Opinions are tricky things, aren’t they? Everyone has them and yet not everyone truly realizes them … realizes that there is a difference between arbitrary conclusions, knee-jerk emotional reactions, conjecture, lies, and carefully studied and informed perspectives with honest intentions. For some, it would seem, all of the aforementioned are equal in their validity towards the truth – others assign ‘validity’ to sources that they dare not even question. But we are bombarded with opinions … opinions made by people who (often times) have never learned to listen and think, before they speak. Thus, when one searches the ‘labyrinths of knowledge’ – the internet in particular – they tend to find only a maze of delirium and confusion.
It takes time to sort through all of the ‘mental garbage’ out there … and it takes dedication too. Discernment is not necessarily a simple task, when it is done with the care needed to make it into wisdom. Ultimately, it must be admitted, there is the possibility of error too, of course … so when you get right down to it, all we can do is our honest best – do our best to recognize truth and welcome wisdom – and that means we have to take the time first to listen … but listen with more than just our ears.
Judgements can come swift, and sometimes upon the most insignificant of things. We all have our inclinations … raised in ‘this belief system’ or ‘that one’, having experienced ‘this in life’ or ‘that’ … inclinations to trust, or not trust, a certain source of information simply because ‘that’s always been the accepted reality’. So being objective is not something most people are inclined to … they tend to see things (understandably) from but a singular point of view. Now, although this singular point of view certainly makes life more simple, I have to say (-lol- in my studied and honest opinion) that it in no way fully captures the great many dimensions of this reality … that life is not a ‘flat picture’ but an entire world where wisdom, to be known, must be seen from all sides.
And there’s the funny thing about truth and wisdom … it’s only heard by those who are willing (or ready) to hear it … hear it, even if it slaps them in the face about all that they thought and felt they ‘knew’. Putting ego aside for the sake of a deeper understanding is a very rare ability these days … yet it also wouldn’t have to be. When we find ourselves to be wrong in our thinking, we are inclined to take it as an attack on the ego. We are offended … at what, the opportunity to grow and improve ourselves? Or we devastated, and bash ourselves into over-humility … why? Shouldn’t compassion and forgiveness extend even to the self? Reality can be a hard thing to face … and it takes a certain mentality to do so. First, of course, you have to have the desire to know and to understand life. Second, you have to have an open mind … be receptive to new or different ideas. And third is the trickiest: you have to have discernment … use both your logic AND your intuition, from an objective standpoint, to try and recognize the b.s. from the beauty.
The search for truth and wisdom is very much what this whole ‘life experience’ is about, right? So it takes a bit of contemplation and practice to do it well … you have to learn how to listen, and analyze things with the heart as much as with the head. Then you’ve got to learn how to speak … to share your knowledge with others, so that we can all continue to build our understanding together – after all, reality IS a cooperative process, isn’t it?
What a balancing act, eh’? I for one find it a rather fun challenge, but fun or not, I can’t help but to feel that this world could use a few more ‘seekers’ … people who care enough about humanity to WANT to find and face the truth of our being … who see the value of living life with wisdom, and take-on the responsibility of being a creator in this reality.
So anyways, there’s another opinion for you to listen to and consider … or not. Best wishes and good journey to you all!