Are we actually enlightening each other or are we just shadow boxing and wallowing in self gratification?

I gotta admit it feels nice to stroke the ol%26#039;...

















...ego. (what did you think I was going to say?)|||Both. But then let go of the ol%26#039;




















Ego and the kindness remains with content enlightenment. Its like in Buddhism or Taoism, ya know.|||Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!





*Quickly grabs bottle of Lotion.





Well, some of it is jousting windmills. I have learned a few interesting things, though, from this experience.





It do feel good to %26quot;shpank it%26quot;. That%26#039;s why I get on here every damm day to ask questions, and to answer %26#039;em.|||My husband has known me for nineteen years (that feels old.) He claims that when I write, I am writing to please the reader. Once, he said I manipulated my way to my A%26#039;s. These discussions between him and me usually lead to words so he is obviously not trying to stroke my ego. But, then he knows that we have some grace between us so he%26#039;s safe.





In all honestly it%26#039;s not a conscience effort, but realistically I am a bit of a pleaser. I know what to leave out and what points to hit hard all from observing teachers or the groups I am writing to.





I think we all like to have our egos stroked (by the way I did use a power mower yesterday)) I think we also like the acceptance of others. (but I swept)





But when the going gets tough, if we feel passionate, don%26#039;t we fight for what we believe in? I do.





I actually will say I kind of ripped on a questioner because I did not like his perspective and he gave me ten points because he said it made him think differently--so that said a lot about him.|||90% of Y!A%26#039;s users are underages, which means they haven%26#039;t acquired what is necessary to hold a discussion seriously. All they care about is American Idol and Mexicans go home.|||I%26#039;ve learned one or two things here, maybe taught something as well. And self-gratification isn%26#039;t wrong anyway. So stroke your whichever, you%26#039;re not hurting anybody.|||Nothing of any importance.|||I think I asked this a while ago and got allot of wisshy washie answers.





Personally I think it depends on the mood I am in. Sometimes I want to get the bottom of a question and really go for it. The question makes me think and so do the other answers and that is good.





Other times I don%26#039;t care, I%26#039;m just on here because I%26#039;m bored and I become arrogant in my answers and do not consider other answers as valuable.





I do try to be honest though in both moods.





At the end of the day, enlightenment comes in the absence of the question. If you search for it, you will not find it. So, to answer your question - YES|||no enlightenment happens within