Essays, Lectures, and Rants : The Thoughts Of Elaine Barlow
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First Coffee Thoughts
First Coffee Thoughts (previously under “Musings” and “CoSo”) are blog versions of my #FirstCoffeeThoughts multi-thread posts on CounterSocial. These are here for posterity and also to make them easier for people to read at a later time should they wish to.
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Do. Be. Show.
My family wanted me to be ANYTHING but myself. They wanted me to DO, BE, and SHOW only what others - especially them - felt was most comfortable. I said no. You should too. DO YOU. Be your most authentic.
Read The Room
The more lived experiences you have "in the room", the more likely all those experiences, knowledge, mistakes, successes, etc can lead to beneficial solutions for EVERYONE.
No Understanding Required
Learn to accept that other people exist and other people have very different lives, perceptions, understandings, and lived experiences than you and that they aren't invalid just because they don't match yours.
How (Not) To Survive
Just because you CAN'T handle something, doesn't mean there is something wrong with those who can. Stop being the problem and become part of the solution.
On Cherry Picking For Comfort
The world does not exist as only pieces of what works FOR YOU. Refusing to see the wider truth of the world and others is dangerous and delusional.
Selfness Will Save The World – Part 2
I don't blame myself for my childhood, but once I hit adulthood, handling my future decisions and past trauma became MY responsibility. People need to stop making excuses and start evolving.
Premeditatio Malorum
Stoics don't see the act of negative visualization as pessimistic, but as a necessary act for grounding oneself in reality. There is no pessimism or optimism in realism.
The Answer Is 10
The entire education system is about forcing you to change how you actually see reality and understand the world around you.
Change Is Hard AF – Part 2
People are reluctant to evolve and test their character as they move through life because truth and clarity can drive people mad.
How I Learned Control
I have said many times before that stoicism saved my life as a child and this thread has been another example as to how and why.