live as hermits on their own and presumably within their own spiritual bubble. We also had a huge number of people who chose to devote their lives to a monastic type of life-style. Today we do have (in the UK) the 'Church' types who all do mix socially with only like-minded people.

We seem to be divided (very roughly) into three types:

those who live straight for the day only and all the stuff that brings into their lives. They deal with it but don't have time to make for deeper thinking on a spiritual path.

Those who live in the world and try to bring in their spiritual lives - with or without others and keeping a low profile on the spiritual.

Those - the Churchy types etc.

Currently we have few hermits even in modern apartments unless they are attached to their computers all lthe time.

A paradox about understanding things on a higher level going on beyond duality creating new duality between those who get it and those who do not. It is not unusual or uncommon.

The more you think for yourself and understand the less you have in common with those who do not and use extrovert energy as a validation of what they are and what is right. Introverts are hard to manipulate since there is no real need for external validation, so being part of the herd and believing what the herd believes just because they are many is not a good enough reason.

The lack of being unable to talk about the spiritual experience to not cause problem creates another duality separation since the herd are not ready to receive the information and want to live under the illusion that they are equally spiritually advanced as everybody else.

The solution from my point of view is either to wait for the herd to evolve or leave the herd for a new more spiritual herd.

Being antisocial is only a problem from society's point of view, which is BS in the first place (as you seem to have noticed).

So don't worry about it. I think being antisocial is a good thing. More people should be antisocial.

This society doesn't have much to defend, in my opinion. Our society is defined by its incessant and ubiquitous materialism, greed, and coercion.

What's wrong with being anti-that?

I am practically a hermit. I don't like this society and where it's going. The less I have to do with it, the better. I don't really like people that much. The things they talk about are negative and/or irrelevant.

I have become comfortable in my "bubble". I stay in touch with the world through the internet and a little TV, but it's easy to turn it off when I start feeling like it's affecting me in a negative way.

I don't see that it's a problem.

a reply to: GoShredAK

But I'm supposed to love everybody?

yes...

You're supposed to try...

a reply to: GoShredAK

"Loving everybody" is impossible. There are personality clashes, differences in political ideology, general life philosophies and unique mindsets forged by differing experiences. (Plus, some people are just really jerks or energy vampires, and it's not possible to love them without in-turn harming yourself.)

There are many like you and you have no reason to feel bad about wanting to withdraw socially from others that drain your positivity.

You should get out more. There is much of the world to see that is not only relevant and beautiful, but there are people to experience it with. I was becoming like you for a while, then I started going to concerts and seeing live music. Since then, I've developed a newfound love for the outdoors and have severely restricted my dependence on television, the internet, and other useless wastes of time (I still like video games though, guess we can't kill all of our vices). I've lost weight. Become more tolerant of others' opinions. Life is so much more enjoyable if you stop letting the little things bother you.

If it's true that our feelings belong to us and we're in control of the emotions we allow ourselves to feel, the question would be why are you allowing yourself to feel negative emotions because of the nature of other people?
I walk away from negativity whenever possible; if not, I imagine an invisible blue wall between me and the people around me. It has helped me when forced to work with negative people.

Bringing laughter to the conversation can help immensely. You'd be surprised at how much power you actually have to change the atmosphere from negative to positive, and how people will eventually begin to seek it out with you!

There are always going to be the hard-core negative people who don't want to change, but it's been my experience that most people would welcome an avenue to a happier outlook. Maybe you could do an experiment in guiding the group there?
I have seen even the most determined nay-sayer laugh at them self and look for the 'silver lining', but it took a LONG time!

a reply to: GoShredAK

your supposed to love unconditionally. which means looking for
the best in people without judging them and using empathy regardless of external appearance. but that doesn't mean you have to put up with other peoples sh!t. it might seem hard to cut those people off and not let their negative energy affect you but you can either change who your around or keep feeling the same thing. just because your spiritual doesn't mean you have to be a pushover.

isolation happens to a lot of mystics. thats part of what makes them so mysterious and part of why people don't perceive them as much. i went through what your going through but i was able to almost completely isolate myself at the time. be careful other people and relationships can slow down or stop spiritual advancement.

have faith that you will find others that will uplift you spiritually.

I think what you are experiencing is a wave of awakening. I'm not talking about you now going to join some cult or sect or what ever.

Spiritual awakening is unfortunately so much in contrast to what culture and ideology has created while the human race has existed that you almost can't help being alienated a bit from what is, in my opinion also correctly called the herd.

But you have to be vary from now on, because while a lot of us who move on the path of awakening, that are also those who seem to misinterpret what they are experiencing to the point of becoming dogmatized by their own evolution or who simply want to deceive for their own material benefit (fallen ones you might call them... they saw what enlighten could do for them, but chose to remain in the game and use what they saw as a means to gain wealth or power or whatever).

The ones you need to align yourself with is those who act out of genuine compassion... people who don't want you to join a church, pay a membership fee, take your own life etc etc.

McKenna said at some point ( and I also wrote that in another thread ) that realizing that culture and ideology are not your friends will ultimately lead to a certain kind of alienation. It's a given process...

As such it is also here that your choice will stand one of many tests, because freeing yourself cannot come without what your ego and society would interpret as sacrifice... but this is where your greatest weapon toward enslavement will become useful; lack of fear... letting go.

Even you just writing here and sharing your challenge is you working towards being in balance with yourself. You already know where to go... society has just given you the impression that going there is dangerous.

For what it's worth... all this technology, even the internet which we use to communicate right now, has in my opinion enslaved us even more than we have ever been. We have indeed almost come to the point which McKenna talked about where we emerge ourselves in a virtual reality.
But for whose benefit?

Once you choose to step out, try to figure out how the game works. Then you can either at some later point choose to get back into to disrupt it, or become the kind of vessel that returns to help others get out of it. Or you can just stay out... but this takes a bit more effort depending on the obligations you have put on your vessel since money unfortunately is a real concept as long as the majority of the world chooses it to be. They can't imprison your essence that inhabit your human body, but they can imprison the vessel and since your essence is experiencing all this through the human body then being imprisoned in one way or another might not be that interesting in the long run

I'm working towards relieving myself of monetary debt, so I can choose to live a life free from worry or fear.

It's interesting how a drop of water on a leaf can look that much more interesting that the next deadline for whatever video or photo I have to make for whatever unimportant client or listening to their talk about home improvements in the DIY offer they got themselves into... again based on debt.

originally posted by: duesprimusvictorimmortali
a reply to: GoShredAK


isolation happens to a lot of mystics. thats part of what makes them so mysterious and part of why people don't perceive them as much. i went through what your going through but i was able to almost completely isolate myself at the time. be careful other people and relationships can slow down or stop spiritual advancement.

have faith that you will find others that will uplift you spiritually.

This is true and probably one of the main challenges I face myself currently. I have a wish to flow towards enlightenment, but I can also sense that my partner is not there yet herself.
Now I believe that the right way to do things is not to force enlightenment on other people, because the ego will just resist... you have to come to the conclusion yourself.
So how long must I wait without straying off the path? That is a question only I can answer, but the mean time can be hard. While maintaining the form of mindset that is used to navigate through the game to stay in touch with her on a daily basis, I also have to keep my mind open as to prepared it and condition it for a more balanced life.
And when you have kids it becomes increasingly hard because then you are facing culture again... society's norms or do's and don'ts. Imagine me retreating with my kids... since we in my country have an obligation to put our kids through school, one can't really detach completely because you risk being apprehended by the authorities and questioned as to your intentions, and if so, risk losing your kids due to your choice not fit in the ways of society.

There are many traps set up to make the flight to freedom seem impossible and the majority of them (if not all) are made by western countries.

So, in other words. In regards to other people and relationships. I think this is where good practice is found... you don't tell people how to live, what to do and what to think in order to help them go the same way as you,
you do what you think you should do and by the energy that you radiate from finally being free, from the smile that is constantly present on your face, people will themselves by themselves start seeking the answers to: What did he do to feel and look this way and how can I do the same? Then if they ask you directly, offer them advice without expectations...

Spirituality should make you humble, not arrogant, it should awaken you to accepting the flaws in others not judgmental,, love, wisdom, and knowledge, are accepting others, not a superiority complex.

A truly spiritually wise person sees the beauty in others, we all have flaws and we all have beauty, everyone has something to offer, if you are paying attention.

Studies show lack of community, and relationships make you die younger,a social life and relationships are important, for mental and physical well being.

What path are you on?

Just woke up, gotta rush out the door, I'm kicking off my memorial day weekend with some halibut fishing off the beach.

Thank you everyone for such awesome and thorough responses! I will have to absorb everything for a bit.

I'm pleasantly surprised with everything I just read. You guys are great.

a reply to: flice


Isolation doesn't last forever, periods of contemplation, meditation and prayer, but even monks live in a community, Buddhist or Christian.

originally posted by: Stormdancer777
Spirituality should make you humble, not arrogant, it should awaken you to accepting the flaws in others not judgmental,, love, wisdom, and knowledge, are accepting others, not a superiority complex.

A truly spiritually wise person sees the beauty in others, we all have flaws and we all have beauty, everyone has something to offer, if you are paying attention.

Studies show lack of community, and relationships make you die younger,a social life and relationships are important, for mental and physical well being.

What path are you on?

For someone so stupified, you are really quite clever.

I went through an initial phase in my own journey where such things reigned supreme. And, indeed, it led to me wanting isolation. It was, most certainly, the easy way out. I didnt want to learn how to dance or grow.

As time progressed, this reversed in drastic ways.

a reply to: GoShredAK
have a good day at the beach