Our perceptions determine our reality! The way in which we're taught to see the world, inevitably, becomes the way we see the world. It's been said that we see things how we are not how they are, meaning, everything that we experience reaffirms previously held beliefs. If a Christian finds $100 in the street, they may say that God placed that money there for them to find. An atheist could find the same $100 and say that its to their benefit that someone was careless and dropped the money. The event of finding the money is the same, however, its perceived differently. One attributes it to a higher power, confirming their belief that God exists and the other attributes it to carelessness and human error. Many illusions exist in our world, and today we'll take a look at a couple.
1. The Illusion of Self
We all have this notion of "me" and "mine". To some degree we are all unique individuals and cannot be duplicated, however, there remains an illusion. Let's take a look at the beach! The beach consists of sand, trillions of tiny pieces of grains of sand. Let's remove one grain of sand. The beach remains the beach and will continue to be so, but take out all grains of sand and one is left without anything but together these grains can form gigantic masses, including beaches. Humans are the same way! Remove one person from the Earth and the Universe will continue as it always has and will. However, that person's absence will change how the Universe grows, because we're all interconnected, yet, all susceptible to being removed and forgotten. That interconnectedness is the essence of everything, particles of water form oceans, particles of minerals form rocks and continents, etc.
Additionally, we're taught to think in terms of mine and yours, known as possession. This is primarily due to the fact that our economic system prefers this belief, so that people feel a personal connection to the things they own and also a sense of independence, which we'll get to later. Think about it, does everyone on the same block need their own lawn mower? It's used maybe once a week for two hours each use. It would make much more sense if groups of homeowners shared the same lawn mower. Sure, you would have to trade in a little convenience, but then again, not so much, and a flexible schedule would seem to suffice. Why do people have this mindset of "having their own?" Probably because companies like to sell products in that fashion.
Lastly, the idea of the ego comes into play. There exists two identities for most people, the ego and the true self. The true self lives in the moment, an unselfish spirit that has one goal, to live life abundantly. I've come to the realization that most problems, arguments and disagreements, stem from bruised egos. People have the "need" to be right or to be heard in life. Why is that? My inclinations are of the belief that the ego takes over. It's weird because, the ego is an illusion formed by one's brain, think about fear. Let's say your scared to perform in front of a group of people, like I am, and then try to root out the problem that the fear stems from. Let's say the goal of the speaker is to make people laugh, but they don't laugh. The fact that that outcome may happen can scare people into not attempting it at all. But what if they don't laugh, at least the person tried and most likely, the only way in getting better is to have that very situation happen. There's also popular fears, such as the fear of flying, heights, being scared of different animals and also the fear of death. But the key to overcoming these fears are all the same. First, realize that the need to validate yourself to your ego, isn't real, its only thought to be so. It's hard to distinguish thoughts from the ego and the true self because they originate in the same place, the mind. Usually, thoughts from the ego need other people to like you, need you or compliment you. Secondly, understand that there are the possibilities of many outcomes and worrying about them takes you out of the moment and any task done whilst worrying about what may happen will detract from ones ability to do their best.
This is why kids are so great. They don't have a list of things that they are scared to do or feel embarrassed in social situations, kids just do! They live for the present, which is slighlty easier to do when they have no bills, car notes or mortgages to be pay. However, we choose to take on those responsibilities and worrying about them doesn't make life any easier!
2. The Illusion of Freedom
This is a reference to our way of life in a system where we must work to have money. I read a quote the other day that said, "We live in one of the most free countries, but have it setup that we're not very free at all."
I always hear people talking about being independent, but in what regards? Surely, everyone wants their own space, their own things and to feel like they don't have to depend on others for anything, the search for autonomy. Yet, we all need money, meaning many of us all need jobs! Some will find careers doing what they love, which feels less like a job, while others will slave away at making someone else very rich in order to make money. Money, we're all dependent on money and those who have capital to employ us and write us a check. I challenge anyone to live three months without making money and see if they can survive in a lifestyle they enjoy. Money, made up by printing faces on paper, has a very strong grasp on our sense of freedom, which is why those with lots of money feel superior to those who don't have any, even though money in and of itself, is just a tool to acquire resources. And because this is true, many compete to have more and more money! Going to school, learning a trade, working a pointless 9 to 5 job, only to attain more money, so how can we ever be truly free?
Yet and still, people live their lives chasing after it. I compare life to monopoly, and at the beginning of the game, one has nothing and at the end of the game, all the pieces are thrown into a box. Just like in life, we're born with nothing and when we die, we're thrown in a box, or what folks call a coffin. But we spend all our time trying to get more and more things, fighting other players or people in getting cars, property and money. All to have it thrown away at the end. Why you ask? Mainly due to propaganda. Information put in our heads, since babies, to accept this game as truth and follow the rules told to us by the very people who made the game. The Parker Brothers, the Bankers, the Corporations, its all the same. It's taught to us through images on television, in movies, songs, commercialized on radio, transportation, billboards, magazines and put into practice in schools, churches, jobs and colleges! All to make us believe that we have some say in how the world works, when, more realistically, we act out what we were always taught to do!
The keys to maintaining this system is to keep people in debt and wanting things so they have to work! Monthly payments for rent, food, gas and such keeps people needing to have money! Conversely, making people want things and buying products they don't need also adds to the necessity of needing money. The debt/work cycle in effect.
No comments:
Post a Comment