How to find workable life improvement techniques

Of course, this becomes obvious if you've been following this blog for any amount of time (or want to review it's archives - note to self: I really need to create some books out of this stuff readers can download...)

The best techniques work on all levels.

The worst technique simply stick you into playing separatist games on the first level.

If a dogma, belief-system, or simply says how some other people are "bad" or "lesser beings" than you and your tribe, then it's simply not the most effective technique you could be using.

Anyone can use the "Shadow" mask to point out weaknesses in whatever character you're currently carrying around.

The best techniques will tell you that it's just a mask, and you can take it off. (See Vogler's "Writer's Journey" book.)

And if you are rejecting what I say, simply get a few hundred of Alan Watt's recordings and listen to them.

This is why I don't recommend Scientology - even though I spent over 20 years of my life studying just that. It doesn't really give you any solution to this very separatist world we live in. Much like extremists have taken over most of the religions on this planet and turned them sour. The ones which are inclusive of all other beliefs and faith and thought-systems will be the ones which are most workable and effective for the greatest number of people.

Of course, if I hadn't done all that work and blind study, I wouldn't have been able to find all this data you have in front of you now. Within that body of work are all the clues you need. But you are going to have to tip over the apple-cart so you can see all the apples for what they are. (Just unhitch the horse first, OK?)

The simple approach is to look for techniques which work on all levels, that don't just work on or try only to explain the "real world".  You won't wind up being an Islamic martyr or a starry-eyed zombie repeating back the corporate, party-line talking points. (And politics becomes far more fascinating, as does the "news", because you can see both sides of the story and simply pick the most effective, most win-win solution out of what they are saying.)

Have fun with this - and the rest of this life.