Thoughts are from the Devil

The devil talks to you through thoughts. God talks to you by revealing things. - JLP

I've heard this last week and I found it very powerful. I've started to notice how for most things in life I don't need to sit and think. I just do it. Like work, cooking, being with my girl, doing sports, having a conversation, even writing this post, those things just happen. I don't sit and think about them.

However there are times when I don't do anything specific and I start to think and fantasize. And I agree with the quote that this is mostly useless garbage. Wasted time. Which lead to many depressive moments in the past, so unnecessary suffering.

Thoughts? ;D

 

I don't think it's about content, no. Because basically we lack the insight to really distinguish good thoughts from bad ones. And by good or bad I mean whether they play out to improve our lives or at the end of the day just strained our nerves or even lead us to unnecessary action.

One good example happened to me a while ago: My girlfriend invited an old friend of hers to her place overnight because he was visiting the area. My initial instinct told me not to worry. But then I started thinking about it. What followed where three days of excruciating depression because I went deeper and deeper into the rabbithole, basically trying to find logical reasons to confirm my suspicions. In the end I decided to not confront her about it. Back then I didn't do it because of above mentioned quote, but because I think men shouldn't tell women their problems unless they're sure they can't solve it without discussing. So I held back and I was rewarded. My suspicions disappeared by the next time I met her and I was so glad that I've kept my mouth shut.
So all I've gained from that deep over-analysis was nothing but mental agony.

I can think of way too many times in my life where I've paced back and forth in my home just thinking. And looking back I realize that 95% of that was a waste of time. I've gained nothing of substance from it. And more often than not it drove me into negativity.
Pretty much this:

While on the other hand I've always felt most happy by completing challenges, improving work, hanging out with people, going on a trip, etc. which slowly accumulates a sense of well being.

I haven't fully figured out how to define "thinking" in the devils world, but from what I can tell it's the type of thinking that comes up when I'm not busy with something. And, while sometimes entertaining, it mostly ends up being a waste of time.
A daily example I have during my bus trip that I take once in the morning and once in the evening. It's 40 minutes where I can either sit there and start thinking or I can continue reading in my book. I'm so naturally inclined to let my mind drift but it almost never ends in a good place.

The devil is an archetype. Whether he exists on a metaphysical plane or not is irrelevant because the effect is the same, since he surely exists within our imagination. He's pure intellect, which bread enormous arrogance and let him to believe he's the master of all things. But since God struck him down he's doomed to be resentful which makes him want to drag down as many people with him as possible. Tempting and corrupting beings with free will as we are makes him feel at least somewhat superior.

 

No it stands for Jesse Lee Peterson.

When you're chatting out with your buddies or having a discussion online you're not thinking as I'm trying to define it. You're doing. You don't think about the next sentence you're about to write, it just comes out of you directly.
Thinking, as I'm trying to define it to get to the bottom of the quote, is that internal "voice", like a dialogue with yourself. It's an act in and off itself and you can't do other things simultaneously or if you do you'll do them badly.

 

Look up the definition of esoteric. If anything this is religious.

The irony of calling out cringe only to follow with this mindblower.. x)

Most likely for similar reasons why you were online finding this thread.

 

And how are you able to tell whether a thought plays out to be evil or not? You can't. Sometimes it's clear, often it's not.

Spiritual thinkers etc. make a living from sitting and thinking, so I'm not surprised they propone it.

I'm just trying to figure out how to best use this machina which is me. And I'm learning that sitting and thinking (as I've defined it) doesn't do me well.