[StrawDog]

"A warrior is not about perfection or victory or invulnerability. He's about absolute vulnerability."
-Dan Millman

I have been here for only a short 21 years. I have seen beauty in places most wouldn't dare look. I have witnessed how the smallest acts of compassion or malice can alter the course of a life, I have discovered how the smallest concepts can shatter the walls of accepted thought. I can't pretend to know what tomorrow brings, only leave myself open and vulnerable in an attempt to experience every ounce of what life has to offer me.


It has become the norm to look, but never see, exist but never feel. I see these city streets choked with thousands who have forgotten their spirits in a desperate attempt to pursue the social and materialistic desires that were always beyond their reach, and I just can't relate.


We, as a people have become completely desencitized to our own existence. We are taught from a young age that success in life is monetary security, success in love is unflinching stability. I can't help but feel that this narrow frame of mind must be shattered if we have any hope of finding a balance between head and heart. As the idealists, romantics, and dreamers of this world, we must learn to show our reckless compassion at any cost. Remember that any act of selflessness, kindness, or creativity serves to rust the gears of this socio-industrial machine. The world is in need of peaceful warriors, it is time that those of us with heart stop hiding in the shadows and step up to the plate.

Sincerely,
-Jacob (StrawDog)

 

[hood]

That's really good, what you wrote, but I think most people are happily content with the little lives their government provides them with. Give them the ability to achieve a good paying job, a family, a status, and food on their plates and they'll die with a smile. To them those are the only things worth achieving, but to me, at least, this seems like the ultimate failure. To only follow through with a system created by another to structure my life around ideals that don't leave me at all fulfilled. I think many more INFPs will think the same way or very similar.

 

[sarek]

We must be the agents of change. Because if not us, then who? So many people seem disinterested in asking any real questions.
Everyone has their task. This is ours. We will all have to find ways to influence matters great and small and to let ourselves be heard. To be part of that necessary change.
What is required is in effect a paradigm-level regime change. The ancient worldwide paradigm of greed and selfishness must be replaced by love for one another and equality.
That will be a tall order because it runs contrary to human nature itself, as preprogrammed by millions of years of evolution.

 

[Empurple]

it is time that those of us with heart stop hiding in the shadows and step up to the plate.

I needed to hear this.

 

[Drea]

Give them the ability to achieve a good paying job, a family, a status, and food on their plates and they'll die with a smile.

I see nothing wrong with that.

It's really quite unfortunate that we idealists need the whole world to agree with our agenda to be happy. I don't approve the souless existance of the mass eaither but it's not my way to change people who don't want to be changed.

(yeah, I get that this thread was metaphorical. xP)

 

[virtualvortexrider]

why would you say it is metaphorical?
I think that's one thing we infps can do. Just let our ideas loose on the world. One or the other might catch on. Men need a mission. And I think that's a mission statement right there at the top.

 

[StrawDog]

I needed to hear this.

My pleasure.

 

[BFD31095]

My pleasure.

Reading that was everyone's pleasure, I think.

 

[badzee28]

Sometimes, I think the masses lose touch with each other.I don't think ambition to be successful is a bad thing, but sometimes I think people are so consumed by it, that they lose touch with people around them. Instead of working together, we have become a society based off a food chain where people eat each other to get to the top.

 

[hood]

I see nothing wrong with that.

It's really quite unfortunate that we idealists need the whole world to agree with our agenda to be happy. I don't approve the souless existance of the mass eaither but it's not my way to change people who don't want to be changed.

(yeah, I get that this thread was metaphorical. xP)

Exactly. There is nothing wrong.

If someone wanted to live there whole life as a beachbum because that's what made them happy, then that's not wrong either. Why should it be?

 

[KimCarragher]

I'm not sure I entirely agree with this... Just because we don't like the social norm for things doesn't exactly give us the right to flip it on its side for others. I mean everyone's different. A lot of people enjoy security and structure and guidelines. Actually, I'm pretty sure everyone enjoys security, it just the means we use to obtain it and the form it comes in is completely different from one person to the next. I would love to have a secure, safe life. But I also want it to be exciting. And sometimes you have to risk a little for that. And I'm fine with that.

I do agree that people should stop putting barriers around themselves and others. There shouldn't such a thing as a social norm. Everyone should be accepted as they are. Including those who would rather search for love with unflinching stability and a career with monetary security. Because that's what they love. In the end, what we should strive to achieve is not to burst the bubbles around peoples heads in a hope of widening their eyes, as we don't know who's bubble is actually their oxygen supply - instead we should achieve understanding and acceptance. Then those choked people will no longer be struggling to breathe and the ones who could breathe already will no longer be forcing bubbles on everyone's heads.

 

[Wulfex]

At least I'm not the only one who feels the need to cleave mankind's heart open to help it see what it is truly capable of. Think how comfortably and wonderfully we could all live if we just worked toward aiding one another.

I think your post, @StrawDog, kindles that fire inside of every INFP to change the world instead of destroying it or one another. One day we'll all have to change, or we'll turn to ash and be forgotten. Another highly intelligent species that self-imploded.

 

[Korra]

I once had this intense desire to spread certain 'truths' because I thought I could start some chain of 'awakening'. I definitely can sympathize with this 5 years old topic, but I think most of us come to a realization: it's not our duty to change others. We can inspire others, sure, but if your aim is to gain a mass following of change, it is a lot potential wasted energy and a setup for disappointment.
We can fantasize all we want, but it's truly the ones with monetary power that make the world go round. You, as an individual, should focus on, you. If your "self" isn't solid, you'll always try to fill a void that has a tear in it and that energy just leaks out.

Doesn't mean to stop being kind, to stop being selfless, to stop being inspired, etc. Just means, find what you enjoy, care for those that you truly care for, and the rest should fall in place. I do think certain acts, even small ones, can alter things in a major way. Yet, it's naive to think it will change the course of life for everyone. Everyone has their own agenda, a lot of agenda's that don't match up with yours; the sooner one can accept that, the less head and heartache there is.

Just wanted to chime in, as this topic was interesting to read that reminded of myself with delusions of grandeur. I spent unneeded time and energy on others, when in reality, I should have internalized that for myself.

 

[Sily]

All I can think of is -- what you want -- I might not want.

I appreciate the people who strive to inspire others, because I can take it or leave it.

I'm just not feeling the Warrior, part of, this today.

Tomorrow is another day, tho.

 

[Hifrausso]

There were a lot of things I would call tragedies that happened to me for the last 5 years that evoked certain feelings inside me, as if there's some sort of major change about myself. This thread is just a perfect place for me to let it out.

I was pretty extroverted/stubborn when I was a little kid having an aptitude to step into the world fearlessly which I owe to innocence. Now that I've had my moments of introspection, the inner motivation that is hidden inside me is now getting clearer. The puzzles of vision that I gathered is now getting bigger. Psychological instruments helped me delve deeper to self discovery and what I found, to my core, is the desire to build a better place.

I've come to realize why the system, the norms and society scares me, because it's leading to nowhere. The structure of society that was built a long time ago by our ancestral civilizations is becoming honed to destroy itself. There needs to be some places that we could 'save'. Somewhere free from pain and suffering. Free from corruption or malfeasance. When I look at it by now, I see children swimming across the rivers just to attend their classes in school. There are thousands of parents leaving their families to work outside the country and later on become abused. There's a lot of things that need change and to look closely instead of figuring out what color is some fancy dress on the internet.

The idea of actually joining the perilous world of politics in the Philippines frightens every inch of my bones, but if it's what it takes to materialize those dreams that I'm yearning to achieve, I'll take it. I'm so scared, too weak and emotionally unstable for that kind of field. And have to completely set aside some other things. There's a long journey ahead of me, but I'm no longer confused and I can now pick my choices very firmly because I know now where I'm going.

 

I'm having huge interest and doing some research about this province in my country. It best fits to become a foundation of inspiration.

 

[FireBallKid]

I feel like there's an awakening going on, the internet. This is going to sound crazy, but if all the leaders in the world took psychedelics it would change the world for the better. They would realize, we are the same as a human being and see the pain and suffering they caused. There's a big difference with thinking about whats right and wrong, and feeling whats right and wrong. Ego, is what puts up barriers and pushes people away from a healthy argument.

 

[leakey28]

I like Peaceful Warrior, a very powerful movie, the book as well. I've seen it many times, but still find something new inside..

 

[Turlowe]

I've never seen the movie but I found the book to be life changing in a very positive way, and yeah I've reread it many times but I always find something new.

 

[Philipthestone]

Edit: Oh sorry I posted in the wrong thing. Didn't mean for that comment to be posted her. That should have been on a youtube video.


Also I agree. I don't want to just live life where I make money and just work and be bored all the time you know. Though I am not sure what I can do.

 

[lindsays1992]

I see nothing wrong with that.

It's really quite unfortunate that we idealists need the whole world to agree with our agenda to be happy. I don't approve the souless existance of the mass eaither but it's not my way to change people who don't want to be changed.

(yeah, I get that this thread was metaphorical. xP)

I see your point and agree with it to a point. If they're happy, well, I guess let them be happy. I suppose ignorance is bliss, but I guess that doesn't necessarily mean ignorance is a good thing, but live and let live. You're not going to change everyone's mind, but at the same time, we shouldn't stop trying or caring. On the other hand, assuming that someone who is just going through life as the system wants them to is not a deep-thinker or does not see the world as we do is not right either. We don't know the inner worlds of everyone else. They could be as rich, deep, and complex as our own. Perhaps they didn't just get a family, but found their soulmate and had children who they want to nurture and raise to be good people. Maybe I'm being an idealist about people in general, but sue me! I'm an INFP after all.