What I believe...

[@ericcotter1984]

What a treasure this channel this is, this could be considered music

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, thanks. As a fellow musician, guitar player and "Eric," I'll take that as a tremendous compliment. So, thanks for telling me that. Keep on rockin'! Gratitude. Eric D.

[@satanickmukhuty2579]

I believe you, dear professor Dodson, are informing my worldview in perceptible ways.

[@ericdodson2644]

I believe that it makes me happy to hear that. Yeah... take whatever fits you, and leave the rest behind. I believe that life is too short for any other strategy. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@silverfoxcondor46]

Many thoughts strung together here to ponder over. I feel enriched just thinking about what you said and resonating with your ideas. Thanks for this!

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, thanks for being willing to resonate with them... and for taking the time to do so. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@susannabonke8552]

"we're ruled by what we try hardest to repress". Oh, yes. Always good to find an essence of Life..

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, if it's not an essence, at least it's an invitation to an ongoing adventure of discovery. Anyhow, thanks for listening. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@nicknorizadeh4336]

This made me think of sex and how sexual repression can overrun you

[@andrewcagle938]

You’re a brave soul, and the world could use more of this. Thank you for all of your videos, especially lately. One love 🙏

[@lyndao7356]

Yes, indeed. Thanks, Prof. Dodson. 🌞😎

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, thanks for say that. I think it's easier to be brave when we get older... mostly because we realize that we either have to give voice to our truth, or let it be forever unspoken. Anyhow, thanks for taking the time to watch & listen. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@ericdodson2644]

@@lyndao7356 ... You're welcome. Eric D.

[@ulrikebehrendt]

Thank you. I believe your channel is one of the most valuable around.

[@ericdodson2644]

Wow... well, I believe that it's making me happy to hear that you're finding value in what I'm doing. Anyhow, Ulrike, it's always good to see your name pop up in the comments. I hope you're well. Gratitude for your presence in this universe. Eric D.

[@somethingyousaid5059]

I believe you know what you believe and what you don't. I believe you have a good head on your shoulders. I believe you make some of the best videos on youtube.

[@ericdodson2644]

I believe I feel gratitude for your saying that. I believe I also feel gratitude for your being willing to watch & listen in the first place. Eric D.

[@dhananjaypatil3116]

Such a lovely prose-verse laced with immense sagacity. It's like a feast of wisdom dished out in so many beautiful words. 🙏Thanks Mr Eric 🧚

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, thanks for saying that. It makes me happy that you got so much out of this video. Gratitude... and thanks to YOU for taking the time to listen. Eric D.

[@irenehigginbotham6392]

Thank you ❤

[@ninokraine]

Love this guy! I believe in this guy. 😆

[@gracefitzgerald2227]

This was the best way to start my week. I knew you were a philosopher but I’m happy to learn, you’re a poet as well. Consider me inspired.

[@ericdodson2644]

Wow. It makes me happy that this video helped inspire you. And yes, I definitely have a weakness for all forms of poetic excess. Anyhow... thanks for letting me help with the process of getting your week off to a good start. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@dougpalmer4633]

Thank you for these great videos.

[@PracticalWisdomPhilosophyDS]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts ♥️

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, thank YOU for taking the time to watch & listen. Eric D.

[@Craizon]

Love this

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, I love that you're willing to listen. Thanks for that. Eric D.

[@SteveJones379]

Thank you Eric!

[@ericdodson2644]

You're welcome. And thank YOU for taking the time to listen. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@0rangecray0n]

I belive this channel is exactly what the world needs

[@0rangecray0n]

I also believe our main purpose in this world is to teach others (mainly our own children)

[@benjamindover4337]

Sounds like wise words to me.

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, thanks, Ben. And as always, thanks for taking the time to listen. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@jdzentrist8711]

Wow. Each one of these is worth a PAUSE, and then some. For me, lately, "China" has become my "master," my "ideology." You've just helped me recognize this fact. I'll get over it. These are all amazing and I'm thinking now about how best to share these.

[@YUMfan48]

💛

[@ericdodson2644]

[insert heart graphic that I don't know how to make].... anyhow, more seriously... thanks for taking the time to watch & listen. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@Peace.Beyond.All.Understanding]

Thats really interesting, ive watched hundreds of near death experiences, and this is what most people say they learnt from that experience, that we're just here to experience and grow into wisdom

[@heartburn6160]

THAT WAS UNBELIEVABLE! 😊

[@ericdodson2644]

Ha ha... but you can believe if you like (or not). Eric D.

[@Ayesha_F]

Thank you for everything you do here. Glad you exist and glad to have found you (via this screen) as a fellow participant in this magnificent cosmic joke called existence.

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, Ayeshe, thank YOU for being an integral part of it all. It's always good to hear from someone who has a sense for cosmological humor and laughter. So thanks for that. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@jamesmcclure3907]

I believe that I would rather listen to you than what passes for "news and information" nowadays.

[@SenidOptimises]

I absolutely love your videos professor, thank you very much!!

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, I love the fact that you're willing to put time and energy into watching them. Thanks for that. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@gusmwas]

The reconsidered series was liberating

[@ericdodson2644]

Wow... liberation is certainly more than I was hoping for. But yeah... it definitely makes me happy that you were able to make use of that stuff in your own process of liberation. That's pretty cool. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@grahamtrave1709]

Everything you believe Eric is in line with my how my teacher Ramesh Balsekar. outlined his concepts in the advaita lineage He talked about God's will be done that everuthing is predestined and that our destiny is part of that. We will experrience pleasure and pain according to our destiny. Thanks

[@martinbugge6220]

I believe that i agree with you

[@bretthowser6777]

You are a wise cat. Merleau-Ponty would be proud of ya. Thank you.

[@domenictersigni999]

thanks fellow for sharing awareness and insights on what one and many gets conditioned to believe can you also share out loud the others parts like what one KNOWS and have WISDOM and further in UNDERSTANDING again thanks

[@satnamo]

What does das world need ? 1. Spirituality 2. Fearlessness How to become spiritual? Answer: take care of my glorious temple day in, day out, every day Until it dies.

[@holyfoolaid3528]

Eric,I will go over what you've said here,but I guess i'm not intelligent enough to go through it quickly and smoothly.I guess some contemplation is in order.Keep up the good work,man.It's very helpful stuff.I really like your existentialists videos.You are appreciated.

[@ericdodson2644]

Actually, the very fact that you're moved toward contemplation... means that you're already taking the most intelligent approach -- at least in my estimation. Anyhow, thanks for taking the time to listen... and contemplate. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@thattimestampguy]

0:00 We’re here “to experience what it feels like to be alive” Sculpting away unnecessary _____ Guessing Unimportant Growth and change Difference of beliefs More pizza 🍕 More addiction Moments move Soul Liberation appears in catastrophe 1:02 _we_ don’t know what’s best for the world _we_ don’t know what’s best for ourselves Fictional people more real than Reality people Nigerian scam Anything can transform spirit 1:38 “Thinking deeply has become an act of defiance” 1:44 _we_ hardly ever know what we’re doing Thoroughly ruled by repressions Monty Python is Lol 😂 the way home 2:03 Conformity is overrated (man) Obedience is overrated (eh) _We_ set our sights too low 2:38 I’d rather be a warm person than a *cool* (I wrote cold 1st🥶) person No matter whatcha do, some love ya, some hate ya, most won’t give a [hoot] You can believe something totally different in the next minute, it’s ok. Be self-aware, but not self-obsessed One of our deepest desires is for Silence “I’m becoming more childlike with each passing year” Becoming a zygote or part of a burning star 3:33 • Life is not fair • not created equal • Genetically Blessed and [Condamned?] “That’s pretty obvious” “No one really sees or understands us” “Most of us are secretly longing for forgiveness” “We can learn more from our defeats than our victories” Pain is a teacher 4:20 Loud Argument = Self-Convincing competition “We obey our desires more than our rationality” Life is more complex than one thinks “Underneath it all, we are everything we wish we weren’t” “The surest way to outrage people is to tell the truth” *Our Worlds Problems* 4:53 - Crisis of Imagination - _most_ Slaves searching for Masters - _most_ Terror of Freedom “and the responsibility that comes with it.” - Our own worst enemies - [Convinced position create major mistakes] - The World Changes when “we ourselves change” Matt Smith, favorite Doctor (Who?) *Life Generally* 5:47 - Take a step, even if there is no final answer - “nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” - “half of life is just showing up” 6:08 - there is a time and place for everything we hate, limited perception makes it seem otherwise - Chaos and Order are not enemies of people 6:28 “our lives are nothing more than what we make of them.” Oatmeal again for breakfast “I believe in Free Thinkers” 6:41 • Donald Trump is a human • Same as Joe Biden • Politics isn’t important as we think it is • Distraction is powerful Spellchecker has “an impoverished vocabulary” 7:20 • Not worshipping other peoples Gods or pet ideological projects • No expunging offensive parts of people • We don’t know what’s best for other people “especially when we haven’t even asked them.” • Self- righteous postering “is vastly overrated” 7:47 Nasty Little Dictator in every one of us, beware those who don’t realize it • Battling monsters with eagerness turns Warrior into monster 8:15 • easy to be wrong when certain (I can attest to that) • We are good at self-deception 8:28 Power • Power up = Assume Responsibility • Power down = Lay Blame • Shame Censor Coercion makes The World worse not better • Demands for apology is farcical theatre • Be the change we wish to see “There are no shortcuts” (eh) SERIOUSLY 9:23 “seriously overrated” 😄 Wisdom in Laughter Life’s Cosmic Joke Funny when trying to be serious Serious when trying to be funny Take Vacation from ourselves now and then 9:58 God has an infinite and transcendent sense of humor *Teaching, Learning, Wisdom* 10:10 “we teach best what we most need to learn ourselves” “Life is far wiser than we are” “What we know is far smaller than what we don’t know” 10:25 “we learn best while we’re laughing” [we teach best while we’re laughing] Seeing Deep -> Wisdom Self Important

[@satnamo]

I believe I can fly

[@nicknorizadeh4336]

I believe that life without passion is not worth living

[@satnamo]

Das world is my ideas and their representations because what I believe about life and das universe becomes true for me: I am a spark of the infinite that is functioning through my body+heartmind-complex; Do not sell your self short, lh!

[@ellisfmorton4086]

I believe that I believe, for the most part, what you believe.

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, it's always good to encounter kindred souls on the road of life. Thanks for listening. Eric D.

[@machine9792]

I believe you are the wisest guy I know.

[@coryhudnall2956]

Extraordinary responses, I'm exalted by another one of your videos again... What a shock, LOL. You're absolutely brilliant. This is a little bit of my personal background... I'm 24-years-old. I'm a philosophy minor and Psychology major who starts a graduate degree in Applied Behavioral Analysis at Eastern Kentucky University this fall. I'm a National Suicide Lifeline (NSSL) Volunteer Coordinator and Crisis Behavioral Health Associate preparing for the '988' 3-digit phone number for the NSSL in July and the expected heightened call volume that will come with that. In my future I'm looking to get my PhD after obtaining my ABA in Clinical Psych. I've read about an eighth of Sartre and really enjoyed watching your lectures on Heidegger (I watched them 3 or 4 times so I could fully understand what you were exactly trying to get at). You explain it all in a way that makes it assessible to me, thank you for that :). I want to be the best version of myself through the lens of myself so that it holds truest to who I am in my essence and in what will fulfill 'my role' in this world, personally speaking that is. I like the 'cringe' comment you made in this video. Thanks again! -Cory, KY

[@dlloydy5356]

There isn’t one thing in your ‘believes’ I disagree with. Love this video message, brilliant. I realised through you I’m a free thinker. I also learned the term from you!

[@thattimestampguy]

Ok Oatmeal eater.

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, as they say, "Great minds think alike." Ha ha... Anyhow, it's gratifying to hear that these videos have helped you realize that you're a free thinker. That sort of thing is what inspires me to make them in the first place. So, thanks for telling me that. Gratitude. Eric D.... P. S. So, I guess that you're a Matt Smith fan, too.

[@dlloydy5356]

@@thattimestampguy spying on me hey

[@dlloydy5356]

@@ericdodson2644 😂 I’ve heard the name that’s all though.....now I feel I need to investigate further. Thanks, my reading list and book collection keeps on growing. Can I ask too... am I right in thinking your background is psychology?

[@ericdodson2644]

@@dlloydy5356 ... Well, Matt Smith is an actor from a British TV show called, "Doctor Who." I'm a little surprised you haven't heard of him, considering that you're from the U.K. Anyhow, yes, I have a background in Phenomenological Psychology... although I did a couple of additional degrees in Computer Science (and even wrote software professionally for a while). I guess that I'm essentially STEM's wayward, prodigal son. But I suppose that at a more fundamental level... I'm just another wandering soul who's curious about the universe. Anyhow, it's always good to "talk" with you. And cheers from Georgia, U.S.A.

[@andybird3956]

David Tennant and Peter Capaldi are my favs

[@arefinedsolitude5199]

I believe you've made some solid points there, sir.

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, thanks. And thank-you for taking the time to watch & listen. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@mac2phin]

Duck Soup is the funniest anti-war movie ever made.

[@kludgedude]

I believe we live for our addictions

[@fernandoorozco5968]

0:08 I agree with that

[@kludgedude]

I believe I’ll have another drink

[@mouwersor]

Damn good video. Just a thought-provoking synopsis of whatever it is that caused those deeply held beliefs. Like Nietzsches aphorisms.

[@ericdodson2644]

Ha ha... thanks for catching that reference. There were a few other Easter Eggs in there... one from Shakespeare, one from Ghandi... maybe a couple of others. Oh yeah, one from Dr. Who. Anyhow, thanks for listening. Gratitude. Eric D. ... P.S. Did you like my hat?

[@mouwersor]

@@ericdodson2644 oh haha just now noticed the text on the hat

[@lcastjr]

Enrique: Tú crees en todo, pero no crees en nada. Eres un gran filósofo y suenas tan humilde como Sócrates cuando dijo “sólo sé que no sé nada”. Tu pensamiento y manera de pensar suena tan racionar como el filósofo francés, René Descartes, “pienso, y como consecuencia, soy”. Me encantó todo el vídeo, suenas genial y muy intelectual.

[@freddricos]

I DREAM OF THE QUEEN GIVING ME A GOLDEN SHOWER COVID OR NOT PHHHHH

[@ericdodson2644]

Hmm... are you testing the limits of KZbin's censorship mechanisms?

[@maartenbosch7707]

Great videos, thanks a lot! But for some input…. When you want to experience life itself, forget about what you belief and make a video on what you feel (riding the black stallion). Please ;)

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, to a holist like myself, there's a time and place for everything... for believing, for feeling, for thinking, for chaos, for order... for wild, black stallions, yes... but also for cold, still, mountain lakes reflecting the sky in silence. But hey, that's just me. And I am a bit of a greedy soul. Of course, as in all things, your own mileage may vary. Anyhow, thanks for taking the time to listen. Gratitude. Eric D.

[@alexobed4252]

Lovvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@DO-NOT-WATCH]

I believe in Antinatalism

[@ericdodson2644]

Yeah, I can see that. Anyhow, on my video on Antinatalism, yesterday someone left a joke that I thought was pretty funny: Antinatalist joke: What do you call an unborn person who has given up on life? A de-fetus!

[@DO-NOT-WATCH]

@@ericdodson2644 ha ha. Good one 🤣

[@danahsampaga1401]

Can you make a video that elaborates on your religious beliefs?

[@satnamo]

Great men are not humble; Examples: 1. Napoleon 2. Nietzsche 3. Hardy

[@tangerinesarebetterthanora7060]

Great men are humble; Examples: 1. Keanu Reeves 2. Lao Tzu 3. Professor Eric Dodson

[@Sunstepa]

I believe that life is meaningless. 😶

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, then roll with it... see where it takes you.

[@martintrueloveistherealmag3937]

I believe that i am not subscribed to this channel but this video comes up at the top when i hit subscriptions!!! Total nonsense

[@ericdodson2644]

Yes... total nonsense! Welcome to the realm of human existence. We hope you enjoy your stay! Eric D.

[@mouwersor]

I'd like you to challenge your beliefs a little bit: is a sort of passive Buddhist/stoic acceptance of the absurdity of life 'the answer' or is that in a way denying to yourself the aspects of life that make it most worth living? Isn't the battle, the highs and lows, the struggle with ourselves and each other precisely that what makes us feel most alive? The 'forgive and accept your enemy'-attitude which your vibe generally is and I completely see the use in especially for meaningless culture-war stuff may not be 'the answer' in all cases. A 'destroy and rejoice in the destruction of your enemy'-attitude may not only be more desirable phenomenologically speaking but also longer-lasting if applied correctly.

[@ericdodson2644]

Well, I don't actually believe that there's such a thing as, "The Answer." In my view, there's only the next step... the next thing we'll eventually have to transcend. Anyhow, in my view, the relationship between acceptance and struggle is essentially paradoxical. Like I'm saying in this video (somewhere near the beginning), change happens as a function of what we accept about ourselves. In other words, the paradox is that acceptance precipitates even more struggle to pass beyond ourselves... even more battles, adventures, highs and lows, etc. And on the other side of the coin, when we're refusing to accept what we are, it usually keeps us stagnant... mostly because at that point, we're probably spending a whole lot of energy on maintaining and perpetuating our illusory facades. And yes, I'd say that we feel most alive when we're in the paradoxical tension between acceptance and struggle... which is to say, in the vortex of transcendence itself. With regard to our enemies... well it seems like nine times out of ten, our enemies are just reflections of the more unpleasant and repressed sides of ourselves, which is exactly why we react to them with so much emotional vehemence. If that weren't the case, then other people might be irritants or annoyances, or maybe obstacles... but probably not *enemies* as such. Anyhow, thanks for the thoughtful questions. Gratitude. Eric D. ... P.S. I'm still wondering about whether you like my hat.

[@mouwersor]

@@ericdodson2644 Regarding the point of 'enemies': Yeah I understood the implicit use of the Jungian concept of 'the shadow' in your video, but some individuals or groups can have a negative effect on us regardless of our stance towards it (or towards ourselves). Maybe this idea lingers too strongly in my mind because I've grown quite cynical of my fellow man because of the lockdowns and how the collectivist-/slave-morality can take root so easily and force me to live in an atheistic theocracy full of social self-flagellation for years. (Deeply depressing especially when my student years ought to be 'the good times'.) In these 'general life advice' video's I'm missing information on how I can protect myself against people who do want to take away everything I hold dear (regardless of how we might see them or what gods they use to justify their actions), the sort of people for whom 'enemies' is a fitting label. Anyway, that's maybe some seed for ideas for future video's. Or maybe not, I don't want to poison your optimism.

[@ericdodson2644]

@@mouwersor ... Well, I suppose that the question of how to protect ourselves from people who would do us harm... has mostly to do with who they are and what their motivation is. So, I'm left to guess about what kind of enemy you're referring to. I'm inferring that it mostly has to do with the collectivist/slave-morality you're describing. And I suspect that that's approximately the same thing I'm referring to with the language of, "The dictatorial mindset." Am I on the right track here, or completely off the mark? If I'm more-or-less right, then I'd say that the main strategy would first have to do with picking our battles well. And that requires a measure of discernment, since there are many more possible battles than any of us has time for. And not all of them promise a fruitful outcome. However, I'd say that my own personal response to that question is currently taking the form of making these videos... of questioning and undermining the dictatorial mentality where it's feasible to do so. I imagine that this basic strategy could also be tailored to other sorts of malefactors in our world. Another related insight I've had is that for me, the work mostly has to do with a kind of subversion, rather than inviting direct conflict. The reason is that it seems to me that direct conflict of that sort hardly ever changes anyone's mind about anything... whereas subversion has a greater chance of altering people's actual perception. But, of course, there are obviously other possible positions on the matter. The trick is to find one that works for you personally, and that turns the struggle into something creative and joyful, rather than something dismal and enervating. Anyhow, this is probably past the TL;DR line at this point. Sorry for the prolixity... but it seems to me that you're asking an important question, and one that calls for a relatively expansive answer. Eric D.

[@mouwersor]

@@ericdodson2644 Thanks for your thoughtful and helpful response!

[@joshtheegotist]

First 🤣😂

[@ericdodson2644]

Congratulations! One more step toward enlightenment!

[@waitwhatrly]

I believe you don't even know where you are

[@ericdodson2644]

Yeah, just like every other human being I've ever met.

[@censoredanon8928]

Congratulations. You think like every other boomer.

[@ericdodson2644]

Ha ha... thanks for that blast of ageism, stereotyping and prejudice. I guess you've done your good deed for the day!

[@noahbrown4388]

I concur ..mostly :D

[@ericdodson2644]

Cool. It's always nice to encounter a kindred spirit on life's road. Eric D.

[@Noise-Conductor]

I believe this is a great video!

[@Buddhamonkeydevil]

Yay oatmeal!