mental health
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The Origins of Zen
In Zen Buddhism, the main goal is not exactly “Nirvana” as understood in some other Buddhist traditions. Instead, Zen focuses on achieving “satori” or “kensho,” which are terms for enlightenment or awakening. This awakening is a direct, experiential realization of one’s true nature or the true nature of reality.
While Nirvana in broader Buddhist context often refers to the liberation from the cycle of birth and death (samsara) and the end of suffering, Zen emphasizes a more immediate and experiential understanding. Zen practice involves meditation (zazen), mindfulness, and direct experience, often guided by a teacher, to awaken to the present moment and one’s true self.
In essence, while both Zen and other Buddhist traditions aim for enlightenment and liberation, Zen’s approach is more focused on direct, immediate experience and awakening in the present moment.
By ChatGPT
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Why “Ego is the Enemy,” and what we can do about it
“One of the biggest reasons why ego is your enemy is that it keeps you out of touch with reality. Your ego is what prevents you from hearing critical but necessary feedback from others. Ego makes you over-estimate your own abilities and worth, and under-estimate the effort and skill required to achieve your goals. All of this means that you lose touch with reality, and you miss opportunities — to improve, to connect with others, and to achieve your goals.”
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Ego is a person’s sense of self, including their thoughts, feelings, self-esteem, and sense of self-importance. It can be a self-protection mechanism that helps people feel safe in their comfort zone.
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“Burnout doesn’t happen immediately. It’s a gradual process that builds with stressors from your job. Signs and symptoms can be subtle at first. But the longer they go unaddressed, the worse they can become, which can lead to a breakdown.”
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Does being the oldest or youngest sibling really shape your personality?
Are you a responsible oldest child, an overlooked middle, or a free-wheeling baby? For those who adhere to the theory that birth order influences personality, the answer to that question may hold the key to who you are as a person. At parties, family dinners, and therapy sessions, people can use birth order as a kind of shorthand for personality traits—an only child’s selfishness, perhaps, or a middle child’s struggle for visibility.
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https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/10/why-we-choose-ignorance
‘I’d rather not know’: Why we choose ignorance
“Across the studies, the researchers found that when given an option, 40% of people chose not to learn the consequences of their actions. That willful ignorance was correlated with less altruism: People were 15.6 percentage points more likely to be generous to someone else when they were told the consequences of their choice compared with when they were allowed to remain ignorant.”