 |
In our time, everyone is searching for his or her individualism. Stages of lives seem to be set aside for self-discovery. Self expression has come to define what kind of a person someone is. It is a logical fact that people's perceptions and analyses of one another only come from speech, dialogue and action. I laugh sometimes at the very thought of what my peers must conclude about myself and my true personality. The assumptions that those around us draw about us come from what we say. There is no other way for them to determine anything about us or the inner workings of our minds. Their only window into our souls is what we say and do. We all think we have people really figured out. We draw conclusions about them., their personalities, their ideals and their characteristics on a daily basis. We think we have mastered the art of psychology because we are able to pinpoint certain qualities and attribute them to a certain person. But we are so limited. We hear only what they say. We see only what they do. There is a world of them that we are not shown. We can never enter a person's mind. We will never know the true "them". No matter how smart we think we are, we are limited to what they decide to share with us. I can manipulate what I say in order to form a certain typical attribute for myself. I can lead others to think things about my "inner self" and later mock their stupidity at just how little they really know. We can never get into anybody's head. This is where the complete truth comes into play. If we can't get into anybody's head to discover their true psyche, then who can? Of course, it is only the person themselves. No matter how much a person talks or tries to get others to comprehend their thoughts, the only one with a complete understanding of themselves and the broader picture of their existence is them. This is where our society is at such a loss. People fork out tons of money to help get their psyches figured out. They sit for hours in front of shrinks, blabbing away and hopefully revealing some inner thought that will allude to the full person within. People turn to others to provide answers and solve their emotional problems. Their ultimate happiness and individual satisfaction depends on these code-breakers. But they don't need them. If we are the only ones with a complete understanding of ourselves, how can we logically turn to others to figure ourselves out??? People have lost all confidence in their own minds and own abilities to analyze and self-critique. Perhaps it is laziness, or maybe it is just a gradual loss of ability. No one will ever find an answer from someone who doesn't understand. The best place to start is with yourself. Do not be afraid to look to yourself for help. You know yourself best; that is always the bottom line. This is an Age Without Self-Inquiry. Let us break the cycle and stop turning to others for guidance, when the best guidance is in the most obvious place. |
| The Age Without Self-Inquiry |
| April 25, 2002 |