Warrior Poet's reply history at Help.com

Expectations are beliefs. Values are desires.

Both are reflections of the individual psyche, both are highly relative and subject to change.

Values define what we want from our experience. Expectations define the experience we believe we will have. Validation or negation of either will, in turn, either solidify or reshape said values and expectations.

That’s the way I see it, anyhow. ^_^

It’s decreasing. People are learning how to find their own answers on the Net, rather than asking others. I think the iPhone phenomenon has a lot to do with that.

It’s a search engine. A very comprehensive one which disturbs people because it doesn’t place moral or ethical concern on what it does…you can find ANYTHING, regardless of how sick or depraved.

Should we be mad at Google for not protecting us? After all, they aren’t holding a gun to our heads and making us look for ‘2 girls 1 cup’ or some such.

Responsibility lies with the individual. Google provides a service, and they link to more sites than most other engines; thus they have become a sort of ‘industry standard’. How else are we going to find sites in a context-related fashion?

(Actually, I think personalized ‘ferret’ programs are going to eventually become popular. But they’ll still need a database(s) of sites to search through, right?)

Well said, Richard. The only experiences we might lack in an Infinite context are finite ones…hence, we have the concept of ‘physical reality’ within which we have those experiences.

No experience is ever forced on an individual. How could it be? While forms are decidedly temporary, essence is universal and Infinite; therefore you’d be forcing yourself, which is an absurdity. Ideas of ‘pleasant’ and ‘unpleasant’, ‘pain’ and ‘joy’, ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are just that - abstract concepts. Experience carries with it no values or judgments beyond those we assign.

Of course, if you want to get really metaphysical, an ‘individual’ is an assemblage of concepts too. Very complex, very detailed, labyrinthine to be certain…but still just a great big concept reflecting the Infinity from which it came.

We are simultaneously creation and Creator.

Analysis and research have LOTS of career applications - which may generally require some post-secondary education. You have access to the internet, obviously; so why not start Googling ‘research’ and ‘analysis’ and see what you come up with? Just to see what’s out there; and maybe it’ll spark an idea.

Journalism involves a lot of research and analysis, particularly the political and financial stuff; and doesn’t generally have any requirements beyond high school. Since you seem to enjoy writing, that’s the direction I’d point you in. Keep a dictionary handy (electronic or otherwise) and expand your vocabulary - it’s handy as a reference tool.

Learn on your own; you don’t need a degree but you do need self-discipline. Most of what college gives you is the ability to read and write in an organized, critical-thinking way…school work is mostly one essay after another, based on book research.

Oh, and a ‘guideline’ is a general rule, principle, or piece of advice. I just meant that you could use local news columns as a ‘guide’ for your own work (if journalism appeals to you). Reading helps you to learn different styles of writing, and improves your own.

Hmm…interesting assessment, Asaad.

You’re right, extremism doesn’t seem to be limited to religion. I worry about what happens to the human race when that ‘essence of faith’ is lost.

A few years ago people would have jumped behind this issue in a flash, and positive change would be an inevitability. Now we just accept it as normal, shrug our shoulders and say “this happens all over the place”? We wait for someone else to do something about it? We write it off as the ’spirit of the times’? Well, I guess that really is the state of the world right now.

Anyway, thank you all for your responses - I appreciate you taking the time to share your ideas. It’s good to have some other perspectives on this.

I agree that the world is in terrible shape, Silverwings - I see the way people have reacted to the Muslim people in the wake of the ‘war on terror’, and I wonder how long it’ll take for us to realize that by dehumanizing someone else, we lose our own humanity.

[quote jcd]That happens on a lot of forums.[/quote]

I know, jcd; but this is Yahoo - I’d expect this from a little no-name forum, but not from them. They have a responsibility to their clients. I’d also point out that many smaller forums have moderators that handle this sort of bile.

You could also offer your services as a parenting coach, (lord knows a lot of folks need one) but I’m not sure exactly how you’d go about doing that…you’d have to do a bit of research.

Great minds think alike. ;)

Hmm…advice columnist? Maybe put together a portfolio of things you’ve written, format ‘em in ‘column’ style (check out local papers if you want a guideline) and start asking around. You could also write a book or series on life/parenting/self-improvement and start shopping that around. I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but it’ll definitely keep you occupied and purposeful. There’s a huge market for this stuff out there, and if folks like your style you could really hit it big.

Just another idea!

What are you passionate about, Felicity? What pastimes or hobbies do you enjoy? Do you need a substantial income, or just something to pad your account?

Starting your own business from home is an idea; think about a service or product you can offer and then set it up. It’s all about *what you love* - and then figuring out a way to get paid for it! ^_^

GP stands for General Practitioner. ‘GP heart’ is a broad term dealing with everything from atherosclerosis to high cholesterol…doctors who can handle the whole range of heart-related health issues.

Lol. Hey, if I’m going to Hell because I don’t subscribe to their beliefs, I don’t see the harm in having a little fun on the way there. I can appreciate the polite and logical approach, though. ^_^

Procrastinators unite! ..Tomorrow.

lol - seriously though, I find that making a daily to-do list helps a lot. Makes it easier to prioritize and focus on one thing at a time. I still procrastinate, but I do it in a more productive, structured way…deliberately giving myself extra ‘distraction’ time. ^_^

Yep. I imagine they’ll probably get a good chuckle out of it. My father pulled this stunt once with a random crazy who was preaching from the curb - completely freaked out the poor guy and got a round of applause from the whole streetcar. lol.