Halcyon

Hello Aaron. Have you read any Objectivist literature? Knowledge is the only way out of your mental haze even if it is painful to give up the 'comfort' of a drug-induced dream world. Basically, you can choose two different roads: fantasy or reality; the latter is very tough in short term but supremely rewarding in the long term whilst the former is easy in the short term but tough in the long term because you'll tragically grow old and die without ever really living. Even though the advice here seems harsh you really need to man-up (i.e. Roark-up) and get a grip on reality!

I'm also dealing with this problem Madkat. The important thing is not to repress your unwanted emotions. Instead, accept them as part of yourself at least at this point in time. In my experience they will start to dissolve and integration will be easier. This is based on my reading of Branden's "The Art of Living Consciously" which also contains a good sentence stem completion course.

So no one as anything to add? I envisioned a great sharing of new things from people's specialised knowledge! Oh well, back to the drawing board!

Often when browsing this forum I read threads in which people suggest some very useful books and products which can improve our lives in many different areas. A couple of examples are the "Here Be Dragons" movie on critical thinking offered by KevinDW78 and the powerful organisational software "Life Balance". I'd be most interested to know if anyone has anything which has been beneficial to their own lives to share with everybody; it can be anything from software which helps your PC run more efficiently to a self-help book or even some really comfy underwear! I'll start: Life Balance - A great little tool for organising all of your projects and tasks and structuring them into a neat hierarchy of values. (http://www.llamagraphics.com) Getting Things Done by David Allen - This book has positive reviews both on the forum and elsewhere; I've just ordered my copy so I can't vouch for it personally yet! How to Talk to Women by Ron Louis and David Copeland - As a somewhat socially awkward person this book has helped me develop my social skills and understand the fairer sex a little better. I also believe there is a version written for women. The Art of Living Consciously by Nathaniel Branden - The sentence stem completion exercises in this book have been a great help to me in dealing with repressed feelings and memories. Precision Nutrition - A useful system of diet and exercise for anyone who wants to lose fat, build muscle mass or improve their performance in a sport. The recipes are really tasty! (http://www.precisionnutrition.com/) MuscleTalk.co.uk - A bodybuilding website with lots of sensible advice and articles on weight training.

LOL! I'd love to see a Nazi version of this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEzh10_xoqw Ein an Nazie girl, in ein Nazie vorld! And if you want to really screw your child up there's also a Fidel-Barbie: http://actionheroes.homestead.com/reviewsh...ninetynine.html

I'm so glad I live in a country where the government courteously takes my money from me before it even reaches my bank account so as to protect me from situations like this. God save the Queen!

I love humour, it kept me sane in the years before I found Objectivism, and I agree with the definition of humour outlined in this thread so far. One part of AS which made me laugh was the scene with Lee Hunsacker, former president of the Twentieth Century Motor Company. He believes people are all 'bastards' and no one ever gave him a chance even though he had privileged upbringing and great opportunities. When you compare this to his claim a little later that his 'friends' who own a little stationary store and live modestly had it easy, it's funny. He believes he is worthy of such respect and admiration when he's obviously a moron who can't even do basic tasks well. And the image of him hatefully stirring stew is just absurd! Despite his boasts about his past and his greatness he is petty, small-minded and mean, if I was Dagny I would have been on the floor laughing when he said this!