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ThomasdelVasto

Κύριε, ποίησόν με ὄργανον τῆς ἀγάπης σου

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joined 2025 May 20 19:37:18 UTC

Blogger, Christian convert, general strange one. https://shapesinthefog.substack.com/


				
User ID: 3709


				
				
				

			

		

	














	


		


			



	

		

			

			

				

					

						

							
						

						

							
							

								
ThomasdelVasto


								

								

								
								
								

								
							
					
 
				


				
Κύριε, ποίησόν με ὄργανον τῆς ἀγάπης σου

				
				
				

				

					1 follower  

					follows 0 users  

					joined 2025 May 20 19:37:18 UTC
				


				
					

					
Blogger, Christian convert, general strange one. https://shapesinthefog.substack.com/



				

				

				

				

				

					

					

					
					
					

					
User ID: 3709


					
					
					
				

			


					

						
					



		

	

 











			
			

			
			

			




	


		

			
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	 Hot Bump Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
	



		

	






	

		
		

		
		
	

	

  







		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for May 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
What’s the hobby?


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of May 4, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Personally I resonate with the concept and feel it quite often. So does the friend who recommended the book to me.


I think it helps illuminate a specific pattern of emotion.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of May 4, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I want to talk about Ressentiment, specifically the intro to a book I read of the same name by Max Schaler. I'm surprised the motte/rationalist circles haven't discussed it more, because it seems extremely relevant to the culture war. Here's the definition given in the book:




Ressentiment is an incurable, persistent feeling of hating and despising which occurs in certain individuals and groups. It takes its root in equally incurable impotencies or weaknesses that those subjects constantly suffer from. These impotencies generate either individual or collective, but always negative emotive attitudes. They can permeate a whole culture, era, and an entire moral system. The feeling of ressentiment leads to false moral judgments made on other people who are devoid of this feeling. Such judgments are not infrequently accompanied by rash, at times fanatical claims of truth generated by the impotency this feeling comes from.




The reason I bring it up is that I see this emotional pattern as the driving force behind modern politics. More on the populist right surely, but the left also has a weird sort of ressentiment in which they kind of hate their own culture, see whiteness / western civ as a stain that they can never get rid of.


Importantly though I think the right falls into the definition of being 'impotent' FAR more than the left, which as this quote explains is crucial to the whole process of ressentiment:




Ressentiment persists and perseveres, it was stated, because of an abiding impotency which blocks any possible realization of particular positive values. This, in turn, lets the venom of ressentiment permeate the person's whole inner life and experience, so that the order of values and the order of loving positive values is in a state of disarray. Reasoning about values can not stop the emotive disorder to occur and continue. It might at best recognize the disorder when, for instance, a ressentiment-subject says, "There is something wrong with me." But this is very rare among those subjects, and it neither nullifies the experience of the disorder felt among positive and negative values, nor does it help to rationally recognize the higher values to be attained, i.e., to let the grapes simply what they are, namely, sweet. A insight in emotional experiences is at a rational inventory of oneself. Rational logic is no cure in a flawed experience of values.




Ultimately I know a ton has been written about this topic, but curious what folks here think of the idea?


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for May 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


Don't self-medicate: Alcohol, weed, whatever. All of it has to go. If you're already drinking so much that going cold turkey would trigger DTs, then you'll have to wean yourself off it slowly; if not, then you must stop drinking completely, immediately. Not even a glass of wine with dinner "for the antioxidants". If you have any drink in the house, pour it down the sink today. If you have weed in the house, destroy it. Don't give it to a friend to hang on to until you think you're in a better headspace: destroy it.




Interesting! I have had substance issues in the past but feel I'm in a decent spot now... albeit I do drink a tad more than I'd like. Why so teetotaling here?


Luckily am already doing a good bit of these... the biggest ones I struggle with are diet, and overthinking. Good advice overall. I appreciate the detailed overview, definitely highlights some areas where I could be doing more.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for May 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Yeah but I hate posting in em so late. Maybe I'll repost next Wednesday.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for May 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I have done a bunch of drugs recreationally, including a ton of psychedelics lol. Not tooooo interested in those, though perhaps I am overdue for another trip. Has been a few years.


$Deity has helped me quite a lot but yeah, I think a lot of it is refusing to change my life circumstances. $Deity has told me that before, now that I think of it...


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for May 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Yeahhhhhh I have worked in sales and marketing my whole career and I think that is a big contributor. How did you get out of that situation?


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for May 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Don't ruin it for me. I'm gonna ride it out and do my best to ignore the redditor side of things.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for May 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Just started the Mage Errant series and I've blasted through three books. It's a light, fun read, though a bit too redditor for me to truly love it.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for May 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Perhaps not a small question, but I'm curious if folks here have dealt with depression/anxiety and if so, how have they turned it around or alleviated symptoms?


Looking mostly for success stories.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Wellness Wednesday for April 29, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Fair man. I wish you well either way, just want to let people know what I’ve experienced. Hope the shoulder gets better.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Wellness Wednesday for April 29, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
What makes you think I'm not talking about "Yoga, rehab, etc." when it comes to managing chronic pain?


I'd also advise him to see a shoulder specialist, but again remind him that surgery for this sort of thing is often unnecessary and leads to bad outcomes.


I can see why you'd pattern-match me to being dumb, but you're wrong.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Wellness Wednesday for April 29, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Please man I'm telling you, don't get surgery from a muscle you pulled while yawning and stretching. It's a complete scam, most chronic injury heals much better over time without surgery.


If you're curious to look more into this sort of thing, I put together a list of resources here: https://shapesinthefog.substack.com/p/chronic-pain-resources-research


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Wellness Wednesday for April 29, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Dude, avoid surgery for that sort of injury at all costs. They are often not better than placebo, and orthos and PTs have huge incentives to push them. Seriously, surgery is probably not worth it 95% of the time from my research.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for April 24, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Man, I want Chinese food now. Sounds delicious.


Avatar the Last Airbender, while a show, is awesome. Another great kids movie is the Pokemon Movie with Mewtoo, the first one I believe.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for April 26, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Utopian! What makes you think they're dystopian?


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of April 20, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I'm definitely in favor of more hardcore sentencing for violent criminals, at least repeat offenders. Three strike laws for instance, when it comes to violent crime, are totally fine for me. Definitely not woke myself in other areas.


That doesn't mean that I think black people are inferior, subhuman, or deserve to be treated overall with less dignity than white people.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				When the Buddha Failed Me
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Ahh thanks my friend. I appreciate ya! Yeah I figure I'll get flack I often do when writing about religion online, but hey that's just how it goes.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of April 20, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Men clap each other on the back and are extremely warm with each other. Black people gas each other up all the time. There's a physical vitality and liveliness that I don't see celebrated as much in white culture. A focus on athleticism, and physical strength.


There's also a general rootedness, less of a willingness to just pick up and leave your entire family on a whim for a better social scene or career prospects. All of these are good things, imo.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Converting to Catholicism
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Hey glad to see more Motte folks joining in. I have to say for myself I'm much more "vibes-based" so to speak than hardcore theology focused, but it's definitely a rich area for folks converting to Catholicism. Overall I'd say when it comes to salvation at least, I'm a (hopeful) universalist, or in other words I'd like to believe that in the fullness of Eternity, God will draw all souls back to Himself. David Bentley Hart writes powerfully on this subject, and Orthodox theology more generally, if you're ever curious to check some of that out.


Also, I feel obligated to say you might want to check out Orthodoxy as well, especially if Papal infallibility bothers you. ;)


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				When the Buddha Failed Me
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
As I’ve asked fellow rats before, it’s a good question worth investigating. I was an atheist for many years myself. You may find yourself surprised like I was.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				When the Buddha Failed Me
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Yeah the problem of evil is notoriously the biggest challenge to any conception of a good God. I definitely agree. That's why I said I haven't found a convincing argument against it, and I don't know if it's even possible. Evil is pretty brutal.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				When the Buddha Failed Me
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


I think it has a lot to do with how trash information sells well while the actual quality information is more hidden away and gets fewer eyes.




Yeah, part of why I opted for a more provocative title, heh. Also I just thought it would be fun.


I think a huge part of the issue is that the initial proselytizers of Buddhism to the West were, uhh, perhaps not the best examples. Folks like D.T. Suzuki, Alan Watts, and other teachers who had various moral failures when coming over. Perhaps it selected for people who didn't have the real good stuff, or whatever.


Either way, seems to me like Westernized Buddhism has been a pretty botched move so far, though there are bright spots. Then again, it's not like the West in general has done good at keeping our own religious traditions to the righteous road. In general modernity seems to have a lot of difficulty working with the ancient wisdom traditions.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of April 20, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
For what it's worth, I think the HBD folks are usually obsessed with IQ in an unhealthy way. Black culture, despite the bad parts, has some really lovely vitality and openess and warmth that a lot of more standardized western culture lacks. I for one think HBD, while true in some narrow sense, doesn't even come close to justifying bringing back slavery.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				When the Buddha Failed Me
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


I believe omnibenelovence is an interpretation added by later theologians. God, going by the Bible, and the reality of the world, can cause suffering when He musts.




Yeah all of the omni stuff is.... not exactly fully supported historically from what I've read. Or at least, the words didn't mean the same thing that we think they mean now.