I have noticed one particular thing among many people who might be considered dark. 'Dark' lives would be considered hard, painful, miserable and are without a doubt full of adversity to anyone else and even to some of us. Yet we retain our lifestyles regardless of the suffering that it causes.

'Dark' people tend to find happiness and comfort in difficulty and/or misery. This is something that I have decided for myself and may not be true of others, but why else would some one continue to live in such a manner as to put themselves in such difficult conditions. I believe that the difficulty involved in our lives is what makes it worth living. For when we are able to accomplish something great it is that much greater than when an 'average' person does that same thing. I feel much more gratified than others do when something is accomplished.

People like myself are balanced by our extreme opposites in conditions, such as emotions and political views, which is something that I have found to be superior in almost all circumstances. Our happiness is far greater than that of an average person, but our sorrow is beyond many peoples' comprehension which creates a nearly perfect balance in a sense.

I'm sorry to be cut so short in the midest of my writing but other things call. . .

Your assumption of dark people is horribly mistaken...we all do not dwell on misery, pain and despair. A dark person is one who is not altogether a "pure" person. They have demons and thoughts that they constantly battle. I am considered dark by some, not because I wear black and talk of dire and doom, but because I practice magick, I study the occult, and have an almost dangerous fascination with evil and sin...that is what makes me dark. An acceptance of my natural instincts and desires, not denying them because they are not religiously or politically acceptable...

Jordyn,
I don't believe I have an adequate knowledge of many forms of paganism, and would be interested in understanding it better. Since you say you study the occult, I woulld be interested in getting your suggestions on books and/or websites that would provide an accurate depiction of such matters. Thanks.

I would have to say that your belief is a common isconception. The dark lifestyle is not some "religion of sorrow", but is rather an acceptance of one's circumstances, be what they may, and to blend into them the beauty found in the social taboos of society. A dark person deals with the interests he has , but does not accept the interests society tries to deal him.

I do not gain any sense of accomplishment from any of my actions. A problem is faced and then delt with nothing more.

A life without adversity quickly becomes a life without meaning. Without a sense of struggle, a sense that problems are overcome and life moves foward, life quickly becomes blase' and boring. I believe this is why so many of the rich are so jaded. They have no goals in life. Hence, they have no direction.

I think those that you are describing, these 'dark' souls you ascribe as being the 'norm' of living a 'dark' life are simply those who overdramatize and accentuate their problems. This is no different than millions of adolescents across the world, except that the ones you speak of drape their mood about them like a shroud with black clothes, music, and mystery. There are a great many people who make their problems out to be worse than they actually are...for various reasons.

Personally, I can think of a few problems I'd like to do without, 'dark' as I am. In fact when it comes down to it most of my problems have little to do with my dark nature.

I think the core of your writing touches on something basic in all humankind.


Shadowborn

Hedoism is their dircection.
I once saw a TV programme that said that without adversity the Jews would be a less colorful relgion and that there are Jews (and others no doubt) that look for confrotation as a means to solidify their viewpoints alone.

i think people are considered dark more so for their interests than their problems....i for one maybe considered dark though.... i don't feel anything when i accomplish something....i don't feel better or worse than anyone...we all got problems..we just show them in different ways....we are dark because we want to be not because we were born that way...you choose your fate, it does choose you.

errrrrr does not...damn typos...

Occultism is not necessarily paganism...

Some one who has faced darkness, lived thru hardships and has scars to prove it is Dark.

Nope, some people may have had a good enough life and still think that way.

I can't say that hedonism is necessarily bad, but adversity is necessary. Without something to strive for life isn't worth anything. If nothing is lacking in life, or nothing is needing to be resolved, then one has nothing left to strive for. So how does one grow as a person with nothing left to attain?


Shadowborn

From the living contitions we`re in today there is a movement towards less and less aversity perhaps that would turn humanity into a race with less character.

I have problems... they do not control who or what I am... only I control that... I am happy.... I wear black almost all the time... each to each.... own to own... seperate perception by each makes it hard to define any culture by the aspects of its majority... and doing so is asinine at best....