Becoming more compasionite for yourself requires knowing and accepting who you are. If you’re the type of person who rarely looks into the future, you might be suprized at how much self-knowledge and self-acceptance you have to gain from looking forward.

It’s a wise person who pursues compassion for the self. I can see how you might come to know yourself by being more aware of your dreams and fears. One can also focus on the immediate present. Try focusing on your breath. When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the breath. When you’ve done this many times in a daily practice, you begin to see themes in where you mind wanders, which is another way of knowing yourself. If you keep it up even longer, you begin to sense the very moments in which your mind begins to construct your fears and hopes, and you may even realize you can choose among them, and don’t need to be controlled by them.

I’ve been learning French on Duolingo, also known as the language learning website/app run by an owl that wants to steal your family members, and I feel silly sometimes making weird noises. I know that it’s languages, and I have fun learning them, but I feel like people are judging me when I do it. Do you have any recommendations for overcoming this feeling of being constantly judged?

Learning a new language during pandemic is a terrific idea. With regard to making weird noises while practicing a foreign language – it happens to all of us. Talk to those you live with and determine the best time to do the speaking parts, so you know you’re not distracting anyone from their work. At that point, any judging others do about you wanting to develop your mind reflects poorly on them, not you. Bon chance!

I think the reason you don’t hate me is because you know I’d do anything for you if you asked, but you don’t ask and I’m left wondering why, and then the feeling of like you could do anything for me pops back into my head and my heart opens up wide, and I feel like I could be everything for you, I could love you forever if you let me, and I don’t know why I can’t just take that first step, but my feet won’t move.

Because I’m not you.

I can’t be, and that’s just how it is.

Going someplace else. Just for awhile. Just to escape. Someplace that I’m not so far from now. And where is that? That’s what I need.

My secret is to show all the good, and all the love, that I can. It’s not easy to stay the night at a lonesome place. It’s easier with another. It’s been there all along, but you couldn’t see it. But I know it’s out there, I can feel it. I was afraid, and alone, but it’s okay now. See, now we’re friends, just like the wind in the trees, I never cared. So, don’t cry, you must have known that all along. Maybe I did too, but it’s hard to say. When you’re sad, you have to stand up!

Hey – that’s a plus!
A new opportunity.
I get a chance to set another line of merit as I write.
Before that, there was just hate.
Desire, which alludes to revenge and justice, could be followed by terror and revenge, and then, no more opportunities.
But now, there is a circle within that circle.
A greater chance for success.
Not many can hope to seek that sort of golden circle, but I can. And what is that opportunity?
I will find it out.

No! There’s a touch of Beethoven’s piano sonata in that thought. You have only influence over whether your story stays in the shadows, or goes public, if you let it. We are too much our own worst enemy in this country, unwilling to admit to ourselves and to others, even, that we don’t know everything.

I need the satisfaction of ending the tale well, writing another verse that does justice to my beautiful companion.

In the early days, writing with a man was an adventure, but now I don’t want to write with one. I just want to finish the story as soon as possible. I realise that the real writer doesn’t like romance and the verbose, the ugly stream of details. He appreciates clarity, flexibility, lightness and the stylistic lyricism that creates the perfect balance between the text and the tale.

“He then visited a mental institution and spoke to some patients in need of help. Some of the patients were young and many of them had mild forms of mental illness. After listening to some of their stories, it was easy to see that, no matter how difficult their situation, there is still hope. A 19-year-old girl told him that she had a better understanding of how to live her life since he spoke with her.”

It sounds like you’ve found a way to hope, which makes me happy. It also sounds like you’ve found a way to make sense of a complicated knot of feelings and thoughts. I wish the best for you.

I made my own little wall because I really liked this one. It’s just for my friends and I, but instead of having just one “Wall” answer them It can be anyone, we just added comments. So far, it has a really good effect, everyone is telling me how much they love it! It helps us share our emotions with each other, because we usualy keep our feelings on the inside. So thank you so much for the idea!

I love love love that a wall is helping you and your friends to open up and communicate! I recommend you plan in advance for how you will manage discord or inappropriate comments – even among friends this can happen. Oh, and say “hi” to your little wall for me and tell them I’m proud of them!

*blushes* We certainly try. Thank you!

If it’s interfering with relationships or with any other aspects of your life, or you simply want to stop and can’t, I’d recommend talking to a professional. If you’re a BC student: bit.ly/BC-counseling.

I thought that is what usual people feel like and it keeps you safe, but I just start to realize that I’m quite different in that way… I’m confused and scared of this weird world. >.< I mean I don’t think there is anything wrong or weird if other people identify that way, but I start to realize how others see me as different? Human world is just very difficult to understand, sometimes you wish you are a unicorn.

I agree that the human world is hard to understand. I’m sure unicorns have troubles of their own, though, sadly. There are certainly varying degrees of sexual intensity, and that’s also apt to change throughout life. If you find fear about your sexuality or difference hinders living a full life, I recommend talking to a counselor about it. If you’re a BC student, you can get started at bit.ly/BC-counseling.

Charge!!!

Regardless of whether or not BC blocks your system access, you should change your password for your own security.

Regardless of whether or not BC blocks your system access, you should change your password for your own security.

No worries.

It’s like that common dream, where you forgot about a class for the whole semester, and then you show up, and there’s a test…. ?

There’s been an explosion in the number and sub genres/types of comics (including very explicit ones like BL) available in recent years, and its popularity as a reading format for adults is very high. Your question ended abruptly, so I am not sure what you don’t know – can you elaborate?

I don’t know what and I don’t know how. I live with a roommate and I used to be very secret about my ‘privacy’ (What I watch on the Internet and what I do while watching, if you know what I mean) but something like a week ago I suddenly stopped carrying. I can’t really explain why and it seems so weird to me, because I really hide what I do. Do you know what might caused that sudden change in my attitude towards my ‘privacy’?

Hard to say without knowing more. Maybe you trust your roommate? Maybe you’re shedding habitual self-consciousness or shame? That said, it’s important that living arrangements are built on trust and communication. It would be wise to check in with your roommate about their comfort level with your activities: “Hey, does it bug you when I…” and if it doesn’t, “If you change your mind, tell me, I can change when & where, etc.”

I use it as a way to self-judge my actions perhaps… I have been doing it for a long time and it feels kind of normal to be honest, but at the same time as something not many, if at all besides me, do.

Yes, that’s normal. It’s one way to enact a conscience. If overdone, it could constrain you from doing things that are fulfilling or important for you. If you find those thoughts intrusive, constraining, or limiting and would like to stop but can’t, I recommend talking to a counselor who could help you find new ways to think about what you do. If you’re at BC: bit.ly/BC-counseling Otherwise, know it’s just a normal thing many minds do & don’t worry about it.

How about Scot’s “Discoverie of Witchcraft,” published in 1584? (O’Neill Library BF1565 .S42 1972) The witch-craze that swept the New England colonies happened about 100 years *after* this book debunking witchcraft, which is weird. Perhaps the Malleus Maleficarum (Theology & Ministry Library, BF1569.A2 I5 1971), the sine qua non of demonology first published in 1486, was just more popular. As an upstanding wall, I think it’s weird that humans enjoy the thrill of fear more than the satisfactions of rationality.

…and we have been chatting for a while now (not as regular as I could imagine, but still enough to be counted as an active contact), and from his messages, I some-how think he may like me too. My question is if I think he is attracted to me too because I want it to be so (and reality can be a whole lot different), or if this can be really going somewhere. And what really makes me have many other questions is, that I am male too and am not sure in what way I am attracted to him, so do you mind telling giving me suggestions so that I can make the barrier between friendship and sexual relationship? (Note: I am not planning on being honest with him about this spectrum of my feelings.)

If you have more questions than answers regarding your attraction to this person, you are right to be cautious about sharing your feelings.  I suggest treating this relationship as just a friendship until you are clearer about your feelings (or he clarifies his).  The process of building a strong friendship will likely answer many of your questions and will be a great start if the relationship becomes more than just friends.

Now I’m sure that it’s true, ’cause I think you’re so good and I’m nothing like you.

Rebecca, is that you?

I endorse this kind of positivity 100%!

There sure has been something rather odd about this whole year – I’m not surprised Christmas also feels different.  But I hope you managed a peaceful and restful break.

Meow Meow Meow ???!