People may have a claim to your actions, but I believe no one has a claim to your thoughts or feelings. Perhaps you owe money for a service or good, but you aren’t obligated to feel guilty or worthless because you made a mistake or someone is suffering more than you. I believe it’s your right to feel happy or upbeat under the worst of circumstances, no matter how much society may frown on it. It’s probably practical not to express it, but you get to think and feel however you want to think and feel.
But then again, those are just my thoughts and feelings on the matter.
Dirty Sci-Fi Buddha 
I agree with you. I was raised on guilt so I have lingering issues with that. I’ve dubbed this year “Guilt Free 2023”. Happy New Year.
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Guilt Free 2023–I’m with you on that! Happy New Year!!
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I’m a firm believer that no one gets to dictate how anyone else feels. It goes the other way, too, I think. Something upset you but the person who did it thinks you shouldn’t be upset by that? Not their call!
Good musings 🙂
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Thanks!
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Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thanks for this reblog! 🙂
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I agree with you that people do not have a claim on an individual’s thoughts or feelings. It is important for individuals to have the freedom to think and feel as they choose. However, it is also important to recognize that our thoughts and feelings can have an impact on those around us and it is important to be mindful of how we express them and how they might affect others. It is important to find a balance between being true to oneself and being considerate of others.
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No you are right. Your feelings, your thoughts, the beauty you see cannot be taken from you, well unless someone takes control of your brain.
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Ah, fuck the cancel culture. YOu can;t be happy because somebody’s miserable. YOu can;t make a joke because .0001% of the population will be offended, can’t take a moral or morale stance because it doesn’t fit under some ill-defined rainbow of behavioral or physical or caste umbrella. Probably unwise if truly abominable behavior tickles your funny bone, but aside from kicking hungry dogs or tripping blind people for kicks or shooting rich white women in the face with a handgun just so you can drive their car until the cops stop you, the rest is pretty much up for grabs. I’m waiting for “Are you a boy or a girl?” and “Daddy, what are Arabs?” jokes to make a comeback. Like Chapelle says. “Some shit’s just funny.” And feeling bad and giving just 19 cents a day to eradicate every injustice is hogwash. “I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don’t let anybody tell you different.” Kurt Vonnegut
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We put far too much stock in what other people say. Have to ask yourself once in a while what’s someone’s motivation regarding what they say.
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Absolutely. A lot of times, I’ve had the completely wrong impression of what they meant as well. Good to leave room for interpretation.
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This resonates. I’m sure I committed this sin myself, but we really have no call to tell someone they are not feeling a certain way, or that their feeling is “wrong” (feelings aren’t opinions!) or that they should stop feeling what they feel. In trying to comfort someone going through a bad patch it can be tricky not fall into one of these traps. You make good points.
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I agree with you here!
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I don’t think anyone has a claim to my thoughts or feelings, either. “Shame on you” doesn’t make me feel shame. Either I had done something wrong, and I’m already feeling shame, or I didn’t do something wrong, and I just feel pity for the person who is so angry.
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Good for you! They’re probably feeling powerlessness and obligation, which is inspiring them to say that.
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The trouble with your (correct) theory is that it goes against today’s martyrdom focused society where everyone’s a victim to be pitied.
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The victim mentality. I am of the idea that all that happens is what makes life beautiful. In the end it zeros in to what are you going to do about it?
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Your thoughts always share a worthwhile nugget or two. Freedom must include our feelings and emotions, without anyone trying to navigate our boat.
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Can’t tell you the number of times in my life someone has said to me “You shouldn’t feel that way.” Makes my blood boil. So I’ve always tried (tried being the operative word here) not to do the same thing to other people. A lot of the comments reflect how I feel on this issue. Personally, I feel that too many people are just too sensitive and need to grow up and realize that the rest of the world isn’t here to pander to them. There, I said it.
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