Value's...........Random

Cool post

Great description of today's western world , everything has to be better than the next mans , social media plays heavy on this part. People want their kids dressed better than their friends at school, bigger houses, bigger parties, even our kids settle for nothing less than the latest trends in tech and fashion, our generation creating a debt storm that their generation will still be paying for into retirement. I was bought up in the we can't afford you can't have era , gambling gives a false impression that you can win all these so called necessities which traps you in a never ending cycle of breaking even which we all know ends in liquified funds. One thing for sure is we all end up in a wooden box worthless and alone. The life you live and how you get there is up to you .

Maybe irrelevant to the topic but oh well

Completly relevant there Alfie and we're speaking the same language.

The ' Trappings of ' of the westen world is a ' Trap '

To expand, i have an antipodean history and the Maori's of NZ are a beautiful ' once were warriors ' family orientated people. The ones who lost there way or heritage due to the trappings of the western world, ie drink/ drugs gambling they regressed back to a not so nice radical warriors, the ones that retained there heritage and didnt fall into the western trap have remained a beautiful race of people. You could also say the same for the aboriginies, as the western world Aussie's entrapped them with the same gear and there value's were lost.

Its all about ' Traps ' Addiction is a trap and re(dis)covery is about cutting loose our ball and chains.....

I guess we can all relate to losing our way at some point interesting post and I admit I did use old google to look them up .

Stay safe and keep top and tailing those joints brother

Another thought on this but thinking to my best 5 friends, there's about a 60/40 ratio in non addicts and addict friends with the former out weighing the latter and I've heard on many occasions that they ' still retain there values '

It's about values and I need to relearn or at least learn what mine are

Good post

I think in the West we have values, more like they're not such good ones and often are about material wealth as a means of establishing superiority.

The 'values gap' drives addiction. Even if you haven't consciously articulated your values -they're there, a part of you. When we don't live according to our values we lose our sense of purpose. This makes us more prone to seek 'cheap ' thrills instead. This causes more disconnect from our values, so we seek more cheapies to feel better. A negative spiral -away from values and towards addiction.

Highly materialistic people may be less likely to be addicts. After all they tend to live out their values. But that doesn't stop them being pretty unpleasant people and I can't see how such values will bring you a rich and meaningful life.

Stuff like, connecting with others, creativity, kindness, vitality, intimacy, appreciating nature, nurturing - surely these bring greater rewards than valuing material goods - which is essentially a way of showing off, for the sake of showing off.

It seems like the need to be materialistic comes from a wish to make sense of an otherwise meaningless life.

There's a pretty good, simple exercise to clarify values...Imagine what you would want people to say about you, at your funeral. It's never gona be 'The thing i loved about him, was he was really great at buying expensive stuff'!

Straight to the point black and white Louis, Thanks.

Possibly..........highly materialistic wealthy people less prone to addictions, but there addiction can turn to power. Look at Alan Stanford, billionaire to pennyless con as he lost his values. The same with sports stars as they lose there addiction to winning and enter the twilight of there sport and start to wane, they then turn to the ' trap ' us peasants succumb to...

I think at my funeral, i would like them to say ' he was a great boxer, all round sports star, a master musician and speedo wearing stud!!!

Possibly, better learn other values 😉

No. Look at Duterte's war on drugs in the Philippines, glue sniffing in Africa, Krokodil across Russia, Yaba in Thailand plus many others anywhere on the planet. Addiction can affect anyone anywhere it seems to me, from rich to poor. Scratch the surface of any tourism propaganda and you will find all the addiction and services you need anywhere.

Allainpo I've looked and studied the above as I travelled them places! And, then when you look at it, it all filters back down to the west.... Hence, it's about values

Disclaimer - only my understanding and learnings, with which I will leave you with this, but the ' war on drugs ' is probably one of the biggest cons of the past 100 years

Biggest con of the last 100 years which has led to thousands of deaths already. I don't see the connections between those or any addictions to all come down to the west. How long has alcohol being getting brewed i wonder, are you going to say there was no alcohol addiction until what you describe as the modern west coming into being? How far back do we date this emerging west, after the war, industrial revolution, Roman empire? I only gave 4 examples but there is addiction in any and every country i would imagine, not sure how you would link every one to the west or what that link would even be. But if it helps you stop gambling to link addiction to the west then carry on, stopping gambling is why we are all here right.

Alainepo, we have two feet for a reason and that's usually to walk or run, so why do you feel the need to jump in with both of them with misinformed views.

And as you started your rant of debate with a NO, I'll finish it with a YES.

Definition of a perfect debate and now I see why you debate ketchup and mayo with your niece !

It's not my fault your angry

Some areas are less materialistic and more spiritual. I admire the tribes who seem to have a purer way of living based on their roles and how the land actually supports them.

I feel its any society that has lost its way in terms of values. I would say it goes really deep in that the capitalist systems we have dont work for the vast majority in giving a sense purpose and fulfillment. We are more spiritual beings than materialistic and the more switched on amongst us soon realise that striving for material wealth is an empty experience. I tried to buy happiness and it wasnt really working for me. It needs to be mentioned that I had a long period where I was numb to buying things which left money to gamble with and the addiction to grow

Western Capitalism does not work and I would argue that its on its last legs based on evidence and what I see around me

Who actually achieves the freedom that vast amounts of money brings. Only a small percentage and they try and buy the rest of us off with trinkets and baubles. They sell a dream to quell unrest and the gambling "industry" plays right into that. If you get people asking the wrong questions power and money remains where it is

Stress levels are up, competition is up and a lot of people are very unhappy. I felt like a slave to a system that was destroying me. How deep do you want the debate as it goes right to the very core.

I wasnt even playing for money which would have made any difference. I was lost disenfranchised and very depressed. I was playing for something to show me some emotion both good and bad.

Its not actually all about money but in the same breath it is because thay have set up these systems by which we survive. If they tell you its all about money that will sink in and twist us all up. We are constantly in a state of boom and bust because resources are finite, we are overpopulated and the system is twisted by power, unfairness and corruption.

I dont look up and respect billionaires because amassing monetary wealth is ultimately a system that will destroy us.

Its a deep subject and I have strong views. Not least about the deregulation of gambling in a society gone mad

Best wishes to everyone on the forum

Hai JD, if we can go back to the first post, i was referring to values and hadnt intended this debate to go deep.

We all view the world with different eye's, some are more shaded than others. If your eye's see's a shift and then i would suggest that they are rose tinted, with the Don as proof in the pudding as he surrounds himself with his billionaire buddies.

I see the world made up of Kings, Queens, Wise men/ women, story tellers, Jesters, peasants and serps. Myself personally is in not in the minority of the first few i mentioned, hence the reason for my views and stance.

Hence - Majority rules could be considered as another dangerous ' trap '

Enjoy the Sun JD

Yes I didnt want to go too deep and put people off. However I dont think we can ignore just how lost and empty people feel.

You yourself have touched on some very deep issues about how we feel about materialism, jealousy and things they were writing about 2000 years ago.

All Im really saying is we cant ignore these deep issues which trouble our souls. Gambling thrives in a lost society and addiction grabs hold before we know it

Yes I was loving the sunshine but its very overcast here today. Ive been feeding the birds will enjoy my music today.

Best wishes

Well written and agreed. Iv'e saved my feed for the geese and ducks for later. I'll wait untill the footie's finished and for the pigeons to bu.gg.er off at twilight...