Jai, glad to hear you're feeling well enough to reconsider participating in IQ :)

For me, I came to the conclusion a while back that I write IQ answers mostly for myself :)

I think the truth of it is that most of the time you cannot really answer a person's question in the way that they originally intended because (among other things):

• they may not have worded their question precisely in the way that would elicit the answer they were looking for from another
• you may not have understood the question precisely in the way they intended
• they may have belief systems that are incompatible with the way you are answering and they may interpret certain words in the answer in a way different to that which you intended
• they may not be ready to, or want to, hear an answer you may be offering
• they may not have as much background knowledge as you think they do, in which case the answer doesn't make sense to them, or they may have more background knowledge than you think they do, in which case the answer may come across as condescending

Added to those "obstacles", IQ has a voting system that ranks answers against each other and, if you are not secure in your self-esteem, it can be easy to find yourself triggered with the "need for approval" and thereby get drawn into writing answers that will gain votes rather than those that best express your truth.

So then, for me, I've found that I mainly use IQ as a way to clarify my own thoughts about questions that catch my interest, and as an excuse to feel that "energy of connection" flow through me as I express those thoughts in written form.

Ultimately any form of human language is an imprecise and clumsy way for humans to convey thoughts to each other so I just adopt the principle that I will rarely answer a question that I don't feel inspired to answer.

Without the inspiration, there is no connection that transcends the clumsy human language and it just feels like writing "empty" words for the sake of writing words.

Because I generally feel good and inspired as I'm answering...

...the answer becomes its own reward...

...and feeling that uplifting "energy of connection" as the words flow is enough for me.

If the answer genuinely helps the questioner (sometimes it has the opposite effect!) then that's a bonus and, if you are following your inspiration, I've noticed that quite often the answer appears to help someone, even if not the questioner :)

I am so glad to hear you are doing ok, and I wish you perfect healing, perfect health. I am new here, and so have only asked a couple of questions and left a few comments and thank you's.

I want so much to communicate with the people here because you seem to be mostly like-minded people, and it is just so good to be able to let my thoughts flow and not to be constantly editing myself. I am really such a freak in most circles - I don't speak their language, and they don't speak mine. Here, I feel like you can hear me, and I love the idea that something I've learned along my way may be of some assistance to someone else. The thought that I may have done some good today, that someone somewhere in this world, whom I will probably never meet, has a word or two of mine in their head, and it is helping??!! What a wonderful thing that is to contemplate.

To be honest, though, I have to admit, the most lovely feeling I've had here has been entirely selfish:

I love it when I open my emails first thing in the morning, and find that people, either night owls or folks on the other side of the world, have been answering my IQ questions... Actually thinking about me while I slept.... For some reason, that really touches my heart. It is a great feeling. :)

Seems like a lot of people on this site have taken a "vacation" recently and then came back at around the same time :)

I don't feel anything much when I am writing an answer because I answer just because I write just because I feel like it. Sometimes through writing I understand some things better myself. When I am writing a question though, my only hope is that someone would at least answer it because the feeling does suck sometimes if your question is still not answered after a few weeks.

Hi Jai, Nice to know you are back for you were missed. I write because I think that sometimes if I know something that might help someone else and don't share my knowledge it would be wrong. Yes it makes me feel good especialy when acknowledged and thanked for my contribution but than being human is natural. If that sounds selfish than so be it but I think none of us would write if it didn't give us some feeling of satisfaction.

The knowledge received through answers is super and it is wonderful to interact with different cultures and receive different points of view from across the globe and if help for a problem is ever needed it is ever present by just asking a question. I love it here.

Welcome back Jai, I noticed you were absent for awhile. I prayed that you were well. I hope the surgery went well and that it is the last one you will need.

When I write for IQ, I usually am exploring myself. I write in hopes to get feedback to assist with the learning. The funny thing is, I hardly get comments on my posts, not much feedback lol. I do get some though and am glad for it. I am a single mom, so I don't really have another adult to talk to about all this stuff. I get ideas and insights and want to share. The kind folk here have helped clear some things up for me too. So writing here helps me to assimilate and understand what I read here.

When I first discovered the site, it was amazing feeling. It was a completely new level of thinking for me. A group of people that discuss things that I was interested in. I learned a lot. I was looking for spiritual fulfillment and understanding, which I have found here.

Lately though reading some of questions/answers and seeing limitation of perceptions by which some people operate makes me feel distressed and distracted. I'm finding myself emotionally too vulnerable to external environment. And in the need of strengthening this part of myself, I'm contemplating getting disconnected from the whole internet world and decreasing amount of interactions with people in the real one.

Thanks to IQ I have realized that I don't need anybody's help. I already have all I need, myself. All the questions I ask I already have answer to - within me. I rediscovered what Buddha meant when he said...

"No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path." ~ Buddha

Welcome back Jai.. I don't ask a lot of questions here. I often formulate questions in my head but then I find I am happy with the answers I have found myself. As far as answering questions that often is accompanied with a feeling of "I know this" or "This might help"
Grace and Stingray used the word "flow" when you get your head wrapped around a question/ answer I find myself in that feeling( ? ) of "flow" the words just come and it makes sense to me
peace