what does this mean?

do people sell their soul in order to KEEP their soul?

i wonder

also, people don't like to use the word "sell"

sometimes

i had a two hour conversation with this one person who was trying to get me hooked into a business thing

and i asked her if there was any selling involved

and she said 'NO'

but it was so obvious that it was ALL ABOUT SELLING

and i finally told her

" hey... listen.. SELLing is not a four letter word as far as i'm concerned.
you can use that word and let's just call a spade a spade

she was going on and on about how its not really a 'sell" because the product simply "sells itself"

ummm. sorry NO... it IS selling

but u know what?

we sell ourselves ALL the time

if we try to get a job

a promotion

sell our services

sell our products

people who try to find potential soulmates whatever

they are still "selling'

EVERYTHING is "selling'

at least advertisers call a spade a spade

i wonder why some people think they are so above admitting that they sell themselves every day

and yes

a piece of our soul is sold

just by being alive sometimes

like.. when people are suffering outside of us

and nothing is done about it

inaction too causes one to sell one's soul

by looking the other way

yeah.. i've done it

i admit it

cuz i didn't have all the resources to help everyone

but i still admit it

it felt like i was selling my soul

i sell my soul in other ways too

just like everyone else

sometimes

just dealing with people we don't wish to

that can feel like selling our souls

maybe i can say we are "using our souls"

instead of selling it

but i like to call a spade a spade

even animals

and plants

they are ALL mercantile

plants compete with each other for shade or sunlight or water or nutrients or whatever

animals.. well, they are the MOST mercantile of all

lions just honing in for the target.. the wildebeest.. their dinner

no bones about it

no charming or sweet talking over the phone

they just DO it

exchange of energy ( their currency) for meat ( dinner)

sharks

they are literally SHARKS

and they aren't ashamed of it

super laser focused

with pin pointed intent

they just see what they want

and they go after it

no conniving inveigling circuitous route

its just point A to point B

done

people are different

we candy coat EVERYTHING

why are we so embarrassed to be human?

or shall i say.. why are we so embarrassed to be "animals"?

cuz we are

humans are a type of animal

but it seems so strange that we go around in clothing

men with their ties and suits and vests

women in our hosiery, skirts, blouses, 3 inch heels

no other animals do that

they don't call eachother on cell phones

they don't take four months to "close the deal'

its weird

is it no wonder people have "problems" in this day and age?

its a constant struggle

to do animal things

while hiding our animal nature

how odd

It is odd, and the more I live in this society of business meetings and makeup and cell phones, the more I long for a more simple, earthy, tribal way of life. I am working hard to make this way a reality for me and my family. BTW, LaV, I love how you articulate things.

I think of the term "selling" as something that involves the manipulation of another person in some form. I hate the term "selling oneself". I remember going to a class on writing resumes in college and they used that term. Plants and animals don't really sell themselves, they just live and do what they have to in order to flourish. They are honest. I look up to them.

>had a two hour conversation with this one person who was trying to get me hooked into a business thing
and i asked her if there was any selling involved
and she said 'NO'
but it was so obvious that it was ALL ABOUT SELLING<

ha ha-- i know some people who are like that, and i tend to run the other way from them. i just this week had to extricate myself from a business 'opportunity' for my music that began to look like on some level like it was just going to be a hassle and a sell-out for me and a financial opportunity only for the other party

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

La Veronique-
I don't believe that all people sell themselves in every relationship they have. Of course you have people who dress up and wear makeup and essentially do sell themselves, but an honest and open person, who is in touch with him/her self, would not do such a coarse and unnessesary act as selling oneself. The reason why one wears clothes is to be comfortable in any weather. The reason someone uses cellphones is to be able to communicate at any time, making daily life more efficient and comfortable. The reason why someone takes "four months to "close the deal'" is because they are trying to sell a product, so that they can earn money, so they can live an enjoyable life. They are not selling themselves, at least not the latter people. Civilization can be very open and honest, but people lose perspective of what these innovations of civilization mean for them. You have those people who buy the "coolest cellphone," or the "coolest car," or the "coolest clothes," and try to make a good impression on their client with phony phrases and impressions, instead of selling the product for what it is. But you do have those who buy the best cellphone for what they need and enjoy, or the best car for what they need and enjoy, or the best clothes for what they need and enjoy, and they sell the product that the buyer needs, or enjoys, for exactly what it is ,and not the false impressions. And you make the point that animals are unashamed of their nature, but many humans are. I think this is a legitimate point, but as I said not all humans are ashamed of being an animal and making actions necessary for survival. I for the most part am an open and honest person, but I also make mistakes and have my moments of make-up and practicing pretend. But I believe that we WILL fix this one day. It is only nature to be ashamed of acting like an animal when we have so much guilt and shame thrust on us our whole lives. But I can't say for a fact that we will uproot the chains from the stone of shame and guilt, and be truly free. At this point I can only hope that this will occur.

hmmm yeah well i guess i needed to parse out

selling one's own soul

and selling oneself

and just selling

i guess they look like 3 different things

i guess what i'm trying to say is that life is getting more and more complicated

and yet we are still all the same

like all the animals

same

no different

its funny


strange accoutrements

make us look as if we are not a part of nature

but we are

we are a product of nature

look what feeds us


the sun

Are we selling or making trades? Life is a gamble of trades. The lion is betting on getting her prey. Trading energy for food, but she may end up tired and no food. I don't see her as selling herself though. The lion isn't thinking about it, only acting on instinct. I don't see us as the opposite of her either. We are still the same. The whole Idea reminds me of Animal farm. Who was it that started walking on two legs and behaving like man? Was it the pigs? They became what they despised. As you say, We are only dressed up animals.

I trade my time and energy in exchange for producing well adjusted, happy adult children. I don't feel like I sell myself doing it though. It is a gamble, but a solid one.

I used to think less of myself when I didn't do everything I could for someone or some animal. I had to realize my limitations. When I couldn't help I used to think of it as selling a piece of my soul too. I don't think like that any more. I always do what I can but I have to give some responsibility to the rest of the world. I am not the end all and be all and savior of all. I would end up selling myself short if I kept thinking the way I had before and that would not be a trade because there is no expectation of a return. A sure loss, never happy with my accomplishments because they weren't enough. Did you see "Schindler's List?" At the end he was so disappointed he hadn't saved more people. I can relate to that. You can make yourself crazy thinking that way. Maybe he did, because I read he didn't have the best life.

I have heard about selling your soul to the devil at the crossroads somewhere in Mississippi. There are all these musicians that supposedly died at twenty seven and rumor has it they all sold their souls there. It is cool modern folklore. I read Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Hank Williams and Jim Morrison are included. Crazy man! I wonder how old Billy Holiday was when she died? They all seemed so depressed and all made a huge impact in a short period of time.

she was 44.

i feel like any "job" job is just glorified prostitution, Especially waitressing and working retail. except for the lousy pay that is. i always felt like dirt after a day at either of those jobs. selling my soul? sure felt like it to me. i am so much happier at home with my babies, i wish i could stay here with them forever. sadly, i will have to leave them in someone else's care while i go out to work pretty soon. *cries*. then i will really felt sold.

Nevermind that, I am Pakd.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2008 05:20PM by cyclopsale.

I think selling your soul is anytime you do the wrong thing even though you know the right thing to do.

Brian

<<<I think selling your soul is anytime you do the wrong thing even though you know the right thing to do.>>>

I like that. I feel like that too.

Coco-
I don't believe that waitressing or retail is selling oneself as long as those who do this choose not to. To waitress is not selling the waitress, but to sell the food. To sell is to sell the product, not the seller. I don't think that supporting your family is selling yourself. You may desire a situation, in which you can stay with your kids and raise them as you want, but if this is not an option then supporting your kids by means of going to work is a great one. You can still have a relationship with them, though it will be more difficult, but I think that they would be much happier with food on their plate and a shelter over their heads. A relationship does not consist of constant interaction, but instead important interactions. You may not be able to see your children nearly as much as you do now, but as long as you take the time, you do have, to be with them and cherish those moments, then I think that they will be just fine. This is just my opinion though.
La Veronique-
I understand how you feel. I was just the same way. I felt like life has become so complicated with all the different innovations, theories and philosophies in this world and I thought that they were so unimportant. I thought, "Why don't people just live like the animals do and get rid of all this crap we don't need." But then I realized that these things don't make life complicated, but instead it is our perceptions of them that makes everything so complicated. Many people want to get the "coolest car" or the "coolest clothes," but by whose standard? But the truth is that it should be our own standard, or what we TRULY want, and not what other people desire. Life becomes so complex when we try to judge it based on what others think, but it is so simple when we look inward and find what it is that we really want. One can not grasp at the sun with someone elses hand. This life we live is not so complex in the instance of being who we truly are. I personally realized that I do not want to fight for the things that I need everyday of my life, my very short life if I am living in a world without these things that make life "complicated." These things that you believe make life complicated, make it so much more fullfilling and desirable and enjoyable and free and simplistic. To know what one truly wants is the thread that guides them down the path, making life oh so easy. If you know what it is that you truly want then follow that string and you will get to where it is that you wanted to go.

hi cyclopsale ( or maybe u are pakd4fun... whoever u are

<<To know what one truly wants is the thread that guides them down the path, making life oh so easy. If you know what it is that you truly want then follow that string and you will get to where it is that you wanted to go.>>>

Thanks .. i really needed to hear that. it is true, i do have ONE overlying goal that underlies all and everything that i do. it is good to focus on that and remember that.

thanks a BUNCH!! i am going to write it on a big poster and scotch tape it to the wall.

or just etch it in my heart

my underlying overlying goal is everything

and all else is just a reflection of that

and it makes me happy

and that is the most important thing to me

miserable people ( unless they are exceptional jazz musicians)

are kind of useless LOL

>miserable people ( unless they are exceptional jazz musicians)
are kind of useless LOL <
Ha ha! Yes, I think it goes with the job.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

La Veronique-
It's no problem at all. This is something that I too forget, but as long as I keep it somewhere in my mind, even if it's under a big pile of junk, I will find it again. "Love Life and Be Free." That is my personal motto.

kwan


<<>miserable people ( unless they are exceptional jazz musicians)
are kind of useless LOL <


<<Ha ha! Yes, I think it goes with the job.>>

LOL yeah... i love all the jazz greats but their songs aren't exactly "happy" but they are quite spectacular... funny how that goes

cyclopsale:

<<"Love Life and Be Free." That is my personal motto.>>

yeah, i begin to love life more when i remind myself the truth: I am free.

and i strive towards greater and greater freedom

this takes all and everything

meaning all areas of my life must be nurtured,cultivated and flourishing
continually and ceaselessly

in order for me to utilize my freedom in better and greater ways

La Veronique-
Exactly! Freedom and loving oneself are a direct relationship. When one goes up, the other soars as well. When you work on everything about yourself, take out all the weeds, and the harmful insects, then you can bloom for the whole world to see. This is freedom. The choice to be able to take out all the harm so that one can flourish. And this only leads to love of oneself. To see the beautiful lotus that they have become once they have bloomed. And you understand that you don't need all the other things that made you unhappy, because you have everything that you strived for and worked for and struggled and gained and loved and reaped. And it cycles like a natural occurance, in which you have gained more freedom to know that you love the life you have, and then you love life even more to know that you have this freedom to be yourself. Love Life and Be Free!!!

I'm sorry... I just kind of had an epiphany there for a second.