The short essay “Wisdom” by Robert Thurman was about trying to find our own self. The way to do this was to try to get rid of our inner demon that is always telling us to do the things that we do. It is this thing that makes us act a curtain way to others and that will cause us to become afraid of things that are not clear to us. Once a person defeats this then they have found their true self. They then no longer are only concerned about problems in their own life but are more concerned with the problems and issues of everyone around them.
People often think that they know who they really are because they think curtain things, or are knowledgeable in a curtain issue. By being knowledgeable in a curtain issue, we think that we know all there is to know about something. This gives a sense of security because we will know what do and how to act when in a curtain position that we think we know everything about. But in reality we are actually wrong in thinking we know everything about a curtain something. This is the inner demon trying make you believe something that is not what your true self would believe. In order to find who you really are you need to admit that you are wrong. But this is hard to do for us because the demon doesn’t want you to become vulnerable to not knowing what to expect. “Knowing something is a way of controlling it, being able to put it in its proper place in relation to us so that we can use it effectively” (743). If we think we know something then we will feel a little control over ourselves and we will no longer feel afraid of it because we know what the thing is. Once we admit we are wrong then we feel like we are no longer in control and not being in control makes us become afraid. But if you are your true self then you are not afraid of these things but you are curious as to why you were afraid of it in the first place.
Once you have found yourself you will no longer be self centered and worried about the things in your life. Instead you will be a person who cares about others around you and you will try to help them find their way. “One of the most significant changes you will notice upon discovering you selflessness is that your sense of being separate from everyone else has now eroded. Your new awareness enables you to perceive others as equal to yourself, a part you, even. You can see yourself as they see you, and experience empathically how they perceive themselves as locked within themselves” (752).
People often think that they know who they really are because they think curtain things, or are knowledgeable in a curtain issue. By being knowledgeable in a curtain issue, we think that we know all there is to know about something. This gives a sense of security because we will know what do and how to act when in a curtain position that we think we know everything about. But in reality we are actually wrong in thinking we know everything about a curtain something. This is the inner demon trying make you believe something that is not what your true self would believe. In order to find who you really are you need to admit that you are wrong. But this is hard to do for us because the demon doesn’t want you to become vulnerable to not knowing what to expect. “Knowing something is a way of controlling it, being able to put it in its proper place in relation to us so that we can use it effectively” (743). If we think we know something then we will feel a little control over ourselves and we will no longer feel afraid of it because we know what the thing is. Once we admit we are wrong then we feel like we are no longer in control and not being in control makes us become afraid. But if you are your true self then you are not afraid of these things but you are curious as to why you were afraid of it in the first place.
Once you have found yourself you will no longer be self centered and worried about the things in your life. Instead you will be a person who cares about others around you and you will try to help them find their way. “One of the most significant changes you will notice upon discovering you selflessness is that your sense of being separate from everyone else has now eroded. Your new awareness enables you to perceive others as equal to yourself, a part you, even. You can see yourself as they see you, and experience empathically how they perceive themselves as locked within themselves” (752).
I like the pictures you used for links. They fit in well with the essay
ReplyDeleteHelpful essay :) , thank you so much for putting this essay in internet.
ReplyDelete