Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[Jarkline Ouma]

Breaking out of the comfort zone can be challenging, but it often leads to personal growth and new opportunities. Comfort addiction can trap you in a cycle, making it important to balance familiarity with the courage to explore the unknown.

[Moranga Dominic]

Striking a balance allows individuals to navigate their sexual inclinations in a way that aligns with their values and respects the well-being of themselves and others. Blindly succumbing to urges may lead to a loss of personal agency, while suppressing them entirely can also hinder genuine happiness. Achieving a harmonious integration of one's desires into a holistic and fulfilling life contributes to a more sustainable sense of well-being.

[Seetha E]

This is a discussion forum topic for the previous Philosophy Book of the Month, In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All.

Hunger and food addiction or other eating disorders are no more or less special than gambling addiction and the urge to gamble at a casino. Or infinite other examples. I choose to most often use examples of things like food, hunger, alcohol, and drinking simply because those tend to be most commonly relatable for most people. But every human has their things, and every human is on the addiction spectrum.

True. The point you are making is best explained with these most relatable addictions.
There is no "trying." The person who is a slave of that addiction is the one who keeps saying they are "trying," but failing.

[Adam Bryce Stern]

Apt. The comfort zone might be comfortable, but it greatly limits potential for growth or development. A man who doesn't push beyond his limits never reached his full potential.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

"And when you know you are happily free-spirited in the face of anything and everything, that comes with an incredible confidence and grace. You feel invincible." This realization is indeed powerful.

[Sushan]

I really resonated with the idea that chasing comfort or avoiding fears doesn't actually make us happier. It's about facing them head-on and finding peace within ourselves, not outside. It's a tough journey but definitely worth it for that sense of inner freedom and true happiness. Thanks for sharing such a powerful perspective!

[Surabhi Rani]

My present actions and thoughts find an expression in your words. My problems are resolved through the mere expression of your thoughts. We can't have true happiness of transcendental freedom without things like discomfort, hunger, and pain to transcend. I appreciate life being compared to a beautiful play. The underlying story of the play is the same for us all. We should wish for nothing different than what actually and eternally is. We can playfully walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

There's a saying that goes: Nothing worthwhile grows in the comfort zone, life begins outside your comfort zone. With these words, I agree that comfort zones are prison we create for our selves.

[Lorna Philip Enslin]

Hi Scott,

This is so very true on every single level.

Comfort is a drug that sucks us in, leaving us miserable, lacking in purpose and life[less] If I look back over a long life, I can see that the negative incidents were when I grew exponentially and experienced happiness and fulfilment beyond my wildest dreams. Now I'm facing another negative incident, only now I'm embracing it with everything I've got and saying out loud..'Bring it on'..!!

[Emmanuel Asamoah 5]

Hi Scott,
your insightful message goes into the profound concept of true happiness and how it is not achieved by fulfilling our addictions or avoiding discomfort. Instead, you argue that happiness comes from transcending these desires and fears, becoming free-spirited and self-disciplined in the face of life's challenges. Your examples of bravery, hunger, and sexual urges illustrate how we can feel these sensations without being controlled by them. The idea that true happiness is found in the transcendence of our compulsions is thought-provoking and challenges the common notion that happiness is the absence of discomfort or the fulfillment of our desires. The question is, how can one practically apply this concept of transcendence in their daily life to cultivate true happiness?

[Emmanuel Asamoah 5]

Scott,
Is obsession and addiction the same thing? if not, could you explain with clarity the difference between the two? Secondly, I know that addiction is not a good habit or value to cultivate. Can that be said for obsession. Is obsession also not a good thing?
Swimmingly,

[Moisés Alcántara Ayre]

One of my big addictions is an addiction to a thought that I wish I didn't have; this thought gives me short-lived pleasure, but I know it's not good for my mental health. I'm slave of this thought and can control it when I can/want. So as they say I'll try to replace this thought with more productive and kinder thoughts.

[Victory Stone]

Addiction of things is really bad. When one puts the love of certain things as their priorities, it tends to ruin their lives. Addiction is what every person that wants to be successful should flee from.

[Gabrielle Stepp]

The “spectrum”of addiction is the plight of all human kind. As humans it is up to us to maintain control of our emotions and physical bodies. “I am the master of my domain” is more than a cool quote. It is important for true happiness to transcend the physical addictions like food addiction , alcoholism , cigarette smoking or sexual addictions as examples. To be truly happy or free we need to learn to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. “The more you drink comfort, the thirstier you get”.

[Nisha DSouza]

"You can't be brave unless you feel fear." I agree. Bravery cannot exist in the absence of fear.