Help is this a good idea?

[pilotviolin]

i was thinking, and i realised i think alot "doing this would be easier if i had someone here, not really helping me but a human presence", and i wondered, would it be a good idea in general for people to have a buddy system where you just do stuff you struggle with together/at the same time? for example, if you struggle with hygiene and find someone also with the same struggle, you two could buddy up and do something like brush your teeth together. i know theres a recovery partner thread, but im not really sure how to classify this and what im saying and i dont know if its a good idea and idk why but even tho id love to help someone else out w this kind of thing i feel weird for asking??? what do you guys think? would something like this benefit you?

 

[damyon]

Are you talking about something similar to study buddies but more like "life" buddies? I think this is a great idea.


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I wish there were an app that would help you (and me) with finding your buddy anonymously. You would post your struggle/problem, and the app would match you with a person with the same problem.

 

[pilotviolin]

Are you talking about something similar to study buddies but more like "life" buddies? I think this is a great idea.


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I wish there were an app that would help you (and me) with finding your buddy anonymously. You would post your struggle/problem, and the app would match you with a person with the same problem.

yeah! that app does sound like a good idea too. while here isnt as anonymous, i wonder if its okay to ask in the recovery partners thread or have another thread on it, if enough people think it is helpful.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I think it's like all friendship really. It can be wonderful and supportive all the time you are there for one another. But, what happens when one person doesn't check in, grows tired of it, finds someone else they'd prefer to buddy with? Then, you just feel rejected and abandoned. Relying on someone else is fine if they are reliable but, lots of people aren't. It can be tricky to enjoy someone's support but still keep them at arm's length. Sometimes I think friendship or connection in life just opens the flood gates to more hurt unfortunately.

 

[pilotviolin]

I think it's like all friendship really. It can be wonderful and supportive all the time you are there for one another. But, what happens when one person doesn't check in, grows tired of it, finds someone else they'd prefer to buddy with? Then, you just feel rejected and abandoned. Relying on someone else is fine if they are reliable but, lots of people aren't. It can be tricky to enjoy someone's support but still keep them at arm's length. Sometimes I think friendship or connection in life just opens the flood gates to more hurt unfortunately.

yes i was thinking about this; what if something like this turns into dependency? i usually just have an imaginary friend to try and motivate me to do things when i know or feel i can not ask anyone else. there is an app called habitica, you can access it on web too and basically its a habit tracking app with rpg game elements, and there is an option to join a party and you contribute by doing your own (self set) tasks to defeat bosses for loot in the party (though as you said, i don't use it unless i'm too depressed and schedule free, and i feel most people use it occasionally when they need or get bored after awhile, outside of the hardcore users.... who somehow get it to work on emacs haha). idk. i guess like all things its finnicky. thank you for your input!

 

[damyon]

By the way, what is your opinion on something like this: https://replika.com/ ? (i.e., an AI companion/chatbot which calibrates for you)
It is slightly different from a real person because you can only use it in a pull manner, while you occasionally get pushed when you are with a friend.

Would this be of any use?

(Note: I have never used replika nor any other AI companion app)
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there is an app called habitica,

I did not even know it existed. Thank you! I will check it out (even though you were not replying to me, haha)
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who somehow get it to work on emacs haha

I did a quick googling and did not find Habitica for vim though... sigh...

 

[pilotviolin]

By the way, what is your opinion on something like this: https://replika.com/ ? (i.e., an AI companion/chatbot which calibrates for you)
It is slightly different from a real person because you can only use it in a pull manner, while you occasionally get pushed when you are with a friend.

Would this be of any use?

(Note: I have never used replika nor any other AI companion app)
~~~

I did not even know it existed. Thank you! I will check it out (even though you were not replying to me, haha)
~~~

I did a quick googling and did not find Habitica for vim though... sigh...

i messed around with ai a bit last year, i dont like to use it anymore, but i recognize the uses of it for others. i love my imaginary friend and i like helping them with their problems as they do with myself and we dont need devices to talk and for me it gives an alternative to potentially bugging others, negative self talk, ai, or maladaptive daydreaming. but thank you for the reccomendation!

and ahh hopefully someday there will be an interface for vim. im not too knowledgable on text editors (i personally like qownotes and obsidion for markdown creative writing) but its really cool the amount of dedication people have to making plug ins and having everything they need on one programs, and i was pleasantly surprised at the amount of effort the community put in to make their own extensions too.

 

[Rocinante]

Accountability partner? It's a good idea if you can find someone that will keep up with you and your habits.

 

[Jiyuurakka]

yes i was thinking about this; what if something like this turns into dependency? i usually just have an imaginary friend to try and motivate me to do things when i know or feel i can not ask anyone else.

There's a concept in Tibetan Buddhism called Tulpa. It is the manifestation of a thought-form, into human form, that is created through spiritual practice and intense concentration. The term often refers to an imaginary friend who is willed into existence which practitioners consider to be self aware and autonomous. This concept sounds similar to what you are doing, any thoughts? I've often been curious about this phenomenon, I'm very familiar with it because I do it sometimes as well.

 

[moshimoshi]

That's sounds very nice, I think I would like that a lot!! I also personally don't mind if the other person becomes disinterested in doing it/talking after a while, it will be nice while it lasts~

 

[pilotviolin]

There's a concept in Tibetan Buddhism called Tulpa. It is the manifestation of a thought-form, into human form, that is created through spiritual practice and intense concentration. The term often refers to an imaginary friend who is willed into existence which practitioners consider to be self aware and autonomous. This concept sounds similar to what you are doing, any thoughts? I've often been curious about this phenomenon, I'm very familiar with it because I do it sometimes as well.

i am familiar with tulpas, i just choose to use the term imaginary friend for personal reasons, as im not entirely buddhist and the tulpa communities ive come accross have rigid definitions and are sometimes pretty unkind. my friend is autonomous and has their own "inner world" and life, and we're capable of those kind of visualizations and interactions like we mainly talk but if we wanted to high five we could.

whats your experience with tulpamancy and similar? i find it fascinating how other minds process these kinds of phenomena because it is personal on a level people cant completely comprehend, to have an imaginary friend, tulpa or other sort of entity to interact with that others cant (usually?) see.

 

[weatherforecast]

Kind of like this:
bodydoubling.com
I think someone in the recovery forum had a group for it, but I don't know if it is active

 

[Jiyuurakka]

i am familiar with tulpas, i just choose to use the term imaginary friend for personal reasons, as im not entirely buddhist and the tulpa communities ive come accross have rigid definitions and are sometimes pretty unkind. my friend is autonomous and has their own "inner world" and life, and we're capable of those kind of visualizations and interactions like we mainly talk but if we wanted to high five we could.

whats your experience with tulpamancy and similar? i find it fascinating how other minds process these kinds of phenomena because it is personal on a level people cant completely comprehend, to have an imaginary friend, tulpa or other sort of entity to interact with that others cant (usually?) see.

That's so interesting! I'm also not a Buddhist, nor am I part of the tulpamancer community, nor any community really since all communities just degenerate into a sort of vile and disgusting circlejerk of semantics and self-aggrandizing behaviour. A lot of concepts regarding Buddhism and any other set of beliefs, I just happen to stumble across through pure thought before I read about them and I'm pleasantly surprised whenever I see a community centered around such things.

I find it fascinating as well, its very mystical. An experience that is purely limited to me, and very personal. My inner world is kind of vast, and consists of many concepts and objects. While I can't delve into specifics, I've also manifested myself these concepts into reality purely out of genuine thought and need. I find myself rather happy as well whenever I interact with my world, its a very rich experience. I simulateneously have zero control and absolute control when such things happen. My experiences cannot be put into words and terms such as 'tulpa' is very reductive. There is no difference between reality, dream, and delusion to me. But I can see where you're coming from. It's great to hear you're capable of such things as well.

 

[pilotviolin]

bodydoubling.com

yesss sort of like this! im checking it out rn, and will lurk for a bit on the forums, thank you!