Responding to Social Chaos

There are:

Infinite unknowns.

We think we know many things. We don't know what we don't know and what we don't know could change everything we believe.

Deceivers.

We may think we are too smart to be deceived. After a decade of performing magic and studying the art of deception, I can tell you that it is just as easy to deceive a physicist as it is to deceive a taxi driver. We like to think we are difficult to fool.

Delusions.

We are not aware of illusions in the psyche that distort or prevent perception, create confusion, and perpetuate conflict internally and externally.

What's happening in the world?

Can this question really be answered by reading some articles, alt or msm, then forming an opinion? Of course not. We can only ever approximate. And how can we possibly understand what is happening in the world when we do not understand ourselves?

We discuss endlessly our opinions and speculate, but how many of us are cautious of what conclusions we form? How many of us understand what conclusions and belief are, their structure and their consequences?

Why do we argue heatedly, become violent or angry, or express hate toward another person? Isn't it because our story of ourselves (I am informed, what I know is correct, I am smarter than most people, if I'm wrong then it means..., etc.) has been contradicted and this creates psychological hurt, and fear? This is obvious, isn't it?

Our whole experience contains our stories of ourselves and of the world, our conclusions, opinions, and beliefs which must inevitably be limited, incomplete.

Our experience is only ever a screenshot of a movie. Our beliefs inevitably conflict with the constant stream of new information. My experience may be true but it will always be limited, only a narrow sliver of reality. My experience contradicts your experience and so we both argue out of fear, especially if the issue is perceived as a threat to survival(ie climate change).

Seeing this, I have a responsibility to observe myself very carefully and transcend my experience.

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sky_pal