‘… there is an inside to experience as well as an outside.’ – The Doors of Perception
Work to reduce the ego. Thinking and speaking in E-Prime may help this further as you begin to realize the uncertainty of existence and our subsequent reliance on probabilities. This is all further aided when you can get to the point of realization that we must allow other people to live their lives as they please, as long as they do not attempt coercion / violence against others. We may wish for others to act differently than they may act, but the sooner we realize that they have the freedom to act as they please we can do away with much suffering. If you are preoccupied with how someone else feels about you, then you are wasting your self and your time, effort, and abilities.
The symbiotic relationship between ego reduction and the use of English Prime (E-Prime) in speech and thought (leading to subsequently according action). When we tie ourselves to statements of absolute certainty – ‘it is this way’ or ‘it is not this way’ – we ‘take up the cause’ for its truth or falsity, existence or nonexistence. This state of affairs leads us into the trap of requiring objective existence, or res extensa, to actually be how we want, wish or expect it to be through our claims of certainty.
This situation is immensely heightened once one allows emotionalism to come into play. Once one gives oneself to their emotions in regards to statements of certainty then reason is effectively shut out of the process of decision-making in terms of speech and action choices.
The more one can reduce ones ego, the less one ties oneself to certainty (or claims thereof) for the reason that a reduced ego is not as concerned with what others regard to be true or false. One can escape the emotionalist proclamations that help enlarged egos attempt to realize their own self-fulfilling prophecies.
Prolonged engagement in certainty claiming will eventually lead to the dogmatic, blindly faithful certitude which often requires outright denial of objective, empirical evidence out of hand and the logic, reasoning and scientific method with which said evidence is acquired and integrated into ones conceptualization. The ‘Indigo Children’ of the ‘Dead-Baby-Joke Generation’ are inherently better guarded against this kind of approach, this dereliction of critical thinking, to the certainty / uncertainty dilemma due to an intrinsic disregard of cultural heritage for tradition’s sake. Cultural-generational time-binding has brought on an atmosphere of skepticism for all things which are believed unquestioningly and retained on the basis of faith alone.
Akin to ego reduction is the opportunity for individuals to realize that all other individuals are both responsible to make their own choices and are free to do so as well. If one tries to coerce another into thinking or doing something against their will then one is trespassing on that individual’s liberty. Every individual is free, but also responsible for their own choices as long as those choices do not lead to actions which attempt to coerce or inhibit the freedoms of others. When one can come to terms with the fact that others are free to do as they choose they can then loose themselves from the (almost exclusively emotionalistic) self-laden embittered torment that results from concerning themselves with other individuals’ actions. If one approaches every interpersonal interaction with the mindset that this other individual may or may not agree with their wants, wishes, desires or expectations (not to mention ideals, belief systems, etc.) then they will not feel let down due to their emotional detachment regarding the interaction’s outcome.
If parents were to treat their children as free, intelligent individuals with responsibility for their actions many psychoanalysts and other similarly employed counselors may go out of business. In my opinion the role of parents would be well-advised to remain in an epistemological realm – guiding the child in the ways of how to think clearly and developing intellectual honesty fortified by diligent, disciplined action in line with the aforementioned skill sets instead of telling them what to think.
Failure to apply E-Prime results in what are in Neuro-Linguistic Programming known as lost performatives, i.e. stating opinions as facts.
No comments:
Post a Comment