Did you have any illusions in life which you nurtured for a certain period of time and had to let go?

Yes… The fact that I once believed men to be honest and decent human beings down deep inside.

For a very brief period, we’re talking one Saturday tea time here as an 8yr old, I pondered God’s existence. As I say it didn’t last long, not even a whole episode of Dr. Who.

Yes but I cannot share them for now.

I used to believe in the illusion that everyone has a soul mate, just for them, somewhere in the world. When I finally realized I didn’t believe that anymore, I think it made it easier on me not to place so many expectations on myself or others when looking for another relationship.

That life would be fair when I reached adulthood. Took me a while to get over just how unfair things could be.

@Bluefreedom I believe in the concept of the fractal human being. Meaning we have so many hidden and obscured variables deep within our hearts and within our psyche’s how could ONE person possible fit within the scope of what it is that makes a person who they are.

I don’t believe we have only one, but many throughout a lifetime and thereafter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ-PzM4WnAI

Unfortunately by the event of some strange odd shift in the space time contimuum, I believe ALL of mine to be 18th century poets and they of course are ALL dead now. So basically I’m screwed.

@GabrielsLamb. Very interesting thoughts and a really good answer on your part. Well done.

Yeah, unfortunately. “Land of the free” ... “home of the brave” ... “liberty and justice for all” and a few others.

I thought one person could meet most of my needs. It is both painful and liberating to let go of that idea.

I had to finally let go of the idea that if you found someone who you loved and claimed love you, that they would care about you and the care and consideration would be a two way street.

Also, I second what @CWOTUS said. It didn’t take long of living outside the US to realise that the US didn’t live up to it’s promises.

I believed that if I prayed, God would tell me what path I should pursue. I believed that I should choose my first profession. It seemed logical. It was okay, but later I went into the one I personally wanted in the first place.

I had the illusion that I was a sinner bound for hell but that Jesus Christ could save me from that. Letting go of that was enormously liberating.

Maybe I’ve been cynical since I’ve been in the womb, because I can’t recall any illusions I’ve ever held. Maybe I’m just brain-rotted and my memory can’t find anything bad back there.

I’ve never expected perfection of any kind. I’ve never believed that all people would be rational. I’ve expected things to go wrong, and they have, but nothing has done as wrong as it could have. We’ve survived Ronald Reagan and George W Bush, and I expect we will survive Rick Perry, too. Of course, people have been hurt by all, but they survive except when they don’t.

I’ve been idealistic, but I don’t think I had illusions about the possibility of realizing my ideals. I’ve always believed in tilting at windmills.

In my teens I had to deal with becoming aware life is not fair. It was very very difficult for me.

I do have illusion with some guys I date at the time to be in a good happy loving relationship… then when it comes to the end to realise that they are not that serious about me, then it is painful to let go of someone you really like…

This might seem a bit naive, especially because I’m very jaded, but I never thought that a natural disaster would ever be allowed to affect the U.S. like Katrina did. I always believed that we just had too many resources to allow that to happen.

I wouldn’t say it liberated or hurt me in any way, but I’m much more scared of earthquakes then I ever was before.

@Londongirl Aww, sorry to hear that. Hope the right one comes sooner rather than later. He will.

I thought there was a perfect person for me and that one day we would meet. I no longer believe that we will ever meet.

Of course, and yes, extremely liberating!

This year I have finally learned, after almost 52 years, that not everyone has the same innocent and good willed intentions that I do. I have finally had to come to terms with the fact that while I still believe most people truly aspire to being decent human beings, there is a sub-species that do not. My radar has undergone a tune up again. lol

@mazingerz88 Thanks and I bloody hope so!!! :)

@Londongirl Of course, but I would caution on using the word “bloody” when it comes to these things. Lol.

@flutherother *Sigh… Me neither. Like I said, I think my soul mate was either Lord Byron or the fictional character of Don Quixote? Unfortunately, Byron died…and Don Quixote never lived.

And that being said… I wish I were percieved more as Dulcinea than Aldonza. *Not to mention Raquel Welches tit’s might be nice too?

I used to believe that some day I would understand why my family was so religious, and I just couldn’t get it, but then I discovered the reason – I don’t have any faith. (The religious kind that is).

@mazingerz88 ok sorry… lol

For a long time, I was a hard-core Libertarian. I believed that any coercion or initiation of force by government against people interacting consensually was the source of all evil in the world.

I’m still a libertarian in that I generally believe that what people do in private that’s consensual and between themselves is their own business (sex, drugs, etc), but I’ve come to accept that unregulated free trade is just a tool by corporate executives to manipulate the stock market and force everyone into their debt and use that debt and control to confiscate all the wealth and enslave everyone else, all in the name of “consensual free trade.”

And if you look at the kinds of policies and laws that corporate executives push for, it’s obvious that they don’t even believe in the right of people to interact any way that’s peaceful and mutually consensual. So why should anyone (except other rich people) care about their well being?

Realizing there was no man who flew around in a sled with his reindeers to award me presents for my splended behavior really cut me deep. I mean I used to leave a carrot next to the cookies just for the reindeer.

@Bluefreedom Thank You!

@boxer3 Shhhh… The kids are watching.

*Kidding totally!

I agree and they need to be told!

*The carrot is sweet. Awwww…. *Rudolph hugs. ♥

Hahahahah <333

@HungryGuy I believe it is the mother nature of Capitalism. I think you cannot blame someone clever but you can blame the government is not clever enough to stop them.

I used to think I could control another person’s behavior. When I discovered that was not true it was quite liberating. Now I have no such aspirations, but I do observe other people’s behavior and adjust my behavior accordingly.