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  • 3/28/2025
Hi Stef,

I called in ~6 months ago. I was not doing very well, with me losing my first employment and the "business" I was a part of not doing very well. You gave some direction about sticking with my at-the-time mentor to establish a new career, but I can say that when I called you was definitely not only a bad time, but also quite ineffective, given the stress and dissociation I had to maintain daily. I was focused entirely on the "how" in our previous conversation and was not seeking answers to pressing questions. The result was a likely frustrating and forgettable experience as I brought my anxieties into your life. I seek to remedy that but also to have a genuine, honest conversation, which is still very rare for me. I have some questions that time away from the death-spiral of my inner parents has illuminated and I'm seeking your valuable input.

Things have changed since July, with the ultimate step (ironically) being to do less. I ditched the gurus and mentors, and pulled back from all of the relationships I had. There was no one I was close to, and all of my social circles were built on lies I made for approval. Upon telling them of my deception, I was invariably removed from them, as expected. I now work happily and have more time for philosophy, and, hopefully soon, joy and progress towards joy.

The core principle behind my need to lie to these groups to gain acceptance was acceptance. This never worked. Nobody valued me anywhere, especially not my parents.

My parents taught me little. They bought us things, but never examined what we wanted with any level of curiosity. A core theme I've tried to square personally from your work is that children want to be comforted and loved by their parents, but I can't recall a time when I distinctly wanted anything to do with them. Despite my clear memories of events, I can't remember a time in my life fondly or with joy at all. Not a time I'd return to, or a moment with my family I wish I could go back to. The same feeling exists when I think of the company of others, whether it's friends or family. Frankly, I hate them (everyone), and I hate my "experience" of living up to now....

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