@Lionsmane8

She wants me to marry her, but...

So, I’ve been seeing this 20-year-old regularly for close to eight months now. She’s very supportive, feminine, girly, has a great personality, and although she’s not the best-looking girl I’ve been with, she’s still very cute and really loves me—girlfriend material.

The one issue I had with her was related to sex. She’s a virgin and Muslim (I’m Muslim too), and although we avoid PIV, she still takes care of me in other ways on occasion. That said, this was a major issue early on, but because I wanted to keep her supportive energy in my life, but also not force anything on her, we made an arrangement.

Since my last breakup almost two years ago, I vowed to no longer offer exclusivity, and that’s worked great for me. I’m very honest about that fact early on with women, and unsurprisingly, it does turn a few off—but many more respect my honesty. So that’s that.

I told my girl early on that sex is non-negotiable for me and that exclusivity isn’t something I do, and she accepted.

Concurrently, I’ve been seeing another girl regularly (for about five months now). She’s 19, very bright, soft-spoken, has a relaxing presence, and is head over heels for me. She’s down for anything and everything—heck, I sometimes have to tone things down.

This little situation has been going smoothly for a few months now, with a lot of enjoyment and genuine fulfillment (love feels good). Practically zero conflict or toxicity.

However, the 19-year-old is about to leave the country permanently, and the 20-year-old has been hinting at marriage.

At first, it was jokingly—probing, obviously—joking about carrying my children, then asking about my intentions, then steering conversations toward the topic, playing relevant songs, etc.

Tonight, we went for a short night drive, and she came forward much more assertively than usual, saying, "My friends told me that you should marry me," and asking about my stance on marriage.

I told her what I usually say: "I’m not ready for that—it doesn’t even enter my mind." Which is true; I’m neither financially nor mentally ready. It’s a serious matter.

To which she responded, "When you think you’ll be ready, are you thinking of marrying me?"

Now, that’s the question I dreaded. I really like her—she’s a great girlfriend—but honestly, no, I don’t want to marry her. I still long for a girl similar to (but superior to) my previous ex. But I can’t tell her that, so I just said, "I don’t know."

She didn’t get mad or anything, and that’s what makes it hard for me. She’s really supportive and plays the girlfriend role very well. It’d be easier if there were conflict—I could rationalize ending the relationship. But that’s not the case, and I appreciate her for that.

Now, since the one-year mark is approaching, I’d already been thinking of gradually distancing myself from her—gently, slowly. I don’t want to build a life with her, marry her, or have her carry my children. I also don’t want to give her false hope, drag this out, or fool her in any way. But at the same time, I don’t want to hurt her, and I have to accept that I will disappoint her. I know what I want and what I don’t want.

Anyway, this is just a melancholic rant. You’ll all say I already know the answer, and it’s true—I do. I’m planning to let it burn out slowly. She’s smart and a woman—she knows what she wants, and she’s probably already put two and two together by now and I sincerely wish her the best, because she deserves it.

Time to take out my fishing rod.

What traits are you looking for in a female, that the ex-girlfriend you still fondly remember had you've noticed others you've dated since lacked?

An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations

The book offers one of the first accounts of what builds nations' wealth. It has become a fundamental work in classical economics, and has been described as "the first formulation of a comprehensive system of political economy". Reflecting upon economics at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, Smith addresses topics such as the division of labour, productivity, and free markets.

The Wealth of Nations was the product of seventeen years of notes and earlier studies, as well as an observation of conversation among economists of the time (like Nicholas Magens) concerning economic and societal conditions during the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, and it took Smith some ten years to produce. The result was a treatise which sought to offer a practical application for reformed economic theory to replace the mercantilist and physiocratic economic theories that were becoming less relevant in the time of industrial progress and innovation. It provided the foundation for economists, politicians, mathematicians, and thinkers of all fields to build upon. Irrespective of historical influence, The Wealth of Nations represented a clear paradigm shift in the field of economics, comparable to what Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason was for philosophy.

Five editions of The Wealth of Nations were published during Smith's lifetime: in 1776, 1778, 1784, 1786 and 1789. Numerous editions appeared after Smith's death in 1790. To better understand the evolution of the work under Smith's hand, a team led by Edwin Cannan collated the first five editions. The differences were published along with an edited sixth edition in 1904. They found minor but numerous differences (including the addition of many footnotes) between the first and the second editions; the differences between the second and third editions are major. In 1784, Smith annexed these first two editions with the publication of Additions and Corrections to the First and Second Editions of Dr. Adam Smith's Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, and he also had published the three-volume third edition of the Wealth of Nations, which incorporated Additions and Corrections and, for the first time, an index. Among other things, the Additions and Corrections included entirely new sections, particularly to book 4, chapters 4 and 5, and to book 5, chapter 1, as well as an additional chapter (8), "Conclusion of the Mercantile System", in book 4.

The fourth edition, published in 1786, had only slight differences from the third edition, and Smith himself says in the Advertisement at the beginning of the book, "I have made no alterations of any kind." Finally, Cannan notes only trivial differences between the fourth and fifth editions—a set of misprints being removed from the fourth and a different set of misprints being introduced.

You can find mention of this book on Wikipedia, Standardebooks, Librivox, Youtube, Bitchute, and other websites.

#1776 #AnInquiryintotheNatureandCausesof #TheWealthofNations #AdamSmith #World #UnitedKingdom #Scotland #Books #Audiobooks #eBooks #Economics #Trade #Commerce #Productivity #Consumerism #Business #Money #Taxation #Government #Philosophy #Ideology #Populism #Nationalism #Liberalism #Fascism #Baizuo #WhiteLeft #Atheism #Marxism #Socialism #Modernism #Internationalism #Communism #Feminism #Humanism #Conservatism #Progressivism #Globohomo #Globalism #Paganism #Freemasonry #RabbinicalJudaism #Satanism #MentalIllness #MoralIllness

@First-light

I am not sure what usury is in this context. In this case, I took it to be "unfair as opposed to fair trade in currency" If they wanted the official money, they had to pay for a incorrectly weighed measure of silver (not the true shekel weight) with a fair measure (which in those days the denarius was, it was only later that we got rampant Roman seignurage).

To take more than a fair share is greedy, is that the connection you mean?

I have often thought that unfairness is not a deadly sin and why not? To me the problem with the money changers was their unfairness to other men as opposed to their desire for money itself.

I think the answer lies in the 7 deadly sins being really about doing illicit and inappropriate things -things beyond the covenants of Yahweh- with the good things that Yahweh has provided for men. To greatly "lust" after sex with your new wife is not the sin of lust at all (unless at certain points in the church's history it was during a fast) its actually god's will that you want to mate with her and procreate. However to desire sex with the hot girl next door is illicit and no matter how much she would like it too and even if you use no birth control, its a sin. To relax on the sabbath is good. To relax when you should be working is sloth. To enjoy the fruit of your labour at the table is a good thing, to eat far more than you need in wasteful way is gluttony. To be angry at the burning of a church by infidels is virtue, to rage at your neighbour's bonfire is wrath and so on.

The 7 deadly sins are really all the same thing -the incorrect or excessive application of desire that can be good in the right place and time. This is not so much about fairness. Unfairness instead goes against the concept of treating your neighbour as yourself, which is half of the law.

I'm calling it now: President Trump's mental acuity has diminished to a point where he's unfit to perform the duties of his office. When speaking, he rambles, repeats irrelevant talking points instead of responding to questions, and makes opposing claims one sentence apart. He does not meaningfully engage even softball interviewers. He uses preschool level deflections of blame. He doesn't appear to understand the definition of a Trade Deficit or a Tariff.

Look at this transcript, and tell me during what part of this interview would you consider his performance "sharp" by any metric? Quick excerpt:

KRISTEN WELKER:

When does it become the Trump economy?

PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

It partially is right now. And I really mean this. I think the good parts are the Trump economy and the bad parts are the Biden economy because he’s done a terrible job.

www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/read-full-transcript-president-donald-trump-interviewed-meet-press-mod-rcna203514

@alchemist

I fuck women but still have a porn issue, how do I cut it off cold turkey?

Been trying periods of no-fap at the start of this year, the best I've been able to go is 2 weeks or maybe 3 weeks, there was a point in my teens when I was probably doing it 2-3 times a day -- absolutely horrible for your hormones, motivation, social stamina, and most importantly your brain.

I think I have created that first baseline during my teens, where it is now difficult to cut off wanking the johnson totally, since it has left early imprints. I am far from an incel, just hopped from one plate to another, this new one has a higher libido, but due to our schedules I'm only able to meet up with her 1-2 days per week. The last plate, we'd bang 3-4 days per week.

In the past if I wanted to avoid fapping, I'd exercise a second time in the day, or do cardio, or reading, something to pass the time elsewhere. But recently, I've gotten into the cycle of doing it every day that I don't meet up with a woman. Heck, sometimes with my last plate, I'd do it earlier in the day before meeting her.

I think part of it has to do with old habits, also some sort of cope for my busy life situation, last year has been a neverending cycle of full gas no breaks, literally, I was working 3 jobs, I lost > money in some investments, bad news in the family, unexpected expenses, the list goes on, but that's my cross to carry. I shouldn't have to have unhealthy coping mechanisms.

No mater what I fucking do, I can't cut off this habit fully. And I want to, I genuinely want to not look at porn another day in my life, I know the effects, and I'd rather have a wet dream idgaf. Have y'all done anything or come upon anything that helped you fight off this addiction?

---

Attempt to answer: On the one hand, I have utilized possible strategies to quit prn, but I also have not installed content sensitive blockers on my devices, and I have not utilized strategies every time I have the urge, I could find other solutions and outlets or hobbies in those moments. I could spend that libido energy cold approaching, I could spend it meditating, anything else, it doesn't always have to be self-sabotage in the form of exercise.

Have you brought this concern to the attention of the folks on the no-fap forum, at all?

@First-light

I thought the problem with the money changers was that they had a closed market. The temple only accepted the temple shekel, which was of no use anywhere else because it was actually underweight for the price sold.

Jesus at the Temple

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[a] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’[b]”

14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,

“‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’[c]?”

17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

― The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV), Matthew 21:12–17

I prefer John 2:13–16 myself simply because there's something hardcore about a priest taking off his belt and proceeding to whip Jewish degenerates. However, this leaves me curious to ask a serious question. Do you understand what usury is and the significance of its connection to the third of the seven deadly sins?