GENIUS FORUMS

I have strategies to work around the edges of inferiority complexes, but remain inadequate at dealing with them. Full separation is a solution of course, but can require collossal compromise. One golden rule is not to criticise, another is to avoid moral distinctions, and another is to not say more than is required. Smile too, and adopt non-threatening body language. They feel like you're standing over them, so they are likely to try to stand over you, in which case you really ought to counter it. But i'm keen on a thinktank.

I'm not sure what you are meaning here, but I think it's best to dispose of all strategies and just speak the truth. In other words, truth is the best strategy. If people suspect, even subconsciously, that you are using some "strategy" other than plain truthfulness, then you will lose their trust and respect.

"Keep it simple stupid".

It may be obvious to others that you regard your own understanding to be superior to theirs, but if you are not at all egotistical or proud about it, it will be less likely to make others feel inferior.

If you are aggressive or pushy in any way, then ego is most likely playing a role in your behaviour.

Kevin Solway wrote:I'm not sure what you are meaning here, but I think it's best to dispose of all strategies and just speak the truth. In other words, truth is the best strategy. If people suspect, even subconsciously, that you are using some "strategy" other than plain truthfulness, then you will lose their trust and respect.

"Keep it simple stupid".

But it's predominantly the act of nailing the truth that makes other people feel inferior.

It may be obvious to others that you regard your own understanding to be superior to theirs, but if you are not at all egotistical or proud about it, it will be less likely to make others feel inferior.

I disagree, the very act of not being egotistical or proud of it makes them feel even more inferior.

If you are aggressive or pushy in any way, then ego is most likely playing a role in your behaviour.

I think it's only that people find the truth and a sharp mind "aggressive and pushy". Most people have a combatative element underlying every interaction, and interacting with someone radically more aware than themself makes them feel vulnerable and inferior, and they may react.

People may react, but if you make it known to them that you have no choice but to speak the truth, and that you're really not speaking the truth to hurt them, and it's only by chance that you happen to know the truth anyway, then they'll be more understanding.

Kevin,

People may react, but if you make it known to them that you have no choice but to speak the truth, and that you're really not speaking the truth to hurt them, and it's only by chance that you happen to know the truth anyway, then they'll be more understanding

.

But at that stage of someone’s progress, they don’t understand that free will is an illusion anyway, so your explanation will always be elusive to them. All they see is a strong confident intellect that appears to have something that they lack.

The only cure to an inferior complex is to become that to which you envy. And if you envy enlightened minds, then study their work, absorb it, and obsessively work away at as a means to master it, and if you’re lucky, it will come, and if you’re not lucky, you’ll remain with an inferior complex, that is the sad truth of the whole thing.

Kevin Solway wrote:People may react, but if you make it known to them that you have no choice but to speak the truth, and that you're really not speaking the truth to hurt them, and it's only by chance that you happen to know the truth anyway, then they'll be more understanding.

To me that emphasizes the idea of the person being superior, and on top of that if handling it this way is seen as wise, there will be two factors increasing the complex. Also, i don't see this as being practical in most interactions. Most interactions are brief and simple. I'm not talking about philosophical interactions specifically, i am mostly talking about everyday type interactions.

You focus in on the truth, but i see this as only one of a number of causes. The sharp mind, the high awareness of all that is happenning, the physical 'presence' (lack of suffering), also play major roles. I shouldn't also forget that in my personal case being tall and muscular and attractive probably doesn't help.

More detail on the actual subject:

An inferiority complex is the result of still having an ego to some degree. Women typically have an inferiority complex over their appearance, while men have an inferiority complex over what they have achieved both on the material level, and on the mental level. However, men can have an inferiority complex over their appearance as well, but both a materialistic inferiority complex and an appearance inferiority complex are both closely related to feelings of sexual/romantic inadequacy/incompleteness.

So I suppose the first step would be to stop valuing sexual/romantic success, and then the materialistic inferiority complex and the appearance inferiority complex should dissolve away, leaving only the mental inferiority complex. And if your brain is strong enough to absorb the truth into your entire being, then perhaps you can overcome the mental inferiority complex as well.

Ryan Rudolph wrote:More detail on the actual subject:

An inferiority complex is the result of still having an ego to some degree. Women typically have an inferiority complex over their appearance, while men have an inferiority complex over what they have achieved both on the material level, and on the mental level. However, men can have an inferiority complex over their appearance as well, but both a materialistic inferiority complex and an appearance inferiority complex are both closely related to feelings of sexual/romantic inadequacy/incompleteness.

So I suppose the first step would be to stop valuing sexual/romantic success, and then the materialistic inferiority complex and the appearance inferiority complex should dissolve away, leaving only the mental inferiority complex. And if your brain is strong enough to absorb the truth into your entire being, then perhaps you can overcome the mental inferiority complex as well.

Unfortunately this won't help me deal with the hundreds of normal people i interact with as i go about my life. Not only are they the way they are now, but i have little to no control over the way they will be in future.

Rhett wrote:Most interactions are brief and simple. I'm not talking about philosophical interactions specifically, i am mostly talking about everyday type interactions.

Everyday interactions like going to the shop to buy some bread, or saying hello to someone on the street?

Seriously, I don't ever consider whether other people feel inferior. I just speak truthfully and treat people like fellow human beings. I couldn't be bothered with anything else.

dejavu wrote:It depends on what you want from people Rhett. If you wish their best you will instinctively work out how to relate to them.

My mind and my instincts have been at it for most of my life and it's still a problem to me. The very path towards perfection, which i value very highly, is the very thing that is causing this problem.

Diametrically opposed to this are people that are not only undeveloped, but also spurning any path of develpment. To them a highly developed person is a direct smack in the face of their expediency.

Instincts can be fuzzy and give variable results. I have achieved a lot of success through tackling problems analytically, and i like doing things this way.

Kevin Solway wrote:

Rhett wrote:Most interactions are brief and simple. I'm not talking about philosophical interactions specifically, i am mostly talking about everyday type interactions.

Everyday interactions like going to the shop to buy some bread, or saying hello to someone on the street?

Yes, particularly in situations where people see you more than once, and when people learn a bit about you through the grapevine. I tend to stick out due to my appearance alone.

Seriously, I don't ever consider whether other people feel inferior. I just speak truthfully and treat people like fellow human beings. I couldn't be bothered with anything else.

Until people attack you you have the luxury of not being bothered by any inferiority they may experience.

Do you talk with people with a similar degree of clarity to your best work on this forum? Or does your clarity drop?

When you are enlightened, can people ever see it, in a similar way for example to the way people supposedly noticed when Jesus was enlightened, and they drew a ring around his head when depicting it? Or do you consider that waffle?

Rhett,

basically in my opinion, you just need to get good at not challenging people that are too weak to be challenged. You need to develop a personality filter that holds back certain truths with people that have 'Ant' like minds. Only speak to dullards on a very survival based level, for your most basic necessities. No one has to know that you're an intellectual, as many of the people in my life do not know that I have any intellectual talent at all, they actually think I'm quite the dufus because I can't hold down a steady job in society.

In the end, it doesn't really matter what dullards think of you, and so your interaction with them has very little meaning, whether you are honest, you will simply cause a lot of negative karma that has no affect at all, or if you're very mute and meek with them, they'll develop a more superior image of themselves to you. You're best bet in to live alone or to live around people with meek personalities, who do not feel insecure by the mere presence of another male in their territory...

This is the biggest challenge in my life. If i wasn't at my level of development i would be shivering and shaking in my boots at the problems this is causing me.

I mentioned in another thread some of the problems i have been having. Despite not speaking about philosophy in any way in my current context, probably 'at worst' some mildly expounded moral decisions, i have been labelled a "Buddha", been called a "genius", and had the shop owner just over the road call out "bloody Jesus" when i walked along the opposite side of the road. He probably wanted me to mate. I have had to downplay these as much as possible without raising suspicion, because if i in any way confirmed these, that would put the situation on a fast downward spiral. The way i see it society celebrates it's murdering of Jesus every year with an orgy of materialism. He was murdered, it wasn't a "fate" we should accept and celebrate.

Another factor here is my kindness or indifference, even when people scorn me. This exacerbates their inferiority complex.

Ryan Rudolph wrote:Rhett,

basically in my opinion, you just need to get good at not challenging people that are too weak to be challenged. You need to develop a personality filter that holds back certain truths with people that have 'Ant' like minds. Only speak to dullards on a very survival based level, for your most basic necessities. No one has to know that you're an intellectual, as many of the people in my life do not know that I have any intellectual talent at all, they actually think I'm quite the dufus because I can't hold down a steady job in society.

I know in the past i have deliberately challenged people, but for at least the last two years in non-philosphical contexts i haven't aimed to challenge anyone. It's non-philosophical contexts that can be a problem. People are quick to turn against someone like myself, and worse form lynch mobs that can and do hit you in unnumerable ways.

In the end, it doesn't really matter what dullards think of you, and so your interaction with them has very little meaning, whether you are honest, you will simply cause a lot of negative karma that has no affect at all, or if you're very mute and meek with them, they'll develop a more superior image of themselves to you. You're best bet in to live alone or to live around people with meek personalities, who do not feel insecure by the mere presence of another male in their territory...

I could of course reverse my development, or try to flatline it, but these are so against my nature. I have recently done some things to seem normal, but then i lose kudos with what supporters i have. At the moment i'm going to keep working at a solution, that is my karma, you could say. I am trying to maintain my values as well as appear okay to them. I try to be really simple. Moving house again might be the only solution, but that involves heaps of other complexities, and doesn't save me from having to nut this out.

Rhett wrote:Yes, particularly in situations where people see you more than once, and when people learn a bit about you through the grapevine. I tend to stick out due to my appearance alone.

Most people don't say anything to me, other than "Nice weather" or "Wet enough for you?"

If I talk to people while at a local sport, I might make some jokes about some nonsense I saw on tv the night before — most probably a stupid priest or somesuch, or a lying politician or commercial, or the destruction of the environment, or the failure of the health system. Most of them know that I have strong philosophical and religious views, so they steer clear of those.

Until people attack you you have the luxury of not being bothered by any inferiority they may experience.

If I spent much time in the pub things might get a bit heated, but that's a bit like going on a week-long camp with fundamentalist Christians and hoping that everything's going to go perfectly smoothly.

Do you talk with people with a similar degree of clarity to your best work on this forum? Or does your clarity drop?

It's very rare indeed that I'll meet someone who has any interest in philosophical ideas, and if I do meet such a person, they're probably a backpacker or somesuch.

I talk very little with people.

When you are enlightened, can people ever see it, in a similar way for example to the way people supposedly noticed when Jesus was enlightened, and they drew a ring around his head when depicting it? Or do you consider that waffle?

When Jesus was alive, most people just saw him as a troublemaker.

People can see whether you are different, or whether you are confident, or strong-minded, but there's definitely no way they can see that you're enlightened.

People here in town call my neighbour, Laird, "Jesus", because he sometimes thinks he's Jesus, and he has the same kind of beard, and is thin and meek. But he's definitely not enlightened.

Rhett wrote:

I tend to stick out due to my appearance alone.

How would you characterize this, nerdy, punk, Zen Monk, Jesus?

Rhett wrote:I tend to stick out due to my appearance alone.

Stop walking around with your shirt off!

I think Rhett could be a little too paranoid, and his paranoia combined with his fantasies of how he believes people see him could actually affect how people see him, thus fulfilling his own predictions.

Part of enlightenment is finally abandoning notions that you are special, different, like Jesus, and so on. Basically, people will treat you as normal, when you start behaving like a regular bloke in many ways. Myself personally, I know I’m probably more thoughtful than most people, but it really doesn’t affect my daily functioning very much. A sage usually disappears in a crowd because he has less ego, and he is less of a presence there. He is definitely not trying to be charismatic, entertaining, and making a scene.

Rhett, you’re probably just creating the perception of how people see you based on the image you have of yourself. You'd be surprised how the image you have of yourself affects how you speak to everyone, which in return causes conflict in many ways. And this creates conflict because you are always speaking to people through a sort of grandiose image. And if this analysis is correct, my advise to you is learn how to abandon all images you have of yourself.

"Where there is void, there is no self-image"
Ryan Rudolph

Kevin Solway wrote:

Rhett wrote:Yes, particularly in situations where people see you more than once, and when people learn a bit about you through the grapevine. I tend to stick out due to my appearance alone.

Most people don't say anything to me, other than "Nice weather" or "Wet enough for you?"

I get that too and that's fine, but i get other stuff as well.

If I talk to people while at a local sport, I might make some jokes about some nonsense I saw on tv the night before — most probably a stupid priest or somesuch, or a lying politician or commercial, or the destruction of the environment, or the failure of the health system. Most of them know that I have strong philosophical and religious views, so they steer clear of those.

I don't watch tv. I don't have much connection with mainstream media.

R: Until people attack you you have the luxury of not being bothered by any inferiority they may experience.

K: If I spent much time in the pub things might get a bit heated, but that's a bit like going on a week-long camp with fundamentalist Christians and hoping that everything's going to go perfectly smoothly.

I went to the pub recently and got a bit drunk, it mostly went okay, but at least one supporter had waned a bit afterwards. Even after twelve months i am still being keenly watched and talked about.

R: Do you talk with people with a similar degree of clarity to your best work on this forum? Or does your clarity drop?

K: It's very rare indeed that I'll meet someone who has any interest in philosophical ideas, and if I do meet such a person, they're probably a backpacker or somesuch.

I didn't mean talking about philosophy, i meant clarity and poignancy about any issue talked about.

I talk very little with people.

I have talked too much with one person, but no more. People have been very aggressive in conniving ways about getting to know me and i figured i should be friendly and let them know a few things about me. I think that's fair enough but the relations turned somewhat toxic because i wasn't conforming to their values.

R: When you are enlightened, can people ever see it, in a similar way for example to the way people supposedly noticed when Jesus was enlightened, and they drew a ring around his head when depicting it? Or do you consider that waffle?

K: When Jesus was alive, most people just saw him as a troublemaker.

Maybe he had too many faults, and of course now people have him to make a connection too, whereas before they didn't.

People can see whether you are different, or whether you are confident, or strong-minded, but there's definitely no way they can see that you're enlightened.

They can see whether you are emotional or whether your mind is confused by false mental imagery by the way your body is.

Carl G wrote:Rhett wrote:

I tend to stick out due to my appearance alone.

How would you characterize this, nerdy, punk, Zen Monk, Jesus?

Dressed and groomed like the locals, including blue workers pants. Straight. Not too far from people's male physical ideal.

Kevin Solway wrote:

Rhett wrote:I tend to stick out due to my appearance alone.

Stop walking around with your shirt off!

Thanks for the humour. I very rarely get hot enough here to want to do that, the temps are actually colder than where you live. But having done that a few times no-one is keen to fight me at present. Although physical conflict with an adult isn't presenting as a likely problem at the moment, who knows about the future (judging from my recent past), and kids were willing to throw rocks on my roof and damage my fence. That's another ongoing story.

Rhett wrote:I didn't mean talking about philosophy, i meant clarity and poignancy about any issue talked about.

I don't think my clarity and focus drop very much, because I don't talk with dull people for very long. I try to say something thought-provoking to them, or something that might help solve some problem they've got, and then I go on my way.

People can see whether you are different, or whether you are confident, or strong-minded, but there's definitely no way they can see that you're enlightened.

They can see whether you are emotional or whether your mind is confused by false mental imagery by the way your body is.

Yes, but you might have a ton of false mental imagery and not appear to be confused, such as a charismatic preacher like Ted Haggard. Most people can't distinguish a con-man from a Buddha.

Ryan Rudolph wrote:I think Rhett could be a little too paranoid, . . .

In the recent past i was the subject of vicious political attacks, including completely false and contrived accusations of grooming a child, i've been head butted in the middle of a busy town, i've been kneed in the groin in front of an entire meeting, my car has been run off the road by an oncoming vehicle, i've had death threats, my car was sabotaged, etc . . .

More recently, for example, a bike track was going to be placed in the local recreation area, but instead it was moved by a local association to right next door to me. The planning is very bad, there have been subtle interactions . . . , i am 95% sure it was intended as a political attack against me. They see me as wanting quiet, and they want me to leave. I said to a couple of people i reckoned it should go in the recreation area. The kids have attacked me. I'm not going to give all the details.

and his paranoia combined with his fantasies of how he believes people see him could actually affect how people see him, thus fulfilling his own predictions.

If i lied to myself and 'convinced' myself i was normal, it might make people see me as more normal. Maybe. I don't know. I don't like the idea of course, because it would be a form of insanity.

Part of enlightenment is finally abandoning notions that you are special, different, like Jesus, and so on. Basically, people will treat you as normal, when you start behaving like a regular bloke in many ways. Myself personally, I know I’m probably more thoughtful than most people, but it really doesn’t affect my daily functioning very much. A sage usually disappears in a crowd because he has less ego, and he is less of a presence there. He is definitely not trying to be charismatic, entertaining, and making a scene.

The truth is i am "special, different, like Jesus, and so on". I am subtley doing what i can to not exibit this, but they are seeing it anyway. In the past i have been "charismatic, entertaining and made scenes", but i don't tend to do that anymore.

Rhett, you’re probably just creating the perception of how people see you based on the image you have of yourself. You'd be surprised how the image you have of yourself affects how you speak to everyone, which in return causes conflict in many ways. And this creates conflict because you are always speaking to people through a sort of grandiose image. And if this analysis is correct, my advise to you is learn how to abandon all images you have of yourself.

It's the other way around. It's downright phenomenal for someone to be getting around without a self-image, fucking phenomenal. It means one is so radically different from everyone else. To think that it couldn't be noticed in some measure by people is a really low probability.

Rhett wrote:

Carl G wrote:Rhett wrote:

I tend to stick out due to my appearance alone.

How would you characterize this, nerdy, punk, Zen Monk, Jesus?

Dressed and groomed like the locals, including blue workers pants. Straight. Not too far from people's male physical ideal.

Then, how is you stick out due to your appearance?

Kevin Solway wrote:

Rhett wrote:I didn't mean talking about philosophy, i meant clarity and poignancy about any issue talked about.

I don't think my clarity and focus drop very much, because I don't talk with dull people for very long. I try to say something thought-provoking to them, or something that might help solve some problem they've got, and then I go on my way.

People can see whether you are different, or whether you are confident, or strong-minded, but there's definitely no way they can see that you're enlightened.

They can see whether you are emotional or whether your mind is confused by false mental imagery by the way your body is.

Yes, but you might have a ton of false mental imagery and not appear to be confused, such as a charismatic preacher like Ted Haggard. Most people can't distinguish a con-man from a Buddha.

Considering i'm not trying to convince them of anything or talk about spirituality they are most unlikely to see me as a spiritual con man. They will and are making their own decisions anyway, they are very catious about trust, and go to extraordinary lengths to gain information and make their own decisions.

I also point out that the pub incident was partly an attempt to 'spin' them. I don't like spin but more so i don't like being thought of as a buddha/genius/jesus, because it gets you wiped out. I'm not making a point of trying to convince you or anyone else my level of attainment. I am trying to resolve the way inferiority complexes and the like are making my life very challenging.