Andrew

[Andrew]

Or, to put a more pointed “point” to my point:

The first line of the AFT proclaims that psychiatry is outdated. Yet, when those (and over the years I still remember some of the names) of those with genuine psychiatric conditions interact with the list, they are told that they should seek professional help.

so is psychiatry out-dated by actualism?

Not so far, on the whole.

Edit: Guillaume, there is a name you may not know. Schizophrenic lad who used to interact a lot on yahoo. Even had a few videos on YouTube at some point. there was also a bi-polar lady, I want to say Lindsey, or Layla, something with L.

[Andrew]

Or to point out what is obvious, and what i otherwise was castigated for:

If you are going to start objecting on what is “normal”, which is what my post was about when i said what i said,

When you start to truly do this for you, then you do this fr all of us anyway,

Narcissism is not the opposite of actual freedom. Eliminating vanity? Good luck.

How about you really, absolutely look after you as an entire entity?

Rick and I used to talk on the phone a bit, and we both agreed that if we could have a big red button that ended “us” we would hit it without hesitation.

The endless chatter which goes around and around, with quotes and whatnot.

So what if you don’t care in some normal way? If you truly look after yourself, in that sense that you “feel through” to being absolutely knowing that ‘you” are in the way of your own ultimate release, who give a shit if it was “selfish”?

I don’t.

In an ironic twist: my son messaged me that he really like the song i posted to YouTube, which i otherwise was including in the songs that i don’t think are very good.

It means a lot to him that i tried. That i wrote a song about how much it hurts to “love” a woman.

[Vineeto]

Andrew: Cringing is so very normal. Most people are cringing all the time. What I am posting about is the use of “narcissism” and “vanity” being conflated. (…)
But, instead of taking my word for it, perhaps the word of a self-described sociopath and grandiose narcissist (he says he ranks off the scale on both tests): Prof. Sam Vaknin. (…)

Hi Andrew,

You have tried ascribing psychiatric labels onto yourself before –

Andrew: First to the questions; has anyone looked into ADHD or has ADHD? (…) Watching a few videos, I really saw that the traits match my MO in many ways. (31 Dec 2025)

Now you found another identity-label, possibly also because Prof Vaknin has given you a valid narrative for your life to identify with. This paragraph describes what you seem to be living out at present –

Prof. Vaknin: The narcissist is doomed to roam a circular labyrinth. When he does achieve something – he demotes it in order to enhance his own sense of omnipotence, perfection, and brilliance. When he fails, he dares not face reality. He escapes to the land of no narratives where life is nothing but a meaningless wasteland. The narcissist whiles his life away. [Emphasis added]. (https://narcissistic-abuse.com/narcissistlifeshame).

It seems to be the case with your dipping your toe into actualism but never really getting involved/ making the first step to becoming more harmless and happy, and now you are reduced the “demoting” actualism and an actual freedom in no uncertain terms. It’s not only the reaction of a “clinical narcissist” but it’s a very common response when the grapes are hanging too high (as in Aesop’s fable) – I have seen this response many, many times before.

It simply means that the ‘self’-preservation of ‘Andrew’, the lost, lonely, frightened and very cunning identity, has found a way to save ‘his’ pride and give up nevertheless.

Andrew: It may pay to understand that an actual clinical narcissist doesn’t technically have an ego, and is thus not vain. (…)
As of now, I am not aware of any cure for NPD or ASPD. (link)

Ha … you now have the blessing and/or confirmation in your self-assessed psychiatric disorder to not even have to pretend to try to change human nature – it can’t be done. The irony is that this is exactly the reason philosophy and psychiatry are outdated.

Andrew: I realise actualism is proclaimed in the first line of the website as “It is possible to live in this modern era, freed from out-dated Philosophy and Psychiatry”, but I never saw anything about narcissism being “cured” in the clinical sense on the website. As in, the word is used in it everyday meaning whenever I have read anything on the site.
The clinical reality of the “disorder” is far more instructive than the way it is is lumped in with philosophy and metaphysics et al, on the website.
There is over 100 years of research into how the “normal” aspect of the psyche can manifest in the worst of human behaviour and create the worst of it. Objectification (whether sexual, or otherwise) at the early stages of life creates what Vaknin describes as an “imaginary friend” which ends up being the only self the victim ever develops.
To take it back to applicable usefulness: in what way have we created and maintained a false self from childhood because of objectification? (link)

After this declaration that your condition is incurable, I wonder what “applicable usefulness” your question has on this forum. Richard made it very clear in thousands of posts to hundreds of correspondents that ‘I’ am rotten to the core, irredeemably so, and that the only solution is to voluntarily leave the ‘self’ behind.

He also described and reported various tools, which have all been experientially proven to work, to incrementally diminish ‘me’ (the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ feelings) and be able to increasingly enjoy and appreciate being here. By the way, the first ‘case of narcissism’ (which he himself classified as institutionalised insanity) being cured by the actualism method was Richard himself –

Richard: I found out where I had been going wrong for eleven years … self-aggrandisement is so seductive. (Richard, AF List, No. 16, 8 Jan 2001).

Naturally, this suggestion of a solution, which diminishes ‘me’, is anathema to an avowed narcissist, self-confirmed by psychological and psychiatric literature, and possibly more inclined to self-centricity than most. And yet, there must be some inkling of doubt, else why would you write and try to convince/ convert others of your belief, and why would you ‘cringe’?

Andrew: Or, to put a more pointed “point” to my point:
The first line of the AFT proclaims that psychiatry is outdated. Yet, when those (and over the years I still remember some of the names) of those with genuine psychiatric conditions interact with the list, they are told that they should seek professional help.
So is psychiatry out-dated by actualism?
Not so far, on the whole.
Edit: [name deleted], there is a name you may not know. [psychiatric label deleted] lad who used to interact a lot on yahoo. Even had a few videos on YouTube at some point. there was also a bi-polar lady, I want to say [name deleted], or Layla, something with L. (link)

Now here is where narcissism (=self-love) demonstrates its extreme non-consideration for anyone else but ‘me’ (=malice). On the AFT the names on the mailing lists were deliberated anonymised out of consideration for people’s privacy (except for those requesting/ giving permission for their first name to be used) for the very reason that often private and delicate details were discussed when talking about the human condition and how to become free from it.

In your desire to pull everyone down to your level of suffering/self-centricity you are callously dragging those names and private details from previous mailing lists into the public forum (a troll-feature called cross-posting) to illustrate your point that psychiatry is not out-dated.

What you overlooked is that psychiatry/ psychology has never cured anyone permanently from malice and sorrow. An actual freedom lies beyond normal and abnormal, beyond sanity and insanity.

However, if you are convinced that philosophy and psychiatry are not “outdated” and have “over 100 years of research” at their disposal, why not put your money where your mouth is and engage one of their genre to help you (back) to “common human unhappiness” –

Richard: As for ‘undergoing treatment’ … psychiatric medication and psychological counselling are designed to bring those who are suffering from any of three main psychotic categories (Bi-polar Disorder, Schizophrenia and Clinical Depression) and any neurotic sub-categories, back to a state of as near-normal functioning as possible (and ‘normal’ is categorised by Mr. Sigmund Freud as ‘common human unhappiness’). No psychiatric or psychological treatment would meet what I was wanting – I was looking to go beyond both normal and abnormal – thus I was not seeking to ‘undergo treatment’ but rather to find out, experientially (as I did in other fields) what was the extent and range of other human’s experience and solutions.
Psychology and psychiatry has failed just as dismally as philosophy and spirituality. (Richard, List B, Gary, 23 Sep 1999).

Chrono reported last year after personal experience with this genre –

Chrono: I went to counsellors and therapists and it did help but only in a ‘keeping my head above water’ kind of way. (25 Oct 2025)

You probably already know what Richard is saying on the topic –

Respondent: It is a privilege to work in a field that interests oneself.
Richard: Be that as it may … as psychology/ psychiatry has not brought, is not bringing, and will not bring, peace-on-earth, then nothing that a psychological/ psychiatric approach has to offer has, is, or will, be of use/ be of service to a person setting foot on the wide and wondrous path to an actual freedom from the human condition. (Richard, AF List, No. 68b, 1 Dec 2004).

Should you ever grow tired of whiling your life away with psychologising, philosophising and justifying why you are the way you are right now, you can decide to start extracting yourself of the mess you find yourself in. It means, however, that you have to really, really want to do it, actively and practically, to the point of getting obsessed with finding a way out of the mess both your instinctual passions and your socialisation have placed you in.

It can be done.

Cheers Vineeto

[Andrew]

Hi Vineeto,

Guillaume never hid his name from the yahoo list, neither did he hide his name from YouTube, or any other public interaction with actualism. I only know his name and condition because he never hid anything. Much like me, I don’t really hide the details.

Being “freed” from “outdated” psychiatry never did either of us any good.

Indeed, in the everyday english conversation, if some is being “freed” from “outdated” anything, then it is without doubt the following information contains how that is to happen.

Tell me, exactly how many people have been “freed” from their personality disorders? From, as you perhaps rightly say of me, NPD, or being a sociopath?

I will of course allow you all the time in the world to modify the
AFT to suit your arguement, as I have no choice in that, but I remember reading that anyone who has any of those conditions are advised to seek professional help.

You can change that at will. You have the entire website at your editorial power. However, while you are indeed willing to diagnose at will on a public forum, I am not.

I don’t think that the core of actualism, the premise and result is false, or some lie. What I do think is that the way that it circles around in what reminds me so much of zen “sudden awakening” types of confrontation and confusion.

I was very clear in my criticism. as of now, not a single person has been freed from the need for psychiatry. Not a single person: unless you want to amend the list? Who? Which person have you, or any actually free person “freed” from the disorder you so freely diagnose me with?

So you know, I have no skin in the game. I was linked in when Kuba referenced me. I kept a smiley face and left it at that.

Then I did feel an intense bout of cringe, as explained, and it wasn’t actualism that allowed me to understand what was happening. It was psychiatric theory.

that indeed I had created a delusion of being a great song writer, and the moment I saw that wasn’t actually the case, I felt that feeling.

So, while I doubt I am as you so freely diagnose, I am aware that it was not actualism that informed me of what was happening. And as such, it was not actualism that “freed” me from “outdated” psychiatry.

You can be assured that I will not be searching the AFT for the written evidence of when those with disorders are advised to seek professional help.

I will be honest and say I expect all those references to have disappeared already.

Andrew

[Andrew]

Ok, so I said I would not check, but then I thought “damn, did I completely make up that “seek professional help” memory?

Turns out no, that is the case. The “outdated” is indeed recommended:

RICHARD: No, actualism is not a replacement for professional therapy – I advise all those in need of therapy to seek professional advice before embarking on the wide and wondrous path to an actual freedom from the human condition – and as you have demonstrated no understanding as to what is involved in the actualism method you can only be stabbing wildly in the dark once again.

First lines of the website:

It is possible to live in this modern era, freed from out-dated Philosophy and Psychiatry, challenging every Spiritual and Metaphysical tenet and surpassing any of the Altered States of Consciousness. Discarding all of the beliefs which have held humankind in thralldom for eons, the way has now been discovered which cuts through the ‘Tried and True’ and enables anybody to be, for the very first time, a fully free and autonomous individual, living in utter peace and tranquillity, beholden to no-one.

So, while it may seem like an attack Vineeto, just as it was normal for trolls back in the day: This is indeed where we are at.

You: diagnosing me, without a single credential (that I know of) and certainly without any time spent in actual consultation.

Me: pointing out that “freed” from, and “outdated” would certainly have been great, but here we are…

Fortunately, I know enough about myself that while probably somewhere on the sub-clinical spectrum of a Dependant Personality (who does indeed share traits with all the personality disorders in that we do have delusional beliefs about ourselves - that is all self diagnosed), I am not so far gone that your completely unwise attempt at diagnosis is of any danger to anyone.

You may want to rein that in though. It’s one thing to be communicating about actualism, it’s another to be proclaiming that people you have briefly met 9 years ago, and has otherwise been (and continue to be) respectful, have potentially extremely dangerous personality disorders.

I find it strange that you would “try that on”. I am not offended by it, but I wonder why you so easily “went there”?

I am of course unsettled, but I was already feeling that from the other day.

The goal, and I have never been very good at it, is indeed to be useful.

P.S: my statement that you would change the website to prove your point proved to be false, so that is great! Turns out there may be some mutual mis diagnosis going on after all.

[Vineeto]

Andrew: Ok, so I said I would not check, but then I thought “damn, did I completely make up that “seek professional help” memory?
Turns out no, that is the case. The “outdated” is indeed recommended:

Richard: No, actualism is not a replacement for professional therapy – I advise all those in need of therapy to seek professional advice before embarking on the wide and wondrous path to an actual freedom from the human condition – and as you have demonstrated no understanding as to what is involved in the actualism method you can only be stabbing wildly in the dark once again. (Richard, AF List, No. 51, 7 Oct 2003).

First lines of the website:

It is possible to live in this modern era, freed from out-dated Philosophy and Psychiatry, challenging every Spiritual and Metaphysical tenet and surpassing any of the Altered States of Consciousness. Discarding all of the beliefs which have held humankind in thralldom for eons, the way has now been discovered which cuts through the ‘Tried and True’ and enables anybody to be, for the very first time, a fully free and autonomous individual, living in utter peace and tranquillity, beholden to no-one.

So, while it may seem like an attack Vineeto, just as it was normal for trolls back in the day: This is indeed where we are at.

Hi Andrew,

I am pleased you have come to your senses enough to check up on your own allegations. As for what you call “normal for trolls back in the day” – those days of answering any and all allegations are long over, most answers are already collected in the Commonly Raised Objections, and I am not inclined to spend my retirement dealing with them. They often arise when a person is in the grip of one or more strong feelings or “unsettled”.

Andrew: You: diagnosing me, without a single credential (that I know of) and certainly without any time spent in actual consultation.

If you consider my last post to you as me “diagnosing” you, then you are mistaken. I did no such thing – I simply said that these are the labels you seem to be applying to yourself – first “ADHD” and now “clinical narcissist”. I used the latter label because that is what Prof Vaknin, you referred to, writes about. You said –

Andrew: But, instead of taking my word for it, perhaps the word of a self described sociopath and grandiose narcissist (he says he ranks off the scale on both tests):
Prof. Sam Vaknin. https://youtube.com/@samvaknin?si=yeHzk6XOHiUbK7nz
Well respected (?) , I am not sure, he says so. But the point this: when my last girlfriend displayed unmistakeable symptoms, I deep dived this guys videos and it was so spot on, that it removed any anger of mystery. (link)

Andrew: the clinical reality of the “disorder” is far more instructive than the way it is is lumped in with philosophy and metaphysics et al, on the website.
There is over 100 years of research into how the “normal” aspect of the psyche can manifest in the worst of human behaviour and create the worst of it. Objectification (whether sexual, or otherwise) at the early stages of life creates what Vaknin describes as an “imaginary friend” which ends up being the only self the victim ever develops.
To take it back to applicable usefulness: in what way have we created and maintained a false self from childhood because of objectification? [Emphasis added]. (link)

To my understanding you seem to have included yourself in the last question (“we”) regarding the research of Prof. Vaknin. It appeared to be a more personal matter, especially when in your next post you expounded the virtues of being selfish (“Narcissism is not the opposite of actual freedom”) and not caring “in some normal way” –

Andrew: Narcissism is not the opposite of actual freedom. Eliminating vanity? Good luck.
How about you really, absolutely look after you as an entire entity?
Rick and I used to talk on the phone a bit, and we both agreed that if we could have a big red button that ended “us” we would hit it without hesitation.
The endless chatter which goes around and around, with quotes and whatnot.
So what if you don’t care in some normal way? If you truly look after yourself, in that sense that you “feel through” to being absolutely knowing that ‘you” are in the way of your own ultimate release, who give a shit if it was “selfish”?
I don’t. (link)

Now you saying that you only mentioned the Professor’s name and URL and described his work out of non-personal interest in scientific research regarding narcissism?

Nevertheless, I am very pleased to hear that you are neither a narcissistically or a non-caring ‘sociopathically’ inclined person because you gave a convincing indication of that, hence my taking the link to be related to your own issues.

Btw, what you are praising is the instinct of self-preservation, expressing itself in fear, aggression, nurture and desire. Here is one of the “endless” quotes from Richard, explaining why it is detrimental to our well-being and why narcissism (=self-love) is anathema to diminishing the ‘self’ to eventually segue into willing ‘self’-sacrifice. Perhaps you didn’t know.

Richard: Our instinct for self-preservation, ‘by gobbling up the planet’, can hardly be succeeding in its designated task of being ‘life-preserving’ if it is – as you point out – in fact destroying the environment and the eco-system. This instinct – which is put in place by blind nature – is what is leading humans to their eventual extinction as a species. Blind nature is not at all concerned about our survival, either as an individual or as a species, it is only concerned with the survival of the fittest. These blind instincts, which served us well in the primitive stage of life, are now detrimental to our well being and can – and should – be dispensed with.
It is also our instinct for self preservation which has led to so many wars. Hardly a salubrious state of affairs I would say. However, the elimination of self in its entirety is the automatic elimination of instincts – which are not set in concrete – thus global peace on earth is highly possible … unless, of course, people continue to believe that some fictitious god is going to step in and save us all from ourselves.
We are on our own … our future prosperity is entirely in our own hands. (Richard, List A, No. 16, #No. 3)

Andrew: Me: pointing out that “freed” from, and “outdated” would certainly have been great, but here we are…

This expectation seems to tie in with the “red button” you talked about with Rick right after declaring that “Narcissism is not the opposite of actual freedom” –

Andrew: Rick and I used to talk on the phone a bit, and we both agreed that if we could have a big red button that ended “us” we would hit it without hesitation. (link)

Are you assuming that because one person succeeded in freeing themselves from the human condition, surpassing the outdated wisdom of spirituality, philosophy and psychiatry, and published reports, descriptions and explanations about it, that you can automatically also be freed from the human condition, whilst remaining as ‘self’-centric as you are? You must be kidding.

That an actual freedom doesn’t happen overnight because one thinks it’s a good idea, doesn’t change the fact that an actual freedom is way superior to the present state of “common human unhappiness” (link) which psychology and psychiatry aim to achieve – and it is replicable.

Andrew: Fortunately, I know enough about myself that while probably somewhere on the sub-clinical spectrum of a Dependant Personality (who does indeed share traits with all the personality disorders in that we do have delusional beliefs about ourselves – that is all self diagnosed), I am not so far gone that your completely unwise attempt at diagnosis is of any danger to anyone.
You may want to rein that in though. It’s one thing to be communicating about actualism, it’s another to be proclaiming that people you have briefly met 9 years ago, and has otherwise been (and continue to be) respectful, have potentially extremely dangerous personality disorders.
I find it strange that you would “try that on”. I am not offended by it, but I wonder why you so easily “went there”?
I am of course unsettled, but I was already feeling that from the other day.
The goal, and I have never been very good at it, is indeed to be useful.

Again, I am pleased to hear that you are not “of any danger to anyone”. As I explained above, I took the research from Prof Vaknin you presented, including your follow-up posts, as a representation of your own self-diagnosis. It has nothing at all to do with having met you in person years ago.

If you “indeed” (i.e. in deed) want “to be useful” (i.e. beneficial to yourself and your fellow human beings) why don’t you want to be harmless and happy?

Andrew: P.S: my statement that you would change the website to prove your point proved to be false, so that is great! Turns out there may be some mutual mis diagnosis going on after all.

I am pleased you found that out yourself.

Cheers Vineeto

[Andrew]

Hi Vineeto,

I did not see that my sentences would indeed give someone the impression that I was labelling myself NPD or ASPD. It makes sense now that you have explained how it appeared to the reader. I was really taken aback, but I can see that indeed my lack of clear writing was the cause, not you jumping to diagnosis.

Today was a very beautiful sunny day, with plenty of walking time for me to think through why I was so insistent to make this particular point about the way psychiatry is lumped in with everything else in that first sentence of the AFT, and instructions to seek professional help are elsewhere.

I can see that the main clue is in what I later shared about the self-diagnosed “dependent personality” traits. I always had objections, but I could never compartmentalise them. I may appear to be a self with that capacity to direct my thoughts, one might sensibly not let a single point of disagreement ruin an entire friendship. I never really had that skill. It was all or nothing, and because I had supposedly found the answer, I manifested the types of reactions like yesterday. I try and change the messengers!

Now, do I think that the AFT is deficient? Yes. Because I think everything is deficient, precisely because I look to others to make the rules for me, to tell me what to do. So, while I doubt it’s clinical (one of the co-morbid symptoms is high degrees of manipulation in clinical dependence, which I don’t have)

Do I think, for the benefit of others some warning could be added? Sensibly, yes. If someone who should be getting therapy, get’s some therapy and otherwise then, as Richard suggests, can make something of actualism, great. That’s not a demand, I just don’t see psychiatry as being “outdated” when in fact, in possibly in my case and others, it was needed all along.

The defining trait that has let me be assured that I am not clinically disordered is empathy and compassion. These are typically very low in people with disorders. While I tend to be high in these areas, over my lifetime.

I will reiterate that I don’t have an objection to actual freedom, or the premises of the method, and the practice of it. I can see that I wasn’t able to seperate myself from the messengers words, whether Richard, Peter, yourself and others. Which is a classic symptom of dependence and stunted emotional skills.

The walk showed me that I need to continue to be as independent as possible. Making the most of my time within my own “space” mentally. That point is still unfolding for me, as having everything “lumped together” actualism, me, you, all the people over the years (I had briefly tried to help Guilherme back in the day) , others I mentioned like Rick, the forum, it all ends up being confusion and then after a while, it “explodes” out, in a way like it did yesterday.

So, deliberately taking my time, in my own space, and being able to develop that separation and maturity is what i saw was needed. Being able to experiment and value my own time.

Thanks

Andrew

[Vineeto]

Andrew: Hi Vineeto,
I did not see that my sentences would indeed give someone the impression that I was labelling myself NPD or ASPD. It makes sense now that you have explained how it appeared to the reader. I was really taken aback, but I can see that indeed my lack of clear writing was the cause, not you jumping to diagnosis.

Hi Andrew,

Thank you for your sincerity and being able to read your writing with the reader’s eyes. I will keep the possibility of misunderstanding the other in mind and consider that clarification might be needed.

Andrew: Today was a very beautiful sunny day, with plenty of walking time for me to think through why I was so insistent to make this particular point about the way psychiatry is lumped in with everything else in that first sentence of the AFT, and instructions to seek professional help are elsewhere.
I can see that the main clue is in what I later shared about the self-diagnosed “dependent personality” traits. I always had objections, but I could never compartmentalise them. I may appear to be a self with that capacity to direct my thoughts, one might sensibly not let a single point of disagreement ruin an entire friendship. I never really had that skill. It was all or nothing, and because I had supposedly found the answer, I manifested the types of reactions like yesterday. I try and change the messengers!

Ha … changing or shooting the messenger(s) is an age-old instinctual reaction – it is a well-known tradition that only a couple of centuries past whoever brought the message of a lost battle to the ruler was executed.

Andrew: Now, do I think that the AFT is deficient? Yes. Because I think everything is deficient, precisely because I look to others to make the rules for me, to tell me what to do.

That’s a good insight – and ‘Vineeto’ knew it well, when ‘she’ became the disciple of a ‘wise’ man (Rajneesh) to tell ‘her’ what to do with ‘her’ life. Richard however taught ‘her’ how to rely on facts and actuality (rather than second-hand beliefs) and how to most effectively (non-emotionally) make use of her native intelligence.

Andrew: So, while I doubt it’s clinical (one of the co-morbid symptoms is high degrees of manipulation in clinical dependence, which I don’t have).

Are you still searching for a definite label to categorize yourself with? And yet those labels, even if you found the most fitting one, would not assist you in becoming free from malice and sorrow, let alone permanently, because psychiatry can manage the disorder not cure it. So why not treat those symptoms as aspects of your identity, which you no longer need to employ? They were developed as a survival-mechanisms when you had no other choice. Knowing that you will never be a helpless child again, you can look at them, one by one, and discard them as unnecessary and detrimental to your well-being.

If my memory serves me correctly one of the first ones would sensibly be the taboo to succeed.

Andrew: Do I think, for the benefit of others some warning could be added? Sensibly, yes. If someone who should be getting therapy, get’s some therapy and otherwise then, as Richard suggests, can make something of actualism, great. That’s not a demand, I just don’t see psychiatry as being “outdated” when in fact, in possibly in my case and others, it was needed all along.

Have you ever read the Disclaimer page carefully, which link is displayed at the bottom of each page? When you do, you will understand why Richard says “Actualism is of no use to one who is harbouring a neurotic or psychotic condition”. It might also help you to understand why you have been unsuccessful helping those people you mentioned below. So “outdated” doesn’t mean superfluous for everybody, it means ineffective regarding peace on earth and ultimate fulfilment, as outdated as religions, spirituality and philosophy are. You might also find the correspondence with No. 46 informative, linked to at the bottom of the Disclaimer page.

Andrew: The defining trait that has let me be assured that I am not clinically disordered is empathy and compassion. These are typically very low in people with disorders. While I tend to be high in these areas, over my lifetime.

You may want to read what Chrono reported in his latest post regarding compassion and its more salubrious alternative and we can have a longer discussion if you wish.

Andrew: I will reiterate that I don’t have an objection to actual freedom, or the premises of the method, and the practice of it. I can see that I wasn’t able to separate myself from the messengers’ words, whether Richard, Peter, yourself and others. Which is a classic symptom of dependence and stunted emotional skills.

While I appreciate your reiteration, I’d rather say you may not have an objection to ‘your’ interpretation of actual freedom, the actualism method and the practice, and you can’t always tell the difference. You might often interpret actualism according to the old paradigm and its values, not fully realising the radicality of it being a third alternative to materialism and spiritualism.

I’m only thinking of the recent post to Kuba (link) regarding narcissism and altruism where you downplayed an actual freedom as the outcome of apparent trivialities in order to make light of Kuba’s post on narcissism. And two days ago (link) you expounded the virtues of being selfish (“Narcissism is not the opposite of actual freedom”) and not caring “in some normal way”. I would call that re-writing the meaning of actual freedom, the actualism method and the practice not only for yourself but also how others should view it – be that out of “empathy and compassion” or for more personal reasons without being fully aware that you are doing it.

Andrew: The walk showed me that I need to continue to be as independent as possible. Making the most of my time within my own “space” mentally. That point is still unfolding for me, as having everything “lumped together” actualism, me, you, all the people over the years (I had briefly tried to help Guilherme back in the day), others I mentioned like Rick, the forum, it all ends up being confusion and then after a while, it “explodes” out, in a way like it did yesterday.
So, deliberately taking my time, in my own space, and being able to develop that separation and maturity is what I saw was needed. Being able to experiment and value my own time.
Thanks (link)

While it’s certainly sensible to “take your time”, I rather suggest becoming aware of each ‘good’ and/or bad feeling (because they are the ones which are “having everything lumped together” ), so that when you are in a good mood, clear thinking can occur. Then you might not only better understand what actualists write about an actual freedom, the actualism method and practice, but also how ‘you’ tick, and why you react to certain triggers in a particular way. Then any discussion about the questions you have will be a lot more fruitful.

I am certainly happy to be of assistance.

Cheers Vineeto