Zazen

You both like help.

You: hello

Stranger: Hi there.

Stranger: What's your name?

You: Adam

Stranger: You doing okay, Adam?

You: pretty much

Stranger: Here to help? Or is something on your mind?

You: What do you desire?

Stranger: I could do with some food.

You: mentally desire

Stranger: A new episode of Westworld to watch.

You: ah

Stranger: Yourself?

You: Honor. Something honorable.

Stranger: What are some examples of honour that you admire?

You: In myself?

Stranger: Anywhere.

Stranger: In anyone.

You: Thich

Stranger: Nhat Hanh?

You: born Lam Van Tuc

You: but I suppose most Buddhist monks would due

Stranger: What makes them admirable?

You: sacrifice

You: I higher cause than themselves

Stranger: Do you have a higher cause that inspires you?

You: Perhaps.

You:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effective_altruism

Stranger: Yeah, I've read The Most Good You Can Do.

You: That's great.

You: Are you religious?

Stranger: I'm not really, no. Buddhist, if anything.

You: Do you meditate.

You: ?

Stranger: I do, yes.

You: What kind?

Stranger: Zazen.

You: I hear that a lot.

You: I don't want to show my judgment...too much though.

Stranger: Like disapproval?

You: No. More-so lukewarm type acknowledgement.

Stranger: Haha, that's fine.

You: I recommend a course or finding a teacher.

Stranger: A course in what?

You: Meditation.

Stranger: Why is that?

You: It's worth it if you want to continue to meditate.

Stranger: Is there a particular course you'd recommend?

You: Vipassana

Stranger: Ah yep.

Stranger: Well, I've done a 10-day retreat from Goenka's lot.

Stranger: I'm happy with the teacher I have.

You: Do you mean had?

Stranger: No, I mean my current zazen teacher.

You: So you have a teacher?

Stranger: Yes, I attend a zen sitting group regularly.

You: Are groups worth it?

You: I feel as though it's somewhat distracting

You: or a supplement

Stranger: It's a little different. Of course most of your practice is alone. But there is something supportive about sitting as part of a group. There are distractions, of course, but there always are wherever you are.

You: I agree then.

You: What do you do?

You: For work.

Stranger: I do freelance writing, mostly for marketing agencies and companies making websites.

You: Do you have essays that you've written, such as for a blog?

Stranger: Nah, not really. What do you do for work?

You: I'm a green young student, who would like to write...but I have this mental construct of the starving artist...along with not wanting to be forced to write things

You: I wouldn't want to do...naturally on my own

Stranger: Well, yeah, that's the price you pay.

You: But I suppose I'll do that anyway in my future job.

You: anyway

Stranger: But writing to a brief - that is, writing what someone has asked you to write - can be challenging and rewarding.

Stranger: Have you done a Vipassana retreat?

You: Yes

Stranger: 10-day?

You: That's the minimum.

Stranger: How did you find it?

You: Online.

Stranger: Hah, sorry, I mean, what was the experience like for you?

You: Productive

You: useful

Stranger: Man, it was tough for me.

Stranger: I spent the first few days just mentally climbing the wall.

Stranger: walls.

Stranger: I'd just watched a whole season of a TV show before I went.

Stranger: And I relived the whole thing.

You: Ah, ha ha

Stranger: And Goenka mispronouncing "equanimity" drove me mad. Little things.

You: Oh, I didn't know

Stranger: Haha, it's a bit mean. Just his Indian accent.

Stranger: He puts the emphasis on the second syllable instead of the third.

Stranger: And then runs the rest of the syllables together.

Stranger: Petty, but that's what was in my head.

You: Where do you like to live?

Stranger: As in, which counry?

Stranger: country?

You: America, but whichever you'd like.

You: I feel like you are a part of the future "me"

Stranger: I haven't been to America.

You: ah

You: Then in your country.

Stranger: Well, its a small country. I'm in New Zealand.

Stranger: I like living in Auckland, which is the biggest city.

Stranger: But I like travelling around too.

Stranger: There are some beautiful places.

You: Hmmmm

Stranger: Where in the States are you from?

You: Wisconsin

Stranger: And how old are you?

You: 22

Stranger: What are you studying?

You: Electrical engineering is what I struggle with

Stranger: Why is that?

You: It is hard. I have ADD. I have trouble understanding with bad prof, such as those who don't give prior reading

Stranger: Is there support for that?

You: Yes, I get more time on tests.

Stranger: That's all?

You: Um, ya. Quizzes too I gues.

You: s

You: Well, I could have a note taker...but that's not useful.

Stranger: No, it wouldn't be.

Stranger: How about medication for it?

You: I prefer not to. I believe it would negatively alter my cognitive ability in the long run.

You: I did some light research a while back.

Stranger: What did you find?

You: What I just said. Although, it was implicit or not hard evidence. I don't think it could be anyway.

Stranger: On the other hand, you're finding it hard to study right now.

You: Depends.

You: It's hard to study when the professor does not define nor assign homework/practice problems

You: That's the issue right now in my Modern Physics course

Stranger: Are other students having the same problem?

You: For Modern Physics, yes.

You: not ADD related

Stranger: Okay, so there are two problems, and they're compounding.

Stranger: Has anyone talked to the prof about it?

You: He realizing the material he is teaching is very hard. It's solid state physics.

Stranger: What's solid state physics about?

You: semiconductors, phonons (a specialty field in which his research is based), etc

Stranger: Okay, what are phonons?

You: like photons except with sound

You: there's a tech. definition

Stranger: Like little travelling units of sound?

You: not quite

Stranger: What makes them like photons?

You: definition - quantum of lattice oscillations

Stranger: Okay.

Stranger: So phonons are quantum of lattice oscillations through matter?

You: Yes

You: I'm pretty sleepy, do you have skype?

You: to chat another day?

Stranger: Sure. My Skype is max***max

You: thanks, chat with you another time ;)

deep stuff

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

Stranger's college: uwplatt.edu

You: know anything deep to talk about?

You: can't really get to that stuff

Stranger: Hmm

You: in a normal conversation

You: you know, "deep" stuff

Stranger: "deep" in what meaning?

Stranger: Like, a stoner saying "woah thats deep man?"

Stranger: In otherwords, I don't know

You: I want to check with an expert source

You: urban dictionary

Stranger: Check what?

Stranger: Deep?

You: concept, abstraction, or theory

Stranger: ?

Stranger: Lost me

You: ya, I lost myself with that definition too!

Stranger: Lol

Stranger: So, what did you mean?

You: Well, I keep reading the definitions on Urban Dictionary

Stranger: Oh no

You: and they're not what I mean

Stranger: Lol

Stranger: So, Urban Dictionary will tell me what you don't mean?

You: Well, I could give examples...but I want you to think up a topic instead of me restricting our discussion to what I know

You: lots of depth, complex.

You: "This book I'm reading is deep."

Stranger: I am willing to discuss whatever you want.

Stranger: Okay

Stranger: Feel free to limit conversation all you wish.

You: lol

You: all right, I'll throw out some choices

Stranger: Okay

You: ethics (how are we Good people? relative to everyone else...relative to most people being just "everyday" good people)

You: future utopian society (what will things be like...probably...maybe)

You: more ethics type stuff, connected to the same topic (Good), but about other things

You: hmmmm, I know there's more deep stuff

Stranger: Lol

Stranger: Hmm

Stranger: First, what is your name?

You: Adam

Stranger: Okay, I am Myles.

You: nice to meet you

Stranger: And you.

Stranger: Hmm

Stranger: Back to picking....

Stranger: Utopian society I think

You: ok, good choice

You: before we go into it tho, do you know

You: what a stream of consciousness is in terms of writing?

Stranger: I do not.

You: free writing

You: that's what it is

Stranger: Okay

You: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_writing

You: feel free to do that

You: I will not mind...I'll actually like that more

Stranger: Okay

Stranger: I can try

You: anyway, what do you think people will do with their free time

You: to ad infinitum

You: technology very advanced

Stranger: Any free time they have decided is unneeded.

Stranger: Hibernation pods to go into statis until something is going on.

You: what?

Stranger: Everything they might need to do in their free time is automated.

Stranger: So, they aren't needed.

You: what do you mean automated?

Stranger: Robots or something similar are taking care of everything.

Stranger: Cleaning the house, doing the cooking, etc.

You: couldn't they create any experience they want though?

Stranger: And they do in the pods.

Stranger: While they sleep/dream.

Stranger: They create any experience they wish.

You: ah

Stranger: Even more freedom than what the technology gives them.

You: there's a Bruce Willis movie about something similar

Stranger: Oh really?

Stranger: As if I knew that XD

You: ya, let me find it...

You: Surrogates (2009)

Stranger: Okay, I will check that out

You: I haven't seen it

Stranger: Darn, only on Netflix DVD.

You: hm? there's always this old of movie available to stream from somewhere online

Stranger: Yea, just not digging right now.

You: I see

Stranger: So, what are your thoughts?

You: I feel like tech would be so advanced to the point where actual physical experiences could be recreated

You: to the human intellect flawlessly

You: so any fictional character (such as a lead character in a movie)

You: could be stepped into

Stranger: Huh

You: but, for people with depression...I think there would be a higher chance of suicide

Stranger: Probably

You: then again, you see Hot Tub Time Machine II?

Stranger: I have not.

You: the youngest character tries to commit suicide, but there's like some hinky forcefield that catches him unexpectedly

Stranger: Huh

You: why do you think they're might probably be more depression suicides?

Stranger: Because of the contrast between how they seen their lives and how life really is.

You: Life would be almost anything they would want it to be though.

Stranger: It has been nice talking, but I got to go.

You: adios

You have disconnected.

alone

You: I just want people to find a cause

You: something to stand for

Stranger: i see

You: just not for themselves

You: there is so much we can do to improve the world

Stranger: thats true

Stranger: im just not so sure

Stranger: we have the obligation to do so

You: well, there I'm getting specific

Stranger: idk my view on things is that its always nice to help those in need but people shouldn't be forced into helping

You: you are correct, I will agree that we do not have a moral obligation for any cause

You: (but honestly, I don't care. Standing for anything is OK!)

Stranger: ahhahaha

You: ya, no pressure

You: I suppose your feedback that I'm getting is to how I can make such questions for any cause

You: http://www.globalissues.org/

Stranger: hmm

You: I mean, I can't even get those close to me to stand for something!

Stranger: haahahah

Stranger: are u that frustrated about the society's apathy

Stranger: coz in general people just dont care about anything but themselves

Stranger: i dont think theres much we can do about that

You: it's hard being alone...

Stranger: aw

You: online I'm not, but that's not the kind of alone I mean

Stranger: so u feel lonely

Stranger: me too actually

Stranger: not sure if its the same kind of loneliness though

You: not really "lonely" just alone

Stranger: oh

Stranger: i see

Stranger: how so

Stranger: u feel like youre the only one who gives a damn

Stranger: ?

You: pretty much

http://logs.omegle.com/c8c3c6b36848659e

accepting mediocrity

You: what are you thinking about?

Stranger: i was just thinking about how close can people get

Stranger: accept someone the way one's accepts himself

Stranger: and you?

You: that I did not study section 2.5 good enough yet

Stranger: what are you studying?

You: differential equations

You: I suppose I don't accept most people for who they are

You: not even me

direct actions, squats, rallies, election campaigns "practical stuff"

http://logs.omegle.com/0fabd0bbb6b63973

You both like activism.

Stranger: you do activism?

You: I suppose

You: Do you?

Stranger: not much atm, i used to

You: which?

Stranger: uh, well, mainly climate stuff, anti-capitalist, feminism...

Stranger: what do you do?

You: lessen extreme poverty

You: I'm a feminist though in a light sense of the term

Stranger: ah, right :)

You: I may be anti-capitalist

You: Thomas Pogge

Stranger: it's a pretty broad term

You: haven't read too much about what he's saying these days though

You: true that

You: although, climate change...I haven't done anything for that

Stranger: what exactly do you mean by lessen extreme poverty, like, rallys, soup kitchens?

You: I live in the US. There is very little extreme poverty--none that I can touch anyway.

You: (here)

You: Just a sec...

You: So, like I was saying, poverty can be divided into two main camps:

You: extreme (e.g., non-US) and relative (e.g., US)

Stranger: so you mainly do things abroad, or?

You: no, that's too costly

You: I give to foreign things, Kiva (miro-loans) or GiveDirectly

You: if you look up Effective Altruism

You: you'll get where I'm coming from

Stranger: right

Stranger: it all sounds super academic compared to what I did

Stranger: I did more direct actions, squats, rallies, election campaigns

Stranger: you know, all the practical stuff :)

You: GiveDirectly is actually more practical

You: the term you mean is "visible"